Pete Townshend — Pure and Easy
Album: Who Came FirstAvg rating:
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Length: 5:27
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Lyrics:
There once was a note pure and easy
Playing so free like a breathe rippling by
The note is eternal
I hear it, it sees me
Forever we blend as forever we die
I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star
As people assemble
civilization is trying to find a new way to die
But killing is really merely scene changer
All men are bored with other men's lives
I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star
Gas on the hillside
Oil in the tea cup
Watch all the chords of life lose their joy
Distortion becomes somehow pure in its wildness
The note that began all can also destroy
We all know success when we all find our own dream
And our love is enough to knock down any wall
And the future's been seen as men try to realize
The simple secret of the note in us all
In us all
I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star
Today is the day the sound curdles mountains
Flowing and blowing each man in its wake
Destroying itself in the end with vibration
There's nothing on earth it's challenge can take
Excepting one note
Excepting one note pure and easy
Playing so free like breath rippling by
Excepting one note
Excepting one note
Excepting one note, pure and easy
Excepting one note, pure and easy
(repeated)There once was a note listen
There once was a note listen
There once was a note listen
There once was a note listen
There once was a note pure and easy
Playing so free like a breathe rippling by
The note is eternal
I hear it, it sees me
Forever we blend as forever we die
I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star
As people assemble
civilization is trying to find a new way to die
But killing is really merely scene changer
All men are bored with other men's lives
I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star
Gas on the hillside
Oil in the tea cup
Watch all the chords of life lose their joy
Distortion becomes somehow pure in its wildness
The note that began all can also destroy
We all know success when we all find our own dream
And our love is enough to knock down any wall
And the future's been seen as men try to realize
The simple secret of the note in us all
In us all
I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star
Today is the day the sound curdles mountains
Flowing and blowing each man in its wake
Destroying itself in the end with vibration
There's nothing on earth it's challenge can take
Excepting one note
Excepting one note pure and easy
Playing so free like breath rippling by
Excepting one note
Excepting one note
Excepting one note, pure and easy
Excepting one note, pure and easy
(repeated)There once was a note listen
There once was a note listen
There once was a note listen
There once was a note listen
Thought it was Chris MacVie singing!
My friends and I have always loved to get high and philosophical listening to this amazing song that shows yet another glimpse of the vision, mind, and talents of the incredibly deep Rocker!
Sounds a lot like the demos that ended up on the Scoop albums. (especially the percussion, simple drums and that darn wood block that Pete seems to love).
I enjoy this cut, but it's not really fleshed out or "finished" the way the songs later sounded on both the Who and Pete's solo albums.
I enjoy this cut, but it's not really fleshed out or "finished" the way the songs later sounded on both the Who and Pete's solo albums.
I don’t know where the idea originated but people who thought to dress their artists in jump-suits should be shot.
Love deep cuts!
How is it that a person who was once registered as a sex offender in the United Kingdom was/is able to visit the USA?
Businessgypsy wrote:
Respectfully disagree: Daltrey was the flash, Townsend the soul. The difficult, complex, flawed and curious person of Pete Townsend made and makes emotionally nuanced pictures with music that came through in ensemble - but are laid right out there for the whole world to hear in the solo work.
*Townshend
Respectfully disagree: Daltrey was the flash, Townsend the soul. The difficult, complex, flawed and curious person of Pete Townsend made and makes emotionally nuanced pictures with music that came through in ensemble - but are laid right out there for the whole world to hear in the solo work.
*Townshend
Furst time i heard this song WOW it is great
I listened and I heard music in a word,
And words when you played your guitar
In your hand you hold your only friend
Never spend your guitar or your pen
And words when you played your guitar
In your hand you hold your only friend
Never spend your guitar or your pen
Ok, here's my interpretation of that album cover. There's Pete Townsend dressed up in a white jumpsuit like a giant chicken (especially with that beak of a nose of his). And he's standing on a floor made of eggs. And the album title is Who Came First. So it's "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
I'm always struck by how un-Who-ish Townshend's post-Who musical arc was. All The Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes and Empty Glass were almost the antithesis of Live At Leeds or Whos Next. At times, if I didn't know it was Townshend, I'd be tempted to say it's an a different artist.
cely wrote:
I agree this would have been better as a Who song. There's a loss of energy when someone plays to a recording. But I totally disagree if you mean he shouldn't sing. Not only does PT have some great solo vocals, but some good nice moments in The Who come from his vocals. Nothing against Daltrey.
There's not automatically a "loss of energy when someone plays to a recording". I can think of several very energetic recordings by Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, and others, where they played all the instruments.
I agree this would have been better as a Who song. There's a loss of energy when someone plays to a recording. But I totally disagree if you mean he shouldn't sing. Not only does PT have some great solo vocals, but some good nice moments in The Who come from his vocals. Nothing against Daltrey.
There's not automatically a "loss of energy when someone plays to a recording". I can think of several very energetic recordings by Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, and others, where they played all the instruments.
Perfect song of this day, for some reason; who could say (unintentional pun). Especially this version. One note. Preaching to the choir on RP, but we hear it here. Heck, all the time!
Part of the ambitious Lifehouse album, which never came to be.
Eventually a stripped down version of the concept became Who's Next.
This song and many others didn't make the cut.
Eventually a stripped down version of the concept became Who's Next.
This song and many others didn't make the cut.
I like this song a lot. But prefer the Version played by the Who.
Some snarky h8 here but, I think Pete is well within his rights to sing a song that he wrote (like almost every Who song), in a style that he prefers, using whatever accompanying musicians (or none) that he chooses. This is quite nice and complements other versions of the song that are out there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_Pete_Townshend
Mike_Sneade wrote:
I agree this would have been better as a Who song. There's a loss of energy when someone plays to a recording. But I totally disagree if you mean he shouldn't sing. Not only does PT have some great solo vocals, but some good nice moments in The Who come from his vocals. Nothing against Daltrey.
Stick to playing the guitar. 
I agree this would have been better as a Who song. There's a loss of energy when someone plays to a recording. But I totally disagree if you mean he shouldn't sing. Not only does PT have some great solo vocals, but some good nice moments in The Who come from his vocals. Nothing against Daltrey.
Pete Townshend is generally a great song writer....
Love The Who, seen them 3 times live. But there's just not enough here to sustain a song for 5 and a half minutes.
sirdroseph wrote:
Coming out in the spring; he is doing a book tour at all of the boys schools in England.
This ain't funny...
Coming out in the spring; he is doing a book tour at all of the boys schools in England.
This ain't funny...
Pete and the Pup-Original by ~sallyface90
Katie ©2009-2010 ~sallyface90
The original of Pete Townshend and his Yorkie named Wistle. It makes me smile so big every time!
I really really wish Bill would play the version of this song that is on the 1995 reissue of Who's Next. It's a far superior track to this one in almost every way.
EssexTex wrote:
Yes. Even the drums, as you might be able to tell by the non-virtuousity employed there.
Didn't he play everything on this track?...
Yes. Even the drums, as you might be able to tell by the non-virtuousity employed there.
spigolli wrote:
A nice antidote for that is to check out the Who's set from the 1970 Isle of Wight concert if you can find it. The band plays at an insane level of energy and creativity! Given that, Moon's playing is other worldly.
Nice but it sure leaves me pining for some of Moony's drumming.
A nice antidote for that is to check out the Who's set from the 1970 Isle of Wight concert if you can find it. The band plays at an insane level of energy and creativity! Given that, Moon's playing is other worldly.
helgigermany wrote:
Respectfully disagree: Daltrey was the flash, Townsend the soul. The difficult, complex, flawed and curious person of Pete Townsend made and makes emotionally nuanced pictures with music that came through in ensemble - but are laid right out there for the whole world to hear in the solo work.
Better with Roger!!
Respectfully disagree: Daltrey was the flash, Townsend the soul. The difficult, complex, flawed and curious person of Pete Townsend made and makes emotionally nuanced pictures with music that came through in ensemble - but are laid right out there for the whole world to hear in the solo work.
helgigermany wrote:
Agreed.
Better with Roger!!
Agreed.
Better with Roger!!
Didn't he play everything on this track?...
Stick to playing the guitar.
Nice but it sure leaves me pining for some of Moony's drumming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xlMmbDC_M0
calypsus_1 wrote:
I just wanted to say thanks to Calypsus for all the youtube videos he's turned me onto over the years.....Thanks man!
I just wanted to say thanks to Calypsus for all the youtube videos he's turned me onto over the years.....Thanks man!
SweTex wrote:
Coming out in the spring; he is doing a book tour at all of the boys schools in England.
What happened to Townshends...ahem..."research"?...when is that book he's writing coming out? 
Coming out in the spring; he is doing a book tour at all of the boys schools in England.
cactus7709 wrote:
Sorry, it's not rap or reggae........... a 12 in my book.
boring and repetitive
Sorry, it's not rap or reggae........... a 12 in my book.
boring and repetitive
Filler? Cheesy? Maybe... 5?
No, after further listen, 3 would be too generous... Sorry, love the Who et al, but this is just cheesy, too little, too late... Sorry, gotta go 2!
No, after further listen, 3 would be too generous... Sorry, love the Who et al, but this is just cheesy, too little, too late... Sorry, gotta go 2!
crockydile wrote:
cheesy.
Bad.
cheesy.
Bad.
What happened to Townshends...ahem..."research"?...when is that book he's writing coming out?
racerx wrote:
This is OK, but I like the version from Odds & Sods better.
{mute}
3
QueenLucia wrote:
Maybe...but his voice sure isn't.
Shrill, yeah?
Maybe...but his voice sure isn't.
Shrill, yeah?
I sure miss the WHO.....
This is OK, but I like the version from Odds & Sods better.
lmic wrote:
Maybe...but his voice sure isn't.
Dude's deep.
Maybe...but his voice sure isn't.
Dude's deep.
The Who have always been one of my favorite bands...so I do enjoy hearing how their songs started or evolved. To me Pete Townshend is one of rocks all time great songwriters...but no one can sing a Townshend song like Roger Daltrey. Too me you can't really compare Pete's version of Pure and Easy to The Who's version (you know it's like apples and oranges). I do think each gets a 10 by their own merits. Just my 2 cents.
you nailed it...what a great ending (didn't some really smart guy say that all's well that end's well? Some Brit, methinks...)
xkolibuul wrote:
xkolibuul wrote:
Best part is Townshend's guitar riff and refrain at the song's end—makes the rest all worth it.
That_SOB wrote:
Word
From the time Townsend steps on stage until he breaks his guitar into 100 slivers, he is a
amazingly creative ball of energy. One of the greatest singer/song-writer/performers of all time...
Word
This devoted Neil Young fan feels that Pete should leave the singing to some one else...
Best part is Townshend's guitar riff and refrain at the song's end—makes the rest all worth it.
gjeeg wrote:
No kidding!
Guy writes thirty years of music and all people can talk about is his dick. Good Westerners...
No kidding!
That_SOB wrote:
From the time Townsend steps on stage until he breaks his guitar into 100 slivers, he is a
amazingly creative ball of energy. One of the greatest singer/song-writer/performers of all time...
From the time Townsend steps on stage until he breaks his guitar into 100 slivers, he is a
amazingly creative ball of energy. One of the greatest singer/song-writer/performers of all time...
fredriley wrote:
Townsend and/or The Who bring tears to my eyes too, but for very different reasons :(
Do tell Fred.
Townsend and/or The Who bring tears to my eyes too, but for very different reasons :(
Do tell Fred.
justin_thyme wrote:
Magnificent, just bloody brilliant. Brings tears to my eyes. Townshend remains a musical genius, one of my icons.
Townsend and/or The Who bring tears to my eyes too, but for very different reasons :(
Magnificent, just bloody brilliant. Brings tears to my eyes. Townshend remains a musical genius, one of my icons.
Townsend and/or The Who bring tears to my eyes too, but for very different reasons :(
yes! very good transistions; Queens Of The Stone Age - I Never Came ==> Tracy Bonham - I Was Born Without You ==> Pete Townshend - Pure and Easy
** 9 **
oldviolin wrote:
Magnificent, just bloody brilliant. Brings tears to my eyes. Townshend remains a musical genius, one of my icons.
I listened and I heard music in a word...
Magnificent, just bloody brilliant. Brings tears to my eyes. Townshend remains a musical genius, one of my icons.
Pete's music is timeless.
I listened and I heard music in a word...
I like Pete, but not this song.
Guy writes thirty years of music and all people can talk about is his dick. Good Westerners...
yes.
Now, here is genius. He plays every instrument you hear.
A god in his time.
A god in his time.
That great gift does not seem to extend to his singing, unless high and whiney is good
Alifreckles50 wrote:
I totally agree. I think our "need to know, need to share" every last shred of personal information is pathetic and destructive. Whatever Pete endured is his own sad story. Kiddie porn and abuse of any kind is intolerable. Music is music. Let him share his great gift with us, and deal with the other darkness in private.
Alifreckles50 wrote:
I totally agree. I think our "need to know, need to share" every last shred of personal information is pathetic and destructive. Whatever Pete endured is his own sad story. Kiddie porn and abuse of any kind is intolerable. Music is music. Let him share his great gift with us, and deal with the other darkness in private.
revsully wrote:
Nice.
He said that he thought he was sexually abused as a child, so he was doing research. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.
And then there was the perverted Uncle Ernie on Tommy, fiddling about. Makes you wonder.
Nice.
He said that he thought he was sexually abused as a child, so he was doing research. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.
And then there was the perverted Uncle Ernie on Tommy, fiddling about. Makes you wonder.
jude_the_obscure wrote:
"Talkin' 'bout mi degeneration"
Try doing at least one crossword a day...maybe eat some oily fish..should get your faculties back..or fend off the passage of time.
Alifreckles50 wrote:
I totally agree. I think our "need to know, need to share" every last shred of personal information is pathetic and destructive. Whatever Pete endured is his own sad story. Kiddie porn and abuse of any kind is intolerable. Music is music. Let him share his great gift with us, and deal with the other darkness in private.
This is especially true as his five year status as a Registered Sex Offender will expire in 2009. You can read an excerpt from the now-abandoned 'book' he was researching here
"Talkin' 'bout mi degeneration"
justin_thyme wrote:
That has nothing to do with his merits as a musician, IMHO. The man's a musical giant, one of the great ones.
I totally agree. I think our "need to know, need to share" every last shred of personal information is pathetic and destructive. Whatever Pete endured is his own sad story. Kiddie porn and abuse of any kind is intolerable. Music is music. Let him share his great gift with us, and deal with the other darkness in private.
sharkartist wrote:
I love this song and this version in particular. As big a Who fan as I am, I've always preferred Pete's singing to Roger's. Plus, this was off Pete's first solo album and the first version I've always known of this song. Love to this day!
I feel the same damn way!
revsully wrote:
I can't hear him without thinking about the kiddie porn incident...
That has nothing to do with his merits as a musician, IMHO. The man's a musical giant, one of the great ones.
Oregon_Steve wrote:
I like this version OK, but The Who's version kicks its butt. Pete and Roger both sing better on it, and Keith Moon's drumming puts Townshend's fumbling to shame. This one is a first demo by comparison.
Play The 'oo! 
What he said.
JustineFromWyoming wrote:
The fiveyearold just yelled from the living room "Dad! This song is hurting my ears."
I'm not sure what that means...
I think it means your daughter has good taste; this song blows the Great Big Donkey Kong.
This came from The Best of Pete Townsend? Whoa, lets hope we never have to hear the worst.
I like this version OK, but The Who's version kicks its butt. Pete and Roger both sing better on it, and Keith Moon's drumming puts Townshend's fumbling to shame. This one is a first demo by comparison.
Play The 'oo!
revsully wrote:
Nice.
He said that he thought he was sexually abused as a child, so he was doing research. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.
Lucky for him the Police had more information than you do and therefore based the decision not to charge him on this information, in this day and age "Kiddie fiddlers" tend to get caught and locked up, don't you think they would have loved to prosecute such a high profile person..if that person WAS guilty?
I'm a Who fan but I'd be the first to spit on him if I thought he was a "Nonce".
(Sorry for the "reading comment by the way)
EssexTex wrote:
So you're saying he wasn't?...try reading the news sometime...if you can read.
Nice.
He said that he thought he was sexually abused as a child, so he was doing research. Sounds like a lame excuse to me.
revsully wrote:
suuuuure...
So you're saying he wasn't?...try reading the news sometime...if you can read.
revsully wrote:
suuuuure...
You're not really a reverend. Are you?
EssexTex wrote:
THE ONE HE WAS CLEARED OF YOU MEAN!
suuuuure...
revsully wrote:
I can't hear him without thinking about the kiddie porn incident...
THE ONE HE WAS CLEARED OF YOU MEAN!
I can't hear him without thinking about the kiddie porn incident...
I think all of these alternate versions end up diluting the overall sound of The Who.
The fiveyearold just yelled from the living room "Dad! This song is hurting my ears."
I'm not sure what that means...
mattt wrote:
Hm. Kind of mediocre, really, for Townshend.
Kinda great compared to other stuff then?
To the other complainers: His singing sure beats Neil Young :P
OZA wrote:
This annoyed me so much I logged on to vote it down only to find that I'd already rated it as a 1. At least my taste is consistent.
Consistently bad.
burdell wrote:
one note pure and easy.
One of the great tragedy's of our time is that The Who never recorded The Lighthouse as Pete envisioned it. This song and all of Who's Next came out of that effort.
It also greatly bothers me that the horrible Entwistle song 'My Wife' made it on to Who's Next instead of this. Bah! Guess you have to play politics in a rock band and humor your bandmates sometimes.
I didn't care much for the beginning of "My Wife" but after a few listens, came to like the song very much, especially the ending refrain.
The one thing that gets me the most is when he screeches for those high notes...way to annoying... 
I suppose from now on we're going to have to hear stupid observations on Pete's lyrics that in some twisted way refer to the incident THAT HE WAS CLEARED OF!.....oh and "Pictures of Lily" was about self abuse...not child abuse...c'mon grow up! (no pun intended)....yep I was right here come the dimwit's
one note pure and easy.
One of the great tragedy's of our time is that The Who never recorded The Lighthouse as Pete envisioned it. This song and all of Who's Next came out of that effort.
It also greatly bothers me that the horrible Entwistle song 'My Wife' made it on to Who's Next instead of this. Bah! Guess you have to play politics in a rock band and humor your bandmates sometimes.
Can ya give me a Rough Mix with Ronnie Lane sometime?
wferrier wrote:
And a child flew past me riding on a star
ooops 
haha. That line IS odd. And cheesy. But somehow I like it? I guess I love 2001: A Space Odyssey.
This annoyed me so much I logged on to vote it down only to find that I'd already rated it as a 1. At least my taste is consistent.
And a child flew past me riding on a star
ooops
Poor Petey can barely sing, maybe he should have taken it down a few keys.
I hate hearing a grown man whine.
sharkartist wrote:
I love this song and this version in particular. As big a Who fan as I am, I've always preferred Pete's singing to Roger's. Plus, this was off Pete's first solo album and the first version I've always known of this song. Love to this day!
Bill had the "wrong" version playing here for years. It drove me nuts. So I uploaded this one. And it got accepted, then replaced the "other" one. Now I'm a happy person.
keller1 wrote:
Is this a demo?
I don't think so. This is the version that was originally on Pete's first solo record "Who came first". Although it sounds almost EXACTLY like a demo version that I have on several bootlegs and also, I believe on the first "Scoop" collection of Townshend demos. There are some slight embellishments to this version (overdubs of other instruments), However, it's definitely the same clumsy drumming that Pete did himself. It sound like he took the demo track and just added to it, rather than re-recording.
Love the Who, and like them Pete's solo stuff is either really good or pretty bad...this falls into the former.
One of my favorite Townshend songs. Last year I popped for the import-only Lifehouse box set, and hearing songs like this and the bulk of Who's Next in their original context is truly amazing.
sharkartist wrote:
I love this song and this version in particular. As big a Who fan as I am, I've always preferred Pete's singing to Roger's. Plus, this was off Pete's first solo album and the first version I've always known of this song. Love to this day!
This is a good example of what I love, and find fascinating, about music - I'm of the completely opposite opinion - and I don't think either opinion is right or wrong, just that we all hear something different.
Great song, despite the weisenheimers-
Bill, how about Blue, Red and Grey?
ChardRemains wrote:
Wait, don't tell me. Is it called "I'm a Boy" or "Pictures of Lily" ?
"Pure and Easy" ... oh, that's so wrong.
lionirons wrote:
Can't wait for that book by Pete about exploited children...
Wait, don't tell me. Is it called "I'm a Boy" or "Pictures of Lily" ?
Hard to believe this is basically the demo Pete presented to The Who.
Can't wait for that book by Pete about exploited children...
No windmill power chords here but delightful nonetheless.
Coolwalkingsmoothtalking indeed.
Never heard this version, but my fav Who song though.
Hm. Kind of mediocre, really, for Townshend.
I do like Pete Townshend's solo recordings - need to get my turntable operational again as Empty Glass & White City have lain unplayed too long (kids & stylii don't mix but they're maybe past that destuctive inquisitive stage now).
It's great that I can bridge that little problem with RP though.
Is this a demo?
Ok, here's my interpretation of that album cover. There's Pete Townsend dressed up in a white jumpsuit like a giant chicken (especially with that beak of a nose of his). And he's standing on a floor made of eggs. And the album title is Who Came First. So it's "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
agreed!!!