Who I Am

Feb 25, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Much of what I read was much the same as the tales of my other pop heroes. I did learn about his great love for and understanding of the technical chores and challanges of recording. Also to be discovered
is Pete's need to use 'big words' that chased me to seek the assistance of Webster sometimes three times on one page. Yes, I do feel mixed. I am both annoyed and challenged to better my own vocabulary......overall....you went to the thesaurus too often Pete.

It seems somehow appropriate to draw p...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Bettie added it

Shelves: fraudio, music, autobiography-memoir, winter-20122013, tbr-busting-2013, abandoned

His reminiscing about holiday camp action is a little bit That'll Be the Day

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 27, 2012 Tony Nielsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a long time Who fan I've been looking forward to Pete Townsend's frank appraisal of life with the Who and beyond. I first saw them live in Auckland, New Zealand in the late sixties, and for many years kept a small piece of Keith Moon's drum kit which I souvenired after he demolished it at the concert's finale. Keith Richard's "Life" has pretty much been accepted as the bnenchmark for rock musician's memoirs in recent times. In my view Townsend at least matches it, if not eclipses it. Certainl...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Graham Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not as deep and enlightening as I expected from Pete. In interviews and sleeve notes over the years he's been insightful, inspired and vulnerably honest. I suspect a heavy handed editor or two has trimmed this for the mass market, evidenced by lots of continuity chasms where the story seems to leap through time and space. But he's an interesting man, a musical genius whose tale is worth hearing. I'm a knowledgable fan so my feeling of being mildly cheated may be unreasonable. Who knows, there ma...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Calebmcarr rated it 5 of 5 stars

"I hope I die before I get old", rock legend Pete Townshend wrote in his anthemic song, "My Generation". This book describes the life of the man behind this. Pete Townshend is one of my musical aspirations. From The Who to his solo stuff, he's had a big impact on not only my musical life, but my personal one too. His autobiography follows into spectacular detail the life of a man who rocks. The clarity of things he could remember from forty years ago is stunning. As a musician, I found his upbr...more

like · see review

Apr 22, 2013 Ken rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't know much about Pete Townshend, aside from Who songs and the windmill strum he is famous for. I didn't realize how much music he wrote. He's a different kind of rock star, though. He's similar to most tortured artists, some of whom are rock stars, but at least he started out being more faithful to his wife than you hear others are.

It must really be difficult to be famous and remain with a wife, unless that wife is extraordinarily understanding, as his was.

Pete was and probably still i...more

like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Sam O'grady added it

When one takes the opportunity to write an autobiography, they're instantly taking on a challenging task: reporting the facts and events of their life along with reporting their perceptions of those events and how that shaped them in emotional, spiritual, and psychological ways. Both of these aspects have their strengths and weaknesses. While it isn't particularly fascinating to read through a full, drawn-out overlook of someone's life from beginning-to-end, it is absolutely necessary to get dow...more When one takes the opportunity to write an autobiography, they're instantly taking on a challenging task: reporting the facts and events of their life along with reporting their perceptions of those events and how that shaped them in emotional, spiritual, and psychological ways. Both of these aspects have their strengths and weaknesses. While it isn't particularly fascinating to read through a full, drawn-out overlook of someone's life from beginning-to-end, it is absolutely necessary to get down events as they actually happened in order to be called an 'autobiography'. And while distorting truth and facts in nonfiction is a crime of the highest order in the writing world, it's just as important for the autobiographer to explain the events of their life through their own eyes, so a little distortion is certainly going to be found here or there. And for someone as iconic in the world of rock and roll as Pete Townshend, the major songwriter and lyricist of The Who, it's easy for a celebrity to get a bit biased with the facts and play up a situation and add a little superfluous drama to appeal to their audiences.
However, from very early on, despite the pride Pete obviously takes with his work in music and despite the bitterness and anger he feels towards his peers throughout his life, two things are made very instantly clear about Pete: the first is that he is incredibly self-deprecating and takes time to talk in detail about his falls rather than his feats (which he certainly mentions of course). The second is that the man, in an unusual way of giving himself some closure to his life and finding peace with himself, is that one of his major intents in writing this book was to use it as a confessional of sorts. As Townshend said himself, "Shame leads to secrecy, and secrecy leads to alienation."
This is a book written for die-hard music fans from the perspective of a die-hard music lover who got lucky enough to experience and perform a wide range of musical forms -- from grand, sweeping orchestral music to blasting, fiery rock and roll -- and become one of the biggest names not just in rock and roll, but in music in general. The man leads us down his life of watching friends and loved ones die or fade away, witnessing how the rock and roll/party lifestyle affected others and him for better and for worse, how his various desires, ambitions, responsibilities, and addictions fueled his music yet cost him a simple living.
Many of his own major events, from starting in The Who to finding his long-held spiritual beliefs in the form of Indian guru Meher Baba, will be hit-or-miss for many fans and non-fans alike reading this book, but what is truly captivating is the man's philosophy on music and how he's adapted with it along the years. From a very early age, Townshend describes a moment that shaped his musical career. While on a boat ride through England, a young Pete listened to the sound of the water and swears even to this day that he heard the singing of angels. Townshend has since made it his goal to recreate this music as best as he can throughout his career. And according to a great deal of people out there, he's succeeded. (less)

like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 Claude rated it 3 of 5 stars

For Who fans or just fans of rock 'n' roll history, this is a good one. The early Who years are an awful lot of fun to read about, as are tidbits like advising a young Jimi Hendrix, new to London, about the relative merits of Hiwatt versus Marshall amps (both virtually unknown at the time). Since they were present and working for the British Invasion through the 80's (and even more recently), Townsend has great stories all around about the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and the Beatles.

Townsend g...more

like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 David Grapka rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

I have been a fan of Pete Townsend and the Who ever since I rode my 3 speed bike 28 miles to the BIg N in Jamestown, NY to buy the "Who Sell Out" record. I told my mom I was going to do that and I don't think she believed me. She came to get me and picked me up on the road in Dry Brook. Pulled over, put my bike in the trunk and didn't yell at me at all!

Anyway, I got this book for Christmas and just finished all 507 pages. I learned a lot about Mr. Townsend, his enormous vocabulary, and about th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 David Wallis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mr. Townshend's writing is friendly and accessible; I felt like a new friend who he was walking through his life, warts and all. He has the humility of a recovering person (a certain peace, serenity) mixed with bat-shit escapades, out of control ego AND insecurities, drugs/alcohol, black emotions. He never really crows about his 'victories', is tortured about balancing his work with his family, which includes the members of The Who.

You will feel you really know the man. Pete has always been at t...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Deidre Dalton rated it 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading "Who I Am" by Pete Townshend last night. It was a good book from start to finish and very well-written by the author. I've always admired Pete Townshend as a composer, musician and vivid story-teller. He also has a wry sense of humor, which is just as enjoyable as his other talents.

There are three passages in his autobiography which made me laugh out loud in particular. The first was when Pete and Roger Daltrey (lead singer of The Who and an accomplished actor as well) were at...more I finished reading "Who I Am" by Pete Townshend last night. It was a good book from start to finish and very well-written by the author. I've always admired Pete Townshend as a composer, musician and vivid story-teller. He also has a wry sense of humor, which is just as enjoyable as his other talents.

There are three passages in his autobiography which made me laugh out loud in particular. The first was when Pete and Roger Daltrey (lead singer of The Who and an accomplished actor as well) were attending a party in the early 1960s. Roger was known to be a bit rough around the edges, to put it mildly. Pete wrote of the party and Roger et al:

We saw fighting aplenty, and I have Roger to thank for the fact that no one ever laid a hand on me. Even a nasty drunk knew better than to provoke him.

In 1965, Pete bought a 1936 Packard V12 hearse. He parked it outside his flat in Belgravia, London. One day the vehicle was missing, and he feared it had been stolen. Instead, he learned it had been towed and impounded.

Out of nowhere I received a call from a man who wanted to buy the Packard. It emerged it had been impounded at the request of the Queen Mother. She had to pass it every day, and complained that it reminded her of her late husband's funeral. The bill to recover the car was over £200, an absurdly large sum of money, but the buyer offered to pay the fee in return for ownership. I agreed, and resentfully dedicated "My Generation" to the Queen Mother.

And finally, in 1996, Peter was aboard a Concorde flight from London to New York. The plane emergency-landed in Halifax because of technical difficulties (intense shaking as he described it). Also on the airplane were Elton John and his partner David Furnish. Townshend remarked how calm he remained through the event, but then wrote:

I wanted to commiserate with Elton abut a hysterical woman who'd started screaming (during the bumpy flight).

"That was me, darling," Elton confessed.

I highly recommend "Who I Am" to anyone who enjoys reading about the same era of culture and music. I'd rank Pete Townshend's book in the top five of all-time best autobiographies I've ever read (and I've read plenty of them).

Online review:
http://deborahotoole.tripod.com/Irish...
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, rock-music, the-who

Pete has always been one to spill out all of his thoughts and feelings at any given moment in his career. This book is definitely no exception. Townshend comes clean about his faults, his drug use and drinking, his affairs, his fights both with the Who and other people he meets, and even his arrests, most notably for possession of child pornography in 2000.

For what it's worth, I believe Townshend's explanation, which is basically that he was trying both to find out more about incidents that took...more Pete has always been one to spill out all of his thoughts and feelings at any given moment in his career. This book is definitely no exception. Townshend comes clean about his faults, his drug use and drinking, his affairs, his fights both with the Who and other people he meets, and even his arrests, most notably for possession of child pornography in 2000.

For what it's worth, I believe Townshend's explanation, which is basically that he was trying both to find out more about incidents that took place within his childhood and that he was trying to expose the system which enables Internet child porn. He pled guilty mostly to avoid a long, protracted court case; unfortunately, since that time, he's been labeled as a sex offender, a label which only held in Britain for a short period of time (barring further incidents, of course). He basically admits his stupidity and wishes he'd done things differently. I certainly didn't get any sense either from this book or from past incidents in his life that he's a child molester. I'll continue to believe that unless something else comes out.

Be that as it may, this book is a lot more interesting and intelligently written than Keith Richards' memoir of a couple of years ago. Townshend goes into a great deal of depth about his music, his career with and without the Who, his friendships and marriage, and his children. Unlike Richards, he expresses a great deal of regret for the years he spent drunk and wasted, and the affairs he had during his marriage. I admire him for that.

To me, the only significant omission is any description of the songwriting and sessions for the Who's first album, MY GENERATION. I got the feeling (only alluded to here) that Townshend didn't care much for the record's producer, Shel Talmy, and that may be why he gave it such short shrift. Happily, the remainder of his recording career suffers no such dismissal.

Pete can be a pretentious, arrogant man, but he can also be a seeker of spiritual enlightenment and a rock critic of depth and intelligence. All these sides and more of him are showcased in this autobiography. Well worth your time.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 Steven Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pete Townshend's career with The Who has been legendary. However, I was not so familiar with other of his music, and that is one of the best takeaways from this book for me.

It is a standard biography in its form--chronological order. The writing is very matter of fact, "just the facts ma'am." We get a lot of detail about his family life, his musical life, and his private life. He seems, for the most part, to have avoided the excesses of many other rock stars.

Nonetheless, the book tells well the...more

like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Tania Donald rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a long-time admirer of Pete Townshend's songwriting and musicianship, both as part of The Who and as a solo artist, I was a bit nervous about reading this book. It can be very disillusioning to discover that people we look up to as inspirations are, in fact, real people, and may not correspond at all with the lofty ideals we build about them in our own minds and dreams.
Let me say that on finishing Who I Am, my admiration for Pete Townshend both as an artist and as a person has only deepened....more As a long-time admirer of Pete Townshend's songwriting and musicianship, both as part of The Who and as a solo artist, I was a bit nervous about reading this book. It can be very disillusioning to discover that people we look up to as inspirations are, in fact, real people, and may not correspond at all with the lofty ideals we build about them in our own minds and dreams.
Let me say that on finishing Who I Am, my admiration for Pete Townshend both as an artist and as a person has only deepened. Who I Am is an honest, unvarnished account of an artist's life - of the art he makes and the struggles he faces behind the stage curtain. Townshend, it must be said, is a spectacularly successful musician in anyone's terms - he has had all the gold records, critical acclaim, and financial success that any of us could wish for. True too, he emerged at one of the most interesting and vital moments in British music history. All of this territory is covered with enough detail to satisfy fans of 60's music/history and The Who.
What is most interesting and unexpected though, is Townshend's revelation of the personal cost of being this luminary, wind-milling rock god of legend. How can a marriage or family life be sustained when one is away touring for months on end on a regular basis? How can one reconcile the public's image of a rock star with one's own unresolved personal traumas and profound insecurities? What shocks here is the sense of loneliness, of a man always on the periphery: adored by millions, yet alone in endless hotel rooms; the supposed wild man of rock who watches his bandmates' antics from the sidelines and worries about his marriage. It is in the tension between these two worlds that Townshend reveals his humanity and vulnerability, and also the impossible position in which we place those whom we idolise and set apart from the common throng.
Townshend does not flinch from his infidelities, his addictions, his psychological struggles, and his intimate and unguarded writing style serves him well here - drawing the reader in to a sympathetic understanding of circumstances and a status that most of us would struggle to imagine. Townshend writes beautifully - and this should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever really listened to the lyrical brilliance and innovative story-telling style of his songs.
The other gem in this book is the fascinating thread of spiritual yearning and an almost mystic sense of wonder that runs through it: from Townshend's boyhood experiences of ecstasy in hearing some kind of transcendent music in nature, to his adult pursuit of spiritual fulfilment through the teachings of Meher Baba.
What I am left with is my own sense of wonder, that despite often immense difficulties, both personal and professional, Townshend has produced (and continues to produce) some of the most dynamic, thoughtful and interesting music in the popular sphere and has emerged as one of rock's great survivors and successes. I finished the book feeling a great sense of our common humanity - that it is ok to be flawed, to struggle, to sometimes fail. What matters - what can raise us above it all - is the creative spirit and the quest to make whatever art you make. In the end, Who I Am is an uplifting and triumphant memoir. I would highly recommend it.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

I was so excited to read this book, especially after seeing a number of interviews with Pete about it. In the interviews, he spoke about trying to get his mother to talk to him about his childhood for years and how he finally succeeded while writing this book. He was so candid and his answers so heartfelt, and I expected more of the same from the book. I was a little disappointed. At a number of points in the book, the topic seemed to change in the middle of a section, leaving story threads hang...more I was so excited to read this book, especially after seeing a number of interviews with Pete about it. In the interviews, he spoke about trying to get his mother to talk to him about his childhood for years and how he finally succeeded while writing this book. He was so candid and his answers so heartfelt, and I expected more of the same from the book. I was a little disappointed. At a number of points in the book, the topic seemed to change in the middle of a section, leaving story threads hanging. I kept expecting him to tell the story about his mother in detail, and it wasn't there at all. I've read reviews that say he deals thoroughly with his arrest for child pornography, but I thought that was one of the stories that seemed to be missing something. I felt like I learned more about the situation from "Man in a Purple Dress," a song from the Who's 2006 album Endless Wire. (I should note that Pete's not the only one who claims the charges were made up based on one $5 charge on a credit card bill for a website he's never heard of.) When I read the acknowledgements, I understood why parts seemed choppy; he thanked his editor for helping him cut 500 pages from the manuscript. Some of those cuts could have been handled more smoothly.

There's still so much good stuff, though. If you're a Pete/Who fan, you should read this book. There are great stories (many told before, but still awesome)and interesting insights into Pete's writing process and his playing.

This is how I felt about this book right after reading it, but when I happened to read Rod Stewart's autobiography next, I realized that Pete's book lacks something else. Rod's book was so much fun in comparison. I know that's to be expected; Pete's the tortured artist and Rod's the eternal playboy, but it was more than that. Rod's book (written with a "real" writer) seemed more authentic, very true to his voice. I know Pete has more of a sense of humor than came through in the book; it would have been good to get more of that side of him.

(Sorry for the inconsistent tense; I want to get this posted in 2012.)(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

HB -- loner from the Library which I read in about in 3 sittings.
Quadraphenia is my favorite all time album/Cd or theme album because it helped a hippie generation grow up. Jimmy's pain is palpable in Roger's voice. I knew that townsend wrote the piece but until I read his story, I did not know how it helped him understand his traumatized youth. I was fortunate to see Quadraphenia perfored shortly after Keith Moon snuffed out his own life (drugs and ETOH)and I could feel Townsend's and Daltry's...more

like · see review

Dec 17, 2012 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars

Pete Townshend hits all the notes one would want in a rock legend’s autobiography: early childhood influences, nascent music sensibilities, The Who’s formation, heyday and dissolution and his later solo career. Unfortunately, in the case of Who I Am, Townshend does it with a clinical stoicism and overall lack of enthusiasm.

The detached and tortured nature of the book should be partly expected. Townshend has always seemed the epitome of the tormented artist with a capital A. As much as I love the...more Pete Townshend hits all the notes one would want in a rock legend’s autobiography: early childhood influences, nascent music sensibilities, The Who’s formation, heyday and dissolution and his later solo career. Unfortunately, in the case of Who I Am, Townshend does it with a clinical stoicism and overall lack of enthusiasm.

The detached and tortured nature of the book should be partly expected. Townshend has always seemed the epitome of the tormented artist with a capital A. As much as I love the Who’s music, I was always somewhat put off by Townshend’s need to create something beyond a simple rock album, whether is was a referendum on corporate sponsorship (The Who Sell Out) or his many successful (Tommy, Quadrophenia) and failed (Lifehouse/Who’s Next) attempts to make a rock opera.

The insatiable need to tell a complex story though a rock group could sometimes be exasperating as a fan. I always found this need to create serious Art doubly ironic since the Who were such a legendary live act who blew people away with sets that culminated in destroying their equipment. Not exactly the behavior of refined artists.

It’s no coincidence then that my favorite Who album is Who’s Next, which was the resulting embers of Pete’s failed Lifehouse project. As a result, the album is simply a collection of great songs, and in my opinion that is often enough. No larger human issues need to be addressed, or in Townshend’s case childhood demons exercised.

If anything frustrated me about the book, it was that at times Townshend makes The Who seem like nothing more than a conduit for his artistic expression. He seems to take no enjoyment in the Who’s heyday as one of the biggest bands in the world, and arguably for a time its best live act. He never seems to revel in being a rock and roll star. The same struggle his high-brow songwriting ambitions had against the primal instinct of a rock band his autobiographical prose style has against simply telling a great story.

Townshend should be commended though for telling an utterly honest story. Townshend pulls no punches, whether it was about his childhood hardships (which included odd, obscure references to possible sexual abuse), his alcoholism and recovery, his infidelities and eventual dissolution of his marriage, and finally the child pornography scandal that dogged him about ten years ago. Townshend wears his heart on his sleeve and his honesty is refreshing. Townshend’s story shows that no matter how rich and successful you become, we all have many of the same insecurities, problems and fears. This made me believe much more of what I read, as opposed to when I read Keith Richards’ Life and I got the distinct impression that some stories were told with decidedly rose-colored glasses. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Andrew Mcq rated it 4 of 5 stars

This autobiography was eagerly anticipated as a rare opportunity to see into the complex mind of one of the world's most interesting musicians. Before beginning, I had some trepidation that it would be a complex and convoluted narrative, perhaps an echo of his multi-layered oblique musical projects.

In fact, it is told in a quite straight-forward, sequential style, and is a very accessible read.

Townshend is a man of complex emotions, and even when laying bare his feelings he can be difficult to e...more This autobiography was eagerly anticipated as a rare opportunity to see into the complex mind of one of the world's most interesting musicians. Before beginning, I had some trepidation that it would be a complex and convoluted narrative, perhaps an echo of his multi-layered oblique musical projects.

In fact, it is told in a quite straight-forward, sequential style, and is a very accessible read.

Townshend is a man of complex emotions, and even when laying bare his feelings he can be difficult to empathise with; however this is perhaps testament to his capturing of the paradoxical realities of his life - excess and guilt, showmanship and insecurity, pride and regret. To his credit, he is not trying hard to be liked or to polish his own ego, it is his honest insights into his emotions that result in a multi-dimensional portrait.

Originally written as 1,000 pages, it has been edited down to half that, and this has left some unevenness in an otherwise thoughtfully constructed story:

• He has had countless opportunities in his life to clarify his emotions on the death of Keith Moon, and yet here is is just presented as a simple factual event without any emotional commentry;

• He writes clearly on his increasing addictions, from alcohol to cocaine, and gives one eye-opener to an incident freebasing cocaine. And yet later he mentions in a single passing mention that he beat heroin addiction, with no insight into his descent and experiences - surely a landmark step missed?

• He namedrops with regularity (although not unrealistically so, I have no doubt he is indeed a friend to all those labelled as such). However, for example, he mentions that he gave the funeral eulogy for Linda McCartney, someone never mentioned in the story; no doubt he gave a heartfelt speech but does not contextualise with even a single line of tribute in the book.

• He captures the late 60s London music scene clearly. However, it struck me that when he talks about life on the stadium circuit in the 70s, there isn't a single mention of Led Zeppelin, surely the Who's closest musical parallel. Is this an oversight, a snub, or an editorial victim?

These quibbles and others do not detract from the fact that I found it an engaging and engrossing read. At times his projects and home-studios in the 80s and 90s become a bewildering mix - however this is likely to be a good reflection of his workaholic/obsessive tinkerings which have resulted in a finalised musical output which is far smaller than others who find results more fluidly (McCartney, Springsteen, Dylan etc.)

In music he has struggled to find perfection and has wrestled with both entertaining and making lasting intelligent statements. Although this book has also been long in the making, it is a fluid and polished result which should entertain all readers.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Jeremy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this book. I love the Who, and I'm a huge fan of Townshend's solo work up until sometime in the early 90s. Empty Glass and Chinese Eyes are just stellar albums...and Quadrophenia was for years my most often played album. I read Keith Richards' autobio, and loved it, and I'm a much bigger Who fan, so I was sure I'd be in love with this book too...but no. It's way too self-indulgent, self-important, and frustrating in the author's inability to make prose readable or make an...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 14, 2012 Todd rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this book.

I'm a big Who fan, and Pete Townshend has regularly proved himself to be one of the most erudite and thoughtful rock 'n' rollers out there. If this memoir were half as interesting as his interviews, I thought it might be as enlightening (and as much fun) as Keith Richards' "Life."

What a disappointment.

It's not that Townshend can't write -- he obviously can. And he's properly introspective for a memoir. But there's little joy in his storytelling, little soul in h...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

All I can say is it's nice to know this extremely intelligent and gifted man through his own words.
I never doubted his humanness because of the songs he wrote. Songs that have transcended feelings and emotions that really didn't depend on whether you were male or female, or if you were English or American.
He expresses himself in depth at any level he composes in.

I believe his success is based on him allowing himself to share that depth of his humanness with anyone who cares to listen or read.
He...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Bill Keithler rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this memoir, at least for a while. It moves quickly and , as a fan of the Who, captivated my interest quickly. Townsend knows how to write (this was not ghosted). In fact, he has written numerous short stories, worked as an editor at Faber and authored columns for British music magazines. While numerous major figures in the rock and roll galaxy move in and out of the discussions in the book, this is not a tell-all. Townsend's focus is on himself and he is unsparing in his descr...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Tosh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Without a doubt The Who was a major band in their time and place. Also Pete Townshend surrounded himself with great eccentric figures - Keith Moon, Kit Lambert, Nic Cohn, Chris Stamp, John Entwistle,and the first Who manager and visionary Pete Meaden. How I would love to hear stories about these guys from Townsend, but what we get instead is (very) basic tales of insecurity, doubt, "woo me being a star," etc from the mouth and brains of Pete Townsend.

There is nothing wrong with that, for he is...more Without a doubt The Who was a major band in their time and place. Also Pete Townshend surrounded himself with great eccentric figures - Keith Moon, Kit Lambert, Nic Cohn, Chris Stamp, John Entwistle,and the first Who manager and visionary Pete Meaden. How I would love to hear stories about these guys from Townsend, but what we get instead is (very) basic tales of insecurity, doubt, "woo me being a star," etc from the mouth and brains of Pete Townsend.

There is nothing wrong with that, for he is very much the engine of The Who, but what made the band great are the characters surrounding The Who. Through Townshend's writing I don't get a clear picture of the individuals around him. He touches on it, but its totally reflects on his own ego or thoughts about his role in the mess of being in The Who. On paper this sounds like an ideal book, but reading it, I find it very normal, plain, and basically not exciting. Without a doubt Townshend is a superbly talented songwriter, who in the end thinks too much about his work. It is interesting that he admires Ray Davies of The Kinks, who I think is not only a better writer, but also a much more intense individual than Pete.

Reading this book right after the Neil Young memoir is interesting. Both are legendary without a doubt, and both are egotistical to the max. I think Townshend is much more of a charmer, but still he comes from a stock where he sees the world from only his pain, pleasure, and of course the doubt that is always there. Both Neil and Pete think a lot about their role in their lives, which is perfectly normal for any man in their mid-60's. But unlike someone like Bob Dylan or Patti Smith (both books by these artists are more superior than Pete or Neil's) are basically unique figures who rock because it is in their instinct to rock.

Pete praises John Entwistle, but I feel he doesn't give him credit for the great songs he wrote for The Who. "Boris the Spider" is a great classic Who song, and maybe my favorite Who song after the High Numbers material "I am the Face" and "Zoot Suit" two brilliant (and early) Who songs. And to be honest, to me, they were a great unstoppable band from The High Numbers to The Who Sell Out album. After that, "Tommy" and so forth -not that interesting to me. Classic rock albums yes, but essential Who... No not to me.

The book is an enjoyable read, but I wished it went further into the world with the guys he worked with as well as the Mod world. There is material in this book, but not enough of it. (less)

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Robert Simpson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Some sixteen years after being commissioned, Pete Townshend's autobiography finally arrives, and goes some way to delve into the mind behind The Who's lyrics. The result is a little mixed I feel.

Not quite as stimulating as his lyrics or his other work, and frequently abbreviated (he admits in the book that the text has been basically cut in half - one wonders what was left out).

He is very accepting of his marital infidelity and his substance abuse. While its clear that his alcoholism in particu...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Brian T rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wouldn't call myself a "huge fan" of the Who but I appreciate their music very much. I enjoyed this book, but to me it almost seemed like it was 100 pages too long. I also found myself wondering why Mr. Townshend didn't discuss his "kiddie porn" issue in greater detail since I found that subject to be really gripping and interesting.

Pete Townshend makes it clear from the beginning of the book that he was "sexually mistreated" by adults when he was a youngster, although he doesn't go into great...more

like · see review

Nov 03, 2012 Bill Feagin rated it 4 of 5 stars

When there are so many biographies of musicians and bands written by outside authors, it's refreshing for a musician to come forth and tell his or her story from his/her own point of view. Too often, we've been subjected to sensationalised stories of one band or another's exploits (Hammer of the Gods, anyone?).

So at first, you're tempted to think that Pete Townshend will come off as lofty and self-justifying somehow. I'm happy to say that's not the case with "Who I Am," a title which could easil...more When there are so many biographies of musicians and bands written by outside authors, it's refreshing for a musician to come forth and tell his or her story from his/her own point of view. Too often, we've been subjected to sensationalised stories of one band or another's exploits (Hammer of the Gods, anyone?).

So at first, you're tempted to think that Pete Townshend will come off as lofty and self-justifying somehow. I'm happy to say that's not the case with "Who I Am," a title which could easily put you off with such a definitive tone to it. Pete, however, never comes off that way - throughout, he's willing to admit that many of his public statements were bad and all-too-common cases of him putting his foot in his mouth and that many of his actions were extremely ill-thought-out and have given him cause to regret them later. In short, far from being a rock god, Pete admits he's human like the rest of us.

I was a little disappointed, as I thought that Pete might finally remember the abuse that he hints at in the early chapters and reveal it to us, so that we might understand the nature of his tortured psyche, why the character of Tommy is so drawn in the Who's famous rock opera - sadly, not the case, as Pete is probably not willing to look that event in the eye even now, having gone through many years of psychotherapy. The closest he comes to this is remembering a car's back door opening, and writing of this causing him a fit of uncontrollable shaking. This missed opportunity notwithstanding, we get Pete's point of view on so many things that have happened to him and his bandmates throughout his career, and he comes across much more sympathetic than one might otherwise have any reason to expect. There are none of the technical details one might expect - by which I mean no discographies of The Who or Pete's solo albums - as this is entirely about Pete as a man and a musician, a husband and a father, and an admittedly flawed human being who knows he's made mistakes in his life and isn't afraid to admit it. (Hell, you don't live to be 67 without making a few slip-ups along the way and learning from them!) He does discuss the incident which led to him being put on Britain's registered sex offenders' list, and that feels more like a miscarriage of justice than anything, much like the rock star drug busts that took place in Britain between 1967-69 and were revealed to have been frame-ups masterminded by an overzealous London Metro Police investigator.

Overall, one gets a good sense of Townshend - indeed, who he is (even if the various "who" statements seem to be terribly obvious puns that have gotten just a bit old by now), where he's been, and perhaps even a little of where he may be going in years to come. Not the best book ever written, but as I said at the outset, a musician's own point of view rather than that of a chosen biographer or critic with an axe to grind, and that alone makes it a worthy read over many other possible books.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Lisa Stephenson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Terrific autobiography of Pete Townshend, guitarist and chief songwriter of The Who, as well as a body of impressive solo work. This book stays in chronological order for the most part and he discusses his relationships with women and the dynamics among the band members (he and lead singer Roger Daltrey have had a rocky relationship over the years, which is well-known to Who fans), the deaths of Keith Moon and John Entwistle, and also discusses the situation where he was arrested for accessing c...more

like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Kurtbg rated it 3 of 5 stars

What's not to like about Pete Townshend? He's like a mischievous Santa Claus. This here book is Pete's perspective on his life. It's also not ghost or co-written, so kudos to Pete!

Like Keith Richards "Life", there's some insider peaks behind the scene, but you get the sense that it's not the complete picture. Pete paints himself in by creating the climate his parent's created for him as a child. Something happened when he was handed over to a crazy relative. There's suggestions, but perhaps he d...more What's not to like about Pete Townshend? He's like a mischievous Santa Claus. This here book is Pete's perspective on his life. It's also not ghost or co-written, so kudos to Pete!

Like Keith Richards "Life", there's some insider peaks behind the scene, but you get the sense that it's not the complete picture. Pete paints himself in by creating the climate his parent's created for him as a child. Something happened when he was handed over to a crazy relative. There's suggestions, but perhaps he doesn't really remember. He basically admits if. This makes him an angry you man who attaches himself to music. And he plays music, and his guitar, like an angry man. This adapts well to the rising youth culture, and the British social milieu which pits the mods against the rockers. Pete and the Who becomes the voice of a generation.

To me, the memoir is focused more about his role as a musician, followed by trying to deal with his hidden demon with drugs, alcohol, and a little bit of sex. A major weight is placed on him as the writer of the songs, the opera, the album story lines and later adapted plays and soundtracks. He also seemed to have a penchant for moving a good deal and purchasing homes along the river. Those homes were then filled by his musical equipment including the latest synthesizers, some being specially built for him.

He did cover meeting other 60's notables like Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. Although, he never talks about their deaths and whether they had an impact on him as an artist or as participant in the music scene. If you're a Who fan you would pretty much know about the other members, so Pete being dinged by not including character sketches isn't a bad thing. He does give you a sense of what they mean to him. To me he seemed like a guy who liked being alone with writing and playing music and used that to work on his demons. The music experimenter and studio Pete was open, exploratory, and tried to be cogent. The performing Pete fought openly with his demons via his auto-destructive approach. To me it seems the aggressiveness on stage is flowing from the music, but it stems from a cathartic release of trying to attack and fling demons from his back.

Pete doesn't seem to answer the questions of what he thought he needed, or what fulfilled him or why he paints himself like a shark and always having to move. I wonder what he thinks has changed? Is it just the natural response to slow down as one gets older, or is there a quiet calmness of having learned what things meant, what they mean, and just who the hell are you?(less)

like · see review

Oct 24, 2012 Bill rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must admit, I'm really waffling on whether Pete gets two or three stars. I confess that I'm a sucker for a rock book. I tend to leap into them without coming up for air until the last page is turned. This book was no different, but I can't say that it was the scintillating prose that kept me enthralled. Maybe my expectations were too great. In his work with The Who and his earlier solo efforts, Pete was often a songwriter nonpareil. His various interviews not only showed him to be an entertain...more I must admit, I'm really waffling on whether Pete gets two or three stars. I confess that I'm a sucker for a rock book. I tend to leap into them without coming up for air until the last page is turned. This book was no different, but I can't say that it was the scintillating prose that kept me enthralled. Maybe my expectations were too great. In his work with The Who and his earlier solo efforts, Pete was often a songwriter nonpareil. His various interviews not only showed him to be an entertaining storyteller but one of the first true rock music philosophers (all apologies to Mr. Springsteen, but Pete beat you by a good five or six years).
Too much of this memoir seems to be more a perfunctory listing of facts with little exploration of what's being written. One passage that stands out is when Pete refers to having to battle heroin addiction in the 1980s, without ever previously stating that he had taken the drug. Another fault is the short shrift given to some of the music he wrote, at least in balance to the space given his various romantic entanglements (which, to give the author props for bald-faced honesty, he comes off as a bit of a self-absorbed asshole). After Quadrophenia, there's very little time spent reflecting on albums like Who Are You, Empty Glass, Chinese Eyes, and other works of that era. I guess I should take my own prejudices into account since this is the time frame in which I first became enthralled with The Who and, by extension, Mr. Townshend. At the same time, I feel like an excoriating confessional like "Somebody Saved Me" from the underrated All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is due a fair amount of introspection.
Maybe I'm being selfish. After all, it's not like Pete asked all his fans to send him notes about how he should write his life story. Still, I can't help but think how much more this book could have been, especially given the undeniable talent Pete's shown in so many interviews and essays rhapsodizing on rock and roll as well as his role in making it a unique art form. Maybe if Pete had written it as a 500-page concept album...(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Steve Coscia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well written and fairly detailed memoir. Townshend comes clean and shares more details about his personal hardships and flaws than of his musical genius (in my opinion). Is he too humble? Does he seek forgiveness? Perhaps this book is a cathartic exercise. Still, as a big fan, I enjoyed reading every word. This book is a page turner.

Good descriptions of behind-the-scenes managerial and financial transactions. It is fun when 1960s/1970s rock stars peel back the curtain and reveal what was really...more

2 likes · like · see review

title link	preview: Who I Am
avg rating	preview: Who I Am Goodreads rating: 3.60 (1670 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13609867-who-i-am?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334931711l/13609867.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13609867-who-i-am?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Who I Am by Pete Townshend[/url]

Who I Am

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (13)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Pete Townshend

Books by Pete Townshend

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Who I Am