Pete Townshend - Empty Glass

Empty Glass is the first solo studio album of original material by British musician Pete Townshend, originally released in April 1980 via ATCO Records.

Considered by Pete Townshend to be his first ‘real’ solo album Empty Glass was also to become his most commercially successful. Whereas Who Came First (1972) was a devotional album and Rough Mix (1977), a collaboration with Ronnie Lane, Townshend had no such restrictions on this 1980 release.

Coming after Keith Moon’s death in 1978, the album sees Townshend at his most emotional and rawest as he publicly acknowledges his own addictions and exorcises his demons.

The album was written while Townshend was also trying to write new material for The Who and complaints were raised in some circles that he was keeping the best material for his solo work.

The album certainly contains songs that would have worked for the band (a version of the title track was actually recorded by The Who) but the personal investment in the material by the composer shines through.

The album spawned four singles including the Top 10 US smash, the devotional love song “Let My Love Open The Door”, as well as singles “Rough Boys”, “A Little Is Enough” and “Keep On Working”.

The album was rated #57 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Albums Of The 1980s.

The album title was derived from the work of the Persian poet Hafez, which Townshend became interested in from his involvement with Avatar, Meher Baba.

The album reached #5 on the US, #11 on the UK and #28 on the Australian Albums charts.

Check out the tracks:  “Let My Love Open The Door”, “Rough Boys”, “A Little Is Enough”, “Keep On Working”, and “Empty Glass”.

This limited edition LP record is a 2017 reissue on 180 gram heavyweight coloured clear vinyl with replicated original artwork, including poster, and remastered audio, pressed in Europe via UMC.

 

Reissue Notes:

• Limited edition heavyweight 180 gram coloured vinyl
• Includes original poster
• Remastered at Abbey Road with half-speed mastering process