The Thundercat album Pete Townshend compared to The Beatles: “I think it’s so absolutely incredible”
As the songwriter behind some of the most iconic tracks of the 1960s, you could forgive The Who guitarist Pete Townshend for living in the past somewhat. After all, the music of The Who was rooted in post-war adolescent rebellion, so it must have been a particular struggle for the likes of Townshend and Daltrey to grow up. In contrast to many of his contemporaries, though, Townshend always seemed to stay on top of changing musical trends and the emergence of new genres.
During the 1970s, for instance, when The Who were at the peak of their rock opera era, Townshend was outspoken about his appreciation for the revolutionary sounds of punk rock. In many ways, The Who had been the original British punk band, yet many musicians of that generation were openly critical of punk, thus showing their age. Now in his 70s, decades on from his 1960s heyday, it seems as though Townshend never lost his capacity for musical discovery.
Back in 2021, the guitarist was asked his opinions on Rough And Rowdy Ways, the 2020 album released by Bob Dylan. Presumably, the interviewer figured that, as a fellow 1960s icon, Townshend would have a deep appreciation for the folk star’s new material. However, Townshend earnestly replied, “I tried to listen to it, but my interest in other people’s deep journeys into self is a bit limited,” adding, “I’m a bit like Elton John in that respect: I’m more interested in what new, younger artists are doing.”
His self-comparison to Elton John may be a bit uncalled for here. John has collaborated with a wealth of modern artists, including the likes of Yard Act, Dua Lipa and Kanye West, whereas Pete Townshend continues to tour with The Who, despite both surviving members being fairly past it. Nevertheless, the songwriter continued, telling Uncut, “I find the music world at the moment just overwhelmingly, fantastically wonderful. I’m not even that interested in Rod Stewart’s Christmas album or even the Who album, to be honest. I’m kind of more interested in finding something amazing on Bandcamp.”
Reportedly, one of the modern artists that Townshend discovered through scouring Bandcamp was the American songwriter Thundercat. Admittedly, calling Thundercat a modern artist – or talking about him as if he is a well-kept secret – is pretty questionable. After all, the songwriter has been around since the turn of the millennium, gaining prominence as a guitarist for Suicidal Tendencies before launching an incredibly successful solo career.
In an incredible case of ‘How do you do, fellow kids?’, Townshend heaped praise onto Thundercat, particularly the 2020 album It Is What It Is. Of the album, The Who guitarist said, “I’ve been going back to [It Is What It is], which I just love”. Townshend did not stop there, though, going on to compare the record to one of the greatest albums of all time, “I think it’s so absolutely incredible, kind of like Sgt. Pepper – so that’s been an obsession”.
Comparing Thundercat’s album to one of The Beatles’ finest products – often hailed among the greatest albums in musical history – is a fairly contentious claim to make, especially for somebody of Townshend’s vintage. In many ways, though, his comments are a good indicator that, despite the overwhelming chorus of baby boomers, music is still in a very good place in the modern age.