Culture

Reasons to Remain Deaf, Dumb, and Blind to Pete Townshend

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I noted , with regret, how Pete Townshend, rock's first wise man, was left out of Rolling Stone's 40th anniversary interview package. Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune offers reasons to reject him three times and more: the absurd overuse of his epigram "meet the new boss/same as the old boss" in news headlines.

And yes, I've used it myself, though not, I think, in a headline. Suggestion for new Townshend line to try–I dare ya!–to turn into an abused cliche: "There comes a time in every little punk's life/When he has to write a song for his common-law wife" from "Mike Post Theme" on the Who's "it kinda grows on you" reunion LP Endless Wire.