Alex Lifeson Names Pete Townshend The "Greatest Songwriter In Rock"

In the May issue of Classic Rock magazine, Alex Lifeson chose Pete Townshend as his pick for "The 100 Greatest Songwriters" in rock. Lifeson, a die-hard Who fan, explained:

"The Who were always a major influence on everything that Rush ever did, from the very start. While I'd never question the Beatles' right to be regarded as the greatest songwriters in history, nonetheless what Townshend did with the Who made more of a mark on us. What he's generated is an amazing body of work, with songs so diverse yet also connected by the fact that we're dealing with a man who wasn't ever afraid to give us a glimpse into his world, his thought process, (and) the way he dealt with his problems...(He) made me aware that it was OK to for a great musician to prove he wasn't infallible. That's great quality we've never forgotten in Rush...It's so hard to choose just one song to represent what he's all about.  The choice would come down to 'Pictures Of Lily,' 'I Can't Explain,' or 'Run, Run, Run.' They're all so different, yet also have that unmistakable strand of Townshend running through them." - Alex Lifeson, Classic Rock, May 2011 - Thanks to RushFanForever for the headsup!