Live At Leeds

In addition to making some of the finest studio albums in rock history (ranging in approach from proto-pop-punk to the first rock operas), the Who, live, epitomised the brash, electrifying energy that put a new face on the music in the 1960s. The original LIVE AT LEEDS album, released in 1970, looked straight into the eye of this hurricane on a single disc featuring six tracks. A 1995 reissue doubled the number of songs. The DELUXE EDITION, however, released in 2001, is the first document to feature the Leeds concert in its entirety. Spread out over two discs, this most recent update is definitive, and includes a 28-page booklet, sections of band-audience banter, and--most importantly--a full performance of TOMMY. The sound, enhanced here in a new mix supervised by guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend, is crystalline, without losing any of the group's swirling chaos and bone-crushing sonic impact. Though the Who later began to abridge TOMMY live, disc two features the entire opera, while the first disc houses "Substitute", "My Generation", and a blood-pumping cover of "Summertime Blues", among other singles. For any Who fan, this edition is essential.

Mojo (1/02, p.69)
- Included in Mojo's "Best Reissues of 2001".

Q (9/01, p.139)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...Everything here is the same ambitious, ramshackle rock'n'roll...Hidden gems still justifies its reputation..."