Dionne WordPress Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • The Weekend Stream
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ News

Back Tracks: The Who

February 8, 2010 By Mike Duquette 3 Comments

Were you left cold by The Who's straightforward, inoffensive performance at The Super Bowl last night? Did you hear will.i.am's pointless remix of "My Generation" and think about a time in which that song actually meant something? This installment of Back Tracks takes you through the deluxe editions of The Who's discography, so you can focus on the glory days and not Roger Daltrey's incredibly silly get-up.

And take heart: The Who's back catalogue is probably one of UMe's grandest war horses. There's a lot in here after the jump.

My Generation (1965)
The band's first album did get a deluxe album package in 2002 in classic UMe fashion - but purists should be wary, as the album is presented in a drastically alternative mix, stripping away some vocals and other overdubs. This remix extends even to "Circles" (the closer of the U.S. version of the record), and single A-side "I Can't Explain." (This is apparently a consequence of the album being recorded rather simply; all of the overdubs were simply recorded over the mono mix proper, and so the overdubs wouldn't show up properly on the multitrack master.) The second disc has unreleased cuts and a few alternate mixes, including two mono masters from the LP (in their correct mix).

A Quick One (1966)
Reissued in 1995 with a bunch of bonus tracks, including covers of The Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" and Neal Hefti's Batman TV theme and the "I'm a Boy" B-side "In the City." (Curiously missing: the original version of U.S. bonus track "Happy Jack.") There is much discrepancy over the mixes on the CD; some pressings are in better stereo than others.

The Who Sell Out (1967)
A delightfully quirky entry into The Who catalogue that got a nice deluxe edition just last year. It presents both mono and stereo mixes of the record with a handful of bonus tracks to complement each.

Tommy (1969)
Arguably the band's best work, the immortal rock opera was reissued in 2003 with a bonus disc of demos and outtakes - but the real treat was for audiophiles, as the original album is a hybrid SACD listenable in 5.1 surround sound.

Live at Leeds (1970)
The band's first live document was also one of the first Universal Deluxe Editions in 2001. It arranged the February 14, 1970 show into a more thorough double-disc set with a near-complete run-through of Tommy on the second disc. (Again, a warning to purists: some of these tracks were overdubbed by Daltrey in 1995, at the time of the first remaster.)

Who's Next (1971)
Another deluxe edition from 2003, it added six bonus outtakes from the burgeoning Lifehouse project and added another disc of a live show at the Young Vic in London.

Odds & Sods (1974)
Intended to be two LPs of studio outtakes and rarities, that plan wasn't fully realized until 1998, where an additional 12 bonus tracks were added to this rearranged reissue.

The Who by Numbers  (1975)
Coming two years after another rock opera (Quadrophenia, which has never gotten a deluxe release), this was another relatively straightforward reissue, with only three live bonus tracks to offer.

Who Are You (1978)
This would be the last of The Who's classic period, as Keith Moon would be dead a month after the LP's release. The LP was remixed and reissued in 1996 with five new bonus tracks, including alternate mixes of "Who Are You," "Love is Coming Down" and "Guitar and Pen."

Face Dances (1981)
Another late-'90s reissue  - 1997 to be exact - of Kenney Jones' debut as Who drummer, with three outtakes and two live cuts.

It's Hard (1982)
The "last" Who LP (until 2006's Endless Wire) was also remixed and reissued in 1997, with four tracks from the band's seemingly final show (until, you know, the 1989 tour and beyond).

Thirty Years of Maximum R&B (1994)
The first and only Who box set to date featured four discs of hits and rarities. Includes a lot of great live cuts, a few cuts by The High Numbers (a pre-success version of the band in mod disguises) and even audio of that infamous Abbie Hoffman incident from Woodstock.

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (1996)
A bit of an odd duck (as this is released on Sony's Legacy, not a subsidiary of Universal like all the other entries in The Who discography), this is still a pretty ripping live double album recorded during the Tommy tour. A DVD version, released in 2004, is so-so (lots of audiovisual sync problems, for one).

BBC Sessions (2000)
Exactly what it says it is: a compilation of all the band's BBC sessions from 1965 to 1973.

View from a Backstage Pass (2007)
Initially released to subscribers of The Who's Web site (but later released in part on the Greatest Hits Live digital set from last month), this is a two-disc set of live cuts from all around the world from 1969 to 1976.

Categories: News Tags: Back Tracks, The Who

Avatar photo

Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, holding positions at Legacy Recordings and Rhino Records and contributing to Allmusic, Discogs, City Pages, Ultimate Classic Rock and Mondo Records, for whom he penned liner notes for his favorite piece of music: John Williams' Oscar-winning score to 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

Connect With Mike:

You Might Also Like

  • The Who Live at The Oval 1971No Substitute: Release of 1971 Gig by The Who Heralds Their Farewell Tour
  • RSD 2025 best of restRecord Store Day 2025: The Best of the Rest
  • Pete Townshend Studio Albums boxRelease Yourself from Misery: Pete Townshend Collects Solo Albums (But No Bonus Tracks) for New Box
  • Townshend Live boxHeart to Hang Onto: Seven Out-of-Print Pete Townshend Live Albums Released in New Box Set

Comments

  1. John says

    March 8, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    I'm still waiting for an album with the remixed Relay not fading into another track (like on the box set).

    Reply
  2. Shaun says

    April 22, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    The expanded Live At Leeds has been overdubbed?? In 1995?? Ugh... I love that collection, and even made my own version that rearranges things so the Tommy songs are in the middle of the show as it was performed, but I'm sickened to know that it was overdubbed. Why mess with the real thing when it's so great??

    Reply
  3. Calum MacDonald says

    January 2, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    Great post, interesting stuff about the "My Generation" mix. I have a review of Quadrophenia at my site here:
    http://outerbluerecords.com/blog/

    Cheers.

    Calum.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to John Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Backstreet Boys Millennium 2 0
    Millennium 2.0
    Backstreet Boys
    July 11, 2025
    US UK
  • Kinks The Journey Part 3 Cover
    The Journey: Part 3
    The Kinks
    July 11, 2025
    US UK
  • Jethro Tull Still Living in the Past
    Still Living in the Past
    Jethro Tull
    July 11, 2025
    US UK
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,682 other subscribers

Popular Posts

  • Most Commented
  • Most Viewed
  • Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits Amazon exclusiveHe Wears It Well: Rod Stewart's 'Ultimate Hits' Due in June
  • Brian Wilson At My Piano Promo ShotIn Memoriam: Brian Wilson (1942-2025)
  • McCartney SHM splashPaul is Live (on SHM-CD): Five New McCartney Titles Follow Nearly a Year of Additional Discs
  • record store day logoThe Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2025: Our Favorite Picks
  • John Williams Anthology 1Mondo Maestro: New John Williams Box Set Series Announced, Plus 'Star Wars' Re-Recordings on Vinyl
  • Frank Zappa Cheaper Than CheepWowie Zowie: Frank Zappa's "Cheaper Than Cheep" Premieres Lost Concert Film, Soundtrack

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popdose
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2025 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy