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(More customer reviews)In my lifetime - hell, probably in ALL time - no band has come out of retirement more often than the Who. After Keith Moon's death, it appeared to be over, until Kenny Jones filled the drum slot for a few years. Bandleader songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend had developing doubts that the Who were still the proper outlet for his songwriting, and in the late `80s, the band announced its dissolution, punctuated with a `farewell tour'. Anyone who attended any of those shows believing that it would be the band's last hurrah - as advertised - might be somewhat bitter about the experience now. Since then, the Who have been revived more often than patients in a cardiac ward.
Both performances featured on this DVD set are taken from tours posthumous to the band's breakup, so it is understandable if more than a few fans are cynical about this package, but the truth is that it is better than they might expect. Granted, this isn't the classic Who (they ceased to exist with the death of Keith Moon in 1978), but it is classic Who material, and most of it is performed quite brilliantly here. The performance of `Tommy' takes place in Los Angeles in 1989 and at the time, it was quite a special event. A star-studded affair, with guests ranging from Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Patti LaBelle, Steve Winwood and Elton John, the entire performance was televised live. At the time I was ready, and I taped the entire performance on my Sony Betamax (which was dated even then!). I thought the performance was absolutely excellent, and I still have that copy today, although this well-produced DVD makes it even more obsolete than it already has been. The band (which is aided by a plethora of additional musicians, with special praise due to drummer Simon Phillips) is nearly flawless, with the only `unfortunate' thing being the `80s fashion sense (Townshend with a pony-tail?), but who really cares about that now anyway?
The `Quadrophenia' disk is from a later date, compiled from the "Quadrophenia' tour of 1996-97. Coincidentally, I was also familiar with this piece of history, having seen the show at New York's Madison Square Garden. At the time, I was a bit disappointed. "Quadrophenia' is my favorite Who album, and the band performed more than admirably enough (special credit to drummer Zak Starkey), but the film footage that allegedly `connected' the songs did more to damage the rock and roll energy than to aid the story. Furthermore, the special guests detracted from the performance, with Billy Idol and PJ Proby making somewhat embarrassing cameo appearances. On DVD, though, the clever editing resolves the problem as I remembered it, and the pace is consistent.
Perhaps the best feature of this DVD is the special commentary from Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. By choosing a second `camera angle', they both appear onscreen, hovering over the concert footage like disembodied spirits. They speak candidly about the details of each event, and getting their insight and perspective while watching the concert is priceless. A third disk contains all of the `encore' footage from both shows, making this a well-rounded package of the band's latter-day performances, as well as an excellent documentary on one of the world's most important rock and roll bands.A-Tom Ryan
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Rhino Records is proud to present a 3-DVD boxed set showcasing one of the greatest live bands ever-The Who. Disc one features a live rendition of their full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy. Tommy was performed live in 1989 at The Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, with special guests Elton John, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Patti LaBelle, and Steve Winwood. Disc two contains the band's second rock opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-60s. This live version of Quadrophenia, from the 1996/1997 U.S. Tour was the first time it was performed as Townshend and Daltrey had visualized it, with live action and featuring a then-unknown Alex Langdon in a spellbinding performance as Jimmy, the disillusioned Mod.
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