Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thirty-one years later and we finally get the whole thing!, September 25, 2001
The Feb 14, 1970 Leeds show which provided The Who with their
first official live album is widely regarded by collectors
as not only one of the group's finest-ever shows, but one of the
greatest live shows in rock history. The original album included
only 35 minutes of the 120 minute show, and was still one of the greatest live albums ever; in 1995 that length was
more than doubled for the CD remaster, but the "Tommy" portion remained in the vaults. Fans had to be content with the bootleg "Leeds Complete" in order to hear the whole thing, until now. Whether or not the piecemeal way the concert has been
released over the years is a cynical MCA ploy or not, now that
we finally have the whole thing, the show can finally be heard
in all of its awesome power and glory.One of the reasons "Leeds" is prized among Who collectors is
that it is one of the best-recorded; the mix is superbly
equalized among all three instruments and Daltrey's vocals, and Townshend's guitar sounds especially full-bodied and wet. The performance is one of the tightest and note-perfect of that
period--without losing any of its heat or raw power--and the
audience is amazingly quiet and respectful, which almost gives
the show a "live in the studio" quality. A comparison with
"Live At The Isle Of Wight", the only other complete Moon-era
performance of "Tommy", is in order: although both shows are extraordinary, "Leeds" is superior for the above
reasons (although "Wight" offers arguably better versions of "Young Man Blues" and "We're Not Gonna Take It/See Me Feel Me"). For all of its dozens of incarnations, there is no doubt that
the best version of "Tommy" was when the band originally performed it live in '69-'70; the volcanic fire which erupts
from the group during "Sparks", "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me Feel Me" approaches levels of nirvana not known on the comparatively tame studio record, campy '75 film or horrifyingly
conservative Broadway version. And "Tommy" isn't even the highlight of the show--when the group pull all their muscle
together for "Shakin' All Over", "My Generation" and "Magic Bus"
at the end, the energy released is beyond cathartic. Oh yes,
this new 'deluxe' reissue also contains an expanded booklet
with more photos, liners, etc. So, it took 31 years, but one of the greatest live shows ever is now available in its entirety.
Now that we have "Wight" and "Leeds", how about Woodstock?
(NOTE: although the CD says that "crackling noises have been corrected", one can still hear a little bit of crackle from the worn tapes during "Tommy", esp towards the end--otherwise, the remix is superb).
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47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Maximum R&B indeed. . ., June 11, 2000
When originally released, The Who's "Live at Leeds" was a quick glimpse of the lads pounding out the tough guy covers and original tunes live with astounding working class conviction. Even today, to listen to "Summertime Blues", "Substitute", or "Shakin' All Over" is akin to hearing these guys touch of the core of a Rock and Roll super collider. In their greatest moments, The Who achieved a chemistry during live performance that was as unique as it was astounding. Live at Leeds in 1970 caught some of those moments for the record, and was a nice portrait of the group before they stepped off into the Baba O'Riley years.The newly released version only improves on the original by showing the group stretch themselves during their performances. "Heaven and Hell" and "Tattoo" respectively capture The Who performing material that is more challenging and, well, touching, yet every bit as rewarding as the more rocking numbers. There is no doubt that this album gives a clearer portrait of the musical range this group possessed, and is stronger for it. Pete Townsend, who never sounded comfortable as a lead guitar player, clearly understands the strengths of his rhythym guitar playing here. Listen to him on "Amazing Journey/Sparks", two terribly underappreciated tunes from the rock opera "Tommy". Townsend's playing during this collage is amazing in it's straight ahead intensity, and runs the gamut from soft and ethereal to raucous and back. Together with Moon, Entwistle, and Daltrey, this number creates some of the most beautiful chaos I've ever heard. In short, Moon's playing throughout this album and on this song imparticular, is nothing short of remarkable. The flip side of this coin is found in "A Quick One (while he's away)". Without going into detail, let's just say this mini opera is your basic high speed collision of Rock and Roll with Monty Python. The result being a gloriously silly song punctuated with rocking riffs. I honestly don't know why they did not release this album like this in 1970, but it's here now. It's truly one of the greatest testaments of a live Rock and Roll performance this listener has ever heard. Strong Buy.
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40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Live at Leeds (Deluxe Edition), September 26, 2001
Here we have one of the greatest rock performances ever recorded. Period. From a personal standpoint, I find this newly remastered deluxe edition easily worth the money. Is this an essential purchase for the casual fan? Maybe not.The original 1970 release contained six rock masterpieces which showed the rough side of the Who. Amazingly, given the growing public appetite for garish double live albums that was beginning to gain momentum at this time, the original Live at Leeds album was not even thirty minutes long. It was this release that came to be known as perhaps the greatest album ever recorded. In 1995, the original album was generously expanded to over twice its original length with the restoration of performances form the concert which showed the poppier and more experimental sides of the Who. It also sounded better than ever. This beautiful release only increased this album's already giant stature. Now in 2001, we get the "deluxe edition" of this classic which now contains the complete performance of Tommy from this same show. One could debate the placement of Tommy out of its original performance sequence by placing the entire thing on disc two, but I don't really think that this is a problem. Personally, while I have always had a great amount of respect for Pete Townshend's first masterpiece, I've always considered it overblown, pretentious, and slightly dated (I've always considered Quadrophenia to the the better of the two). On its own merits, the previous incarnations of Live at Leeds were perfect albums for anyone with more than a passing interest in rock and roll or the blues. It is therefore appropriate that the original tracks be relegated to disc one. It makes for easier listening. These same casual fans may not really appreciate the pomp of Tommy on disc 2(although, in all fairness, it IS a really good performance). In short, casual fans will definitely be more appreciative of the non-Tommy tracks and may be better served by purchasing the less expensive '95 reissue.
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