Rough Mix,
Pete Townshend's 1977 collaboration with former
Small Faces and
Faces songwriter and bass player
Ronnie Lane, combines the loose, rollicking folk-rock of
Lane's former band,
Slim Chance, with touches of country, folk, and New Orleans rock & roll, along with
Townshend's own trademark style.
Lane's tunes, especially the beautiful "Annie," possess an understated charm, while
Townshend, with songs such as "Misunderstood," the Meher Baba-inspired "Keep Me Turning," and the strange love song "My Baby Gives It Away," delivers some of the best material of his solo career. Rough Mix stands as a minor masterpiece and an overlooked gem in both artists' vast bodies of work.
Eric Clapton,
John Entwistle, and
Charlie Watts guest. ~ Brett Hartenbach