Why was Pete Townshend “incredibly disappointed” by Bob Dylan?
Pete Townshend, the creative director and lead guitarist of The Who, has impacted the world in many positive ways. Whether it be the proto-punk essence of his playing or the expansive direction that he took the band in, without his efforts, popular music would be completely different from the environment we all know today.
Understandably, Pete Townshend picked from many different areas to establish his and The Who’s style. From deeming Booker T and the MG’s hit ‘Green Onions’ as the ultimate song due to the tasteful guitar work of Steve Cropper to admitting that ‘Substitute’ drew heavily on a classic by The Rolling Stones, his appraisals include a host of surprises.
Yet, when Townshend was growing up, long before he had risen and encountered first-hand his era’s other most brilliant musical minds, there was another he dubbed his hero: Bob Dylan. However, unlike the many eye-opening meetings with legends that he would later have, Townshend would be left “incredibly disappointed” after reading a full interview with the troubadour. From that day on, his view of Dylan significantly changed.
Speaking to Penthouse in 1974, Townshend recalled being wholly devoted to Dylan before he realised his idol was not who he thought he was. He recalled: “Well, there was Bob Dylan. When I was a kid … well, not a kid, but younger and listening to Dylan, I couldn’t wait for the day when somebody would get to him and do that in-depth interview where everybody would find out what really was in the back of his head. And when I discovered that there was nothing there at all … nothing … I must say I was incredibly disappointed.”
The guitarist continued: “From that day onward, he ceased to be my hero. He remained somebody who wrote music that I loved. I still love the earlier stuff for the pure nostalgia of remembering how stimulating he was, but he wasn’t quite the gladiator I had expected. You can’t deny, though, that Dylan’s music marked a new dimension in rock ‘n’ roll. He opened the door for rock to say bigger and better things.”
Unfortunately for Townshend, the enigmatic Dylan would later have his own barbs in store for him. When picking apart The Who’s signature hit ‘My Generation’, he called the guitarist a “boomer” before saying he depends on his frontman, Roger Daltrey, in the era-defining anthem.
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