Do I really need to go into detail of who Pete Townshend is? His prolific genius on multiple instruments? Is legacy career with The Who? I Mean...Do I really need to deep dive? No? Good, because I don't honestly know much about The Who, or the man himself, and I'm kind of feeling lazy, having just come off of four back-to-back Van Halen albums on a Saturday afternoon.
Empty Glass was the vacuum for a struggling artist to direct himself towards. It focuses on issues Townshend was personally dealing with, including alcoholism, drug abuse, marital problems and deceased friends, particularly Keith Moon, the Who's former drummer, who died in 1978. Yet buried within it would be the devotional love song, Let My Love Open The Door, a tune which would produce for the artist a top ten hit.
Townshend would explain of the album title, "I called it Empty Glass, 'cause of this idea that when you go to the tavern – which is to God, you know – and you ask for His love – He's the bartender, you know – and He gives you a drink, and what you have to give Him is an empty glass. You know there's no point giving Him your heart if it's full already; there's no point going to God if your heart's full of Doris."
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That's a fair assessment in retrospect, as Empty Glass does indeed come off as an album that one can easily hear the vocals replaced by Roger Daltrey. It just has that Who sound and style, which fans of their music would immediately pick up on.
Overall, I felt it was a really solid album, and an unexpected gem hidden in my collection. I had picked it up for the aforementioned single and wasn't really expecting much more from it. Call me both shocked and pleasantly surprised to have found additional shuffle worthy tunes, I Am Animal, Cats In The Cupboard, A Little Is Enough, Empty Glass (the song), and Gonna Get Ya.
Though I never listened to them, I actually would continue to pick up Townshend's solo albums as I came across them, not realizing that there was only two more from the 80's, and ultimately adding both of them to my collection. After hearing this one, I'm really glad I did because I'm super excited to continue on through his 80's discography. Though I know nothing about 1982's All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982), and White City (A Novel) (1985), I'm hoping to find some more gems among them.
I'm really running a marathon today of Retro Spins, and though you have to wait until tomorrow, without further ado, I'm headed into that 1982 album. I'll see you there.
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