Released on 28/05/07
Label: X-Phonics

So, here we have the online phenomenon sweeping the nation! Snore. The Zimmers (ho ho) are the "oldest band in the world", a gang of pensioners (mostly 90 plus) from a BBC documentary about the plight of old people in society, who released this cover of The Who's classic as self-publicity. It's succeeded in that and was obviously fun to make. Winifred Warburton called the recording "best day in my life", which no-one could fail to be pleased about, although one wonders whether VE Day should have had a look in.

All of which is fine and dandy, and the motives are presumably impeccable, but there's still a stench of condescension and sickly post-modern irony about the exercise. They were assembled by a 32-year-old, their MySpace page is littered with "stenna stairway" puns and there is, of course, the "hilarious" irony of singing "Hope I die before I get old" (which is almost as ironic as when the real Who do it). Still, it sounds pretty good thanks to a huge Mike Hedges production and some great backing vocals, and perhaps anything which gives older people proper visibility is to be applauded. Albeit warily.

    by Jaime Gill