What passes for rock and roll these days pales in comparison to what was presented the night of February 14, 1970, to a small ballroom audience at the University Of Leeds. Four guys, one in a white boiler suit and red SG, a second with a long mane of curly blonde hair and fringe jacket, another with a jet-engine-powered bass guitar and the fourth with helicopter limbs popping sticks in the air and making absurd faces...yes, The Who were indeed LIVE AT LEEDS, and the Deluxe Edition double cd brings the entire concert into crushing perspective.
Fans of the original lp were treated to taut, raw versions of Substitute, Summertime Blues and Shakin’ All Over, and lengthy extensions of Magic Bus and My Generation. This lp gave a through-the-keyhole glimpse of The Who’s live show, in between the double-album rock opera Tommy and the polished FM staples on Who’s Next. But the cuts on the Live At Leeds lp were essentially just the encores of a two hour-plus show!
The Deluxe Edition cds puts it all in context: the band roars through an introductory set of unreleased tunes, covers, and early singles, then into the “mini-opera” A Quick One While He’s Away...then proceed to stampede headlong into Tommy, which even in its condensed-for-the-stage form is over an hour long. Then come the encores which form the original lp.
The playing is brilliant, loud as fuck but also, at times, quiet as a deaf dumb and blind mouse. Tommy is epic, glorious, and tight, with each member demonstrating complete mastery of their respective instruments while blending harmonies and dynamics as a unified whole...and they play, turbo-charged and replete with leaps and windmills and spinning microphones, for over two hours non-stop.
Back in those days, a show was judged not only on its musical merits but on its length: The Who, Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, The Dead...they were all known for their marathon sets, and the sun might be coming up before the show was over. Perhaps it was just too damn loud to hear the fat lady sing? These days you’re lucky to get an hour and fifteen minutes. I tip my hat to the Who’s generation, at least the four guys in the band that night long ago when this recording was made...they not only show what rock and roll is capable of, but they set the bar pretty damn high.