Credit: Fabrice DemessenceThe Who‘s Pete Townshend is planning to launch a reissue campaign this year that will see the release of repackaged versions of his entire solo catalog released. Music Week reports that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will work with Universal Music Group International CEO Max Hole on the initiative, as well as on a new edition of his Scoop compilation series.
Townshend says the project he’s most excited about is the next installment of Scoop, which gathers together unreleased demos from Pete’s archives.
“We might get that out in the last quarter of this year or the first quarter of next,” he reports. “I’ve got so much stuff and it’s always fun to wade through it. And it’s also fun for me to have someone listen to everything I’ve got and make choices.”
Townshend tells Music Week that he also is continuing to work on a multimedia project that involves a song cycle and an art installation. “I can’t say much about it because I don’t know what the time frame is going to be,” he reveals.
As for whether The Who might finally work on a new studio album, Pete says that’s “still in the air.”
Townshend says many people are suggesting that the band try to make a record similar to The Rolling Stones‘ new blues covers collection, Blue & Lonesome, while he notes that he and singer Roger Daltrey also are interested in collaborating on an album of original songs.
“We are more optimistic than ever before, because Roger has grown such a lot,” maintains Pete. “He’s developed creatively, hugely.”
As previously reported, The Who will give acoustic performances of their rock opera Tommy at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 31 and April 1 as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert series.
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