THE WHO

Bible One

(MCA)

Just when you think that Pete Townshend's run out of ideas, he comes back with a new project so huge, so immense, that you automatically feel ashamed for ever doubting him in the first place. Bible (Part One) is such a project, and without a doubt it's the most ambitious thing that The Who have ever chosen to undertake.

Townshend claims that Part One alone took him over 35 minutes to write, and the high quality of work present here bears him out. Based on "the world's greatest selling book" (as the ads say),'Bib/e One is the first part of a projected series that will be released over the next eighteen months, finally consisting of fifteen parts with ten records per part. Packaged in a huge white box (each part will have a differrent color to it, so that when all fifteen parts are placed side by side they will form a color scale), Part One comes with ten records, a song sheet and limited edition 125-page color booklet. The whole thing weighs just over 8V2 pounds ""and retails at $24.59, but make no mistake—it's an investment well worth it.

Bible One covers the creation of the world from Genesis to Deuteronomy, with future parts to include Psalms, Proverbs, Jonah, and, of course ("the climax of the work" as Townshend calls it) The New Testament. «

True to fashion, Townshend plays the part of God (in the introduction to the booklet he says, "I thought the word Narrator would be just a bit too disrespectful.,."), while Roger, Keith and John take turns at filling out the 132 other roles demanded by Part One. The whole series upon completion will require well over 4,000 individual roles to be filled.

Musically, Part One suffers most from lack of direction,1 something that can be observed at its best on sides seven and eight, during the Numbers segment of the work. At times Townshend seems to be wandering around with his musical ideas, instead of sticking to just one point and seeing it through. Roger Daltry shines brightest though, especially on side four during the Exodus segment. Under Daltrey's interpretation, Moses never sounded more awe-inspiring. This reviewer personally can't wait to hear Keith Moon's portrayal of Pilate, during Part Thirteen.

In a recent interview, Townshend was asked if he could ever hope to top Bible, when it finally gets re leased in its entirety. He answered that, no, he probably couldn't, and that it would probably be his final work. Knowing Pete, however yvent over to Townshend's hous6 the other day and asked him about the plans for a marathon live concert presentation of Bible, for future release as a live album and feature length (Bible runs over 80 hours) film. Ha looked at me, smiled, and thought I caught a small gleam in the comer of his eye.

"Well," he said, "You never know..."