The Who Album: “Live From Isle Of Wight”

Small wonder this final Isle of Wight Festival became a semi-legendary rock weekend - the Who played it as though they'd been reborn for the occasion. In a sense, they had been reborn - 1969, their exhaustive, no questions asked breakout year (thanks to "Tommy," of course) went off with a few hitches and almost a collapse (Pete Townshend, suffering back trouble, almost broke down but for some medical relief enough to get the band through Woodstock). But by the time they hit the Isle of Wight (where they'd been an equal hit the previous year), they were, seemingly, revived and energised to overflowing, because they cranked out a set beyond even their own usual standard of firepower. This set has the incontrovertible proof that the legend of the Who's white heat at that final Isle of Wight wasn't hyperbolic.

In fact, "Live At The Isle of Wight Festival 1970" makes "Live at Leeds" sound like a brave but tired warmup date. Keith Moon is attacking his skins, rather than merely rolling them. John Entwistle is stonily commanding over his precisely dug bass lines. Roger Daltrey's dramatic, theatric snarl and howl is in near-perfect depth and resonance, and he has stronger control of that instrument than he had the previous year. And Pete Townshend, flagging not one step, nails power chord after power chord, dropping only here and there but somehow making it fit the moment, while his arrestingly spare solos - this set if nothing else should dissolve any doubts that he was truly an excellent lead guitarist (so he didn't shred? News flash: with his taste and precision, he didn't have to) - lock on and stay on song while delivering some eerily staying lines.

But the Who was always greater than the sum of its considerable parts, and they're locked into perfect shape through the entire set, from the bristling "Heaven And Hell" (one of John Entwistle's best compositions) which opens the set to the staccato stomping "Magic Bus" which closes it, even if this version isn't quite as shattering as the tour-de-force which closes "Live At Leeds". Through those and through all the high points in between - a searing "Young Man Blues," an almost beatific (at least, on the Who's terms, and never mind the occasional dropped phrases here and there) "Tommy" (most of it, anyway; I was kind of disappointed that, considering Townshend and Entwistle's flair for unexpected, spot tandem improvising, that they didn't have a whack at "Underture"), and an engagingly loopy medley off "Shakin' All Over" (let's face it: only the Who would have been looney enough to medley that classic to "Spoonful" and "Twist And Shout" and get away with it.) - you get a textbook argument for the Who as THE outstanding live concert act in rock and roll as the 1960s turned to the 1970s. Put it next to "Live at Leeds" and "The Kids Are Alright" and it goes from textbook argument to final verdict.

THE WHO LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL is the definitive release of The Who's TOMMY tour. In 1969 and 1970 when the Who was on the road promoting their Tommy LP (released May 1969) they didn't quite perform in front of Mod audiences like they did in the UK back when they first started. Instead, they played to crowds of hippies...at psychedelic ballrooms such as Fillmore East and West, and at rock festivals such as the legendary Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. After Woodstock, the British fans got the message and started organizing festivals of their own. The Isle of Wight Festival of 1969 attracted 150,000 fans and featured Bob Dylan. The Who stole the show and earned rave reviews. They played most of Tommy as they did at Woodstock as well as other hits. So for an entire year they continued their tour playing more psychedelic venues.

Although The Who generally stayed away from open air festivals, they didn't turn down their opportunity to replay the success of the Isle of Wight Festival, and in August 1970 came back for a return engagement. This festival was held on the other side of the island and reportedly 600,000 hippies attended, lured by sets from The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis and a slew of Woodstock veterans...Jimi Hendrix, Sly & The Family Stone, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, etc.

The format of the Isle of Wight 1970 set was the same as what they were doing in '69...some warmup tunes: HEAVEN AND HELL by John Entwistle started things off in high gear with power chords and windmills and pure excitement. I CAN'T EXPLAIN continued to hold the second slot, and YOUNG MAN BLUES, then a few new numbers (the band just recorded for an EP record that was to be released in October 1970 but was scrapped for the "Lifehouse" project). Although Townshend had previously swore that he was going to retire it after the Metropolitan Opera shows in June '70, TOMMY was still the main attraction of the Who set, and they perform most of it as the middle section. Highlights abound including OVERTURE, a great SPARKS and an estounding finale SEE ME FEEL ME that got the entire festival crowd on its feet. Crank it up, it sounds powerful on your home stereo system. After TOMMY, The Who continues with the obligatory SUMMERTIME BLUES as well as SHAKIN ALL OVER/TWIS AND SHOUT.

The original tapes were remastered and the entire show sounds amazing. It's loud, and the stereo spectrum is perfect. The huge crowd was alive for the two and a half hours the Who was onstage, and more people witnessed TOMMY that night than any other performance in their amazing career.

I can appreciate people's opinions on whether "Live At Leeds" is a better CD in terms of sound quality (it is) and maybe even performance wise (I personally give "Wight" the nod). But an "off night"? Gimme a break! Check out the CD's liner notes for Ray Manzarek's (the keyboard player for The Doors, who also performed) take of the Who's performance.

To totally appreciate this concert I recommend seeing a video of this performance. Although the running order is horribly mangled (a story in itself) it gives you an even better idea of what a fantastic concert it really was, through Pete Townshend's obvious enjoyment of playing (he destroys his guitar-but only out of frustration because his pedals quit on him!) to Moon's incredible, NOT AWFUL, drumming. And while you're at it, check out the video of Jimi Hendrix's performance at the Isle of Wight. His look of disgust through every song he performed is the very definition of "Off Night".

Take it from an admittedly die-hard fan; "Live At Leeds" is a great live performance no doubt about it. But don't let that stop you from getting this double CD because you have to have it if only for their live "Tommy" performance. An essential live recording. Period.

No need to rerelease this again, this one is just plain perfect! The sound quality is awesome on this! But since the remastering was supervised by Pete Townshend, no doubt I wouldn't be disapointed! Even though not all of the tracks are on the DVD such as "1921," "Amazing Jorney/Sparks," "Tommy Can You Hear Me," "Smash The Mirror," and "Substitute," probably due to lack of footage which is not uncommon back then, the whole thing is here on this 2 CD set in the actual order! Probably one of the finest Who live sets, if not the finest! No Who fan's CD rack is complete without it!

Ladies and Gentlemen... THE 'OO! ;)

The Who worked and worked and worked to make themselves the best live band on earth, and it paid off to such an extent that a die-hard Beatles fan such as myself became a full-bore convert to Townshend and the powerhouse that was, in Roger Daltrey's words, "that bloody awful Who."

There are striking similarities between the Isle of Wight show and LIVE AT LEEDS--they were recorded within just a few months of each other, after all--but these are different shows. I prefer the sound of LIVE AT LEEDS--the echo is warmer--but that is nitpicking. They are both great live LPs in their own right, and owning both is the way to go.