Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

THIRTY YEARS OF MAXIMUM R&B

The Who

Proto-Prog


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

The Who Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B album cover
4.15 | 15 ratings | 1 reviews | 53% 5 stars

Write a review

Buy THE WHO Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Boxset/Compilation, released in 1994

Songs / Tracks Listing

Disc 1
1. I'm the Face
2. Here 'Tis
3. Zoot Suit
4. Leaving Here
5. I Can't Explain
6. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
7. Daddy Rollin' Stone
8. My Generation
9. The Kids Are Alright
10. The Ox
11. A Legal Matter
12. Pete Dialogue [Live]
13. Substitute
14. I'm a Boy
15. Disguises
16. Happy Jack Jingle
17. Happy Jack
18. Boris the Spider
19. So Sad About Us
20. A Quick One, While He's Away
21. Pictures of Lily
22. Early Morning Cold Taxi
23. Coke 2
24. Last Time
25. I Can't Reach You
26. Girl's Eyes
27. Call Me Lightning

Disc 2
1. Rotosound Strings
2. I Can See for Miles
3. Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand
4. Armenia City in the Sky
5. Tattoo
6. Our Love Was
7. Rael 1
8. Rael 2
9. Track Records/Premier Drums
10. Sunrise
11. Russell Harty Dialogue
12. Jaguar
13. Melancholia
14. Fortune Teller
15. Magic Bus
16. Little Billy
17. Dogs
18. Overture
19. The Acid Queen
20. Underture [Live]
21. Pinball Wizard
22. I'm Free
23. See Me, Feel Me [Live]
24. Heaven and Hell
25. Pete Dialogue [Live]
26. Young Man Blues [Live]
27. Summertime Blues [Live]

Disc 3
1. Shakin' All Over [Live]
2. Baba O'Riley
3. Bargain [Live]
4. Pure and Easy
5. The Song Is Over
6. Studio Dialogue
7. Behind Blue Eyes
8. Won't Get Fooled Again
9. The Seeker [Edit]
10. Bony Maronie [Live]
11. Let's See Action (Nothing Is Everything)
12. Join Together
13. The Relay
14. The Real Me
15. 5:15 [Single Mix]
16. Bell Boy
17. Love Reign O'Er Me

Disc 4
1. Long Live Rock
2. Life with the Moons
3. Naked Eye [Live]
4. Slip Kid
5. Poetry Cornered
6. Dreaming from the Waist [Live]
7. Blue, Red and Grey
8. Life with the Moons, No. 2
9. Squeeze Box
10. My Wife
11. Who Are You
12. Music Must Change
13. Sister Disco
14. Guitar and Pen
15. You Better You Bet
16. Eminence Front
17. Twist and Shout [Live]
18. I'm a Man [Live]
19. Pete Dialogue
20. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Line-up / Musicians

- Pete Townshend / guitars, vocals, keyboards
- Keith Moon / drums, vocals
- Roger Daltry / vocals
- John Entwistle / bass, horns, vocals
- Kenney Jones / drums

Releases information

4CD Polydor/MCA (1994)

Thanks to Evolver for the addition
and to NotAProghead for the last updates
Edit this entry

Buy THE WHO Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B Music



THE WHO Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B ratings distribution


4.15
(15 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(53%)
53%
Excellent addition to any rock music collection(40%)
40%
Good, but non-essential (0%)
0%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (7%)
7%

THE WHO Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by fuxi
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is an extraordinary box set which introduces the listener to ALMOST all the best music the Who recorded between 1964 and 1994. When it came out I bought it immediately and I still remember how thrilled I was. As a long-time Who fan I found it incredibly exciting to have so many superb tracks in a single compilation, interspersed with bits of dialogue from Pete Townshend and wonderful snippets of 'Goon style comedy' from Keith Moon. Since the music is spread out over four CDs, the set contains much, much more than the usual hits and commercial highlights. The Who are also well represented at their most delicate and eccentric. For these reasons the set would make a near-ideal introduction to the newcomer. The voluminous photo book is attractive as well.

A look at the extensive track list will show you that all the band's classic singles are here, from "I Can't Explain" and "My Generation" to "Happy Jack" and "Pictures of Lily". The studio albums are well represented, too - particularly THE WHO SELL OUT, LIVE AT LEEDS, WHO'S NEXT, THE WHO BY NUMBERS and WHO ARE YOU, where the selection could hardly be bettered. WHO'S NEXT, the band's greatest album, is included almost in its entirety. For once, the sublime original version of "Pure and Easy" appears right between "Bargain" and "The Song is Over" - exactly where it should be. (I personally would have preferred to see the studio version of "My Wife" included, rather than a 1976 live performance, but I guess you can't have everything...) To their everlasting credit, the compilers also took the trouble to include a fair number of obscure but fascinating tracks such as "Disguises", "Girls' Eyes", "Jaguar", "Melancholia" and "Dogs", most of which had never before been released. ("Dogs" quickly developed into one of my all-time Who favourites!)

Any gripes with this set, then? Well sure, I've got plenty!!!

1. Among the early tracks, why has the crisp studio version of "Substitute" been replaced with the LIVE AT LEEDS version (as on some earlier compilations)? This seems anachronistic and plain wrong.

2. "A Quick One, While He's Away", as represented here, is a patch-up of the original studio version and (during the finale) the live version from the Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus. (Thus allowing the compilers to state, rather misleadingly, on the back of the box, that their version is 'previously unreleased'.) I'll gladly admit the Who's Rock and Roll Circus performance was one of their greatest triumphs, but this kind of approach neither does justice to the studio version, nor to the live version.

3. I can't help thinking QUADROPHENIA (a clear favourite with many proggers) has been shabbily dealt with. Why are only four tracks represented here? Why is there no trace of "The Punk and the Godfather", "I've Had Enough" or "I'm One" when the compilers DID find space for less exciting tracks from an earlier project, such as "Join Together" and "Relay", and (even more disappointingly) for those turgid 1980s live versions of "Twist and Shout" and "I'm a Man"? And, most of all: why include a terribly pedestrian 1979 run-through of "The Real Me" featuring Kenney Jones, when the original studio recording (with Keith Moon) is one of the band's most explosive performances?

4. Finally, as a secret admirer of the 1982 IT'S HARD, I can't help wondering why the only track that always gets chosen from that album is the soporific "Eminence Front". I much prefer the sprightly "Athena" and the dramatic closing number "Cry If You Want".

In spite of my complaints, I feel this set provides a splendid overview of the best part of the Who's career, so if you can find it at a reasonable price, you should have no qualms about purchasing it.

Latest members reviews

No review or rating for the moment | Submit a review

Post a review of THE WHO "Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.