Live At Leeds. Good god.

What's amazing about that album is that... well, full disclosure, I think "Tattoo" is an obscenely stupid song. When they kick it out on Live At Leeds, though, they manage to make it rock through sheer force of will and give-a-shit.

Which Who? Like the Beatles and the Stones and the Kinks, they were many different bands through time. Choose your era:

...The Who as explosive r&b-tinged early UK hitmakers:

- My Generation - produced by the great Shel Talmy
- Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy - their key '60s hits and near-hits

...The Who as evolving pop-art experimentalists:

- Sell Out - brilliant but light and not representative, so beware

...The Who at their late-60s/early-70s artistic zenith:

Live at Leeds - THE sound of SG Special through HiWatt amps...easily one of the classic live albums of history
Who's Next - The big ol' classic, Glyn Johns at his best...superb

...The Who facing decline in the early-mid 70s:

Quadrophenia - Thick and soupy, but this stands up well

You pretty much don't have to go past there to hear all the Who you need.

What to avoid:

Tommy. Wimpy. Waaaay overknown. Not a good introduction.

Magic Bus and A Quick One from the early period, they're spotty.

Who Are You: Pretty much a piece of crap.

I would say that Quadrophenia definitely has both some of their best work, and some of their greatest failures.

Also, Live At Leeds makes me want a Hiwatt, even though I have nowhere to put it and could never turn it on without being kicked out of my apartment.

go live first.

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/sho ... hp?t=15565
Amsterdam '69