Roger Daltrey on How New Who Songs Led to Upsetting Pete Townshend
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are currently working on tracks for a new Who album, the band’s first since 2006’s Endless Wire, and Daltrey recalled a moment when he caught the ire of…

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 29: (L-R) Singer Roger Daltrey, touring drummer Zak Starkey and guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who perform on the first night of the band’s residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on July 29, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesRoger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are currently working on tracks for a new Who album, the band's first since 2006's Endless Wire, and Daltrey recalled a moment when he caught the ire of Townshend.
In an interview with Uncut, Daltrey said, "Pete presented me with 12 demos, and there were four, maybe five, of them which I really didn’t like. I thought it was a great Pete Townshend solo album. I told him that. And he got quite angry!"
Daltrey continued, "He said, 'I wrote them for you!' I said, 'Pete, I don’t know how I can improve it.' I couldn’t see myself climbing in. I don’t know why. Maybe my passion for The Who’s started to disappear. I said can I change the tense of that song, and move it from being an 'I' song to being inclusive? Pete said: 'Yeah.' So slowly but surely I climbed into it. I don’t think anyone’s ever understood, including Pete, that doing what I do with his songs is certainly not fucking easy. You have to live them. Do I have to change the songs till I can mean them? Yes. It has to come from my heart. It can’t come from my head. When it comes from my heart, I will touch you with those words. Sometimes I have to change the words to make that possible."
So far, a title and release date are not currently known for The Who's upcoming studio LP. The band is currently taking a break from touring, but the second North American leg of The Who's "Moving On!" tour kicks off September 1 in New York City. A full list of upcoming tour dates can be found at TheWho.com.