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Pretend you're in a war : The Who and the sixties

Blake, Mark, 1965-2014
Books, Manuscripts
Early in their career, Pete Townshend was asked how he prepared himself for The Who's violent live performances. His answer: 'Pretend you're in a war.' For a band as prone to furious infighting as it was notorious for electrifying acts of 'auto-destructive art', this could have served as a motto. Between 1964 and 1969, The Who released 17 singles and four albums containing some of the most dramatic and confrontational music of the decade, including 'I Can't Explain', 'My Generation' and 'I Can See For Miles'. It was a body of work driven by creative tension, black humour, bitter rivalry and dark childhood secrets, but which also held up a mirror to a society in transition, offering a unique perspective on both the group and their times. In this book, Mark Blake goes in search of The Who in these years. He charts their Mod breakthrough as figureheads for a restless youth culture in revolt against the stifling emotional fallout of World War II.
Imprint:
London : Aurum Press, 2014.
Collation:
400 pages : illustrations (colour) ; 24 cm
ISBN:
9781781311875 (hbk)
Language:
English
BRN:
74995
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