If you're sitting out next year's tour from The Who (this time centered on playing Quadrophenia in its entirety) but you still want to experience them live somehow, you're in luck, thanks to two upcoming catalogue titles for the holiday season.
Coming from Geffen/UMe on November 6, there's the first-ever standalone release of Live at Hull. The band's incendiary performance at Kingston Upon Hull on February 14, 1970 was considered by the group to be one of their best performances on the tour in promotion of their ambitious concept album Tommy. Unfortunately, despite great acoustics and a great reaction from the crowd, technical problems prevented John Entwistle's bass lines at the beginning of the set (from "Heaven and Hell" to "Substitute") from being properly recorded, and the decision was made to release a live album from the following night's show at the University of Leeds. (Live at Leeds, of course, peaked in the Top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic, sold more than two million copies in the U.S. and is still known as one of the greatest live albums of all time.)
The beloved Hull show was finally resurrected as part of UMe's super-deluxe version of Live at Leeds released in 2010 for the original album's 40th anniversary. For that release, the missing bass lines were filled in by grafting Entwistle's bass parts for the same songs at the Leeds show on the original recordings. This two-disc release - identical in set list to Leeds but for the omission of "Magic Bus" - now enables fans to listen to the show without going above budget on a super-sized box set.
After the jump, learn about a later live show from Eagle Rock that's coming to DVD for the first time!
Five years after the Leeds and Hull shows, The Who were still going strong, releasing another strong rock album (Who's Next (1971)) and another concept piece (1973's Quadrophenia). Another straightforward rocker, 1975's The Who by Numbers featured pop hit "Squeeze Box" and a few hidden gems like "Slip Kid." That year, the band's latest tour took them to The Summit in Houston, Texas on November 20, 1975. Live footage from the 25-song set was recorded, but the sands of time had its way with the often-blurry quality of the set.
On October 9, that's about to change with the official release of The Who Live in Texas '75 from Eagle Rock Entertainment. The picture and sound have been entirely cleaned up, with the soundtrack restored in Dolby Digital Stereo under the supervision of Jon Astley, co-producer of the band's Who Are You (1978) and longtime overseer of the band's catalogue on CD and beyond.
Coupled with Townshend's forthcoming memoir, it's quite a time to be a Who fan. Amazon links and track lists are below.
Live at Hull 1970 (Geffen/UMe, 2012)
Disc 1
- Heaven and Hell
- I Can't Explain
- Fortune Teller
- Tattoo
- Young Man Blues
- Substitute
- Happy Jack
- I'm a Boy
- A Quick One, While He's Away
- Summertime Blues
- Shakin' All Over
- My Generation
Disc 2: Tommy
- Overture
- It's a Boy
- 1921
- Amazing Journey
- Sparks
- Eyesight to the Blind
- Christmas
- The Acid Queen
- Pinball Wizard
- Do You Think It's Alright?
- Fiddle About
- Tommy, Can You Hear Me?
- There's a Doctor
- Go to the Mirror!
- Smash the Mirror
- Miracle Cure
- Sally Simpson
- I'm Free
- Tommy's Holiday Camp
- We're Not Gonna Take It
Live in Texas '75 (Eagle Rock, 2012)
- Substitute
- I Can’t Explain
- Squeeze Box
- Baba O’Riley
- Boris the Spider
- Drowned
- However Much I Booze
- Dreaming from the Waist
- Behind Blue Eyes
- Amazing Journey
- Sparks
- Acid Queen
- Fiddle About
- Pinball Wizard
- I’m Free
- Tommy’s Holiday Camp
- We’re Not Going To Take It/See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You
- Summertime Blues
- My Generation
- Join Together
- Naked Eye
- Roadrunner
- Won’t Get Fooled Again
- Magic Bus
- My Generation Blues
Magnus Hägermyr says
Some say "Live In Hull" is even better than "Live At Leeds". Now I'm gonna find out.
Thanks for all the good news, Second Disc!
Karl Koklich says
Who said that?
Magnus Hägermyr says
Some reviewers, among them I think it was Mojo Magazine or maybe Uncut. Don't you agree?
Shaun says
Not sure how I feel about the bass lines being taken from the Leeds show. Better to have that than to not be able to hear Ox at all, but it's still cheating. Sort of.
I hope these new releases are the first salvos in opening the Who vaults. I'd like to see one (or both?) of the Oakland 1976 shows (where they shared the bill with the Grateful Dead) released. The GD shows were released as part of their Dick's Picks series, and now I'd love to hear The Who sets too. Supposed to be great shows.
John Phillips says
I hope the DVD's audio will be available on cd or download.
Shaun says
Me too... DVD releases without accompanying CDs are a drag. I might actually sit and watch the DVD a couple of times, or I might have it on while I'm doing stuff at home (like I would a CD) but I'd also like to have the audio on my iPod, or be able to play the CD in my car, etc.
Hank says
Is the audio from the Texas show even in stereo? I haven't heard whether or not it is anything other than the audio from the video feed.
Jim Regan (@Jbones72) says
buy...buy...buy!
John Phillips says
Why not the Charlton or Swansee shows? Tracks made it the Maximun R&B box, Who By Numbers and their fan club CDs.
Matt says
I have an advance of the Houston show. It is pretty fantastic.