The Ultimate Collection

Performer: The Who
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Initial pressings of THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION included a limited edition bonus disc featuring four previously unreleased tracks. The Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals, harmonica); Pete Townsend (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); John Entwistle (bass, background vocals); Keith Moon, Kenney Jones (drums). Producers include: Shel Talmy, The Who, Kit Lambert, Glyn Johns, Jon Astley. Compilation producers: Andy McKaie, Bill Levenson. Recorded between November 1964 and June 1982. Includes liner notes by Matt Kent and Andy Neill. When it comes to a ground-breaking, iconic band like the Who, dubbing an anthology THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is no small claim. The kicker here is that it happens to be the truth. Without venturing into the realm of the box set, there's never been such a definitive batch of Who tunes all under one roof before. Virtually all the bases are covered here, from such attitude-laden mid-'60s mod anthems as "My Generation" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" to the conceptual expansiveness of TOMMY-era tunes ("I'm Free," "See Me Feel Me"). We get the full-on long-haired, bare-chested glory of the early '70s ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as well as the tapered, synth-flecked smartness of the early '80s ("Eminence Front," "You Better You Bet." For someone looking for an entry point into the work of this larger-than-life group, or just somebody who wants a great all-purpose who disc, THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is truly a case of truth in advertising. Get one.

Q (12/02, p.134) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...It shows pop-art proto-punks turning into stadium institutions with no lessening of quality....If you don't already own these songs, invest..." Uncut (12/02, p.155) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...Their history is best taken in these brilliant capsules....This record is 99 per cent lean,mean and magnificent..."

From the youthful arrogance of their early 1960s recordings to their ambitious rock operas and the more introspective FM rock staples of their mid-1970s albums, the Who raged like a rock & roll inferno. Pete Townshend's guitar fireworks and Keith Moon's larger-than-life drumming combined with the busy basslines of John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey's vocal roar to create one of rock's mightiest noises. The band reconvened numerous times following the hard-living Moon's death in 1978, and even continued to play for several years following the death of Entwistle in 2002.

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