the greatest rock guitarist

[david powers]

So I recently saw "The Who at Kilburn 1977" DVD, and watching Pete Townshend when the band was at its prime (or, arguably, a bit past its prime), I have to wonder if he's not the best rock guitarist ever.

Why? Because the Who was always loud, aggressive, and loose in the way most bands are only when they're just starting out. By the time a band is 12 years old and as rich as the Who was in 1977, their stage show has usually started to become bogged down in lights, smoke, costumes, too many keyboards, and double- or triple-necked guitars. But the Who? Nope. Still just four guys in "street clothes" with 10 strings (between bass and guitar) and a lot of noise. Straight-up rock-n-roll.

For a band to keep it real that long has to be a testament to something, especially when you consider what the Stones and Zeppelin were up to by the late 70s.