![\"Pete](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Pete-Townshend-Musician-The-Who-1975-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
(Credits: Far Out \/ Harry Chase \/ UCLA Library)<\/p>\n
Fri 29 August 2025 14:30, UK <\/p>\n
The world of music is a much more competitive place than many of us would hope it to be. And if you were to search for one of those serial winners who has dedicated himself to being the best, then Pete Townshend<\/a> is a shoo-in.<\/p>\n The Who guitarist was a flagrant competitor when he was in his early days with the band. The Beatles may have been legends to a whole swathe of his generation of music makers, but for Townshend, they were just \u201clousy\u201d pop singers.<\/p>\n When The Who found themselves sharing a line-up with perhaps the greatest guitarist of all time at the Monterey Pop Festival, one could have easily expected Townshend to have shrunk away. But, no, the presence of Jimi Hendrix seemed to enliven a sense of fierce rivalry in the British guitarist, and he set about trying to combat Hendrix\u2019s six-string stage presence<\/a> with his own theatrics.<\/p>\n All this is to say that Townshend did not suffer fools gladly, and very rarely did he take time out of his day to share his appreciation for his contemporaries when in the throes of The Who\u2019s explosive emergence onto the music scene. However, there was one guitarist whom he saw not only as a gifted player but as a remedy to the multitude of British guitarists that were bursting into existence in London.<\/p>\n Joe Walsh\u2019s position as one of the most underrated players of his generation cannot be argued with. He\u2019s certainly gained his fair share of fame, being a part of the Eagles will do that to a man, and the record sales that have come with it mean his fortune is in a healthy state too. But owing to the band\u2019s soft rock stylings, Walsh\u2019s ability on the guitar is too often forgotten. But Townshend has always seemed keen to remind the audience of his talent.<\/p>\n In 1975, The Who man told Rolling Stone: \u201cJoe Walsh is a fluid and intelligent player. There\u2019re not many like that around.\u201d <\/p>\n Five years later, he again paid tribute to Walsh, \u201cI feel Joe (Walsh) is a very expressive guitar player. He has brought out a lot of expressiveness in the other guitar player in the band, Don Felder.\u201d And it would seem that Townshend has been a huge fan of Walsh for decades.<\/p>\n
![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Joe-Walsh-The-Eagles-Guitarist-Far-Out-Magazine-F-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Joe Walsh performing live. (Credits: Far Out \/ Jim Summaria)<\/p>\n