From: bob@worldesign.com <Bob Jacobson>
Subject: CULTURE: Who's Pete Townshend sings against VR!
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 93 16:34:41 -0700



Newsbytes reports that Pete Townshend, formerly lead guitarist and
singer with the Who, gave a Berkeley (California) concert of "Psycho
Derelict," his latest opus.  In this musical masterpiece, Townshend
warns about "Gridlife" in which VR is a total escape from the troubles
of the day.

Like Tommy and his pinball machine, Townshend's current protaganist,
Spinner, uses the technology (in this case a virus) to chase people
out of their complacency and back to rock and roll, where Truth
resides.  Apparently this derives from an abortive post-Tommy effort,
Lifehouse, in which Townshend intended the ultimate Luddite paean and
which may yet come back to life.

Depends, I suppose, on whether, as Jethro Tull said, you're too old
for rock and roll and too young to die.  How old is Townshend, anyway?

Bob Jacobson