Empty Glass
| Empty Glass | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Pete Townshend | ||||
| Released | 21 April 1980 | |||
| Recorded | 1978–1980 | |||
| Studio | Eel Pie Studios and A.I.R. Studios, London, UK | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:46 | |||
| Label | Atco Records | |||
| Producer | Pete Townshend, Chris Thomas | |||
| Pete Townshend chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| Robert Christgau | B− |
| Smash Hits | 7/10 |
| PopMatters |   |
Empty Glass is the first solo album of original material, and third album overall, by Pete Townshend, first released in 1980.
The album deals with a plethora of issues that Townshend was struggling with, including alcoholism, drug abuse, marital problems and deceased friends, particularly Keith Moon, The Who's drummer died in 1978.
Empty Glass also contained the devotional love song, "Let My Love Open the Door", which became a top ten hit single in the US, along with the other (modestly successful) singles, "Rough Boys" and "A Little Is Enough".
The album was rated No. 57 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s. Gibson had a poll which rated the album at No. 5 for "The greatest albums released by an artist who was previously in a successful band".
The origins of the album's title are described in the following quote from Townshend (taken from an interview with Murray Lerner on the film "The Who: Live at the Isle of Wight" Festival"):
"And when I did my first solo album, I called it Empty Glass, 'cause of this idea that when you go to the tavern – which is to God, you know – and you ask for His love – He's the bartender, you know – and He gives you a drink, and what you have to give Him is an empty glass. You know there's no point giving Him your heart if it's full already; there's no point going to God if your heart's full of Doris."
This concept was derived from the work of the Persian poet Hafez, which Townshend became interested in from his involvement with Avatar, Meher Baba.
The album was written and recorded between 1978 and 1980, when activity with The Who had started to pick up again, and Townshend found himself having to write for both his solo projects and his band.
As a result, Empty Glass, when compared with The Who's 1981 album Face Dances, was considered the superior album, with many critics calling it an album by The Who that never was.
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