Roger Daltrey is being hailed as a hero after preventing bandmate Pete Townshend from including a rap verse on the new album by The Who.
Earlier this month, iconic rockers The Who returned with a new album, simply titled Who.
Their first record since 2006’s Endless Wire, and only their second in almost four decades, the album has so far achieved quite favourable reviews, and charting highly in some regions of the world.
Since its release though, the group have been out on the road, touring and doing press in support of the record, with frontman Roger Daltrey even going so far as to advise fans to skip the bonus tracks at the end of the deluxe edition while chatting to Billboard.
However, it seems as though Daltrey was close to encouraging fans to skip another track on the record as well, including the opening track ‘All The Music Must Fade’.
Noting that while guitarist Pete Townshend usually gives him “loads of freedom” in relation to melody and lyrics, Daltrey admits he couldn’t extend the same offer to his bandmate, who wanted to include a rap verse in the tune.
“I ain’t going there,” Daltrey noted of its potential inclusion. “I love people that do that. It’s incredibly clever. It’s incredibly technical and they’re brilliant, but if I did it, it would be laughable.
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“I could probably do it, but it would be pastiche. I had to convince (Townshend) to cut it out; I said, ‘You’re welcome to leave it in if you do the rap.’ Obviously he didn’t feel comfortable doing it, either.”
Of course, as glad we are that the band didn’t follow in the footsteps of numerous ’80s bands trying to stay relevant with the kids (no, we’re not looking at you Aerosmith, you guys broke new ground instead of following a trend), we do have a bit of cautious curiosity about what it might have sounded like.
Let’s face it though, it’s probably for the best that we’ll never find out.
Check out ‘All The Music Must Fade’ by The Who:
