The Who – My Generation   (Super Audio Compact Disc)

 

Music: A-    PCM CD: N/A   DSD Stereo: A-   DSD Multi-Channel: N/A   Extras: A

 

The Who, even as their name suggests, has always been a band with no definitions.  Simply meaning that they have never been able to be labeled in a particular way since their chameleonic sound blended all sorts of styles and moods.  From blues to pop and back again as well as ranging to more artistic ventures of pop-opera and not to mention American R&B.  The driving force of course behind such creation is that of the scruffy vocals of Roger Daltrey mixed with the windmill arm swirling riff-rocking of Pete Townshend with the rhythmic, yet erratic Keith Moon on drums and the sweltering bass hooks of John Entwistle.  Combined these individuals put themselves into rock history forever with My Generation paving the way.

 

Now resurfacing onto a new format, this SACD provides for the first time a truly amazing rediscovery of an already benchmark album.  My Generation is a raw, powerful, and influential album.  While the Beatles were doing more pop-oriented songs all over the world by 1965, The Who combined some of the pop fundamentals, threw in some rock textures, added some bluesy guitar and vocals, and set forth on making a no holds barred record that would give way to a new generation of rock that incorporated a rougher approach.  By the mid 1970’s, the Punk movement emerged, owing much to groups such as The Who for they were the first to break away from a more mainstream sound. 

 

This SACD delivers a stereo-only mix fully utilizing the formats Direct Stream Digital signal and Superbit mapping method to allow the maximum amount of information to come through with pure clarity and precision.  Never before has this album been able to reach the heights that it does here.  Rather than try to emulate a full multi-channel range, this SACD is focused on a more powerful forward heavy mix, making the stereo at times even sound like mono, but with some movement.  At this point in the bands career (this being their first official album) they did not mess around with panning sounds etc.  The SACD attempts to capture the rawness of the band at its earliest stage before going on to bigger and better projects.  

 

One will quickly notice the cleanup that the SACD delivers even over remasterings of this album on CD.  Although it is cleaned up, this does not take away from the naturalness of the album either.  Important to the true sound of the band the stereo mix incorporates the rawness, yet delivers more fidelity in the higher and lower ends.  Instruments now seem separated from each other, but not in a band way, just in a more cleaner way.  Guitar sounds penetrate and cut through he mix, while the bass has a staggering amount of lead activity that has rarely been heard through the mix before. 

 

Track List

 

Out on the Street

I Don’t Mind

The Good’s Gone

La-La-La Lies

Much Too Much

My Generation

The Kids Are Alright

Please, Please, Please

It’s Not True

I’m a Man

A Legal Matter

The Ox

Circle

 

Bonus Tracks

 

I Can’t Explain

Bald Headed Woman

Daddy Rolling Stone

Leaving Here (Alternate Version)

Lubie (Come Back Home)

Shout and Shimmy

(Love is Like A) Heatwave

Motoring

Anytime You Want Me

Anyway Anyhow Anywhere (Alternate Version)

Instant Party Mixture

I Don’t Mind (Full Length Version)

The Good’s Gone (Full Length Version)

My Generation (Instrumental Only)

Anytime You Want Me (A Cappella Version)

A Legal Matter (Mono w/ Guitar Overdubs)

My Generation (Mono w/ Guitar Overdubs)

 

As if it weren’t enough to get My Generation onto SACD, we also get a plethora of extra songs or alternate versions, which make great comparisons to the originals.  Even the mono mixes of A Legal Matter and My Generation allow the listener to hear the differences between the mono and stereo mix.  Some of these songs were previously unreleased until the Deluxe Edition CD, which came out in 2002.  Even that CD with all the refinements could not hold a candle to the power of this SACD, which to date is the best any of this material has been able to sound. 

 

Also included inside this great edition is a booklet, which is about 32 pages in length.  It includes an essay by Mike Shaw on the existence of the album as well as Shel Talmy (the producer) on his involvement as well as the albums influence.  The original liner notes are also included with some rare stills of the band.  With this being such an important album many thanks are given to the team of individuals who made this SACD sound so great.  With formats coming and going SACD looks and sounds like it will be around.  With quality like this there is no argument just listen for yourself!  Rediscover a classic album the way it was always meant to be heard!

 

 

-   Nate Goss