The Who: Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

There will be many Halloween parties this weekend and next. Here's a song, "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde" by The Who that probably won't be played at any of them--but should be.

Like the eponymous characters from Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, this song, written by Who bassist John Entwistle, is a two-sided coin. On the surface it's an homage to Stevenson's book, but really, it's about Who drummer Keith Moon's struggles with alcohol--a battle that Moonie lost ten years after this song was released.

Pete Townshend, The Who's principal songwriter, later penned another tune about a dual personality person based on Moon, "Doctor Jimmy" for Quadrophenia.

Speaking of that book, while I generally loathe Hollywood remakes, a 21st century cinema re-do of "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde" is an idea well worth exploring.

Oh, one more thing: this tune is a classic 1960s B-side, and that's a great thing. The A-side for that single was "Call Me Lightning." The B-side was better, which was sometimes the case.