"This portrait of Pete Townshend is one of my all-time favorite portraits I've ever taken. It was 1974 and he had given an interview, I think, at the Century Plaza Hotel in L.A. I photographed him during this magazine interview. What I remember most about the shoot is that the small cigarette he smokes was actually an Indian cigarette called BD (spelled BIDI). And it smelled like rotten eggs or worse." - NEAL

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The Story behind the Picture – Original by Neal Preston



Neal Preston - Exhilarated and Exhausted

BOOK TIP

Neal Preston is one of the greatest rock photographers of all time. "Exhilarated and Exhausted" is an unrestricted retrospective of his 40-year career. This was produced in collaboration with Neal and is the first time he has granted unrestricted access to his legendary archive – it is considered one of the most important and extensive photo collections in the music industry. This extraordinary band is a who's who of rock kings.

Neal has been the official tour photographer for Led Zeppelin, Queen, Bruce Springsteen and The Who, and has also photographed extensively the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson and many more.

The book includes his portraits, backstage moments, live performances, post-performance highs and lows, and outtakes. Neal's photographs vibrate with a palpable and inimitable intensity. Neal is a true insider, and the images are brought to life by his liner text – a stunning insight into life as a rock 'n' roll photographer on tour.