Music Non Stop

THE WHO:

LIVE AT LEEDS

(Track / 1970)

Many versions of this album has been out on CD. But the original vinyl has only six songs.

When this album was recorded "Tommy" was already released. "Who's Next", which rose from the ashes of "Lifehouse", was only an idea in Pete Townshend's brain. "Quadrophenia" was not even that. The band itself was not the dinosaurus as we now know it. This was the time, when they started to establish themselves in the knowledge of the major public.

After all those heavy themes and theatrics "Tommy" presented this album was something else. Raw - very raw- live recording from four English lads. There are no room for nuances. With John Entwistle's and Keith Moon's style the chaos is always not very far away. But for some reason the band pull through it all and most of times sounds as a very tight unit. Side A particularly is a breathtaking experience to listen.

So, what can CD releases add to this all? More songs, yes. But the original version had all the pearls from that show. Those who have owned the vinyl can only compare these CDs with the original one. It is always at least interesting to hear these exaggerated versions. Only problem is they can't hold the tension like the vinyl, to where songs had to be chosen more carefully. In some cases more is not always more.

With the CD the listening experience can never be the same. It does not even have the "Maximum R&B"-poster with it :-).