August 25, 2009 16:10

Pete Townshend announces new rock opera and forthcoming Who album

'Floss' musical is set to debut in 2011

Pete Townshend has blogged about his next musical project, which he says is called 'Floss'.

He also confirmed that The Who are working on a new album for release in 2010.

Townshend took to Thewho.com to blog about what he's been up to, and explained that 'Floss', which he intends to be a musical, is similar in style to his classic rock operas 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia'.

he added: "In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound 'soundscapes' featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages. 'Floss' will be a son-et-lumiére musical piece, intended for outdoor performance, or arenas."

Blogging about the new Who record, he wrote: "Several of the more conventional songs from 'Floss' will be featured on a forthcoming Who recording for release in 2010."

The album will be the follow-up to 2006's 'Endless Wire'.

The musical is about the difficult relationship between a pub-rock musician who suddenly finds wealth and his wife. It will be heard in concert for the first time in 2011, according to Townshend, who added that he is "already having talks with producers in New York".

Townshend also spoke of Who frontman Roger Daltrey, who is set to tour the US solo this October.

He said: "While Roger Daltrey exercises his ageing vocal chords by embarking on a two-month Use It Or Lose It solo tour, my focus is on 'Floss', which touches on the current issues faced by the Baby Boomer generation.

Townshend added that the musical has personal connotations with his own life.

"As a 19-20 year old, with 'My Generation', I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on ageing and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock 'n' roll."