The Who - The Who: The Ultimate Collection
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Free Music Notes for The Who: The Ultimate Collection
Free Music Review: A solid compilation
Hit: 5 Stars
It's remastered (again). It's got rare tracks. It's a two disc distillation of The Who's career. Smells like a marketing move on the part of Universal. Honestly, though, of the Ultimate Collections released to date there have been very few bands deserving of the attention. These guys deserve in spades. A pity that The Who have become a money machine. At least their honest about it (unlike, say, the Rolling Stones).COnsisting of over two hours of music, Ultimate does almost live up to is title. Looking back on The Who boxed set the same brevity would have benefited that release. There's always going to be some disagreement among Who fans. For example, I wouldn't go so far as to label this Ultimate without Entwistle's Heaven and Hell and I would have gladly sacrificed Sister Disco in favor of one or two tracks off of By Numbers. All of that said, this is a great place to begin if you don't have any Who or if you're an older fan who doesn't want to pony up for all their albums.
What is annoying is the bonus disc. Why? Because if you're a Who fan and want these previously rare/unreleased tracks, you have to pay for the entire set. I don't mind a marketing hook (although in light of John's death I think they could tone down the commericals), but for fans to have to purchase stuff they already own is criminal. I should point out, however, that this stuff isn't the remixed releases masterminded by Jon Astley; instead these are the original mixes without modern improvements. For fans that want these, well here they finally are and they sound pretty darn good, too. Personally, I liked the sprucing up that Astley did. I thought he was reverent and sensitive to the material. When you mess with the bible, though, look out!
Ultimate provides a nice summation to the band's career. In light of John's death, it's unlikely we'll see another Who reunion tour (or at least a tour advertised as The Who). For those fans that are interested, the Townshend and Daltry were in terrific form. The performance by Pino Pallendino and Zak Starkey provided both a fitting tribute to the departed band members and a reminder that we all have to carry on. If we don't who'll tour to support the merchandise?
Free Music Review: Solid but incomplete (The Relay, Dogs, Trick of the Light and Athena are missing....!!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Who is a band with few but classic cds and a many compilations. This one tries hard to include all of their bigger hit singles, the minor single hits and the smash classics FM radio hits included on their cds that were never released as singles.
Still there are some minor single hits such as "Dogs" (number 25 in the UK), "Athena" (Numner 28 in the U:S:), "Postcard" (number 66 in the U.S.), "The Relay" (number 28 in the U.S.), "Heaven and Hell" (the b side of Sumertime Blues a 28 in the U.S.), "Trick of the Light" (released as single in the U.S.), "Overture from Tommy" (a smash hit for other artists) and "I am Free" (number 34 in the U.S.). Also missing are the two Rolling Stones songs they recorded as a gesture to the Stones being in jail: "Under my Thump" and "The Last Time" (Number 25 in the UK). The Who, had a number one hit in Sweden with a song from their EP released after their second album (containing Batman, Disguises and other songs). And still the John Entwistle song about Keith Moon ("Jekill and Hide") is not available on any cd (they did two or 3 takes of that song and they only released one as a "b" side single and the other in France included on a LP "The Best of the Last 10 Years"). So from the point of view of a long time WHO fan, this collection is still incomplete but is the best one of the lot with enought first rate songs on it. If you are a newcomer to THE WHO s' music, this is the one to start if you are looking for a compilation.. There is also an English version of this cd, released shortly after John Entwistle died, and contains more of his songs (since the US version only includes the perennial "Boris the Spider" and "My Wife".
Also there is a WHO music compilation with other artist recording WHO music such as DAVID BOWIE, PEARL JAM, and many others covering from Naked Eye to Circles....it is fantastic!! search for it!!!!!!!!
Free Music Review: Essential for die-hard fans and especially beginners!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Who has always been one of my favorite groups since I first heard them back in '65. Their early hits were whimsical, foppish and had a lot of Austin Powers type British artsiness to them. They were quirky, unpredictable and humerous, but what seperated them from others was their exuberance, and their influences, which you can tell were Beach Boys, surf music and American pop. Keith Moon was the greatest rock drummer in history, Pete Townsend had a rhytmic flair that to this day remains refreshing, he definitely proves that rhythm on the guitar is far more important than dazzling speed. Roger Daltry , the classic rock singer, and Entwhistle, the solid , solumn bass anchor. Their early period recordings have always sounded muddy, but here they are exceptional, open and spacious, their early 1965-68 records which are a joyous treat are all here, I Can't Explain, The Kids Are Allright, Substitute, My Generation, Happy Jack, Pictures of Lillie and even rarer ones like the great Boris The Spider and I'm A Boy plus many others. It only features one cut from their best album "The Who Sell Out" that one being I Can See For Miles. I recommend you buy that album too. It takes you though the best of Tommy in '69 and Who's Next in '71. Some of the latter cuts after that period just don't do it for me, as I feel with Quadrapenia in '73, they began to take themselves too seriously, and sounds a bit too pretentious, and the youthful exuberance and wit appears to be lost, but its all here, and its all in brilliant sound including a bonus 3rd CD with (4) rare 60's cuts. So Who fans delight, your favorite cuts have never sounded better. Essential for any rock fan!Free Music Review: The Ultimate Who Collection
Hit: 5 Stars
The new greatest hits album by The Who really is, as its name suggests, the Ultimate Collection of the band's best songs. It contains all of their best songs. Previously, a person in the market for a greatest hits album had to find a compromise between sparse collections of songs that either omitted significant material or arranged tracks in an order that didn't quite make sense. This one's got their best 35 songs on two discs, remastered, and in chronological order. Disc one kicks off with the band's very first single "I Can't Explain", which the band often uses to start their live shows. Included on the disc are some lesser-celebrated, but equally worthy songs like "The Kids Are Alright", regarded as one of the first "power pop" songs, and Tommy's "I'm Free" and "See Me Feel Me". The disc ends with "My Wife", "Baba O'Reilly" and "Bargain" from the epic "Who's Next", making for a good transition into disc two, which begins with "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Won't Get Fooled Again". Incorporated on disc two are "Long live Rock" and "Pure and Easy", a song that was left off of "Who's Next" but, as the liner notes explain, is a significant song because it sums up Pete Townshend's view on the importance of rock music relating with the audience.
Name your favorite song and it's on here, from "My Generation" to "Pinball Wizard" to "Who Are You". It's all good, as they say. The Ultimate Collection is by far the most fulfilling greatest hits collection by The Who. With over 130 minutes of remastered music, and a 28-page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos, this album shouldn't be missed.
Free Music Review: 5-star music, but is it the ultimate? Not quite...
Hit: 5 Stars
I've always thought that The Who might best be served by a two-disc anthology rather than a single disc greatest hits, since there are obviously so many classics in their catalogue. Of course, Who fans will already have all of their albums, but that's not the point here--the point is to collect the best into one definitive collection. Which means that the only point of debate is, as ever, the song selection. For the most part, this set does a good job (not a surprise, since The Who's hit singles and classic album tracks are pretty obvious after 35+ years). Still, I question the inclusion of tracks like "A Legal Matter" and "Call Me Lighting" when fan favorites like "Young Man Blues", "Tattoo", "Acid Queen" and "Slip Kid" are missing. "Young Man Blues" especially--as one reviewer below mentions, the inclusion of more killer live stuff from the greatest live rock band in history would seem to be a no-brainer."Tattoo" would help represent the critic favorite "Sell Out" and
as a highlight of "Tommy", "Acid Queen" is surely missed (if I had the room I'd also include "A Quick One", "Rael" and "Punk & The Godfather"). I suppose one might as well just pick up the 4 CD "30 Years Of Maximum R&B" box, but even that had its own curious omissions. So, for now, I recommend "The Ultimate Collection", with the caveat that there are a few certifiable classics which are inevitably missing (in favor of "A Legal Matter"...? C'mon!).