The Who’s Pete Townshend records ‘Guantánamo’
Following in the footsteps of Harold and Kumar, Patti Smith and shock-doc filmmaker Michael Moore, The Who’s Pete Townshend has found inspiration from the U.S. military prison in Cuba.
Universal Music Enterprises announced Monday in Los Angeles that the venerable musician will release two new songs, one called Guantánamo, in his 17-track album of mostly remastered solo work coming out June 30. Its title: Truancy: The Very Best of Pete Townshend.
The detention center that opened in January 2002 has long been an inspiration for popular culture, most of it critical in one fashion or another. Townshend’s does the same.
“Down in Guantánamo, we still got the ball and chain,” goes the refrain.
A lyric declares, “Still guilty with no charge.”
Follow @CarolRosenberg on Twitter
Earlier coverage of prison in Pop Culture
▪ 2014 ‘Twilight’s’ Kristen Stewart captures soul-numbing work of Guantánamo guards in ‘Camp X-Ray’
▪ 2013 ‘Let ’em out,’ Esperanza Spalding sings
▪ 2008 Crude comedy tackles America's post-9/11 policy
▪ 2007 Guantánamo in pop culture, a story and multimedia online exploration
Also, a photo gallery on Guantánamo in pop culture.
This story was originally published May 18, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "The Who’s Pete Townshend records ‘Guantánamo’."