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Oh Jesus Christ! They made Taylor sound good. After 40-something years shouldn't they be able to do these songs in their sleep? And someone please turn down Pete's mic!Jim Filiault___________________________________ I laughed so hard I cried. Townshend's faux solo was hilarious. I thought this was the year, but now I feel stupid.Chris Brown___________________________________The weakest commercials to date and the Who halftime show was not much better. Where was My Generation or some of their early gems? Good thing the game is carrying it so far through the first half. Tommy Nast___________________________________Agreed. Down right depressing. Three words for next year's halftime show: HALL AND OATES!!!!!!Jonathan Wolfson___________________________________ Totally agreed. 2 thoughts:1. My dad texted me mid set: "the who is old."2. I wish pete townsend would have said (prior to won't get fooled),
unfortunately this song is as relevent today as it was 75 years ago
when we wrote it. They could have saved the set with that one
statementJohn Hamilton___________________________________At least daltrey has had years to blow out his voice. Who new carrie underwood couldn't sing! Chris Zierke___________________________________Predictable and boring!! And I don’t mean The Who..I mean your comments!I’ve just sat through the whole performance with an audience in my home that spanned 12 – 50 years old and all LOVED The Who performance Enjoy the game..Mike Tunnicliffe___________________________________Prince all time bestNate Jarpe___________________________________Staging was pretty awesome though, ya gotta admit. And yeah - we have a football game on our hands! Rock!Al M.___________________________________Bob-I agree with 90% of what you say, but I think you're off about the Who performance. I'd love to hear you qualify the 'lame' and 'death of classic rock' statements- less I lose faith in your otherwise inspiring music and culture takes. Tyler Chester___________________________________Killed classic rock overnight.
What does that even mean?Neil Lasher___________________________________The Who absolutely crushed it! Bob Hamel___________________________________wowfrom new rochelle and our flat screen, it looked and sounded amazing. in fact, i enjoyed the wrong notes, the vocal miscues, etc. isn't that what 'live' is supposed to be about anyway? could not disagree more.joe d'ambrosio___________________________________Daltrey looked like a used car salesman!Farley PR___________________________________Bob, I love you, but you're wrong. That was a great halftime set. And a
very cool stage w/o the fake crowd in front.Tommy Moore___________________________________I guess all we need to do is add the question mark to the band's name. Something tells me that they didn't play Boris the Spider ... I should know but I don't watch baseball ... I mean football ... lariver___________________________________It was so bad. Kinda sad to me.Gary Slaight___________________________________Was it just me or did Daltrey seem liked he needed some oxygen? And...how many twenty second versions of classic hits did they try to jam down our throats...47? Sheesh...just do two great, FULL renditions and take your bow.At least Peyton Manning wasn't singing backup or playing the cow bell for them!Joe Buzello___________________________________ Pete was strong.Evan Harrison___________________________________I couldn't vehemently disagree more.Chris Dauray___________________________________Bob, if you don't light them up I'll be more than a little disappointed. They just look old and lame. They'd be cool doing something intimate and acoustic, and I'd pay good money to hear them tell stories, but the fist pumps and stuff ane embarrassing. Sam Pfeifle___________________________________i couldn't agree more. I was DVR'ing the game and I actually found myself fast-forwarding thru their performance after Baba O'Reilly.Ryan Henriquez ___________________________________1) The game got better.
2) Carrie Underwood was as out of tune (a good quarter-tone sharp on the "high note", yes Kelly?) as Taylor was at the Gramdmas.
3) We had the sound pumped, and after The Who finished, my 10 year-old daughter and ex-Taylor Swift fan says, "That was a lot of big music coming out of those guys!" Should I have told her the Arp (?) synth was on 'tape', and was really recorded 40 years ago? Would that have spoiled it for her?:)
d) Townshend's guitar sounded fucking great...what a hot rig.Eric Foster White___________________________________Yòure an idiot. They fuckin killed itGreg Boggs___________________________________ I thought they were great. Esp Townshend - that was like a complumentary session of rockschool for a lot of new bands/artists out there.Jeff Jampol___________________________________Just palin wrong
For a hundred million people you missed it I aint sayin they were 1970 but it looked and sounded great! Take it from one whose seen them two hundred times plus and was expecting not so muchmegaboylv___________________________________ Where were Kings Of Leon when we needed them?-B___________________________________I loved The Who. Lights- sound- lasers all worked great. Pete was in perfect form. As always. The youngsters need to see this and what they have to live up to. Which new band can match their showmanship? ?? Sorry, Bob.??Can't agree with you on this one. I wish they had a tour going on sale tomorrow because anyone that watched would be buying a ticket.?Danny Zelisko___________________________________ An absolute disgrace!!!!!! Who picks this shit????
Daltrey is shot. Townsend - is he over 80????
Sound was horrible!!!
Yechhhhh!Bruce Allen___________________________________Blame the nfl not the who Eric Herz___________________________________Like the game, the Who got better as they went along.Sally Stevens___________________________________Cmon bob you can't deny the nostalgia and how iconic those songs are! i2stewart8___________________________________Those cymbals were badass on Zak's kit - loved 'em - but whoever mixed it should be fired. Quickly. And Pete shouldn't wear a suit jacket if he's gonna windmill - he spent more time tucking in than playing. He's one of the all-time greats though and I'm not. Matt Scannell
___________________________________One word.Metallica.David Tobin___________________________________This is the most disconnected we've been on a major event. You just sound grumpy. And I'm just thankful there was a real BAND playing and not some teenage shlock or Nashville pablum. Respectfully --
Eric JarvisP.S. I'm sorry, but KENNY CHESNEY? I would have my toe in the trigger just having to sit through that.
___________________________________Bob,I think the Foo Fighters would be a perfect Superbowl pick. They're popular and have tons of hits. Their music is well suited for football, since "it totally rocks!!!," their songs have big choruses, etc. More importantly, they're charismatic and still have a pulse. The same can't be said about The Who anymore. -Beth Mueller___________________________________Perhaps its just a matter of opinion Bob, but I liked it...a group of some of the best rocks songs ever! But isn't that the crux...if any of these so called modern day great bands would actually write some timeless material then they can play gigs like that... Mark McMain___________________________________AmenTuma Basa___________________________________They didnt seem to take it seriously. Like the didn't know the Super
Bowl is a big deal. The star spangled banner was much better!Chris Beytes___________________________________Bob, I have been reading your letters for years, and today is the first time I have really felt the need to respond. The place I am in... southern Cal beach city, went crazy for The Who half time show. Your right the music was only ok, but THE MUSIC is so classic that everyone knew it and sang it, and the commoraderie was all about everthing you preach daily. Everyone came together under one song and felt one, although we came together for two reasons... The colts and the saints...we all for 15 minutes were music fans and to this moment are freinds. If my team wins or loses will not matter tomorrow as much as how many freinds I made today! Daniel C. Kelley___________________________________You are wrong about The Who and the game.Mark Felsot___________________________________Became Whoever pretty quickly.... Peter Burnside___________________________________Disagree... rock ain't perfect but it has soul. Peter and Roger gave it their all and are still vital. The fans to whom their songs led a generation (or two.. or three) loved the show. What are The Who supposed to do?? Bask in the glory of their past??? They'll kick the cane out from under you Bob... enjoy something. PS: What young acts that the Super Bowl audience would find entertaining and the CBS network (and advertisers) would you suggest? Did you not hear the music of the 'young' group Arcade Fire in the commercials? Bruce Garfield___________________________________Why hasn't Beyonce been given the spot yet? Talk about star power, talent, showmanship. That said, smart money is on Bon Jovi next year.-OEW
LA, CA___________________________________DOOD, I thought u used an iPhone, no wonder the typos!!As a Brit SB is all wrong.A Stupid game that calls itself football, when the rest of the world knows something else is called football...that you actually play with your feet!!! And has long passages of continuous play...not this stop starty TV generation fodder. No wonder the Who look out of place...I bet you none of them give a shit about the game...they should all be home with their pipe and slippers!! Simon Law___________________________________Right on bob.Seth Berg___________________________________a fucking disaster.Geordie Gillespie___________________________________ Cringe-y in the extreme.Who's next indeed....Steve L___________________________________The Who were fine.
They entertained and the crowd loved them
Killed classic rock overnight? Really?
So all classic rock stations are going off the air tomorrow?Or better yet..you want to say that they won't play anymore Who?This is not a good game?You really just look for things to complain about, and are speaking out of your ass. jahmon56___________________________________The Who - Wrote, recorded and performed some of the best rock and roil EVER. Good enough to stand the test of time all these years later and today, played in front of millions on TV. The Football Players - Worked hard at their sport for years and fought their way to the top. Kept themselves in shape physically and mentally to achieve their life long dream at becoming champs.Bob Lefsetz - Sat around on his big ass and criticized... You are getting more and more negative... I'm getting to the point of not reading your blogs just so I can stay somewhat optimistic about music. YOU are becoming as lame as the 5:00 PM local newscast.rodger carter ___________________________________Bob. really? are you crazy?jeff kazee___________________________________Bob,The laser lights were fantastic !!Leigh Goldstein ___________________________________The Who came across very well on TV. But they sounded a bit sloppy and unsure of each song's made-for-TV pared down arrangement. Still, Roger sounded good and looked great. Gerry Mosby___________________________________bob,i agree... they looked ridiculous. it's a shame but the who were at one time my favorite band. don't you think they should release another greatest hits package??? not! Jeff Laufer___________________________________Seeing in person, best thing was the staging.Hope I die before I get old my ass!!!!!Warmest regards,
Frederic Traube___________________________________ Not just lame....but TOTALLY lame!!! The Super Bowl is supposed to be all about energy. A war between two teams to see who comes out on top as the best football team of the season. The Who came out and killed the vibe like a fart in church. I agree that more current artists are needed in the halftime show. Perhaps Kings Of Leon, Brad Paisley, or hell just someone who's not on a dialysis regimen. Hell if we were going to have a throw back band how about one that keeps the energy going non stop...........Van Halen!!! That would be a great halftime show and one that everybody would be stoked to watch. Well maybe next year!!! Go Saints!!!
Trey LeBlanc___________________________________BULLSHIT!!
hey Bob - were you watching the same halftime I was? I'd rather see Pete and Roger than anything that the Super Bowl has put up in recent years. Other than Prince - he killed it. Seriously - give me a break. Those guys were great. I got goosebumps. Way more röck than Bruce or U2. Yeah I said it.Kent Militzer___________________________________Gee. Looked to me that hardly anyone left their seats. And u must not be watching the same exciting game I am. Bob...sometimes you need to keep your comments to yourself. ;) Roxy Myzal___________________________________ad-wise...gotta give it up to Kia for using the Dyke and The Blazers' "Let A Woman Be A Woman" sample in their goofy/cool spot.jeff kazee ___________________________________At least keep the camera off the drummer. Hideous - you nailed it, death of rock and roll.Michael Witthaus___________________________________Freakin hilarious- thank u for telling the truth! Best,
Alyse Courtines___________________________________was waiting for this. it was a jokeGraham Farrar___________________________________Word!Teddy Milmoor ___________________________________ A-fuckin-men!Kenny DeNile___________________________________BobThis is not the Who I remember... No Keith, No John... WTF at least Led Zeppelin had the class to pack in in after there drummer died and come back only to do special gigs and certainly not for the $$$$. This is truly disrespectful to the hard work and legend the band worked so hard to create.... in other words "The Who Sells Out" RS___________________________________I love The Who. I could sing every word to every song they played in that disjointed medley.But I was angry. That shit sucked. Pete wore shades and a stupid hat. Lame. The pre-recorded scream in "Won't Get Fooled Again" was the kicker (they went to the wide-shot). The only good part was Zack Starkey's cymbals and the stage. The Who's last hurrah. Goodbye. Won't ruin their legacy (maybe to some). The only old-fart standing who should play the halftime show is Neil Young, but he'd never do it and the network would never allow it. My vote for new act to play the halftime show: My Morning Jacket. Will never happen. Jesse Lauter___________________________________I couldn't agree more. What the fuck is up with the old rocker show? It's becoming a theme.
Jesse McCann___________________________________ Do you know that an 'anugram' is a true anagram. e.g. Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one. Anugram are pretty rare but even so we usually respond to these word scrambles with a simple apathy... Shrugging our shoulders, or we say, "So there you go." Our kids have an even better one-word phrase that suits when they are feeling indifferent about something or if they simply don't care... that phrase is "Meh". Watching the half time show I could only think, "How the?"... "Who the" hell allowed this to happen? And then realized we were experiencing a real life anugram... "How the = the Who"
Underwhelming? Answer: "Meh!"Julia Ann May___________________________________Amen!dparent19___________________________________Fuck you. Stage and light show were awesome, band was better than
expected. Not great, but better than expected. You're just being a
dick.Morris Beegle___________________________________Bob, I like a lot of what you say but you have to stop being such a crank. The Who were fun and the game is great. Gail Federici___________________________________I think that the problem with younger acts is that the powers that be in the NFL would pick something like Breaking Benjamin, 3 Days Grace, or some other lame as "mainstream rock" act. It would take an act of pure talent that pushes the envelope like Dredg, Porcupine Tree, Oceansize or any non Clear Channel approved act. But that would take balls to go and pioneer something that no one knows about. "They" would rather play it safe.I by no means have any association with any of the acts I mentioned. Just a fan of good music. Writing you from the road. Cheers!-Chris Andrews___________________________________I disagree with your assessment of the game, but absolutely agree with your assessment of the half-time show. Stones/Bruce/Who are cliche. I'll take Alicia Keys with a wardrobe malfunction any time. Fred Bement___________________________________Disagree. Couldn't you hear the crowd singing along? Who do you think can afford those seats? It aint the youngsters. And for the TV audience, you think the hipsters even watch the halftime show? Thought Roger and Pete did a good job, the songs were the real stars. ??Lisa Chader___________________________________They could have at least smashed their instrumentsSent wirelessly from Nick Bobetsky___________________________________The only thing that was lame was that Pete didn’t smash up that guitar. When he gently set it into a guitar stand in order to go over and put his arm ‘round Roger it was a terrible sight, that concession to NFL family hour rendered the entire show lame. Fuck the fireworks, there would have been no need for them if they had smashed that drum kit and guitar like in Monterey, forcing Jimmy to have to light his on fire when he followed their act. Travis Williamson, Esq.___________________________________Thank you so much. Because of you I look like the man and am totally getting laid tonight. About 45 seconds into The Who's set I posted a FB status about how hard I was laughing and what a joke of "entertainment" (like we are all that simple!!) it was. I then said to my wife "mark my words...Lefsetz will say what's up to my inbox before the nights over". Sure enough.... you never let me down. A very appreciative avid reader of 6 years from Baltimore.Kyle Byron___________________________________A GREEDToby Mamis___________________________________Agreed!!...But at least it was a good review "match the CSI-city theme song" for all us "younger urban folk".... :) Bev Moore___________________________________BOO WHO.gGary Poole___________________________________Crackberry...perfect.Got this wrong, Bob.Old? Sure. But Janet's tit. Or Kenny Chesney or Tim and Faith?Egad.Might have blown that cred of yours overnight.Jon Meyers___________________________________Ya know what Bob - You weren't here, I know because I was, there's about 85,000 fans that would disagree...your timing sucks.. Matt Gaines___________________________________Bob,You're an asshole.
That was a great game.
And The Who rocked.
Almost as much as the four bowls of chili I'll be sorry I ate in the morning... M___________________________________But that light show was unreal...The Who were pathetic. Boring. Roger Dalrey sounded like a dying frog.Seth Kallen___________________________________ (Excuse typos. I'm on my CrackBerry!)
Get an iPhone! Or at least a Google phone, for crying out loud. Oh, and I agree with you. The Who, not so good tonight.Tommy Dwyer___________________________________ This show stopped being about the music a long time ago. The younger demographic is too fragmented so there's no one name that will bring in big numbers. Therefore, they fall back on a classic act that is well known even if they're no longer relevant. Look at recent history: The Who, Springsteen , Petty, The Stones. Nobody was clamoring to hear them, but at least most of the country knew who they were. What younger act can claim that? (Forget about Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood, country music also knocks out a big chunk of the audience). Eric Schornhorst___________________________________Hater. They sounded fine.Kevin Lathrop___________________________________But you're right about the who. I've seen them pull some stinkers, but
this really reeked.Alan C. Howard___________________________________The Who performance didn't even make me want to buy Bridgestone tires...Arcade Fire donated the licensing fees for "wake up" in the NFL ads to Haiti. There's a cool, young act. http://tinyurl.com/yzosjztDenton Biety___________________________________I know your job can get stressfull and you are so right on the money d.r.___________________________________Dear BobI don't have your number, otherwise I would call you to tell you the following. Feel free to call me to discuss; 862-432-0044We've never met but I've hated what you stand for, for a very long time. There's nothing more annoying than someone who wants to complain but is unwilling or unable to provide a solution. You are everything that is wrong with the entertainment business. Why don't you go pump gas, do taxes or collect garbage? Seriously.The Who are one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Good for them for harnessing an opportunity. Who do you think you are to piss on their achievements?Crawl back into your hole and find something better to do with your life Reverend David Ciancio___________________________________Pete and Roger calling themselves The Who is just as bad as Axl calling his band GnR. That wasn't The Who, but The Two.Marcus T. ___________________________________All I said during the whole thing was "This is boring."Kort Peters___________________________________This last email you sent was lamer than the who. jisaok___________________________________The Arcade Fire tune on the NFL commercials rocked.........bring us some of that....and toss in Janet's tit just to make it interesting...Craig Carrick ___________________________________You are so wrong on this one Bob. The Who will always be great.Nick Light___________________________________at least the stage was cool.Adam Libman ___________________________________Hey Bob
So right! The commercials sucked too!Chris Guidi___________________________________Yup, we applaud what they used to be - not what they are. Roger Daltrey can't sing anymore, 2 others passed on, and Townsend survives.Reminiscences of Out of the Blue - "better to burn out than fade away".Paul Laufert___________________________________ I was with a bunch of families with 15 year old kids and they LOVED it.Danny Strick___________________________________You're wrong. My place was full of kids who thought they were awesome. The tunes, Bob. That's what they responded to. Those incredible, timeless, badass songs that still sound great. No one's writing them like that nowadays. That's what resonated. Always will.... Peter Zizzo___________________________________Best music all night was the arcade fire in those NFL ads.Jamie Sampson___________________________________blame the director. was an absolutely horrible cut. how many close-ups does one need of a drummer? Jason Milner___________________________________Oh bullshit...It is what it is. The Who were alright but Pete's vocals were sad. He played a decent axe and the sound was pretty good on home theater. Roger was at least tolerable for his age. As a bonus, Pete had a wardrobe malfunction with his gut hangin' out. Did you miss that??misea___________________________________agreed...entertaining game...the who were weak...it was a sad performance... thanks bob.ace in oc___________________________________Your crackberry? How appropriate...you're on crack!?Game was great! The team and the city that needed it most won!? As for The Who...I hope I'm still rocking like Roger and Pete when I'm in my sixties.
?I remember having a house party at my place when they had their first "farewell" concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was such an event that it aired on national tv in Canada. We watched it on the tube and listened to the audio on our local rock station. Simulcasting was the technology of the day in the early 1980's.? I remember being angry that I never got to see The Who live after that show. Luckily it wasn't their last live show. I've seen them in person 3 times since!?More of today's bands need to learn the art of showmanship that Roger and Pete and company put forth every time they take a stage. Not to mention the songs...12 minutes is all the got...and they rocked it!??I don't care if they sell more albums because of their appearance on the Superbowl. I'm sure that Roger and Pete don't care either. All that matters is the 12 year old kid watching the game with his old man wants to "pick up a guitar and play"...just like the guy on TV that had Dad so excited.?? Ron Harwood?
EMI Music Canada??PS - If there are any typos in the above I blame the beer. Superbowl party afterall. The Blacberry had nothing to do with it. Why blame the monkey wrench? Blame the monkey ___________________________________You didn't see the same show I did. I don't care for the Who but they were
way better than I expected. Maybe you also didn't hear the entire stadium
singing along. What was really lame was that stupid Jay z Rihanna song. Now
that was awful. Unfortunately it won't kill that genre of horrible
songwriting.Tag Gross___________________________________I completely disagree with you. Lots of energy from that great stage. Townshend was killing it from beginning to end. Dont expect the band to be performing as if they're in their prime but at least they're not like washed up assholes such as The Rolling Stones, Kiss or your loverboys in U2 that tour tour tour because there are still shmucks that'll pay out the ass. The Who was a rare performance from a band stacked with legends. Would you rather have seen Soulja Boy? Maybe that talentless asshole Drake that everyone's rubbing one off to lately? In a modern world full of horrible music (see: Kenny Chesney) watching legends like The Who take the stage was a treat. Its the Superbowl. A football game with a band playing a couple songs in the middle. The center of attention is the football game....because its a football game! Simon Becker-Sadava___________________________________AGREE AGREE AGREE... When they first announced The Who I said WHAT??? They did kill what was left of classic rock... BUT... The game WAS that good... you said that a bit too early... I am feelin' it with you Bob...J in Cancun___________________________________You're a Schmuck.... stop kiss the tit of AppleMichael G. Disa___________________________________ Right, Bob. Janet's rubber tit or some rednecky new country bullshit would have been SO much better than Won't Get Fooled Again & Baba O'Riley.
Lame, indeed.Chris Drossos___________________________________ Speaking of nipplegate, I thought the stage tonight looked like a tweaked Daftpunkian digital nipple... no?Jon Webster___________________________________I thought the Who were all right. I was just glad they didn't drop dead on stage. Light show was pretty awesome too. I was just wondering whos going to be the Super Bowl act in 40 years when I'm 70, Linkin Park? Now that would suck. Barry Miller___________________________________I expected your view Bob. As you often say, rock music seldom works on television. In this case, the audio mix was disappointing but given the time allowed to set the mix up, probably the best it could be. Taken individually, the performances were terrific. Take the tapes away an mix them as they deserve and you'll find the collective performance will be equally good. Nothing wrong with the lyrics either and they may just have more relevance than your suggested replacements - with all due respect to them. John Blanchfield.___________________________________
I blame the arrangement and song order. The medley was a bad choice in this case. I think they would've come off much better just playing 2 songs all the way through, or slightly cut down. Start with "Won't Get Fooled Again" to rile them up, close with "Teenage Wasteland" to give that epic magic aura for the large stage. It builds drama.Playing the medley with the way the songs were arranged tonight cut dynamics completely out. Sonically neutered them. It was akin to a great joke, with the punchline ruined by a poor delivery.C. Floyd___________________________________I totally agree.Jill Levine___________________________________ zip it up dude--who gives a shit? how many beers have you had anyway??they were better than the Stones or McCartney, the stage set was the best yet for a SuperBowl, and the Who were the best they could have been--why is it so hard to grant them that? Did you really want one of Chesney's lame ass island ditties or Tim & Faith pining about God and Country??Sure--kinda stale idea to resurrect the 60yr old rockers. But now what? Bring on someone young next year like.....like.....the Killers, Black Eyed Peas--and they would prove what exactly?? how about One Eskimo? Yeah! they'll nail it!....um..hmm.....riveting....... super!brer hawk___________________________________We want AMERICAN bands for the superbowl. The Who are no longer relevant. Give us The Killers, Kings of Leon, No Doubt, Green Day, we'll even take Foo Fighters or NIN. American football. American band. thevettes___________________________________Bob,I thought The Who were exactly what it was supposed to be, both in a
visual and a musical sense. They had 15 minutes, and I thought they brought
out their best. I have a whole lot more desire to see them now than I did
beforehand. Didn't necessarily care for Pete's outfit, but hey, he was
having fun...and THAT's truly what it was all about. - mike, progscaperadio.com___________________________________Next year I say pull in John Mayer and Keith Urban as a pair of modern classics. John Andrade___________________________________Agreed. Nuff said.Renee Schapiro___________________________________It's so obvious you're tring to strike a chord.. I think you're losing you're touch. Need to reinvent. Harlan frey___________________________________Let's face it, The Who's credibility went down the toilet when brother Pete sold his songs to CBS for crime drama themes....shitty crime drama at that. There's a whole generation of music lovers coming up that will view songs from "Who's next?" as music from shitty television shows. "Who's Next?" was a classic among classics. Not anymore. Maybe Pete needed the money. Tony Yardley___________________________________Not so lame.Everyone watching at the sports bar started singing along.And I swear the audience in the stadium was singing along as well. Hell, I don't even consider myself a Who fan, but that show sold me on buying a future concert ticket to see them.It was a good half time show.I just can't agree with you this time Bob. - Kendall___________________________________couldnt agree moreAndy___________________________________Bob,The only good thing about that set was the stage. Not the design of it, but the size. It killed the need for hand-picked "fans." Bob Morgano___________________________________Word! There is some kid out there that would have killed it for the chance at that crowd. Clearly tv is not the medium for new music or anything but back catalog. - Jon Stirling___________________________________Honestly Bob, shut the fuck up.Sure, they looked their age, but they sounded great and that is more than anyone half their age has been able to do recently (ie. Taylor Swift). I bet you their online sales will be better than any Grammys peformer.. Nick Tieder___________________________________Bob,You sure got that one right. I'm 25 and my dad is turning 60 next month. Cross-generationally speaking, we were both on the same page. We watched the superbowl together this year, our usual tradition. And while we both weren't terribly shocked by how low brow this years show was, we did talk about how wasteful it was, considering a superbowl spot costs ~ $2.5mm a pop. Overall, we were both apalled by the terrible creative of the commercials, how lame the halftime show was and how overall impotent an attempt at what should really be America's greatest specticle.We had the same general impressions during the Grammy's. I've been wondering if American media, ads and music are beginning to function as sort of an anti-matter from a cultural standpoint. WTF, Bob, WTF? Seriously, our country needs big time help.Thanks,Zach Harris___________________________________The Allman Brothers Band would do classic rock proud in this environment as they do in ANY environment they play in. But I have to agree they are the exception to the rule. Neal Barfield___________________________________...but you have to admit it SOUNDED great. I'm trying to find out who was mixing...Jason Lehning___________________________________ Bring back the Stones!!!!!Kathy Conway___________________________________Agree, kinda sad.don___________________________________Bob, I agree with you, yikes wtf happened to RD's voice, last time I saw
them was 2000 at Shoreline and they were great. The music was still great
but the singing, pee yew!!!Michael Corwin___________________________________The Who are better than most bands of today, that’s the problem. Someone younger? Please you think MCR's emo anthems would go down well, maybe some nice safe matchbox 20 or nickelback rock, credibility Ben___________________________________The Who were cover band quality but that stage was first rate. That says it
all when the stage is the most impressive facet of the performance. But I
guess that happens a lot these days. William Nollman___________________________________trongly disagree. I thought the who was fabulous. It proves your never to old to Rock n Roll. Long Live Rock!!!Sincerely,Lee Farrell Green
Music Manager
NYC___________________________________Bob I disagree.
I didn't hear any cheap assed auto tuners, nor backing tracks. Even for as old as those Icons of Rock and roll are, they did rock the stadium.
I usually agree with you on many points of the declining music industry.. I thought the Who was stellar. The problem with the new tuned acts out there is that there really isn't any deep seated talent. yet. Sure they could have done someone else, even an act from the good ol' USA, but they didn't and the reasons behind it are many.
Dwight Finney___________________________________I agree, the halftime show was embarrassing.RPB___________________________________I agree with your assessment of the who but not of the game , but
being a guy who came of age in the late 60's with the stones and who
I've always felt they should hang up their rock and roll shoes and age
gracefully.Peter Roaman___________________________________ Bob:Did you stumble upon one of Hunter Thompson's missing drug stashes ?
That was probably the tightest most well-produced Super Bowl half-time show ever.
The group went seamlessly from one recognizable hit to another with instant applause at the beginning of each, did all their trade-mark moves and vocals and clearly had about 40,000 paying customers as background singers.
What the bloody Hell do you want ?!?Bob Sherwood___________________________________I thought The Who were fine. It's only ten minutes.Who sang the National Anthem? Carrie U.? She was not great. What's everybodies favorite word these days? Pitchy? Cheers,
Tom Q.___________________________________Disagree soundly.David Peters___________________________________sound off all the way..on mutelistening to Sarah Vaughan, Edith Piaf and Dusted didn't miss anythingglad Saints wonDrew Robertson___________________________________Really? I thought they rocked beyond anyone this current generation could have.Pierre Lamoureux ___________________________________Watching and listening to Who at halftime was like watching a 65 year old stripper take it off one last time, then shimmy up the pole with the help of an orderly.
Sometimes the memory of something beautiful is far greater than the ugly it grows in to. Jack Ponti___________________________________bring on METALLICA ......Bill Tixx___________________________________Wrong bob. They kicked ass!!Steve Brown___________________________________ Sorry that you hated it. I didn't.G. Morrow___________________________________I would never have thought I could write such a thing about The Who but I
totally agree. What was the point? A tie in to CSI Miami? Promotion of yet
another hits package to rival the number of Greatest Hits packages released
by, well, let me see, JAMES LAST?!Pete, Rog: Look up the law of diminishing returns. You're probably capable
of doing great stuff but tonight sure wasn't it. Steve FergusonP.S. I forgot to add that The Who are in serious danger of becoming 'The What?'___________________________________I'm usually in agreement with you Bob but not this time --- I thought, for a bunch of seniors they kicked ass --- d David J. Taylor___________________________________Sorry, Bob. I'll trade ya ten Kenny Chesneys for one old-before- they're- all - dead Who. The songs last forever, and Pete's guitar sounded awesome. Ringo's boy is no slouch, and Roger, well, how well do ya expect him to sound after screaming YEEAAAAHH for almost 40 years ? Maybe it wasn't Live At Leeds but good God, I'll take that over Tim and Faith anyday, or Green Day's "All the Young Dudes", or anything by Kings of Leon. Hans Rotenberry___________________________________YepJonathan Stone___________________________________Long time reader Bob. Have to disagree. The Who had positively the only captive audience of the evening at my superbowl party. Ages ranged from 9 to 42, and each and every person was transfixed by their performance. Gave me shivers knowing that the Who still had that kind of power. Not to say it wouldn't be nice to find that "younger act with something to prove" for next year, but I just don't know of a younger act that has that has the power to cross over from generation to generation. Eric Trelstad___________________________________I liked it. Am a big fan, thought they looked old all of a sudden, but I'll take great classic rock songs like theirs any day over Justin Timberlake or - God forbid - country music!!!!! I thought the effects were fantastic! The pyro and that amazing stage and light show! I think they needed it to boost the energy, perhaps, but it worked well with their classic sound, to update them with a little technology thrown in with some fucking AWESOME 40-year-old songs.
Those songs stand the test of time - and will continue to do so - better than any music being made nowadays.Karen Pace___________________________________Bob, I was sitting at a bar with a dozen or so friends and acquaintances and nobody had any ideas for who would be good alternative. I can think of tons of bands I'd love to see there... But not too many that my Mom, cousins and friends in Middle America would dig too. It's a different world... So hard to program for. Colleen Kenny___________________________________Bob, what did you expect? I LOVE the Who. Always have. But did you think tonight would be anything other than a primer for yet another repackaged, remastered greatest hits cd? You probably knew that long before I did. Still, seeing Pete on stage is one of the great things about our music. Best, John Florio___________________________________What, were you watching on your Crackberry? Get an iphone grampa. This show was in hifi.The Oo kicked butt. And they proved something - Townshend's anthems are fucking timeless!
I was sitting in a room with multiple generations, and the youngsters perked up with "what, they wrote "Who Are You" too?!!!" Millions of young-uns only know them from CSI, for cryin out loud! This mini-mashup did the job. Speaking of anthems, cool to hear Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" climaxing those nfl.com super slo-mo spots.
Yes it was an awesome second half, but that awesome second half started early - with the Who. McNamara in Toronto___________________________________I pretty much agree with Bob.
They played well. But roger can't sing. And although its probably not bad for the demographic of the game (or is it even too old for that?) It doesn't seem like it plays well outside of the classic rock crowd at all.
And what about the nfl? A tit by accident is too much for them? But teenage wasteland they're all wasted is ok? It maybe true about the crowd(if they were allowed to buy Budweisers past halftime). But so what?
Tour Townshend solo with a band for real magic.
But as for halftime. The idea of captivating EVERYONE is sillymfunk2___________________________________Bob,You must have had a terrible life. Lighten up once in a while.J.A.S. ___________________________________Understatement.Damn Janet's tit. That looked like my drunk uncles playing Rock Band.I'm 32. How long until these old bands die (or more specifically, the old-ass TV execs that play it too safe) so that us under-50-somethings can have a Superbowl halftime show that we can relate to?? -PJ___________________________________I was thinking, this is the band famous for "Hope I Die Before I Get Old"?Too late now.On a positive note, it was raw and (somewhat) live, with some obvious backing tracks here and there... and the light show was awesome. Bob Rivers___________________________________Musically, this was probably the best halftime act in quite a while. You remember Bruce pandering for the camera? The Who would never do such a thing, and didn't tonight. They just simply played the songs. You think this performance killed Classic Rock overnight? Sorry dude...you're way off. Peace,
Brian Cooney___________________________________ A Super Bowl appearance, like a curse, almost inevitably marks the end (or beginning of the end) for any act that appears. All the proof needed can be found in Billboard's top 10 "best" halftime shows (http://tinyurl.com/ylgyk77). Even the durable U2 has never been as relevant after as before. Only Prince has survived -- probably because he's never given a shit about career ups and downs and seems content to be a consistent, ass-kicking talent. Mark Reynolds___________________________________You are high. A real band, playing real instruments, no dancing children holding signs, and no lip synching with hundreds of millions watching and you call that lame? That performance should have launched a thousand guitar bands. Darrel Herbert___________________________________I just feel like the powers that be have been trying to play it safe ever since Janet's wardrobe malfunction. I enjoyed Tom Petty, thought it was funny when Bruce racked himself on a camera, but as much as I love classic rock, I really don't want to see over 60 year olds up onstage, unless it's a local dive bar. A stadium show with a huge live TV network audience deserves a stadium band. . . . although Kenny or Tim or Faith wouldn't do anything for me, either. It's not country. It's not rock. And it's really not fresh. But obviously, fresh isn't what the NFL and the networks are going for these days. . . . Mis
unfortunately this song is as relevent today as it was 75 years ago
when we wrote it. They could have saved the set with that one
statementJohn Hamilton___________________________________At least daltrey has had years to blow out his voice. Who new carrie underwood couldn't sing! Chris Zierke___________________________________Predictable and boring!! And I don’t mean The Who..I mean your comments!I’ve just sat through the whole performance with an audience in my home that spanned 12 – 50 years old and all LOVED The Who performance Enjoy the game..Mike Tunnicliffe___________________________________Prince all time bestNate Jarpe___________________________________Staging was pretty awesome though, ya gotta admit. And yeah - we have a football game on our hands! Rock!Al M.___________________________________Bob-I agree with 90% of what you say, but I think you're off about the Who performance. I'd love to hear you qualify the 'lame' and 'death of classic rock' statements- less I lose faith in your otherwise inspiring music and culture takes. Tyler Chester___________________________________Killed classic rock overnight.
What does that even mean?Neil Lasher___________________________________The Who absolutely crushed it! Bob Hamel___________________________________wowfrom new rochelle and our flat screen, it looked and sounded amazing. in fact, i enjoyed the wrong notes, the vocal miscues, etc. isn't that what 'live' is supposed to be about anyway? could not disagree more.joe d'ambrosio___________________________________Daltrey looked like a used car salesman!Farley PR___________________________________Bob, I love you, but you're wrong. That was a great halftime set. And a
very cool stage w/o the fake crowd in front.Tommy Moore___________________________________I guess all we need to do is add the question mark to the band's name. Something tells me that they didn't play Boris the Spider ... I should know but I don't watch baseball ... I mean football ... lariver___________________________________It was so bad. Kinda sad to me.Gary Slaight___________________________________Was it just me or did Daltrey seem liked he needed some oxygen? And...how many twenty second versions of classic hits did they try to jam down our throats...47? Sheesh...just do two great, FULL renditions and take your bow.At least Peyton Manning wasn't singing backup or playing the cow bell for them!Joe Buzello___________________________________ Pete was strong.Evan Harrison___________________________________I couldn't vehemently disagree more.Chris Dauray___________________________________Bob, if you don't light them up I'll be more than a little disappointed. They just look old and lame. They'd be cool doing something intimate and acoustic, and I'd pay good money to hear them tell stories, but the fist pumps and stuff ane embarrassing. Sam Pfeifle___________________________________i couldn't agree more. I was DVR'ing the game and I actually found myself fast-forwarding thru their performance after Baba O'Reilly.Ryan Henriquez ___________________________________1) The game got better.
2) Carrie Underwood was as out of tune (a good quarter-tone sharp on the "high note", yes Kelly?) as Taylor was at the Gramdmas.
3) We had the sound pumped, and after The Who finished, my 10 year-old daughter and ex-Taylor Swift fan says, "That was a lot of big music coming out of those guys!" Should I have told her the Arp (?) synth was on 'tape', and was really recorded 40 years ago? Would that have spoiled it for her?:)
d) Townshend's guitar sounded fucking great...what a hot rig.Eric Foster White___________________________________Yòure an idiot. They fuckin killed itGreg Boggs___________________________________ I thought they were great. Esp Townshend - that was like a complumentary session of rockschool for a lot of new bands/artists out there.Jeff Jampol___________________________________Just palin wrong
For a hundred million people you missed it I aint sayin they were 1970 but it looked and sounded great! Take it from one whose seen them two hundred times plus and was expecting not so muchmegaboylv___________________________________ Where were Kings Of Leon when we needed them?-B___________________________________I loved The Who. Lights- sound- lasers all worked great. Pete was in perfect form. As always. The youngsters need to see this and what they have to live up to. Which new band can match their showmanship? ?? Sorry, Bob.??Can't agree with you on this one. I wish they had a tour going on sale tomorrow because anyone that watched would be buying a ticket.?Danny Zelisko___________________________________ An absolute disgrace!!!!!! Who picks this shit????
Daltrey is shot. Townsend - is he over 80????
Sound was horrible!!!
Yechhhhh!Bruce Allen___________________________________Blame the nfl not the who Eric Herz___________________________________Like the game, the Who got better as they went along.Sally Stevens___________________________________Cmon bob you can't deny the nostalgia and how iconic those songs are! i2stewart8___________________________________Those cymbals were badass on Zak's kit - loved 'em - but whoever mixed it should be fired. Quickly. And Pete shouldn't wear a suit jacket if he's gonna windmill - he spent more time tucking in than playing. He's one of the all-time greats though and I'm not. Matt Scannell
___________________________________One word.Metallica.David Tobin___________________________________This is the most disconnected we've been on a major event. You just sound grumpy. And I'm just thankful there was a real BAND playing and not some teenage shlock or Nashville pablum. Respectfully --
Eric JarvisP.S. I'm sorry, but KENNY CHESNEY? I would have my toe in the trigger just having to sit through that.
___________________________________Bob,I think the Foo Fighters would be a perfect Superbowl pick. They're popular and have tons of hits. Their music is well suited for football, since "it totally rocks!!!," their songs have big choruses, etc. More importantly, they're charismatic and still have a pulse. The same can't be said about The Who anymore. -Beth Mueller___________________________________Perhaps its just a matter of opinion Bob, but I liked it...a group of some of the best rocks songs ever! But isn't that the crux...if any of these so called modern day great bands would actually write some timeless material then they can play gigs like that... Mark McMain___________________________________AmenTuma Basa___________________________________They didnt seem to take it seriously. Like the didn't know the Super
Bowl is a big deal. The star spangled banner was much better!Chris Beytes___________________________________Bob, I have been reading your letters for years, and today is the first time I have really felt the need to respond. The place I am in... southern Cal beach city, went crazy for The Who half time show. Your right the music was only ok, but THE MUSIC is so classic that everyone knew it and sang it, and the commoraderie was all about everthing you preach daily. Everyone came together under one song and felt one, although we came together for two reasons... The colts and the saints...we all for 15 minutes were music fans and to this moment are freinds. If my team wins or loses will not matter tomorrow as much as how many freinds I made today! Daniel C. Kelley___________________________________You are wrong about The Who and the game.Mark Felsot___________________________________Became Whoever pretty quickly.... Peter Burnside___________________________________Disagree... rock ain't perfect but it has soul. Peter and Roger gave it their all and are still vital. The fans to whom their songs led a generation (or two.. or three) loved the show. What are The Who supposed to do?? Bask in the glory of their past??? They'll kick the cane out from under you Bob... enjoy something. PS: What young acts that the Super Bowl audience would find entertaining and the CBS network (and advertisers) would you suggest? Did you not hear the music of the 'young' group Arcade Fire in the commercials? Bruce Garfield___________________________________Why hasn't Beyonce been given the spot yet? Talk about star power, talent, showmanship. That said, smart money is on Bon Jovi next year.-OEW
LA, CA___________________________________DOOD, I thought u used an iPhone, no wonder the typos!!As a Brit SB is all wrong.A Stupid game that calls itself football, when the rest of the world knows something else is called football...that you actually play with your feet!!! And has long passages of continuous play...not this stop starty TV generation fodder. No wonder the Who look out of place...I bet you none of them give a shit about the game...they should all be home with their pipe and slippers!! Simon Law___________________________________Right on bob.Seth Berg___________________________________a fucking disaster.Geordie Gillespie___________________________________ Cringe-y in the extreme.Who's next indeed....Steve L___________________________________The Who were fine.
They entertained and the crowd loved them
Killed classic rock overnight? Really?
So all classic rock stations are going off the air tomorrow?Or better yet..you want to say that they won't play anymore Who?This is not a good game?You really just look for things to complain about, and are speaking out of your ass. jahmon56___________________________________The Who - Wrote, recorded and performed some of the best rock and roil EVER. Good enough to stand the test of time all these years later and today, played in front of millions on TV. The Football Players - Worked hard at their sport for years and fought their way to the top. Kept themselves in shape physically and mentally to achieve their life long dream at becoming champs.Bob Lefsetz - Sat around on his big ass and criticized... You are getting more and more negative... I'm getting to the point of not reading your blogs just so I can stay somewhat optimistic about music. YOU are becoming as lame as the 5:00 PM local newscast.rodger carter ___________________________________Bob. really? are you crazy?jeff kazee___________________________________Bob,The laser lights were fantastic !!Leigh Goldstein ___________________________________The Who came across very well on TV. But they sounded a bit sloppy and unsure of each song's made-for-TV pared down arrangement. Still, Roger sounded good and looked great. Gerry Mosby___________________________________bob,i agree... they looked ridiculous. it's a shame but the who were at one time my favorite band. don't you think they should release another greatest hits package??? not! Jeff Laufer___________________________________Seeing in person, best thing was the staging.Hope I die before I get old my ass!!!!!Warmest regards,
Frederic Traube___________________________________ Not just lame....but TOTALLY lame!!! The Super Bowl is supposed to be all about energy. A war between two teams to see who comes out on top as the best football team of the season. The Who came out and killed the vibe like a fart in church. I agree that more current artists are needed in the halftime show. Perhaps Kings Of Leon, Brad Paisley, or hell just someone who's not on a dialysis regimen. Hell if we were going to have a throw back band how about one that keeps the energy going non stop...........Van Halen!!! That would be a great halftime show and one that everybody would be stoked to watch. Well maybe next year!!! Go Saints!!!
Trey LeBlanc___________________________________BULLSHIT!!
hey Bob - were you watching the same halftime I was? I'd rather see Pete and Roger than anything that the Super Bowl has put up in recent years. Other than Prince - he killed it. Seriously - give me a break. Those guys were great. I got goosebumps. Way more röck than Bruce or U2. Yeah I said it.Kent Militzer___________________________________Gee. Looked to me that hardly anyone left their seats. And u must not be watching the same exciting game I am. Bob...sometimes you need to keep your comments to yourself. ;) Roxy Myzal___________________________________ad-wise...gotta give it up to Kia for using the Dyke and The Blazers' "Let A Woman Be A Woman" sample in their goofy/cool spot.jeff kazee ___________________________________At least keep the camera off the drummer. Hideous - you nailed it, death of rock and roll.Michael Witthaus___________________________________Freakin hilarious- thank u for telling the truth! Best,
Alyse Courtines___________________________________was waiting for this. it was a jokeGraham Farrar___________________________________Word!Teddy Milmoor ___________________________________ A-fuckin-men!Kenny DeNile___________________________________BobThis is not the Who I remember... No Keith, No John... WTF at least Led Zeppelin had the class to pack in in after there drummer died and come back only to do special gigs and certainly not for the $$$$. This is truly disrespectful to the hard work and legend the band worked so hard to create.... in other words "The Who Sells Out" RS___________________________________I love The Who. I could sing every word to every song they played in that disjointed medley.But I was angry. That shit sucked. Pete wore shades and a stupid hat. Lame. The pre-recorded scream in "Won't Get Fooled Again" was the kicker (they went to the wide-shot). The only good part was Zack Starkey's cymbals and the stage. The Who's last hurrah. Goodbye. Won't ruin their legacy (maybe to some). The only old-fart standing who should play the halftime show is Neil Young, but he'd never do it and the network would never allow it. My vote for new act to play the halftime show: My Morning Jacket. Will never happen. Jesse Lauter___________________________________I couldn't agree more. What the fuck is up with the old rocker show? It's becoming a theme.
Jesse McCann___________________________________ Do you know that an 'anugram' is a true anagram. e.g. Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one. Anugram are pretty rare but even so we usually respond to these word scrambles with a simple apathy... Shrugging our shoulders, or we say, "So there you go." Our kids have an even better one-word phrase that suits when they are feeling indifferent about something or if they simply don't care... that phrase is "Meh". Watching the half time show I could only think, "How the?"... "Who the" hell allowed this to happen? And then realized we were experiencing a real life anugram... "How the = the Who"
Underwhelming? Answer: "Meh!"Julia Ann May___________________________________Amen!dparent19___________________________________Fuck you. Stage and light show were awesome, band was better than
expected. Not great, but better than expected. You're just being a
dick.Morris Beegle___________________________________Bob, I like a lot of what you say but you have to stop being such a crank. The Who were fun and the game is great. Gail Federici___________________________________I think that the problem with younger acts is that the powers that be in the NFL would pick something like Breaking Benjamin, 3 Days Grace, or some other lame as "mainstream rock" act. It would take an act of pure talent that pushes the envelope like Dredg, Porcupine Tree, Oceansize or any non Clear Channel approved act. But that would take balls to go and pioneer something that no one knows about. "They" would rather play it safe.I by no means have any association with any of the acts I mentioned. Just a fan of good music. Writing you from the road. Cheers!-Chris Andrews___________________________________I disagree with your assessment of the game, but absolutely agree with your assessment of the half-time show. Stones/Bruce/Who are cliche. I'll take Alicia Keys with a wardrobe malfunction any time. Fred Bement___________________________________Disagree. Couldn't you hear the crowd singing along? Who do you think can afford those seats? It aint the youngsters. And for the TV audience, you think the hipsters even watch the halftime show? Thought Roger and Pete did a good job, the songs were the real stars. ??Lisa Chader___________________________________They could have at least smashed their instrumentsSent wirelessly from Nick Bobetsky___________________________________The only thing that was lame was that Pete didn’t smash up that guitar. When he gently set it into a guitar stand in order to go over and put his arm ‘round Roger it was a terrible sight, that concession to NFL family hour rendered the entire show lame. Fuck the fireworks, there would have been no need for them if they had smashed that drum kit and guitar like in Monterey, forcing Jimmy to have to light his on fire when he followed their act. Travis Williamson, Esq.___________________________________Thank you so much. Because of you I look like the man and am totally getting laid tonight. About 45 seconds into The Who's set I posted a FB status about how hard I was laughing and what a joke of "entertainment" (like we are all that simple!!) it was. I then said to my wife "mark my words...Lefsetz will say what's up to my inbox before the nights over". Sure enough.... you never let me down. A very appreciative avid reader of 6 years from Baltimore.Kyle Byron___________________________________A GREEDToby Mamis___________________________________Agreed!!...But at least it was a good review "match the CSI-city theme song" for all us "younger urban folk".... :) Bev Moore___________________________________BOO WHO.gGary Poole___________________________________Crackberry...perfect.Got this wrong, Bob.Old? Sure. But Janet's tit. Or Kenny Chesney or Tim and Faith?Egad.Might have blown that cred of yours overnight.Jon Meyers___________________________________Ya know what Bob - You weren't here, I know because I was, there's about 85,000 fans that would disagree...your timing sucks.. Matt Gaines___________________________________Bob,You're an asshole.
That was a great game.
And The Who rocked.
Almost as much as the four bowls of chili I'll be sorry I ate in the morning... M___________________________________But that light show was unreal...The Who were pathetic. Boring. Roger Dalrey sounded like a dying frog.Seth Kallen___________________________________ (Excuse typos. I'm on my CrackBerry!)
Get an iPhone! Or at least a Google phone, for crying out loud. Oh, and I agree with you. The Who, not so good tonight.Tommy Dwyer___________________________________ This show stopped being about the music a long time ago. The younger demographic is too fragmented so there's no one name that will bring in big numbers. Therefore, they fall back on a classic act that is well known even if they're no longer relevant. Look at recent history: The Who, Springsteen , Petty, The Stones. Nobody was clamoring to hear them, but at least most of the country knew who they were. What younger act can claim that? (Forget about Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood, country music also knocks out a big chunk of the audience). Eric Schornhorst___________________________________Hater. They sounded fine.Kevin Lathrop___________________________________But you're right about the who. I've seen them pull some stinkers, but
this really reeked.Alan C. Howard___________________________________The Who performance didn't even make me want to buy Bridgestone tires...Arcade Fire donated the licensing fees for "wake up" in the NFL ads to Haiti. There's a cool, young act. http://tinyurl.com/yzosjztDenton Biety___________________________________I know your job can get stressfull and you are so right on the money d.r.___________________________________Dear BobI don't have your number, otherwise I would call you to tell you the following. Feel free to call me to discuss; 862-432-0044We've never met but I've hated what you stand for, for a very long time. There's nothing more annoying than someone who wants to complain but is unwilling or unable to provide a solution. You are everything that is wrong with the entertainment business. Why don't you go pump gas, do taxes or collect garbage? Seriously.The Who are one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Good for them for harnessing an opportunity. Who do you think you are to piss on their achievements?Crawl back into your hole and find something better to do with your life Reverend David Ciancio___________________________________Pete and Roger calling themselves The Who is just as bad as Axl calling his band GnR. That wasn't The Who, but The Two.Marcus T. ___________________________________All I said during the whole thing was "This is boring."Kort Peters___________________________________This last email you sent was lamer than the who. jisaok___________________________________The Arcade Fire tune on the NFL commercials rocked.........bring us some of that....and toss in Janet's tit just to make it interesting...Craig Carrick ___________________________________You are so wrong on this one Bob. The Who will always be great.Nick Light___________________________________at least the stage was cool.Adam Libman ___________________________________Hey Bob
So right! The commercials sucked too!Chris Guidi___________________________________Yup, we applaud what they used to be - not what they are. Roger Daltrey can't sing anymore, 2 others passed on, and Townsend survives.Reminiscences of Out of the Blue - "better to burn out than fade away".Paul Laufert___________________________________ I was with a bunch of families with 15 year old kids and they LOVED it.Danny Strick___________________________________You're wrong. My place was full of kids who thought they were awesome. The tunes, Bob. That's what they responded to. Those incredible, timeless, badass songs that still sound great. No one's writing them like that nowadays. That's what resonated. Always will.... Peter Zizzo___________________________________Best music all night was the arcade fire in those NFL ads.Jamie Sampson___________________________________blame the director. was an absolutely horrible cut. how many close-ups does one need of a drummer? Jason Milner___________________________________Oh bullshit...It is what it is. The Who were alright but Pete's vocals were sad. He played a decent axe and the sound was pretty good on home theater. Roger was at least tolerable for his age. As a bonus, Pete had a wardrobe malfunction with his gut hangin' out. Did you miss that??misea___________________________________agreed...entertaining game...the who were weak...it was a sad performance... thanks bob.ace in oc___________________________________Your crackberry? How appropriate...you're on crack!?Game was great! The team and the city that needed it most won!? As for The Who...I hope I'm still rocking like Roger and Pete when I'm in my sixties.
?I remember having a house party at my place when they had their first "farewell" concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was such an event that it aired on national tv in Canada. We watched it on the tube and listened to the audio on our local rock station. Simulcasting was the technology of the day in the early 1980's.? I remember being angry that I never got to see The Who live after that show. Luckily it wasn't their last live show. I've seen them in person 3 times since!?More of today's bands need to learn the art of showmanship that Roger and Pete and company put forth every time they take a stage. Not to mention the songs...12 minutes is all the got...and they rocked it!??I don't care if they sell more albums because of their appearance on the Superbowl. I'm sure that Roger and Pete don't care either. All that matters is the 12 year old kid watching the game with his old man wants to "pick up a guitar and play"...just like the guy on TV that had Dad so excited.?? Ron Harwood?
EMI Music Canada??PS - If there are any typos in the above I blame the beer. Superbowl party afterall. The Blacberry had nothing to do with it. Why blame the monkey wrench? Blame the monkey ___________________________________You didn't see the same show I did. I don't care for the Who but they were
way better than I expected. Maybe you also didn't hear the entire stadium
singing along. What was really lame was that stupid Jay z Rihanna song. Now
that was awful. Unfortunately it won't kill that genre of horrible
songwriting.Tag Gross___________________________________I completely disagree with you. Lots of energy from that great stage. Townshend was killing it from beginning to end. Dont expect the band to be performing as if they're in their prime but at least they're not like washed up assholes such as The Rolling Stones, Kiss or your loverboys in U2 that tour tour tour because there are still shmucks that'll pay out the ass. The Who was a rare performance from a band stacked with legends. Would you rather have seen Soulja Boy? Maybe that talentless asshole Drake that everyone's rubbing one off to lately? In a modern world full of horrible music (see: Kenny Chesney) watching legends like The Who take the stage was a treat. Its the Superbowl. A football game with a band playing a couple songs in the middle. The center of attention is the football game....because its a football game! Simon Becker-Sadava___________________________________AGREE AGREE AGREE... When they first announced The Who I said WHAT??? They did kill what was left of classic rock... BUT... The game WAS that good... you said that a bit too early... I am feelin' it with you Bob...J in Cancun___________________________________You're a Schmuck.... stop kiss the tit of AppleMichael G. Disa___________________________________ Right, Bob. Janet's rubber tit or some rednecky new country bullshit would have been SO much better than Won't Get Fooled Again & Baba O'Riley.
Lame, indeed.Chris Drossos___________________________________ Speaking of nipplegate, I thought the stage tonight looked like a tweaked Daftpunkian digital nipple... no?Jon Webster___________________________________I thought the Who were all right. I was just glad they didn't drop dead on stage. Light show was pretty awesome too. I was just wondering whos going to be the Super Bowl act in 40 years when I'm 70, Linkin Park? Now that would suck. Barry Miller___________________________________I expected your view Bob. As you often say, rock music seldom works on television. In this case, the audio mix was disappointing but given the time allowed to set the mix up, probably the best it could be. Taken individually, the performances were terrific. Take the tapes away an mix them as they deserve and you'll find the collective performance will be equally good. Nothing wrong with the lyrics either and they may just have more relevance than your suggested replacements - with all due respect to them. John Blanchfield.___________________________________
I blame the arrangement and song order. The medley was a bad choice in this case. I think they would've come off much better just playing 2 songs all the way through, or slightly cut down. Start with "Won't Get Fooled Again" to rile them up, close with "Teenage Wasteland" to give that epic magic aura for the large stage. It builds drama.Playing the medley with the way the songs were arranged tonight cut dynamics completely out. Sonically neutered them. It was akin to a great joke, with the punchline ruined by a poor delivery.C. Floyd___________________________________I totally agree.Jill Levine___________________________________ zip it up dude--who gives a shit? how many beers have you had anyway??they were better than the Stones or McCartney, the stage set was the best yet for a SuperBowl, and the Who were the best they could have been--why is it so hard to grant them that? Did you really want one of Chesney's lame ass island ditties or Tim & Faith pining about God and Country??Sure--kinda stale idea to resurrect the 60yr old rockers. But now what? Bring on someone young next year like.....like.....the Killers, Black Eyed Peas--and they would prove what exactly?? how about One Eskimo? Yeah! they'll nail it!....um..hmm.....riveting....... super!brer hawk___________________________________We want AMERICAN bands for the superbowl. The Who are no longer relevant. Give us The Killers, Kings of Leon, No Doubt, Green Day, we'll even take Foo Fighters or NIN. American football. American band. thevettes___________________________________Bob,I thought The Who were exactly what it was supposed to be, both in a
visual and a musical sense. They had 15 minutes, and I thought they brought
out their best. I have a whole lot more desire to see them now than I did
beforehand. Didn't necessarily care for Pete's outfit, but hey, he was
having fun...and THAT's truly what it was all about. - mike, progscaperadio.com___________________________________Next year I say pull in John Mayer and Keith Urban as a pair of modern classics. John Andrade___________________________________Agreed. Nuff said.Renee Schapiro___________________________________It's so obvious you're tring to strike a chord.. I think you're losing you're touch. Need to reinvent. Harlan frey___________________________________Let's face it, The Who's credibility went down the toilet when brother Pete sold his songs to CBS for crime drama themes....shitty crime drama at that. There's a whole generation of music lovers coming up that will view songs from "Who's next?" as music from shitty television shows. "Who's Next?" was a classic among classics. Not anymore. Maybe Pete needed the money. Tony Yardley___________________________________Not so lame.Everyone watching at the sports bar started singing along.And I swear the audience in the stadium was singing along as well. Hell, I don't even consider myself a Who fan, but that show sold me on buying a future concert ticket to see them.It was a good half time show.I just can't agree with you this time Bob. - Kendall___________________________________couldnt agree moreAndy___________________________________Bob,The only good thing about that set was the stage. Not the design of it, but the size. It killed the need for hand-picked "fans." Bob Morgano___________________________________Word! There is some kid out there that would have killed it for the chance at that crowd. Clearly tv is not the medium for new music or anything but back catalog. - Jon Stirling___________________________________Honestly Bob, shut the fuck up.Sure, they looked their age, but they sounded great and that is more than anyone half their age has been able to do recently (ie. Taylor Swift). I bet you their online sales will be better than any Grammys peformer.. Nick Tieder___________________________________Bob,You sure got that one right. I'm 25 and my dad is turning 60 next month. Cross-generationally speaking, we were both on the same page. We watched the superbowl together this year, our usual tradition. And while we both weren't terribly shocked by how low brow this years show was, we did talk about how wasteful it was, considering a superbowl spot costs ~ $2.5mm a pop. Overall, we were both apalled by the terrible creative of the commercials, how lame the halftime show was and how overall impotent an attempt at what should really be America's greatest specticle.We had the same general impressions during the Grammy's. I've been wondering if American media, ads and music are beginning to function as sort of an anti-matter from a cultural standpoint. WTF, Bob, WTF? Seriously, our country needs big time help.Thanks,Zach Harris___________________________________The Allman Brothers Band would do classic rock proud in this environment as they do in ANY environment they play in. But I have to agree they are the exception to the rule. Neal Barfield___________________________________...but you have to admit it SOUNDED great. I'm trying to find out who was mixing...Jason Lehning___________________________________ Bring back the Stones!!!!!Kathy Conway___________________________________Agree, kinda sad.don___________________________________Bob, I agree with you, yikes wtf happened to RD's voice, last time I saw
them was 2000 at Shoreline and they were great. The music was still great
but the singing, pee yew!!!Michael Corwin___________________________________The Who are better than most bands of today, that’s the problem. Someone younger? Please you think MCR's emo anthems would go down well, maybe some nice safe matchbox 20 or nickelback rock, credibility Ben___________________________________The Who were cover band quality but that stage was first rate. That says it
all when the stage is the most impressive facet of the performance. But I
guess that happens a lot these days. William Nollman___________________________________trongly disagree. I thought the who was fabulous. It proves your never to old to Rock n Roll. Long Live Rock!!!Sincerely,Lee Farrell Green
Music Manager
NYC___________________________________Bob I disagree.
I didn't hear any cheap assed auto tuners, nor backing tracks. Even for as old as those Icons of Rock and roll are, they did rock the stadium.
I usually agree with you on many points of the declining music industry.. I thought the Who was stellar. The problem with the new tuned acts out there is that there really isn't any deep seated talent. yet. Sure they could have done someone else, even an act from the good ol' USA, but they didn't and the reasons behind it are many.
Dwight Finney___________________________________I agree, the halftime show was embarrassing.RPB___________________________________I agree with your assessment of the who but not of the game , but
being a guy who came of age in the late 60's with the stones and who
I've always felt they should hang up their rock and roll shoes and age
gracefully.Peter Roaman___________________________________ Bob:Did you stumble upon one of Hunter Thompson's missing drug stashes ?
That was probably the tightest most well-produced Super Bowl half-time show ever.
The group went seamlessly from one recognizable hit to another with instant applause at the beginning of each, did all their trade-mark moves and vocals and clearly had about 40,000 paying customers as background singers.
What the bloody Hell do you want ?!?Bob Sherwood___________________________________I thought The Who were fine. It's only ten minutes.Who sang the National Anthem? Carrie U.? She was not great. What's everybodies favorite word these days? Pitchy? Cheers,
Tom Q.___________________________________Disagree soundly.David Peters___________________________________sound off all the way..on mutelistening to Sarah Vaughan, Edith Piaf and Dusted didn't miss anythingglad Saints wonDrew Robertson___________________________________Really? I thought they rocked beyond anyone this current generation could have.Pierre Lamoureux ___________________________________Watching and listening to Who at halftime was like watching a 65 year old stripper take it off one last time, then shimmy up the pole with the help of an orderly.
Sometimes the memory of something beautiful is far greater than the ugly it grows in to. Jack Ponti___________________________________bring on METALLICA ......Bill Tixx___________________________________Wrong bob. They kicked ass!!Steve Brown___________________________________ Sorry that you hated it. I didn't.G. Morrow___________________________________I would never have thought I could write such a thing about The Who but I
totally agree. What was the point? A tie in to CSI Miami? Promotion of yet
another hits package to rival the number of Greatest Hits packages released
by, well, let me see, JAMES LAST?!Pete, Rog: Look up the law of diminishing returns. You're probably capable
of doing great stuff but tonight sure wasn't it. Steve FergusonP.S. I forgot to add that The Who are in serious danger of becoming 'The What?'___________________________________I'm usually in agreement with you Bob but not this time --- I thought, for a bunch of seniors they kicked ass --- d David J. Taylor___________________________________Sorry, Bob. I'll trade ya ten Kenny Chesneys for one old-before- they're- all - dead Who. The songs last forever, and Pete's guitar sounded awesome. Ringo's boy is no slouch, and Roger, well, how well do ya expect him to sound after screaming YEEAAAAHH for almost 40 years ? Maybe it wasn't Live At Leeds but good God, I'll take that over Tim and Faith anyday, or Green Day's "All the Young Dudes", or anything by Kings of Leon. Hans Rotenberry___________________________________YepJonathan Stone___________________________________Long time reader Bob. Have to disagree. The Who had positively the only captive audience of the evening at my superbowl party. Ages ranged from 9 to 42, and each and every person was transfixed by their performance. Gave me shivers knowing that the Who still had that kind of power. Not to say it wouldn't be nice to find that "younger act with something to prove" for next year, but I just don't know of a younger act that has that has the power to cross over from generation to generation. Eric Trelstad___________________________________I liked it. Am a big fan, thought they looked old all of a sudden, but I'll take great classic rock songs like theirs any day over Justin Timberlake or - God forbid - country music!!!!! I thought the effects were fantastic! The pyro and that amazing stage and light show! I think they needed it to boost the energy, perhaps, but it worked well with their classic sound, to update them with a little technology thrown in with some fucking AWESOME 40-year-old songs.
Those songs stand the test of time - and will continue to do so - better than any music being made nowadays.Karen Pace___________________________________Bob, I was sitting at a bar with a dozen or so friends and acquaintances and nobody had any ideas for who would be good alternative. I can think of tons of bands I'd love to see there... But not too many that my Mom, cousins and friends in Middle America would dig too. It's a different world... So hard to program for. Colleen Kenny___________________________________Bob, what did you expect? I LOVE the Who. Always have. But did you think tonight would be anything other than a primer for yet another repackaged, remastered greatest hits cd? You probably knew that long before I did. Still, seeing Pete on stage is one of the great things about our music. Best, John Florio___________________________________What, were you watching on your Crackberry? Get an iphone grampa. This show was in hifi.The Oo kicked butt. And they proved something - Townshend's anthems are fucking timeless!
I was sitting in a room with multiple generations, and the youngsters perked up with "what, they wrote "Who Are You" too?!!!" Millions of young-uns only know them from CSI, for cryin out loud! This mini-mashup did the job. Speaking of anthems, cool to hear Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" climaxing those nfl.com super slo-mo spots.
Yes it was an awesome second half, but that awesome second half started early - with the Who. McNamara in Toronto___________________________________I pretty much agree with Bob.
They played well. But roger can't sing. And although its probably not bad for the demographic of the game (or is it even too old for that?) It doesn't seem like it plays well outside of the classic rock crowd at all.
And what about the nfl? A tit by accident is too much for them? But teenage wasteland they're all wasted is ok? It maybe true about the crowd(if they were allowed to buy Budweisers past halftime). But so what?
Tour Townshend solo with a band for real magic.
But as for halftime. The idea of captivating EVERYONE is sillymfunk2___________________________________Bob,You must have had a terrible life. Lighten up once in a while.J.A.S. ___________________________________Understatement.Damn Janet's tit. That looked like my drunk uncles playing Rock Band.I'm 32. How long until these old bands die (or more specifically, the old-ass TV execs that play it too safe) so that us under-50-somethings can have a Superbowl halftime show that we can relate to?? -PJ___________________________________I was thinking, this is the band famous for "Hope I Die Before I Get Old"?Too late now.On a positive note, it was raw and (somewhat) live, with some obvious backing tracks here and there... and the light show was awesome. Bob Rivers___________________________________Musically, this was probably the best halftime act in quite a while. You remember Bruce pandering for the camera? The Who would never do such a thing, and didn't tonight. They just simply played the songs. You think this performance killed Classic Rock overnight? Sorry dude...you're way off. Peace,
Brian Cooney___________________________________ A Super Bowl appearance, like a curse, almost inevitably marks the end (or beginning of the end) for any act that appears. All the proof needed can be found in Billboard's top 10 "best" halftime shows (http://tinyurl.com/ylgyk77). Even the durable U2 has never been as relevant after as before. Only Prince has survived -- probably because he's never given a shit about career ups and downs and seems content to be a consistent, ass-kicking talent. Mark Reynolds___________________________________You are high. A real band, playing real instruments, no dancing children holding signs, and no lip synching with hundreds of millions watching and you call that lame? That performance should have launched a thousand guitar bands. Darrel Herbert___________________________________I just feel like the powers that be have been trying to play it safe ever since Janet's wardrobe malfunction. I enjoyed Tom Petty, thought it was funny when Bruce racked himself on a camera, but as much as I love classic rock, I really don't want to see over 60 year olds up onstage, unless it's a local dive bar. A stadium show with a huge live TV network audience deserves a stadium band. . . . although Kenny or Tim or Faith wouldn't do anything for me, either. It's not country. It's not rock. And it's really not fresh. But obviously, fresh isn't what the NFL and the networks are going for these days. . . . Mis
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