Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane - Rough Mix

Newly Remastered European Version Comes in a Digipak. Album Details

Townshend/Lane Are Sublime

According to the liner notes off the vinyl album, Pete Townshend and the late Ronnie Lane play all sorts of instruments and "very involved mind games" not to mention the fact that taken as a pair, and as the photo attests, they are truly the rock & roll cro-magnons when it comes to their looks. But appearance means nothing when it is talent that counts, and the mind games resulted in a pearl of a recording effort. There was a hint of what Townshend and Lane were capable of on Evolution on Who Came First. The hint blossomed with Rough Mix.

The other reviewers have it right, the two gems on this are Keep Me Turning and Heart To Hang Onto. Street in the City is overproduced in my opinion, but the rest is a solid effort, with an especial nod to Till the Rivers All Run Dry, a great last cut on a par with Pavardigar on Who Came First. Townshend as a solo act is not The Who, he is Pete Townshend and teaming up with Ronnie Lane makes as sublime a product as can be found. The supporting cast is superb, with Eric Clapton helping out on guitars, Henry Spinetti providing a steady beat, and Rabbit on keyboards.

You don't need to be a Townshend or Lane fan to appreciate Rough Mix, just someone who loves to listen to rock and roll. RIP, Ronnie.

April 29, 2008

Great album!!

As an old time rock n' roller, this has always been one of my favorite albums (oops, CDs). For me, the collaboration between Mr. Townsend and Mr. Lane works just perfectly, with each balancing out the other, to create a CD that is right for certain of my moods. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have for over 30 years. April 19, 2008

Nothing Rough About It

Not Pete's best, but still an essential album to own if you're even remotely interested in Pete Townshend or The Who. This album has two of my Top Ten Townshend Tunes, Keep Me Turning, and Heart To Hang Onto. The album would be worth it just for those two songs, but on top of that you get Misunderstood, and My Baby Gives It Away. And Street In The City is simply sublime. Get this album, you won't be disappointed. January 17, 2008

The "Mod Summit"

Old friends Ronnie Lane & Pete Townshend join forces in late Winter 76 / Spring 77 and the result was " Rough Mix".
The Who had been Idle in the studio for almost two years at this point. Their last project "The Who By Numbers" was a great Record but a few folks took it as if it was a Pete Towshend Solo Record because of the theme of Pete's songs were very personal and the overall sound was not as dynamic as previous releases.
That said, lot's of us took "Rough Mix" as if was the new "Who" Record. Well, it's not that BUT it stands on it's own merit as one of the Best Things that Pete was ever involved in.
Ronnie Lane had been on his own for a few years at this time and he is an important partner for Pete on this Piece of work. He is a great contrast in style to Mr. Townshend and helps "Rough Mix" work as a balanced Record. His tunes: "Nowhere To Run", "Annie" & "April Fool" seem to have had an amazing effect on Pete's writting and playing to Free him up from the turmoils of The Who and the results here are some of the best Pete Songs some of you have never heard.
It all begins with "My Baby Gives It Away" a very Loose and happy but Raunchy Love song that sounds nothing like The Who has done since "Magic Bus", Pete sounds like a new man on a Mission and it's a Good Opener. Ronnie get's to Shine on "Nowhere to Run" & "Annie" and he seems a little more relaxed than Pete but he sure can write Good Tunes.
The Title tune is from a Studio Jam the boys undertook with Eric Clapton and it's just OK but it does not hold interest for repeated listenings. Same goes for "Catmelody" as you can tell this also devolped from a Jam featuring a few guys from The Rolling Stones.
But "Keep Me Turning" is the Great Lost Who Song that we had been waiting to hear for years...Fantastic !!! The same could be said for "Heart To Hang Onto" as this could have been an Epic Number if Roger had the chance to sing on this, Both these Great Songs still pop up in Pete's Solo Concerts to this day .
For my money the best thing Recorded for this Project was the great "Misunderstood" it is as Loose as you could ever get from Pete but at the same time it has a very tight Focus due to his Writting...Fantastic Plus Two.
And let's not forget "Street In The City" which is Pete and an Orchestra doing a "Mini-Opera", this experiment works for some but is a shock to lovers of "Live at Leeds" as our hero has done a 180 from the Power Chords of Old and here has steered close to a Classical Work. I think it is an Experiment that he indeed pulls off well, and it's rumored that Pete has Demos of more along this line, I hope they get to see the light of Day
Things come to a close with one of Baba's favorite songs: "Till The Rivers All Run Dry" and it's like a Prayer as was the intention.
This being the "Deluxe Edition" there is an essay on the making of this Classic and Complete Lyrics and Recording Information. Three Bonus Tracks are added here "Only You" & "Silly Little Man" by Ronnie Lane and another Studio Jam called: "Good Question", they are OK, but they are not the Great Lost Recordings we are searching for.
"Rough Mix" still holds up well almost thirty years later and this is the Edition to purchase, Ronnie went on to Rock in Heaven and Pete didn't Die OR get old, Thank Goodness. August 4, 2006

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