People rag on Townshend's lead playing but I love it. He has a very unique approach to phrasing and note choice and I love how he'll integrate chordal passages and elements into his single lines, listen to the outro solo on Sea and Sand as its a perfect example of this. No one I can think of approaches the guitar in a similar fashion and its quite refreshing departure from the Page/Clapton/Beck/Hendrix school and the modern, 1,000 notes a second playing that is soooo fucking boring
Yeah, I love his leads. On the albums, they're inventive and amazing! Sometimes live he goes wonk and plays something NOT as beautiful, but that's what's fun. The guy's off the rails and can go anywhere he wants! I love it.