Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who

I'm a bit biased in my five star rating of this book, being as huge a Who fan as I am. Nevertheless, I do believe that this book deserves all five stars in spite of its faults.

[a:Dave Marsh|103219|Dave Marsh|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg]'s biography on The Who is often seen as the definitive Who text, though some would argue in greater favor of [a:Richard Barnes|22926|Richard Barnes|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg]'s [b:Maximum R B]. Where [a:Richard Barnes|22926|Richard Barnes|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg] tends to focus a great deal more on [a:Pete show more Townshend|282494|Pete Townshend|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1207769044p2/282494.jpg] than the rest of the band in his account (and quite naturally, as he was and remains good friends with the fellow) [a:Dave Marsh|103219|Dave Marsh|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] takes a wider view, and even delves a bit into Roger Daltrey's solo projects as the book goes on.

[a:Dave Marsh|103219|Dave Marsh|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] takes sparingly from press interviews throughout the course of the book, relies on first-hand interviews where he can, and even quotes snippets from [a:Irish Jack]'s unpublished memoir of the Mod period in England. From the very beginning of the book the passion [a:Dave Marsh|103219|Dave Marsh|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] has for the band is apparent, and it rings true through his explanations of topics as disparate as the history of pirate radio, the difference's between the British and American music business, and the legal ramifications of change in copyright law through the Who's career. That [a:Dave Marsh|103219|Dave Marsh|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] was thorough should go without saying. This book has remained tantamount to a Who Bible for as long as it has for good reason.

The fault with the book is the fault that would lie in any biography of a band - it just doesn't go deep enough, and indeed, it is impossible for it to go deep enough because what makes up the individual players in a band is deeper than it is possible for a single book to go into - without being terrifyingly long and tediously detailed. The one fault that can be drawn with this book, and rightfully so, is that the author seems to lose interest in the Who after Keith Moon's death. Face Dances and It's Hard are dealt with only in passing, and in a single chapter. The band's farewell tour is dealt with in a matter of paragraphs, and rather shrugged off when he could have gone down with more insight. Similarly, problems with The Kids are Alright could have been addressed more thoroughly though I reckon [b:Twilight of the Gods|653382|Twilight of the Gods|Christopher Bulis|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1206757709s/653382.jpg|639491] will go into that a bit better.

Nevertheless, this book is grand and a must-read by anyone with a keen interest in the band and the music industry in general from the 60s through the 80s. show less

Anyone interested in the story of The Who, must read this. It's rightly regarded as the definitive work, and Marsh is a Who-phile extraordinaire. I was lucky enough to see the band six times over the years, and as a result I came to regard them as the best live act of all time. This book enhances the experience.

The best book on the best live act - now isn't that something?

Outstanding book - when signing my book, Dave Marsh said to me, "I can't believe you read the whole thing!"

Redelijk interessant boek van iemand die geen echte liefhebber is. Teveel aandacht voor meningen boven feiten.