<P> A distinctive part of the original band's sound was Entwistle's lead bass playing, while Townshend concentrated on rhythm and chords . Entwistle's was the first popular use of Rotosound strings in 1966, trying to find a piano - like sound . His bassline on "Pinball Wizard" was described by Who biographer John Atkins as "a contribution of its own without diminishing the guitar lines"; he described his part on "The Real Me" from Quadrophenia, recorded in one take, as "a bass solo with vocals". Entwistle's basses include a "Frankenstein" assembled from five Fender Precision and Jazz basses, and Warwick, Alembic, Gretsch and Guild basses . </P> <P> Moon further strengthened the reversal of traditional rock instrumentation by playing lead parts on his drums . His style was at odds with British rock contemporaries such as The Kinks' Mick Avory and The Shadows' Brian Bennett who did not consider tom - toms necessary for rock music . Moon used Premier kits starting in 1966 . He avoided the hi - hat, and concentrated on a mix of tom rolls and cymbals . </P> <P> Jones' drumming style was in sharp contrast to Moon's . The Who were initially enthusiastic about working with a completely different drummer, though Townshend later stated, "we've never really been able to replace Keith ." Starkey knew Moon from childhood and Moon gave him his first drum kit . Starkey has been praised for his playing style which echoes Moon's without being a copy . </P> <P> Townshend focused on writing meaningful lyrics inspired by Bob Dylan, whose words dealt with subjects other than boy--girl relationships that were common in rock music; in contrast to Dylan's intellectualism, Townshend believed his lyrics should be about things kids could relate to . Early material focused on the frustration and anxiety shared by mod audiences, which Townshend said was a result of "searching for (his) niche". By The Who Sell Out, he began to work narrative and characters into songs, which he fully developed by Tommy, including spiritual themes influenced by Baba . From the mid-1970s onwards, his songs tended to be more personal, which influenced his decision to go solo . </P>

Who are the surviving members of the who