Not my favorite Who album, but still got good tracks. I'm not their biggest fan though. I do have this album at home, and the highlights are I Can See For Miles, Behind Blue Eyes, Eminence Front, good track right there. But like I said for die hards, or for my case an occasional play on my stereo.

Jameson Thottam...getting to know the Who

In my quest to educate myself about classic rock as well as in an effort to become familiar with the CSI intro songs (just kidding . . .) this past year, I delved into the glorious British hard rockin' quartet The Who. Led Zeppelin, Van Halen (but not Van Hagar), Steely Dan, Boston, Jimi Hendrix, Yes, The Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, and AC/DC have struck a chord with me-but few have so much as The Who. Figuring that best-of CDs are the way to go, I bought The Ultimate Collection (what a dreadful name) and promptly fell out of my chair with surprise at how solid The Who's catalog is-not just the stand-out rock and roll classics like Won't Get Fooled Again, but their earlier hits, like Substitute, or even their much-maligned (as far as I can tell, somewhat undeservedly) end to their career. This double-disc set, with thirty-four of the Who's best compositions, proves a very worthy investment for the curious or budding fan.

1. The Who was: *Jameson Thottam*
Roger Daltrey: Mod-to-seventies-rock-god in just five years! lead vocalist
Pete Townshend: Windmillin', guitar smashin' lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and backing vocalist
John Entwhistle: Stoic n' steady bassist, occasional vocalist/songwriter
Keith Moon: the Loon-"still the best Keith Moon-type drummer in the world" and patent British exploding drummer

2. The Not-So-Classic Classics *Jameson Thottam*
Whoever did the song selection did an excellent job picking out the great songs and leaving out the bad apples, because there aren't any songs on the album that I truly hate. There are a few weaker ones, like the disturbing I'm A Boy--the lyrics are meant to disturb, of course, but from a musical standpoint, it's a bit passé-or the equally disturbing Pictures of Lily, detailing a young boy's first foray into the world of porn. How lovely. Ew. Despite the nastiness lyrically, Pictures of Lily does have an excellent hook; The Who were masters of the three-to-four-minute hooky radio single back in the late sixties. Though I always laugh when I recall the band appearing on an episode of The Simpsons and the scenario that leads to playing Magic Bus, the song's most entertaining bits are the first forty-five seconds. It's not a bad song, but the band's stronger material does make it look weak. (However, it does seem to mark the band's transition from sixties power-pop into the forefront of late-60s and 70s hard rock-at least as far as these discs show.) Call Me Lightning is the only song that truly grates on my nerves, probably because of the overpowering 50s-style vocal harmonization that unfortunately dominates the song. The live version of Summertime Blues (a cover of an Eddie Cochran tune) is a little weak as well, but tolerable; the most interesting bit is how sharp and on-point the band sounds live (thus why I would love to check out Live at Leeds).

3. Play That Tune Again! *James Thottam*
The vast majority of tunes from this album are strong tunes, those that have (and will) remained fun classics for decades after their first recording. I Can't Explain and Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere, two of The Who's earliest hits, are in a sort of Beatles-esque form of glorious power-pop-wonderful for humming and singing along to. My Generation, another power-pop tune, has become a youth anthem of sorts: I hope I die before I get old (you know, most of you have likely heard it). Daltrey's famous stuttering delivery along with steady backup vocals from the band make it a classic and fantastic high-volume singalong (preferably on the open highway). The Kids Are Alright covers similar lyrical turf as My Generation, but I find it more interesting musically; if you can track down a version of Pete Townshend doing it solo in a live setting, it's pretty neat. A Legal Matter, a tongue-in-cheek song, features a cheeky Pete on lead vocals, while the hilarious Boris The Spider boasts John's lyrics about arachnophobia and (live, at least-I can't tell on the recording) his vocals. Happy Jack, a happy-go-lucky, sweetly inane ditty, is The Who's sort of last major power pop hit before maturing into tighter, beefier rock; I Can See For Miles has a beautiful harmony of the band's vocals on the chorus and prompts humming from even the 21st century listener.

4. Three Tunes from the Past- *Jameson Thottam*
Three tunes from their first rock opera, Tommy, appear here; See Me, Feel Me is a subdued ballad which closes that story of the deaf, dumb, and blind kid [who] sure plays a mean pinball. I'm Free, another tune which features sweet backup vocal harmonization and simple-yet-endearing instrumentals, has recently been featured in a Saab commercial (like so much classic rock!) The Seeker sounds like it should have appeared on Tommy, but was apparently recorded afterwards as an attempt to follow up the success of the critically acclaimed rock opera. While only modestly received, it's a catchy little tune which continues to chronicle the Who's maturation as a band and their musical evolution. My Wife, another tongue-in-cheek Entwhistle composed tune about a crazed jealous wife, is a hilarious listen lyrically and mildly entertaining listen musically; the production on this tune is much rougher than on other tunes from Who's Next.

5. Some harsch critiscm *James Thottam*
I must heap further curses on Limp Bizkit for butchering Behind Blue Eyes a few years ago. A particularly poignant tune, one that shows Pete's improvement as a songwriter and Roger's improvements as a vocalist, is a true classic. Let's See Action, Pure and Easy, and Join Together all have similar musical motifs, but each has a special little hook which makes it a little bit unique. Heck, Join Together features harmonica and that Aborigine instrument (the name of which has slipped my mind), which makes for an odd juxtaposition! Long Live Rock is the last remnant of a rock opera Pete had started called Rock is Dead-Long Live Rock. That phrase forms the main refrain for this enjoyable, hummable sonic wonder. The Who had much success with toying with tricky double entendres, as evidenced by the success of Squeeze Box--which never, ever, ever (dang it!) fails to embed itself in my brain. Ha ha. Oh well, it makes me smile.

6. The Purists take *Jameson Thottam*
Sister Disco seems to get maligned by Who purists, but it seems just fine to me-perhaps not on par with their strongest work, since Keith Moon had died by that point-but still enjoyable, catchy, and basically . . . signature Who. Pete reintroduced the synthesizer in a major way on this tune, using it to manufacture odd noises and produce canned strings-which I usually find irritating but which work here. You Better You Bet shows yet another change in Roger's voice; obviously, he couldn't hit the high notes anymore, so his delivery changed and he stayed in the lower registers more. I think System of a Down or someone equally rotten stole the mini-riff at the very opening of the song. And though the album it appeared on was apparently pretty awful, I can't help but love Eminence Front. It has undertones of funk with a synthesized rock twist; the vocals sound almost . . . shadowy, I guess, and the effect is really neat. In any case, it has an excellent hook-probably why I love it so much.

7. Jaw-Dropping Brilliance: The Best of the Best *Jameson L Thottam*
Featured in one of my favorite films, School of Rock, Substitute features Pete on the 12-string and some of his most amusing lyrics:

But I'm a substitute for another guy
I look pretty tall but my heels are high
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated, yeah
Substitute your lies for fact
I see right through your plastic, mac
I look all white but my dad was black
My fine-looking suit is really made out of sack . . .

Really, it's so bloody catchy I can't help but adore it. The bouncy melody and general cheekiness of the delivery make it an instant favorite. Pinball Wizard, the most commercial and successful track from 1969's Tommy, has that awesome refrain that makes it an instant favorite: that deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball. Really, the story of Tommy doesn't make a whole lot of sense; the concept of this kid is pretty spacy, but at least the music makes up for the silliness of the lyrics. The aforementioned main CSI intro, Who Are You, is the title track from their 1978 album, which features brash vocals singing/hollering about a rough night on the town and forceful give-and-take, echoing vocal patterns. How I adore that gorgeous scream Daltrey lets out after the trippy, Middle-eastern influenced, electronica-like bridge! Several other Who's Next tracks are on my favorite-songs-of-all-time list: namely, Bargain, Baba O'Riley, and the behemoth opus Won't Get Fooled Again. Daltrey puts in a stunning performance on this trio of tunes (as usual, but these are just about as good as he can get), from the soaring chorus of Bargain, to the anthemic style of Baba O'Riley, and one of the best screams in rock and roll on Won't Get Fooled Again (my favorite of the three). I can't say anything really inventive about any of these; so many praises have been heaped upon the musical prowess of Pete, John, and Keith on those three songs and the vocal leader of the band, Roger. (If you really want to be impressed, go listen to those songs.)

A duo of tunes from Quadrophenia, The Real Me and 5:15, have gotten endless spins in my CD player lately; I absolutely cannot get enough of the maturity and musical growth evident on the songs from The Who's second concept album (and the more interesting and logical one-I really want this album!) The ultimate Who classic, though, is the final track from 1973's Quadrophenia: Love, Reign O'er Me. It is the climax of the Who's career; Roger's desperate screams, Pete's gentle, haunting delivery of the opening verse, the thundering bass line and truly exploding drums, the orchestral element . . . oh man. This is Roger's best vocal performance ever, easily. Won't Get Fooled Again, as much as I love it, comes in at a distant second after this magnum opus. Do not . . . I repeat, do not . . . let this song pass you by. Listen to it, bask in it, enjoy the heck out of it!

___
8. Also worth mentioning *Jameson Thottam*
Other notes.....the great liner notes; unlike Led Zeppelin's recent double disc collective, Early Days/Latter Days, The Ultimate Collection's notes are loaded with pictures, biography, and stuff which will delight the seasoned Who fan and educate the newbie. If you like the Who at all, do yourself a favor and check out The Ultimate Collection. 34 songs, and just about all of them rock on about seventeen different levels . . . I'd call that a bargain {the best I've ever had?}

Jameson Thottam

I am by no means a Who expert, in fact this is my first CD that I have ever had by this group, and I recieved it as a gift. I had heard several of the more popular songs before...(My Generation, Pinball Wizard, etc.)...but there are few songs on this album that I don't like now. The sound quality is EXCELLENT, very clear and nice, and that feature greatly enhances the quality of the music. The inside pamphlet is informative and great, with lots and pictures and info about the songs and the band, and both CD's are flawless. I can't compare this album to any other Who collection, it wouldn't be my place to comment about that, but I can say that this is a wonderful album, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic rock like I do, even if you're not familiar with The Who.