Originally released in 2001, this SPV version of PETE TOWNSHEND’S on-going demos and home recordings (following on from 1983’s ‘Scoop’ and 1987’s ‘Another Scoop’) is now a lavishly-packaged and beautifully presented affair with candid and insightful sleeve notes from our hero himself.
And, while such an eclectic selection (spanning the early ‘70s to 2000 or thereabouts) could easily be dismissed as a grab-bag of inessential works-in-progress, because this is PETE TOWNSHEND we’re talking about, even these crumbs from his creative table are better than many artists’ finished works. Thus, while 34 tracks spanning two and a half hours or so might sound like heavy going to most non-Who completists, there’s actually plenty to lure in the more casual fan.
Inevitably, there are a few early takes of songs that would later become Who standards, but it’s a tribute to Townshend’s vision and professionalism that the home studio recordings of future ‘Quadrophenia’ staples ‘Sea And Sand’ and ‘Can You See The Real Me?’ are almost as rousing and fully-formed even without the incendiary input of Messrs. Daltrey, Entwistle and Moon. Elsewhere, a chance visit to Townshend’s gaff courtesy of bassist Phil Chen and the Bailey Brothers produced a sparky early take of ‘However Much I Booze’ (later to grace ‘The Who By Numbers’) and a multi-tracked ‘Teresa’ laid down in LA in 1980 sounds curiously chirpy and playful, bearing in mind the song’s subject matter had rejected an amorous Townshend’s advances. If the title sounds unfamiliar, that’s probably because Pete changed it to ‘Athena’ and The Who later got a modest-sized hit.
Outside of Who-related output, ‘Scoop 3’ also features a generous portion of demos for solo albums/ projects such as ‘Empty Glass’ ‘The Iron Man’, ‘White City’ and Townshend’s most recent ‘official’ album ‘Psychoderelict’. These come in varying stages of completion, ranging from a seriously scratchy’n’abrasive ‘Tough Boys’ (which would mutate into the hit ‘Rough Boys’ from ‘Empty Glass’) and the earliest lo-fi, acoustic demo of the intriguing ‘Outlive The Dinosaur’ from the much-maligned ‘Psychoderelict’, through to a motorik and wired Portastudio recording of ‘Commonwealth Boys’ from ‘White City’ in 1984.
All of these are fascinating, but there are also several lesser known gems here (at least to my ears) which are worth the price of admission alone. ‘I Think I Like It The Way It Is’ (1978) is a remarkably frank and open commentary on PT’S jet-setting and boozing lifestyle, but instead of sounding boastful, it’s gentle, vulnerable and all too easy to relate to. Its’ author finds it hard to listen to these days, but its’ winning melody and Ted Astley’s lovely, Scott Walker-ish string arrangement are both things of tangible beauty. A more recent instrumental demo ‘Collings’ (2000), meanwhile, shows Townshend can give even Bert Jansch a run for his money in the finger-picking stakes and in both ‘Lonely Words’ and the concluding ‘It’s In Ya’, Pete demonstrates – with the help of the likes of Clem Burke, Tony Butler and long-serving keyboard ally Rabbit Bundrick – that he can never entirely resist the urge to rock. And thank the geezer upstairs for that.
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Inevitably, there are a few places where he loses you. Impressive though it is, I’m not sure I can hack the German-language ‘Parvardigar’ too often per annum, while the likes of ‘Maxims For Lunch’ and ‘Iron Man Recitative’ are too clever and luvvie-fied for their own good. There again, this latter is followed by the searing ‘Tough Boys’ demo and a great oddball, Police-style pop curio ‘Did You Steal My Money?’ from Pete’s short-lived, but harrowing drug period in 1980 which finds him candidly asking “did you turn me over while I cold-turkeyed on the sofa?” and reminding us that – even under the influence – he remains a force to be reckoned with.
To paraphrase our hero, then, ‘Scoop 3’ is quite an amazing journey through Pete Townshend’s psyche; dropping some heavy and fascinating hints about the great man’s working methods and attention to detail along the way. The gatefold packaging and anecdotal sleeve notes set the scene beautifully, but the contents keep pace and ultimately this extended re-issue amounts to a package that has plenty to offer both die-hards and the curious alike. I’d call that a bargain in no uncertain terms.
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