"Heaven and Hell" - 4:50
"I Can't Explain" - 2:58
"Fortune Teller" (Benny Spellman) - 2:34
"Tattoo" - 3:42
"Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) - 5:51
"Substitute" - 2:06
"Happy Jack" - 2:13
"I'm a Boy" - 4:41
"A Quick One, While He's Away" - 8:41
"Amazing Journey/Sparks" - 7:54
"Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capehart, Eddie Cochran) - 3:22
"Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) - 4:34
"My Generation" - 15:46
"Magic Bus" - 7:46

Personnel:
Roger Daltrey - vocal, harmonica, tamburino
Pete Townshend - guitar, vocal
John Entwistle – bass guitar, vocal
Keith Moon - drums, vocal

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01. intro 
02. I Can't Explain 
03. The Seeker 
04. Anyway Anyhow Anywhere 
05. Fragments 
06. Who Are You 
07. Behind Blue Eyes 
08. Relay 
09. Sister Disco 
10. Baba O'Riley 
11. Eminence Front 
12. 5:15 
13. Love Reign O'er Me 
14. My Generation 
15. Won't Get Fooled Again 
Encores: 
16. Pinball Wizard 
17. Amazing Journey 
18. Sparks 
19. See Me, Feel Me 
20. band intro 
21. Tea and Teatre

Date: November 14, 2008 
Venue: Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan

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01. Out In The Street – 2:29
02. I Don't Mind (James Brown) – 2:34
03. The Good's Gone – 4:00
04. La La La Lies – 2:14
05. Much Too Much – 2:45
06. My Generation – 3:17
07. The Kids Are Alright – 2:44
08. Please, Please, Please (Brown/John Terry) – 2:43
09. It's Not True – 2:30
10. The Ox (Townshend/Moon/Entwistle/Hopkins) – 3:48
11. A Legal Matter – 2:47
12. Instant Party (Circles) – 3:11 (does not appear on original U.K. release)

Personnel:
The Who
 Roger Daltrey – lead vocals, harmonica
- John Entwistle – bass, backing vocals
- Keith Moon – drums, percussion, background vocals on "Instant Party Mixture"
- Pete Townshend – 6- and 12-string acoustic and electric guitars, vocals, lead vocals on "A Legal Matter"
+
- Perry Ford – piano on "I Can't Explain"
- Nicky Hopkins – piano (except on "I Can't Explain")
- The Ivy League - background vocals on "I Can't Explain" and "Bald Headed Woman"
- Jimmy Page – guitar on "Bald Headed Woman"

An explosive debut, and the hardest mod pop recorded by anyone. At the time of its release, it also had the most ferociously powerful guitars and drums yet captured on a rock record. Pete Townshend's exhilarating chord crunches and guitar distortions threaten to leap off the grooves on "My Generation" and "Out in the Street"; Keith Moon attacks the drums with a lightning, ruthless finesse throughout. Some "Maximum R&B" influence lingered in the two James Brown covers, but much of Townshend's original material fused Beatlesque hooks and power chords with anthemic mod lyrics, with "The Good's Gone," "Much Too Much," "La La La Lies," and especially "The Kids Are Alright" being highlights. "A Legal Matter" hinted at more ambitious lyrical concerns, and "The Ox" was instrumental mayhem that pushed the envelope of 1965 amplification with its guitar feedback and nonstop crashing drum rolls. While the execution was sometimes crude, and the songwriting not as sophisticated as it would shortly become, the Who never surpassed the pure energy level of this record. ---Richie Unterberger, AllMusic Review

Zespołu The Who nikomu chyba przedstawiać nie trzeba. Dlatego zamiast rozpisywać się o jego historii lub wpływie, jaki wywarł na muzykę rockową, od razu przejdę do konkretów. Do opisu debiutanckiego albumu, "My Generation", który światło dzienne ujrzał w grudniu 1965 roku. A więc w czasach, gdy cały świat szalał na punkcie The Beatles i innych brytyjskich grup. Muzycy The Who przepis na sukces mieli bardzo prosty - podłączyć się pod ówczesne trendy. Sporo zatem na albumie "beatlesowania" - melodyjnych piosenek z uroczymi harmoniami wokalnymi (np. "The Good's Gone", "Much Too Much", "It's Not True", czy - przede wszystkim - balansujący na krawędzi plagiatu, jednak bardzo przyjemny "The Kids Are Alright"). Ale nie brak też tutaj bardziej surowego rhythm'n'bluesa ze szkoły The Rolling Stones (np. "Out in the Street", albo dwa covery Jamesa Browna - "I Don't Mind" i "Please, Please, Please") czy nawet niemal stricte bluesowego grania ("I'm a Man" z repertuaru Bo Didleya).

Wymienione wyżej utwory to dobre rzemiosło, ale gdyby longplay nie zawierał nic więcej - byłby tylko jednym z wielu podobnych albumów wydanych w tamtym czasie, nie wyróżniającym się niczym ponad pozostałe. Są tutaj jednak także dwa utwory, które w pewnym stopniu wyprzedzają swój czas. Jednym z nich jest, oczywiście, tytułowy "My Generation". Jeden z najbardziej znanych rockowych hymnów. Z zaskakującym i odważnym, jak na tamte czasy, tekstem (ze słynnym wersem I hope I die before I get old, z którego autor, dziś już 70-letni Pete Townshend, od wielu lat musi się tłumaczyć w każdym wywiadzie). Przede wszystkim jednak wyjątkowo nowoczesny pod względem muzycznym - te gitarowe sprężenia, solówka na basie (prawdopodobnie pierwsza w historii rocka), oraz ciężkie uderzenia bębnów... Właśnie w tym utworze można szukać zalążków brzmienia takich wykonawców, jak Cream czy Jimi Hendrix. Z kolei jego prostota oraz niedbały wokal celowo jąkającego się Rogera Daltreya, wywarły znaczny wpływ na powstanie punk rocka (tego już za powód do dumy bym nie uznał). Drugim przełomowym utworem jest instrumentalny "The Ox" - jam trójki instrumentalistów The Who i pianisty Nicka Hopkinsa (grającego także w kilku innych utworach), który zaskakuje bardzo ciężkim, jak na 1965 rok, przesterowanym brzmieniem gitary.

Podsumowując, "My Generation" to album, na którym błyszczą tylko pojedyncze, nieliczne utwory, a reszta nie wyróżnia się niczym szczególnym na tle dziesiątek innych podobnych wydawnictw z tamtego czasu. Jednak energia bijąca od wszystkich zamieszczonych tu nagrań sprawia, że nieźle się tego słucha, bez poczucia znużenia. ---Paweł Pałasz, pablosreviews.blogspot.com

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01. Run Run Run (Pete Townshend) - 2:43
02. Boris The Spider (John Entwistle) - 2:28
03. I Need You (Keith Moon) - 2:23
04. Whiskey Man (John Entwistle) - 2:56
05. Heatwave (Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Edward Holland) - 1:55
06. Cobwebs And Strange (Keith Moon) - 2:29
07. Don't Look Away (Pete Townshend) - 2:50
08. See My Way (Roger Daltrey) - 1:51
09. So Sad About Us (Pete Townshend) - 3:01
10. A Quick One, While He's Away (Pete Townshend) - 9:07
Bonuses:
11. Batman (Neal Hefti) - 1:37
12. Bucket T (Dean Torrence/Roger Christian/Donald J.Altfeld) - 2:12
13. Barbara Ann (Fred Fassert) - 1:59
14. Disguises (Pete Townshend) - 3:10
15. Doctor, Doctor (John Entwistle) - 2:59
16. I've Been Away (John Entwistle) - 2:08
17. In The City (Keith Moon/John Entwistle) - 2:21
18. Happy Jack (Acoustic Version) (Pete Townshend) - 2:51
19. Man With Money (Don Everly/Phil Everly) - 2:45
20. My Generation / Land Of Hope And Glory (Pete Townshend/Edward Elgar) - 2:03

Personnel:
- Roger Daltrey – vocals, trombone and bass drum on "Cobwebs And Strange"
- John Entwistle – bass guitar, keyboards, horns, vocals
- Pete Townshend – guitar, vocals, penny-whistle, keyboards
- Keith Moon – drums, percussion, vocals, tuba

This second album by The Who I would say was the expression that they wanted to be viewed as a band instead of Pete Townsend's band as it was with the first album. One of the indication was that all members of the band contributed writing the music, at least one song. Musically, I can not differentiate a lot on music that came out mid to end 60s where they sounded alike. It's probably music was not that so fragmented as we see today as you might even encounter many new bands under crossover prog. From the music of 60s, I find the Who, Pink Floyd or The Beatles sounded alike. Probably The Beatles sounded alike because by the time this "A Quick One" was released, The Beatles was releasing "Revolver" and the year later they released the seminal work "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" has been widely considered as progressive album.

In my opinion "A Quick One" deserves to be recognized as having progressive elements. This is especially true if you think progressive refers to different styles, moods and sounds, structurally. "A Quick One, While He's Away ", which has been considered as mini rock opera, represents how the style and moods change throughout the same song, it's like a progressive music. Even though the music is very basic but the structure represents what progressive music is all about. I have noticed that on recent days there are many albums in opera style are considered as progressive albums. One of the examples is probably Ayreon with their space story-line.

On top of the mini-opera track, the rest of the albums are basically good pop rock track with its vintage composition with vintage instrumentation. The first track ""Run Run Run" (2:42) is very The Beatles. "Boris The Spider" (2:28) is psychedelic in nature with solid basslines. "I Need You" (2:24) is another The Beatles. It's a nice song. "Whiskey Man" (2:57) combines good guitar and bass work accompanying vocal. "Cobwebs And Strange" (2:29) is like a circus music with dynamic arrangements, featuring excellent drum solo.

Overall, I think this album is a good one, especially if you explore vintage music in the 60s. This album had formed a solid foundation on further development of the Who music - especially in its long epic at the end of the album which brings grandiose experience to the listeners. ---Gatot, progarchives.com

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1. My Generation (BBC Radio 1 jingle) (0:57)
2. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (Townshend, Roger Daltrey) (2:44)
3. Good Lovin' (Rudy Clark, Arthur Resnick) (1:49)
4. Just You and Me, Darling (James Brown) (2:01)
5. Leaving Here (Holland-Dozier-Holland) (2:34)
6. My Generation (3:23)
7. The Good's Gone (2:59)
8. La-La-La-Lies (2:11)
9. Substitute (3:30)
10. Man with Money (Don Everly, Phil Everly) (2:31)
11. Dancing in the Street (William "Mickey" Stevenson, Marvin Gaye, Ivy Jo Hunter) (2:23)
12. Disguises (2:57)
13. I'm a Boy (2:39)
14. Run Run Run (3:16)
15. Boris the Spider (John Entwistle) (2:13)
16. Happy Jack (2:09)
17. See My Way (Daltrey) (1:50)
18. Pictures of Lily (2:34)
19. A Quick One, While He's Away (7:01)
20. Substitute (Version 2) (2:12)
21. The Seeker (3:04)
22. I'm Free (2:24)
23. Shakin' All Over / Spoonful (Johnny Kidd, Willie Dixon) (3:41)
24. Relay (4:56)
25. Long Live Rock (3:52)
26. Boris the Spider (BBC Radio 1 jingle) (Entwistle) (0:10)

Bass, Vocals – John Entwistle
Drums – Keith Moon
Guitar, Vocals – Pete Townshend
Vocals – Roger Daltrey

This is a document of rock history, recorded for the Beeb. Like its counterparts from Deep Purple and Led Zep, this was released way after the actual recordings. In 2000. Most of the songs are gently rendered and are not really in-line with The Who's fame on stage. The version I have, features more songs than the ones listed on PA. Here they are.

The numbers were played between May 65 and January 1973. Lots of different shows were involved : Saturday Club for "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", "Just You And Me, Darling", "Leaving Here". "Good Lovin" was recorded on June 15 for the Top Gear show. The last 65 session (Saturday Club) holds "My Generation", "The Good's Gone", "La La La Lies". The latter two not being real great I must say.

A little jump in time (March 66) for the next three number. "Substitute", "Man with Money" (a cover song from the Everly Brothers), "Dancing in the Street" which is another cover from Marvin Gaye (amongst others). No real big fuss about these (except "Substitute" of course). They were recorded for Saturday Club.

"Disguises" and "I'm A Boy" were taped at the BBC Playhouse Theater in September 66. Sound for the former is pretty bad while during the introduction of the latter, the speaker asked if there's a special meaning behind the latter. But the answer will be .... not at all even if lots of journalists were trying to find complex explanations for some Who songs like "Substitute" which had no meaning at all (dixit The Who).

Another jump in time (January 67) for the next four numbers again for Saturday Night. " Run Run Run", "Boris The Spider", "Happy Jack" and "See My Way". None belongs to my most estimated Who numbers. "Boris" is of course extremely psychedelic but has never been a fave of mine at all. At the end of the song, the speaker asked Pete about their reputation of smashing equipment on stage and if they knew the value of the instruments destroyed so far. Pete will say : about 6,000 £ ! Remember, we are in 1967 and The Who only had a short career behind them ! Jack is also better known but really too naïve to be interesting to me.

One of the most interesting sequence is the one recorded on the 10th of October for Top Gear, involving the extremely funny radio jingle of "My Generation" recorded to promote Radio One (Radio One is my favourite station), "Pictures Of Lilly" and "A Quick One (While He's Away)" their first mini-opera. Personally, I far much prefer their live version available on the Deluxe version of "Live At Leeds" which is really extraordinary.

We'll jump now seriously in time with the next recording taking place in April, 1970. It was broadcast in the Dave Lee Travis show. The fame of The Who after their Woodstock appearence and the release of Tommy is now enormous. Still, only one number from "Tommy" with "I'm Free" (a very positive song of course in a nice but gentle rendition). But why did they need to perform "Substitute" again ? "The Seeker" was their latest single at the moment, so it is quite logic to get it played while "Shakin' All Over" was a classic of their live performances at the time.

From the last session in January 73 (29th), we'll get "Relay" a great Who single that never appeared on an album (it was the year of Quadrophenia...). I am also biased with this song. I bought the single at the time of release and quite liked it. This live version, although over-extended at the end is rather good.

This album can not compete with some other ones recorded for the Beeb (Purple, Led Zep, Hendrix...). The performances of The Who here are far much too polished. They lack some craziness and wildness I guess. Therefore, I can only rate it with two stars. This is for die-hard fans only. The live reference for The Who still remains "Live At Leeds" (the double CD Deluxe edition). ---ZowieZiggy, progarchives.com

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01. Slip Kid – 4:28
02. However Much I Booze – 5:01
03. Squeeze Box – 2:40
04. Dreaming From The Waist – 4:06
05. Imagine A Man – 3:59
06. Success Story (John Entwistle) – 3:19
07. They Are All In Love – 3:00
08. Blue, Red And Grey – 2:45
09. How Many Friends – 4:03
10. In A Hand Or A Face – 3:22
Bonuses:
11. Squeeze Box (Live) – 4:13
12. Behind Blue Eyes (live) – 3:41
13. Dreaming From The Waist (live) – 4:50

- Roger Daltrey - lead vocals, percussion
- Pete Townshend - guitars, ukulele, banjo, accordion, keyboards, percussion, lead (2,8) & backing vocals
- John Entwistle - 4- & 8-string bass guitars, brass, co-lead (6) & backing vocals
- Keith Moon - drums, percussion
+
- Nicky Hopkins - piano (1,5-7,9,10)

This seventh album by The Who is a solid one in terms of songwriting, performance as well as production. When I compare this production in 1975 compared to their first two albums in mid 60s, the sound production is totally different. This has made the music sounds better, overall. As an album this "By Numbers" charted no. 7 in UK. As far as my personal experience (in the past) with this album, "Success Story" is the most memorable song. It's written by Entwistle and I salute him for the overall composition of this song especially on its simple riffs that serve as main rhythm section and played repeatedly throughout the singing of Daltrey. The riffs have in some way influenced Led Zeppelin's fourth album as it sounds similar, even though the song melody is different.

All songs contained in this album are excellent including the acoustic-based "Imagine a Man" where the acoustic guitar works serves brilliantly throughout the song, accompanying wonderful singing by Daltrey. The song seems like a ballad but the flow is quite dynamic. "They Are All in Love" is also another great song where the band brought in a piano session player "Nicky Hopkins" whom the piano playing flows brilliantly throughout the song. This song has a logical connection with the next (and my favorite when I was teenager - even until now) "Blue, Red, and Grey". It's great enjoying powerful voice of Daltrey backed by only banjo instrument. "How Many Friends" is also a great composition with dynamic basslines by Entwistle and nice piano playing by Nicky Hopkins. The guitar fills are also stunning especially at the background or during transition pieces. "In a Hand or a Face" is a straight rocker with, again, great bass lines.

The bonus tracks are also great, especially with good communication to the crowd, just before the band' single and hit "Squeeze Box". Observe how Entwistle plays his bass guitar - it's so dynamic and energetic! It includes Daltre's nice "Behind Blue Eyes" which is performed better during live version here. The last track "Dreaming From The Waist" is also a nice and energetic song.

Overall, every home must have this excellent album by the Who! ---Gatot, progarchives.com

O ile na "Who's Next" powrót do grania niepowiązanych ze sobą utworów (zamiast nudnych rockowych oper) wyszedł znakomicie, tak na "The Who By Numbers" już niekoniecznie. Nie ma tutaj tak wyrazistych i fajnych utworów, jak "Baba O'Riley", "Behind Blue Eyes" czy "Won't Get Fooled Again". Najbardziej znanym fragmentem longplaya jest banalna pioseneczka zalatująca country, "Squeeze Box". Jeszcze więcej country pojawia się w koszmarnym "Blue, Red and Grey", w którym w roli głównego wokalisty wystąpił Pete Townshend, wykorzystujący tutaj swoje najbardziej irytujące rejestry. Fatalnie wypada także drugi śpiewany przez niego utwór, "However Much I Booze" - nie tylko przez wokal, ale także banalną warstwę muzyczną. Słabe okazują się także ballady, w których nie dzieje się nic interesującego ("Imagine a Man", "They All in Love", "How Many Friends"). Nieco lepsze okazują się te bardziej zadziorne kawałki, jak "Slip Kid", "Success Story" i "In a Hand or a Face". Nie prezentują sobą nic wyjątkowego, ale od biedy można ich posłuchać. Jedynie "Dreaming from the Waist" wyróżnia się zdecydowanie na plus. Jest w nim i świetna partia basu Johna Entwistle'a, i udane zmiany dynamiki. Ogólnie jednak album może się podobać chyba tylko największym wielbicielom The Who. ---Paweł Pałasz, pablosreviews.blogspot.com

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1 	Armenia City In The Sky		3:12
2 	Heinz Baked Beans 	0:57
3 	Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand 	2:04
4 	Odorono 	2:16
5 	Tattoo 	2:42
6 	Our Love Was 	3:06
7 	I Can See For Miles 	4:18
8 	I Can't Reach You 	3:03
9 	Medac 	0:57
10 	Relax 	2:38
11 	Silas Stingy 	3:04
12 	Sunrise 	3:03
13 	Rael 1	5:44
14 	Rael 2 	0:47
15 	Glittering Girl 	2:56
16 	Melancholia 	3:17
17 	Someone's Coming 	2:29
18 	Jaguar 	2:51
19 	Early Morning Cold Taxi		2:55
20 	Hall Of The Mountain King	4:14
21 	Girl's Eyes 	3:28
22 	Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (Alternative Version)	3:19
23 	Glow Girl 	2:24

Personnel:
- Paul McCartney - guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, vocals
- Linda McCartney - keyboards, vocals
- Denny Laine - guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Jimmy McCulloch - guitars, vocals
- Joe English - drums, vocals
+
- Tony Dorsey, Thaddeus Richard, Steve Howard, Howie Casey - horns
- Chet Atkins - electric guitar (12)
- Geoff Britton - drums (12,14)
- Floyd Cramer - piano (12)
- Bobby Thompson - banjo (12)
- Don Sheffield - trumpet (12)
- John Gimble - fiddle (14)
- Dennis Good - trombone (12)
- Dale Quillen - trombone (13)
- Lloyd Green - pedal steel & slide guitar (14)
- Barry McDonald, George Tidwell - trumpet (13)
- Billy Puitt - clarinet (12), saxophone (13)
- Norman Ray - baritone saxophone (13)
- Thaddeus Richard - saxophone (13)

Whatever the arty origins of their auto-destruction stage act may have been, the resulting column inches from those exploding drum kits and wrecked amplifiers demonstrated that The Who were one of the most media-savvy bands around. Their grasp of the importance of image comes as no particular surprise given Mod culture’s attention to personal grooming and having the correct look at all times. Pete Townshend once said that the idea of interspersing the tracks of The Who Sell Out with radio jingles came from a desire to disguise what he felt was a weak collection of songs. Thus the iconic cover and the audio adverts conspired to become a satirical swipe at rampant consumerism – hey presto, a concept album of sorts. Well, almost.

Ironically, the album is an advert of sorts for their follow-up record, containing as it does, many of the seeds that would flower into Tommy. Townshend was partially right about some it not being up to scratch. John Entwhistle’s “Mingy Stingy” and the psychedelic “Armenia City In The Sky” (written by Speedy Keene, later of Thunderclap Newman and Motorhead producer, trivia fans), as well as his own “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand” and “Our Love Was” may well be innocuous tosh but tosh nevertheless.

Things get on firmer Townshend ground with the tongue-in-cheek tale about the nature of masculinity, “Tattoo” which has such a glorious uplifting melody that Roger Daltry could’ve sang lines from the Yellow Pages and it would’ve been just as spine-tingling. The plaintive “Sunshine” (with its hint of “Pinball Wizard”) is an attractive enough love song, and like “Rael 1” - the album’s only true concept track - shows his keenness to extend his craft and serve notice of the shape of things to come. Generally though, things are pretty tame by The Who’s standards, and lacking stylistic coherence.

The exception is “I Can See For Miles.” Its glowering presence overshadows everything else here. The rumbling salvos of Keith Moon’s tom-toms brilliantly herald the cathartic release of the song’s pulsating, obsessive chorus. A classic chunk of Who and a highpoint in 60s pop. ---Sid Smith, BBC Review

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01. I Can't Explain 
02. My Generation 
03. The Kids Are Alright 
04. Substitute 
05. I'm A Boy 
06. Happy Jack 
07. I Can See For Miles 
08. Magic Bus 
09. Pimball Wizard 
10. Seeme, Feel Me 
11. Summertime Blues (Live) 
12. Behind Blue Eyes 
13. Won't get Fooled Again 
14. 5:15 
15. Love, Reign O'Er Me 
16. Squeeze Box 
17. Who Are You? 
18. You Better You Bet 
19. Real Good Looking Boy 
20. Old Red Wine

John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Piano 
Roger Daltrey - Vocals
Jolyon Dixon - Guitar (Acoustic) 
Rachel Fuller - Keyboards
Peter Huntington - Drums 
Greg Lake - Bass 
Stuart Ross - Bass
Zak Starkey - Drums
Pete Townshend - Guitar, Mixing, Vocals (Background)
Simon Townshend - Guitar, Keyboards

When Then and Now: Maximum Who was released in March 2004, there were no less than four Who hits compilations on the market (including the classic singles collection Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, which was available as an import), which raises the question: why another hits compilation, especially one that shares its title with Sanctuary's midline series of re-recorded live hits and new songs from B-level artists? The answer is, it's the first step in reintroducing the Who as an active recording unit -- the "now" part of the Then and Now equation. At the end of this disc, after 18 familiar hits have been trotted out, two new songs are unveiled: "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine." This is a rather low-key way of releasing new material from a classic act, but it's a smart move since it doesn't call attention to itself yet gives listeners an idea of what the forthcoming album, expected in either late 2004 or early 2005, might be like. While neither of the songs can compare with the previous 18 songs, that's an unfair comparison since these are low-key, mature works that would have worked well on a Pete Townshend solo album from the '80s. And that's a compliment -- the final two Who albums, Face Dances and It's Hard, had material that would have sounded better on a Townshend solo album, but he wasn't ready to break free, and the band wasn't ready to change its approach to suit his new material. Here, the reconstituted band -- featuring longtime keyboardist Rabbit Bundrick and drummer Zak Starkey -- fits the material, and more importantly, Roger Daltrey has grown considerably as a vocalist, delivering the nuance within Townshend's lyrics (compare his delivery on "Real Good Looking Boy" to "You Better You Bet," where he just blows through the words). While this is not classic Who, it is the most interesting music either Townshend or Daltrey has made in nearly 20 years, and it bodes well for the forthcoming full-length. Whether that justifies yet another Who compilation is another matter, particularly since the audience that most wants to hear this new material will already have each song on this disc several times over in its collection, which will no doubt frustrate collectors. On the other hand, this is one of the better hits-oriented compilations, containing nothing but the biggest FM hits, and if a casual listener doesn't already have My Generation: The Very Best of the Who or any other single-disc sampler, they'll be satisfied with this since, apart from these two very good new tracks, it's virtually interchangeable with any other career-spanning single-disc sampler. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic Review

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1. New Song (4:14)
2. Had Enough (4:27)
3. 905 (4:02)
4. Sister Disco (4:23)
5. Music Must Change (4:39)
6. Trick Of The Light (4:45)
7. Guitar And Pen (5:56)
8. Love Is Coming Down (4:04)
9. Who Are You (6:16)
+
10. No Road Romance (5:10)
11. Empty Glass (demo version) (6:23)
12. Guitar And Pen (Olympic '78 remix) (5:58)
13. Love Is Coming Down (Work in Progress mix) (4:06)
14. Who Are You (lost verse mix) (6:18)

Personnel:
- Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
- John Entwistle – bass, vocals, synthesizer, horns on "Had Enough" and 
"Music Must Change", and lead vocals on "905"
- Keith Moon – drums, percussion, backing vocals on track "Who Are You"
- Pete Townshend – guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals
+
- Rod Argent – synthesizer on "Had Enough", piano on "Who Are You"
- Ted Astley – string arrangement
- Andy Fairweather-Low – backing vocals on "New Song", "Had Enough", 
"Guitar and Pen", "Love Is Coming Down", and "Who Are You"

On the Who's final album with Keith Moon, their trademark honest power started to get diluted by fatigue and a sense that the group's collective vision was beginning to fade. As instrumentalists, their skills were intact. More problematic was the erratic quality of the material, which seemed torn between blustery attempts at contemporary relevance ("Sister Disco," "New Song," "Music Must Change") and bittersweet insecurity ("Love Is Coming Down"). Most problematic of all were the arrangements, heavy on the symphonic synthesizers and strings, which make the record sound cluttered and overanxious. Roger Daltrey's operatic tough-guy braggadocio in particular was beginning to sound annoying on several cuts. Yet Pete Townshend's better tunes -- "Music Must Change," "Love Is Coming Down," and the anthemic title track -- continued to explore the contradictions of aging rockers in interesting, effective ways. Whether due to Moon's death or not, it was the last reasonably interesting Who record.

Podobnie jak Stonesi na "Some Girls", także The Who na wydanym w tym samym roku albumie "Who Are You" postanowili pójść z duchem czasu. Jednak w zupełnie inny sposób. U Stonesów polegało to na dodaniu tanecznych rytmów lub punkowej agresji. W przypadku The Who było to dodanie syntezatorów, których plastikowe brzmienie dominuje na całym albumie. Przynajmniej towarzyszy im, typowa dla grupy, mocna gra sekcji rytmicznej. Basowe partie Johna Entwistle'a jak zwykle zachwycają. Nieco gorzej wypada natomiast gra Keitha Moona - zniszczony intensywnym (szczególnie jeśli chodzi o różnego rodzaju używki) trybem życia, nie był w stanie grać z takim zapałem jak dawniej, A bardziej skomplikowanych rytmów w ogóle nie był w stanie zagrać (dlatego też w "Music Must Change" w ogóle nie pojawia się perkusja). Zresztą niespełna trzy tygodnie po premierze tego albumu, organizm Moona nie wytrzymał i perkusista pożegnał się z tym światem... Niewielką rolę na "Who Are You" odgrywa natomiast gitara, przeważnie schowana gdzieś w tle. Może to i lepiej, bo Pete Townshed i tak nigdy nie miał wiele do zaoferowania jako gitarzysta.

Utwory zawarte na "Who Are You" to w sporej części pozostałości po niedokończonym projekcie Townshenda o tytule "Lifehouse". Są to więc odrzuty, do których jakości sami muzycy nie byli najwyraźniej przekonani, skoro zwlekali siedem lat z ich nagraniem i wydaniem. Fakt, ich poziom jest jednak nieco wyższy niż odrzutów wypełniających kompilację "Odds & Sods". Chociaż momentami nie jest dużo lepiej - vide koszmarny "Guitar and Pen", przesłodzona (smyczki i pianino) ballada "Love Is Coming Down", albo utwór tytułowy, irytujący tandetnymi syntezatorami i zbyt popowym, banalnym refrenem. Nieco lepiej wypada dynamiczny "New Song" - szczególnie w drugiej połowie, gdy na pierwszy plan wybija się świetna partia basu Entwistle'a. A utwór byłby jeszcze lepszy, gdyby nie oszpecono go kiczowatymi syntezatorami. Dość intrygująco wypada stonowany początek "Music Must Change", później jednak muzycy robią wszystko, aby maksymalnie go udziwnić. Znacznie ciekawsze okazują się trzy nowsze utwory - wszystkie napisane przez Johna Entwistle'a. "Had Enough" może trochę zalatuje banałem (mdła melodia i znów syntezatory), jednak zawiera fajnie pulsującą partię basu. A "905", śpiewany przez samego Entwistle'a, to już naprawdę przyjemny kawałek, oparty na bardzo zgrabnej melodii. Zdecydowanie najlepiej wypada natomiast ciężki, ale na swój sposób przebojowy, "Trick of the Light", w którym klawisze w końcu ustępują miejsca gitarze, a sekcja rytmiczna gra w nieco funkowy sposób. Te dwie ostatnie kompozycje zostały wydane także na jednym z singli promujących longplay - pewnie można kupić go taniej niż cały album, a dostanie się praktycznie tyle samo udanych utworów (tych częściowo udanych nie liczę).

"Who Are You" to kolejny, po "The Who By Numbers", dowód słabnącej formy zespołu. Ale na poprzedni album, Pete Townshend przynajmniej próbował napisać coś nowego. Że nie wyszło najlepiej, to już inna sprawa. Tutaj poszedł na totalną łatwiznę, odgrzebując odrzuty sprzed prawie dekady, jedynie unowocześniając ich brzmienie (co nie wyszło na dobre). Przynajmniej tyle dobrego, że pojawia się tu więcej, niż kiedykolwiek wcześniej na albumie The Who, kompozycji Johna Entwistle'a . I to wyłącznie dzięki nim mogę wystawić w miarę pozytywną ocenę. ---Paweł Pałasz, pablosreviews.blogspot.com

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1. Baba O'Riley – 5:08
2. Bargain – 5:33
3. Love Ain't For Keeping – 2:10
4. My Wife (Entwistle) – 3:40
5. The Song Is Over – 6:13
6. Getting In Tune – 4:49
7. Going Mobile – 3:41
8. Behind Blue Eyes – 3:41
9. Won't Get Fooled Again – 8:33

Personnel: 
- Roger Daltrey - vocals, harmonica
- Pete Townshend - guitar, piano, organ, ARP synthesizer, background vocals
- John Entwistle - brass, piano, bas instrument, background vocals
- Keith Moon - drums, percussion

The Who’s fifth album is one of those carved-in-stone landmarks that the rock canon doesn’t allow you to bad-mouth. It was pretty rad for its day. Here’s the twist: it still sounds ablaze. As C.S.I. fans will vouch, there’s not much that isn’t thrilling about Won’t Get Fooled Again and Baba O’Riley, which howl and kick like they were born yesterday.

Like many near-masterpieces, it wasn’t meant to turn out like it did. Pete Townshend had one of his ‘futuristic rock opera’ ideas, and recordings began on a work called Lifehouse. It wouldn’t gel, so The Who made the most of the random songs that did. Upon release in 1971 it blew away critics and fans alike, bar a few Who diehards who thought larking around with things called synthesizers and modified keyboards was, like, selling out. Glyn Johns had replaced Kit Lambert as producer. Still, the sleeve wasn’t exactly bland, picturing the foursome pissing on a slagheap. (Other contenders for the cover had included a group of obese naked women and a shot of Keith Moon in black lingerie. Be grateful for small mercies.)

Baba O’Riley makes a spectacular opener, its hypnotic drone disrupted by power chords that are parachuted in off the backs of meteorites. Dave Arbus’ subtle then frantic viola solo raises it another gear. There has rarely been a more durably evocative refrain than “teenage wasteland”. As ever, Daltrey’s ragged voice brings humanity to Townshend’s over-thinking. Moon is typically hyperactive: any drummer playing like this today would be ordered to rein it in. Bargain floats on the tension between acoustic guitar and the brave new synth. Like most of the album, it’s melodramatic without – as with later Who – fattening into pomposity. The Song is Over oozes poignancy and Getting in Tune and Going Mobile are simply great songs. Behind Blue Eyes is a soul-searching ballad which bursts into belligerence, reflective then urgent.

The climactic (and how) Won’t Get Fooled Again stretches itself and chews its restraints until it becomes much more than a riff and a scream. It’s on fire. In “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” it nailed the bleeding heart of protest-pop. Who’s Next is The Who’s best. --- Chris Roberts, BBC Review

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