Originally released in 1985, Pete Townshend's excellent solo album White City has now been brilliantly remastered by Unversal Music, complete with crisp sound, bonus tracks, and full lyrics. With a band at the time that included David Gilmour, Simon Phillips, Phil Chen, John Bundrick, and many other seasoned veterans, including a horn section, White City is a varied and sophisticated rock record, easily as good if not better than the output from The Who in that decade.
Every aspect of Townshend's songwriting skills are here, as he tackles quirky pop ("Crashing By Design"), funk ("Face the Face"), rhythmic hard rock ("Give Blood"), progressive folk ("I Am Secure"), symphonic rock ("White City Fighting"), and futuristic hard rock ("Come to Mama"). Pete's penchant for witty lyrics and clever musical arrangements are in full bloom here (just give a listen to the engaging pop ditty "Hiding Out"), so even as he was having problems expressive himself through the music of The Who, his solo output was fresh and adventurous. Not meant to be his vehicle for the brash and rebellious hard rock that he was famous for in his full time gig, his solo albums showed that pop side, his clever use of nuance and imagination, which on White City, in the midst of the concept idea he put together, really works.
To fully appreciate the talents of Mr. Townsend, one needs to discover not only the music of The Who, but also the many solo albums he has recorded over the years. White City is just one piece of the puzzle that is Pete Townshend, but it's an important one. Filled with catchy hooks, layered instrumentation, and clever lyrical content, White City is a must have for anyone who has any interest in the career of Pete Townshend.
Track Listing
1. Give Blood
2. Brilliant Blues
3. Face The Face
4. Hiding Out
5. Secondhand Love
6. Crashing By Design
7. I Am Secure
8. White City Fighting
9. Come To Mama
10. Night School -bonus track
11. Save It For Later -bonus track
12. Hiding Out - 12" Mix
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