Saturday Boxing - The Who
This Who collection is probably one of the best box sets I have. Four disks, somewhere in the area of 100 tracks, The Who: Thirty Years of Maximum R&B, is beautifully put together and includes almost an embarrassment of riches. The tracks on this 1994 release go back 30 years to songs by The High Numbers and include not just the hits, but old commercials, interviews, and snippets of previously unreleased conversations, including the infamous “Abbie Hoffman incident” at Woodstock (“Fuck off! Fuck off my fucking stage!” Wiki has the full story in its Abbie Hoffman entry).
The enclosed booklet contains a recounting by journalist Keith Altham of being bribed with free drinks to see go see the band at the Marquee Club in 1964 (it’s an involved story that begins by comparing the band’s sound to “someone sawing through an aluminum dustbin with a chainsaw” and ends with Altham meeting Keith Moon as he runs from Roger Daltrey: “I just told him he can’t sing for shit.”). Pete Townshend also writes a bit about being “dragged” back through his life as he assisted in compiling this set.
Needless to say, with all of that to choose from, it was hard to pick 10-12 tracks to post today. Obviously I don’t want to give you too much. Pete Townshend, MCA Records, and I want you to buy this set! What I thought would work best is to pick the previously unreleased stuff. I generally skipped the hits, the classic rock radio fodder, and the songs we've all heard unless there was an interesting alternate or live version. Per usual, I’ve arranged things more or less by date of release and included liner notes with the songs.
Here ‘tis.mp3
Fontana Studios, London, 1964. When The Who were The High Numbers. Previously unreleased.
Daddy Rolling Stone.mp3
IBC Studios, London, April 1965. Released as the B-side of “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”.
Early Morning Cold Taxi.mp3
CBS Studios, London, October 2, 1967. Previously unreleased.
Melancholia.mp3 Advision Studios, London, May 29, 1968. Previously unreleased.
Fortune Teller.mp3
Advision Studios, London, May 29, 1968. Previously unreleased.
Bargain (live).mp3
Recorded live at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium on December 12, 1971. Previously released only on the 1985 LP Who’s Missing.
The Real Me (alt version).mp3
Recorded at Ramport Studios, London, in January 1979, during an audition for Kenney Jones to become The Who’s drummer. Previously unreleased.
Twist and Shout (live).mp3 Recorded live at Toronto CNE Stadium, October 9, 1982. Drums played by Kenney Jones. Previously unreleased.
I’m a Man (live).mp3
Recorded live at Radio City Music Hall, New York, June 27, 1989. Drums played by Simon Phillips, extra percussion Jody Linscott, second guitar Steve Bolton, keyboards John “Rabbit” Bundrick. A studio version appeared on The Who’s first UK LP. Previously unreleased.
Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting).mp3
Eel Pie and Revolution Studios, July 1991. Drums played by Jon Astley. From the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute LP Two Rooms, released in October 1991.
Labels: rock
posted by aikin @ 12:12 PM
1 Comments:
I absolutley love (d) the who for so many years. Quadrophenia is a all time favorie album from anyone.
However, when Entwhistle died, they should have retired the name. They finished that tour (spozedly because of contractual obligations) but there's no excuse for touring at The Who since then.
I saw them in NYC in 2006 and it was very sad.
And their new album is virtually unlistenable at parts.
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