Aug 27, 2009, 9:32 GMT
Pete Townshend is writing a new musical.
Pete Townshend. The Who rocker is using his break from the band while singer Roger Daltrey embarks on a solo tour to work on the new venture and says 'Floss' is similar in style to his previous rock operas 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia', with a subject matter close to his own life. EPA/JULIAN SMITH
The Who rocker is using his break from the band while singer Roger Daltrey embarks on a solo tour to work on the new venture and says 'Floss' is similar in style to his previous rock operas 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia', with a subject matter close to his own life.
He explained on his blog: "While Roger Daltrey exercises his ageing vocal chords by embarking on a two-month 'Use It Or Lose It' solo tour, my focus is on 'Floss', which touches on the current issues faced by the Baby Boomer generation.
"As a 19-20 year old, with 'My Generation', I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on ageing and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock 'n' roll.
"In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound 'soundscapes' featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages. 'Floss' will be a son-et-lumiere musical piece, intended for outdoor performance, or arenas."
The 64-year-old singer says 'Floss' - which will focus on the difficult relationship between a suddenly-wealthy rock musician and his wife - will first be performed in 2011 but the band will precede the show with a new album.
He added on TheWho.com: "Several of the more conventional songs from 'Floss' will be featured on a forthcoming Who recording for release in 2010."
The album will be the follow-up to 2006's 'Endless Wire'.
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