\n<\/p>\n
Pete Townshend<\/a>\u00a0says that he recently escaped an addition to prescription painkillers.<\/p>\n The Who<\/a> guitarist, who\u2019s dealt with drug issues in the past, said his health was not a consideration as he and Roger Daltrey <\/a>wondered what they might do next.<\/p>\n Their current US tour is billed as a farewell \u2013 and although Townshend doesn\u2019t want to stay on the road, that doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019ll stop making music, as he told the New York Times<\/em><\/a> in a recent interview.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0<\/strong>Watch the Who Play ‘Who’s Next’ Classic Live for the First Time at Tour Kickoff<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI went through a period of feeling very depressed,\u201d he said of his recent issues. \u201cAnd when I had the knee operation early this year, I got re-addicted to painkillers. This is the way rock stars die, OxyContin.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cI\u2019d gone through severe alcohol addiction for many years, then narcotics. I\u2019d been clean for over 30 years. I called a close friend who\u2019s working for a recovery clinic in Spain, and he got my head sorted out. I\u2019m feeling really good at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about the band\u2019s future, he replied: \u201cIt\u2019s in Roger\u2019s hands. If we don\u2019t extend [the tour], would we be in breach of contract? Would we be in swindle-land if we came back?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 80, I don\u2019t like being away from my family, my studios, my dogs and my friends. I\u2019m not looking to spend the next five years of my life waiting to fucking drop dead on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n Townshend accepted that the tour\u2019s end \u201ccould give Roger and I permission never to call each other again,\u201d hut he added: \u201cI hope that doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he meant that the longtime colleagues were about to find out if they were really friends, he responded: \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he joked: \u201cIf we stop, the Who brand will continue. We\u2019ll be avatars in a hologram show where guitars get smashed, and people dress in Union Jack jackets and pretend to be rock gods.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will all be managed by Giles Martin, because he\u2019s bored with fucking around with the Beatles<\/a>. And it will be bigger than Jersey Boys!\u201d<\/p>\n Half of the Who’s studio albums are all classics, essential records from rock’s golden age. But where should you start?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPete Townshend Jokes About Who\u2019s Virtual Future<\/h3>\n
The Who Albums Ranked<\/h2>\n