That might sound like soul to some, but to these ears it’s Paul Shane with strep throat.ĭaltrey imbues Stephen Stills’ “How Far” with distinct echoes of The Who and familiar territory suits him better, but “Where Is a Man to Go?” is bloated by the sort of banal cliché and shopworn sentiment that clothes this collection. The opening Motown-esque shuffle of the title track offers some promise, but Daltrey’s voice sounds like it’s straining at the leash and desperate for a fight. The album is a collection of covers and Daltrey originals, which despite an ensemble of capable musicians, including Pete Townshend, seems to be almost completely devoid of the soul he's so keen to recreate. Not really, is the answer – the songs take care of that. His rejection of the zeitgeist also extends to his latest album, As Long As I Have You, of which he says, “This is a return to the very beginning… to a time when we were playing soul music to small crowds in church halls… now, I can sing soul with all the experience you need to sing it.” So, does his recent outburst cloud our judgment of this new offering? That rawness also makes it a fitting coda to not only his career but also to Daltrey's: by finding sustenance in the music they originally loved, they've made a testament to the enduring power of music and how it enriches and strengthens a life.One rock musician who recently came under scrutiny is The Who frontman Roger Daltrey, after calling the #metoo phenomenon “obnoxious” and “salacious crap”, before adding, of his extra marital activity, “Come on, men are men,” and “there have been times when I’ve hurt her and that’s upset me.” Sending hugs, Rog, sending hugs. That velocity is crucial to the creation of Going Back Home it was made with the realization that the clock was about to run out, that Wilko Johnson might not live to see its release. It's tough stuff but it's also enthusiastic, infectious fun, a record of three-minute songs that blazes by in just over a half-hour. In the other, each musician has found a sparring partner who rivals their famed original partner: Daltrey has the gravity and menace of Lee Brilleaux and Johnson hits back with the savagery of Townshend.
Roger's lower register is gruff, wearing the scars and weight of his years, while Wilko's guitar slices, pushing and accelerating the beat with alternating precision and recklessness. He's making noise while he still can, and Daltrey matches Wilko's abandon, sounding liberated to be singing songs that aren't racked with Pete Townshend's self-doubt. Johnson penned the handful of originals not long after receiving his terminal diagnosis, but there isn't a shred of self-pity or sadness here. Both musicians are notably older than they were back then - Daltrey doesn't bother reaching for the high notes and Johnson's playing isn't as manic as it was during the Feelgoods - but that's what makes Going Back Home special: neither are bothering to hide their age, nor are they desperately attempting to recapture their youth, they're reconnecting to their roots and seizing the present. Feelgood, 1975's Down by the Jetty, appeared nearly a decade after the Who's 1965 debut Sing My Generation - but the singer is only four years older than the guitarist, so they share many core American blues and R&B influences, speaking a common language from a different perspective. It may seem that a generation separates the two rockers - Johnson's first album with Dr. That twin connection is important, as Going Back Home isn't merely a return to Wilko's roots, it's a homecoming for Daltrey as well, marking the first time in decades that he's sung such tough, blues-based, three-chord rock & roll. Supported by his touring band, Johnson entered the studio with Daltrey and knocked out Going Back Home in a week, just like the Feelgoods and the Who did back in the old days.
Feelgood songbook: the hard R&B and rock & roll songs he wrote and recorded in the '70s that continued to resonate decades later.
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Wilko had a few new originals, plus the idea to cover Bob Dylan's "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window," but he mainly stuck to the Dr. Instead of whiling away his final days, Johnson set out on a final tour and, finding himself still standing at the end of it, received an invitation from Who singer Roger Daltrey to go into the studio and record an album of whatever songs the guitarist wanted. Early in 2013, Wilko Johnson received the news that he had terminal pancreatic cancer and had maybe ten months to live.
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