This Guitar Has Seconds To Live – A People’s History of The Who, an oral history of the band based on eyewitness accounts from hundreds of fans and concertgoers, was published on September 4, 2023, from author Richard Houghton, via Spenwood Books. It’s available for order in the U.S. here and the U.K. here.
The terrific book is loaded with great anecdotes from fans who share their stories of chance encounters and memorable concerts throughout the years, along with personal photos, newspaper clips, concert posters, and unique memorabilia.
From the publisher’s announcement: They smashed Rickenbackers, drum kits, hotel rooms and occasionally each other. Never before had a band created such wanton destruction on stage. Never before had a band smashed their instruments into pieces, or used feedback as a weapon to manipulate their audiences. But there had never been a band like The Who before, and no other band has ever brought the same level of danger, excitement, chaos and sheer volume to live performance.
Singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle started out as The Detours in 1962. Joined in 1964 by Keith Moon, whose explosive drumming style fired the band along until his untimely death in 1978, this is the story of over 380 Who concerts told through almost 700 eyewitness accounts. It charts The Who’s rise from their West London roots to become one of Britain’s top chart acts (with 14 Top Ten hits) and a gig schedule that saw them play throughout the U.K. before conquering North America and the world via mammoth concert tours and attention-grabbing appearances at the Monterey, Woodstock and Isle of Wight festivals.
The Who’s albums Tommy, Who’s Next and Quadrophenia all rank in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The Who’s legacy is undiminished by time. And the sound of feedback runs through this book as fans and admirers of the band recount seeing them in action through a series of fascinating and heartwarming anecdotes and photographs. As the author notes in his introduction, “Until someone invents a time machine, this may be the nearest we’ll get to experiencing The Who in their early days and experiencing their evolution into rock legends.”
Richard Houghton is the author of more than 20 books on music and specializes in fan histories of classic rock bands including Faces, released earlier this year.
2 Comments
August 12, 1971, Cleveland’s Public Hall. The Who’s Next tour. Best damn music show I’ve ever seen. “Powerful” doesn’t even begin to capture it. Simply jaw-droppingly amazing.
Wow, you’re lucky to have seen the original band during that period they were so awesome in the early 70s. I caught them 10 years later on their first farewell tour in Chicago and then once more in Cleveland in 2001 nothing beats live at Leeds although their Isle of Wight recording is also fantastic..