SMASH IT UP, OR "WHO I AM" BY PETE TOWNSHEND

I was a huge Who fan in middle school. Which is a little odd considering this was the early '80s, 20 years past their formation, even if they were still getting airplay on radio and MTV. I had liked other bands before, but the Who expressed something new and different to me - an explosiveness and sense of danger, a sense of the frustration in trying to express yourself as an adolescent. 

Most of that, of course, came from guitarist and head songwriter Pete Townshend, who was regularly exalted as smarter than the average rock star.  

And his smarts do come across in his memoir, "Who I Am," although sometimes at the expense of stories. 

Which is a shame, because Townshend is a good writer and has tons of material to work with - growing up to neglectful parents in post-war England (a period that seems like a nightmare, even though the Brits won the war), famous artistic friends, and a yearning for musical excellence. There's also intimations of sexual abuse, which you can totally see in "Tommy" and "A Quick One." 

Damn, the early Who looked cool

The stories behind the music are interesting (especially the abandoned "Lifehouse" album), and manage to convey deep thought without becoming pretentious. Which is a tone Townshend manages to strike throughout, even if he makes some weird choices - like he gives his work as an editor for Faber about equal space as he does for early Who stories. And Townshend's focus on himself (although it is his memoir, after all) sort of fades the other members of the band into the background.

There's car crashes, booze and drugs, hotel trashing, a crushing low self-opinion that keeps him from enjoying all the perks of the rock star life, the '60s mod scene, depression, several mid-life crises and reunion tours as well as lots of stuff about his devotion to spiritual master Meher Baba. While this is the usual stuff of rock star bios, there's a thoughtfulness or remove that gives it a different feeling than the usual memoirs with their AA-type beats.

Sex/Drugs/Bad Behavior
7/10. Lots of booze, pills, and coke. Like with the Debbie Harry book, there's also an off-handed "Oh yeah, I also did a lot of heroin" mention. Townshend's depression and low self-esteem make him almost comically inept with groupies in the early days. 

Opens in Media res?
Yep. Opens with Pete discovering the power of busting up his equipment on stage. "We advanced a new concept: destruction is art when set to music."

Could We Hang?
Hard to say. Could see him telling some fascinating stories, but could also see him rattling on about like boating or something when you're trying to get him to tell stories about the Who, or summing up stories about smashing up hotel rooms and groupies with a lot of analysis and making you feel bad for even thinking that stuff is cool in the first place. 

You Might Remember Me From, or, My Totally Biased View of the Author's Best Stuff:
The early Who singles have been collected many times, and should be taught in school as part of an overall awesomness program. "Live at Leeds" is a must, especially the expanded edition, even if I tend to remember it as heavier than it is. I listened to "Tommy" so many times that I can't really listen to it now, but "Quadrophenia," that's the stuff. Forget Rites of Spring or Embrace, I'm going on a limb and calling "Quadrophenia" the birth of Emo. Even the '70s rawk stuff sounds good now that it isn't as overplayed as it once was.

Percentage of Music in the Bio
A good 60-70 percent. Townshend portrays himself as a seeker, with music as an almost mystical force, and there's a wonderful quote from his childhood that sums that up:
"As we swept past the Old Boathouse at Isleworth once again I began to hear the most extraordinary music, sparked by the whine of the outboard motor and the burbling sound of water against the hull. I heard violins, cellos, horns, harps and voices, which increased in number until I could hear countless threads of an angelic choir; it was a sublime experience. I have never heard such music since, and my personal ambition has always been to rediscover that sound and relive its effect on me."

Buy, Borrow from the Library, or Pass
If you're a Who fan, you oughta check it out. Don't know if you'll return to it too many times after the initial read, however. Borrow from the library.