POLL: Favorite track on "Rough Mix" by Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane

Yikes, never even heard of this. School me about the record, Joe.

"Faust Arp"

Are "My Baby" and "Misunderstood" the last Pete Townshend songs with a sense of humor?

Nope -- see "Man with a Purple Dress" on Endless Wire.

Plus tons of stuff on Psychoderelict.

Great poll idea, btw. "Keep Me Turning" is a The Who By Numbers reject (rejected by Daltrey, who supposedly chose all the material for that record), and one of my faves on this album, but I think I gotta go with Lane's fucking gorgeous "April Fool."

"rejected by Daltrey, who supposedly chose all the material for that record"

Shocked at that, but I guess Pete was drowning in VSOP and junk by that point so he really couldn't fight it.

Nope, Pete didn't get on the junk until 1979-1980.

A wonderful album. "Keep Me Turning" is my pick.

Yikes, never even heard of this. School me about the record, Joe

I'm sure there are more knowledgable Who and Faces fans who can chime in. Basically a mid-70s one-off album between Townshend and Lane for Atlantic Records. It's been recently remastered with some bonus tracks (I left them off here).

As I understand it, the story was that Lane was in financial trouble from his "Passing Show" tours -- a traveling circus that pretty much wiped out whatever he'd made from the Faces (the Ronnie Lane DVD documentary has lots of fascinating info on this). He was living near Pete, and approached him about making a record together. They'd known each other for years, and had a lot of history together, what with Lane's "Evolution" appearing on Pete's Who Came First and Pete and Keith Moon playing with Lane on Mike Heron's "Warm Heart Pastry," plus the fact that Pete and Lane were both followers of Meher Baba.

Apparently there wasn't much collaboration on this album beyond each of them playing on the other's songs (Pete shot down the idea of writing something with Lane from the start). And I don't think Lane plays on "Street In The City" or "Misunderstood," nor Pete on "April Fool."

There are many guests on this album, like Eric Clapton (mediocre playing on "Rough Mix," stunning dobro work on "April Fool"), Charlie Watts (drums on "My Baby Gives It Away,"), and John Entwistle (horns on "Heart To Hang On To.")

Wonderful album. I went with "April Fool." There aren't many songs I've played for more people over the years that caused them to go, "What is that?"

I only like the Townshend tracks on this, and I'd put them up there with the best of his Scoop stuff. Not sure which was my fave though. I'll have to dig this out soon.

I've pulled it out now and my fave was exactly what my foggy guess was: "Street In The City" - I always felt that was a companion piece to the tracks Townshend did on Scoop 2 with his father-in-law Ted Astley doing the really beautiful orchestral arrangements. On Rough Mix, Astley is credited as "Edwin" but one suspects it's the same guy. I really wish they had done a whole album together because those strings with Pete's voice make me melt every time.

Haven't heard this in ages. Loved by a close friend in high school, and loved subsequently by me, but I kinda forgot about it somewhere along the way.

Originally on MCA, not Atlantic. I guess Polydor put it out in the UK?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I guess Polydor put it out in the UK?

I still have my import vinyl copy I bought in 1982 and yes it's on Polydor. Love this album and thank you to everyone in this thread for making me go back and listen to it again. Voted for "Street In The City"

No love for "Nowhere To Run???" It's like a lost Dylan tune done Faces-morning-after style.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Elvis Telecom OTM shockah. I'm jealous you have it on vinyl, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-ScKVsUVe8

this is a great fuckin album