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Following such previous super deluxe album box sets as Who’s Next, The Who Sell Out, My Generation, Tommy, and Quadrophenia, the band has just announced that 1978’s Who Are You will receive similarly lavish treatment on October 31.  The band’s eighth album, Who Are You was also its final studio LP to feature drummer Keith Moon.  The centerpiece of the multi-format release is a 7CD/1Blu-ray set which will offer the following:

• CD1: The original 1978 album as newly remastered by Jon Astley at Close to the Edge;
• CD2: Glyn Johns’ original, shelved mix of the album plus an all-new stereo mix by Steven Wilson;
• CD3: Early run-throughs, session takes, and outtakes, plus several demos by the late John Entwistle;
• CD4: Previously unreleased tracks from the 1977 Shepperton Studios rehearsals, including favorites (“Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Baba O’Riley”) and covers (“Spoonful/Smokestack Lightning,” “Shakin’ All Over”). Among the lost treasures are covers of The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” and Fred Fassert’s “Barbara Ann” (by way of one of Moon’s favorite bands, The Beach Boys) as well as an embryonic live version of “Who Are You” recorded in Toronto, 1976;
• CD5: Six tracks from the live concert at Shepperton for the filming of The Kids Are Alright documentary, plus rehearsals with new drummer Kenney Jones for The Who’s 1979 American tour;
• CDs 6-7: Live recordings from the 1979 American tour including performances from Michigan’s Pontiac Silverdome, Philadelphia’s Spectrum, and Detroit’s Masonic Temple of Who classics and tracks from Who Are You such as “Sister Disco,” “Who Are You,” and Entwistle’s “Trick of the Light;” and
• Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and PCM Stereo mixes of the original album by Steven Wilson.

4LP, 2CD, and limited edition colored and half-speed-mastered vinyl editions will also be available on October 31.

Upon its release in 1978, Who Are You was viewed by many as the band’s answer to the emergence of punk as well as disco; Pete Townshend used many of the songs’ lyrics to question the band’s place and relevance in the musical firmament. (It should be noted that Townshend and Roger Daltrey are still touring today, with dates scheduled through late September in The Song Is Over: The 2025 North American Farewell Tour.)  The searching, furious, and nihilistic title track – later to be adopted by CBS Television’s hugely successful CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – was written by Townshend after he spent an evening out drinking with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols and ended up passed out in a Soho doorway.

Townshend’s musical arrangements were typically elaborate, with synthesizers and strings used to great effect in support of the fiery rhythm section’s accompaniment.  But recording sessions were bumpy, to put it mildly.  The band began work with longtime collaborator and producer of The Who by Numbers, Glyn Johns, at their own Ramport Studios in Battersea.  Co-producer Jon Astley and Johns had particular difficulty with Keith Moon, feeling that his skills had deteriorated; asking him to play in a simpler style didn’t work, either.  In addition to a drummer largely viewed by his bandmates as unprepared, Roger Daltrey underwent throat surgery and Pete Townshend injured his hand.  Rod Argent had to spell keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick after he, too, suffered an injury falling out of a taxi (reportedly to avoid paying the fare).  The sessions moved to RAK Studios, but the sound there wasn’t compatible with the Ramport tapes.  Further chaos ensued, but Moon eventually returned to form and Astley took over from Johns who had another commitment. (Daltrey, too, had been unhappy with the rough mix submitted by Johns; Astley would engineer the final album mix.)  Sessions concluded back at Ramport and the album was released in August 1978.  It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 (as well as a double platinum sales certification) and No. 6 on the U.K. Albums Chart.  Heartbreakingly, Keith Moon died mere days after its release.

The Super Deluxe box finally chronicles the story of the fraught sessions and premieres Johns’ original mix as well as an entire disc’s worth of outtakes and session material including a lost guitar solo from the “Sister Disco” sessions.  The box continues the story with the introduction of Kenney Jones to the band in May 1979; newly-mixed concert performances from the U.S. leg of The Who’s tour finds the group sounding larger than ever with Jones and Bundrick in the lineup.  Moon is also heard on six previously unreleased live recordings from the 1979 documentary film The Kids Are Alright.

The Who called it a day in late 1982 after two studio albums with Kenney Jones and a farewell tour.  However, the breakup was short-lived, with various reunions beginning in 1985.  Two more studio albums, 2006’s Endless Wire and 2019’s Who, were anchored by surviving members Daltrey and Townshend – both of whom are on tour today for this (maybe-kinda-sorta-probably-who knows?) farewell tour.

The 4LP deluxe box has the remastered original album on one LP, plus the composite 1979 concert with Jones and Bundrick on three LPs.  The 2CD set has the remaster plus a selection of the various studio and live tracks from the larger box.  In addition, single-LP vinyl remasters will also be available.  For those interested in the Blu-ray Audio disc outside of the box set, a standalone edition will be available in limited quantities.  All formats are due from Polydor/UMe on October 31.  You’ll find the complete track listing and pre-order links for Who Are You below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Who Are You (Super Deluxe Edition) (Geffen/UMe, 2025)

7CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Official Store
4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Official Store
2CD (+ denotes bonus track on CD 2): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Official Store
Half-Speed Master LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Official Store
Yellow Vinyl LP: The Who Official Store

CD/LP 1: Original album remastered by Jon Astley at Close to the Edge (released as Polydor WHOD 5004 (U.K.)/MCA Records 3050 (U.S.), 1978)

1. New Song
2. Had Enough
3. 905
4. Sister Disco
5. Music Must Change
6. Trick of the Light
7. Guitar and Pen
8. Love is Coming Down
9. Who Are You

CD 2: Remixes (previously unreleased)

1. New Song (Glyn Johns Mix)
2. Had Enough (Glyn Johns Mix)
3. 905 (Glyn Johns Mix)
4. Sister Disco (Glyn Johns Mix)
5. Music Must Change (Glyn Johns Mix)
6. Trick of the Light (Glyn Johns Mix)
7. Guitar and Pen (Glyn Johns Mix)
8. Who Are You (Glyn Johns Mix) +
9. Trick of the Light (Single Version Edit – Glyn Johns Mix)
10. Guitar and Pen (Glyn Johns Alternate Mix)
11. Who Are You (Glyn Johns Single Edit)
12. New Song (Pete Vocal – Steven Wilson Remix) +
13. Sister Disco (Lost Guitar Mix – Steven Wilson Remix)
14. Had Enough (No Orchestra – Steven Wilson Remix) +
15. Guitar and Pen (Pete Guide Vocal – Steven Wilson Remix) +
16. Love is Coming Down (No Orchestra – Steven Wilson Remix)
17. Who Are You (Early Run Through/Pete Vox – Steven Wilson Remix)

CD 3: Sessions & Demos (previously unreleased except where noted)

1. Who Are You (Lost Verse Mix) (from Who Are You CD reissue – Polydor 533 845-2 (U.K.)/MCA Records MCAD-11492 (U.S.), 1996)
2. Guitar and Pen (Olympic ’78 Mix) (from Who Are You CD reissue – Polydor 533 845-2 (U.K.)/MCA Records MCAD-11492 (U.S.), 1996)
3. Love is Coming Down (Early Run Through) (from Who Are You CD reissue – Polydor 533 845-2 (U.K.)/MCA Records MCAD-11492 (U.S.), 1996) +
4. Empty Glass (Session Outtake) (from Who Are You CD reissue – Polydor 533 845-2 (U.K.)/MCA Records MCAD-11492 (U.S.), 1996) +
5. No Road Romance (Session Outtake) (from Who Are You CD reissue – Polydor 533 845-2 (U.K.)/MCA Records MCAD-11492 (U.S.), 1996)
6. Trick of the Light (Unused Olympic Edit) +
7. Who Are You (Clean Radio Edit) (from Polydor U.K. promo single WHO 1 DJ/MCA U.S. promo single 40948, 1978)
8. 905 (John Entwistle Demo) +
9. Had Enough (John Entwistle Demo)
10. Back on the Road (John Entwistle Demo) (from Whistle Rymes CD reissue – Castle Music CMRCD1153 (U.K.)/Sanctuary 06076 86396-2 (U.S.), 2005)
11. Wild Horses (John Entwistle Demo) (from Whistle Rymes CD reissue – Castle Music CMRCD1153 (U.K.)/Sanctuary 06076 86396-2 (U.S.), 2005)
12. Trick of the Light (John Entwistle Demo)
13. Good Time Coming (John Entwistle Demo) +
14. Who Are You (John and Cyrano’s Mix)

CD 4: Shepperton 1977 (previously unreleased)

1. Who Are You (Early Version – Live in Toronto, 1976)
2. The Kids Are Alright
3. Run, Run, Run
4. Spoonful/Smokestack Lightning
5. I Saw Her Standing There
6. Instrumental Jam
7. Who Are You (Knocking It Into Shape 1)
8. Who Are You (Knocking It Into Shape 2)
9. Baba O’Riley
10. Shakin’ All Over
11. Bell Boy
12. Won’t Get Fooled Again
13. Barbara Ann
14. I Saw Her Standing There (#2)
15. Drowned

CD 5: Shepperton 1978-1979 (previously unreleased)

1. Baba O’Riley (for The Kids Are Alright – 1978)
2. My Wife (for The Kids Are Alright – 1978)
3. My Generation (for The Kids Are Alright – 1978)
4. Join Together (for The Kids Are Alright – 1978)
5. Who Are You (for The Kids Are Alright – 1978)
6. Won’t Get Fooled Again (for The Kids Are Alright – 1978)
7. Sister Disco (Tour Rehearsal – 1979) +
8. Music Must Change (Tour Rehearsal – 1979) +
9. Won’t Get Fooled Again (Tour Rehearsal – 1979)
10. Who Are You (Tour Rehearsal – 1979) +

CD 6-7/LP 2-4: Live in the U.S.A. 1979 (previously unreleased)

1. Substitute
2. I Can’t Explain
3. Baba O’Riley
4. The Punk and the Godfather
5. Boris the Spider
6. Sister Disco
7. Behind Blue Eyes
8. Music Must Change
9. Drowned
10. Who Are You
11. 5.15
12. Pinball Wizard
13. See Me, Feel Me

1. Long Live Rock
2. My Generation
3. I Can See for Miles
4. Trick of the Light
5. Sparks
6. Won’t Get Fooled Again
7. Jam/Take a Fool Like You
8. How Can You Do It Alone
9. Magic Bus
10. Summertime Blues
11. Dancing in the Street/Dancing Away
12. The Real Me

Blu-ray Audio: Original album in Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and PCM Stereo by Steven Wilson (previously unreleased)