The Who At Kilburn: 1977 (Image DTS DVD Set)
Picture: C+ Sound: B Extras: B+ Concert: B-
Note: This has also been issued in the
Blu-ray format as well, but this was so strong a collection, we wanted to get
the review out as soon as possible on DVD.
The Who
in its original configuration is fast becoming the most underrated of the
powerhouse Rock Bands from the genre’s classical era. Fortunately, there has been no shortage of
great material arriving on DVD and the latest release offers the band at its
peak with Keith Moon on drums. As I
watched The Who At Kilburn: 1977, I
realized how bad drumming has become in the Rock music, all music and thanks to
things like sampling and drum machines.
This new set from Image Entertainment actually offers two classic
concerts with Moon, the late John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey at his peak and the
ever-underrated Pete Townshend.
The
tracks for this concert, one of Moon’s last, include:
1)
I Can’t Explain
2)
Substitute
3)
Baba O’Riley
4)
My Wife
5)
Behind Blue Eyes
6)
Dreaming From The Waist
7)
Pinball Wizard
8)
I’m Free
9)
Tommy’s Holiday Camp
10) Summertime Blues
11) Shakin’ All Over
12) My Generation
13) Join Together
14) Who Are You
15) Won’t Get Fooled Again
There is
no doubt the band was at the peak of their powers and no one could have ever imagined
Moon would be gone within a year, then the band would call it a day in 1982
albeit temporarily. They are very good
here and as formidable as you could imagine, but it had been a while since they
had released a studio album and some of the performances are not the best they
ever staged. However, it looks and
sounds really good for its age and brings back how important they were, yet the
second concert included as a bonus far outshines this one.
From an
amazing performance live in 1969 from the London Coliseum, here is the band at
a time when they were so at their peak, that they could go a few rounds with
The Beatles, Yes, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin and actually be the
greatest Rock Band alive. If the 1977
concert is good, this one is nothing short of incredible, taken from surviving
film and audio recordings of the appearance.
Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, who worked closely with the band at the
time, capture the energy and spirit that made Tommy an all-time smash and by this time, the world and the
audience was finally catching up to its brilliance.
The main
concert includes:
1)
Heaven & Hell
2)
I Can’t Explain
3)
Fortune Teller
4)
Tattoo
5)
Young Man Blues
6)
A Quick One While He’s Away
7)
Happy Jack
8)
I’m A Boy
9)
There’s A Doctor
10) Go To The Mirror
11) I’m Free
12) Tommy’s Holiday Camp
13) See Me, Feel Me
14) Summertime Blues
15) Shakin’ All Over
16) My Generation
In
addition, there is a bonus performance of A
Quick One While He’s Away and best of all, an amazing full-length
performance of Tommy that has all
the power of the album. For the record,
the Rock Opera’s songs include:
1)
Overture
2)
It’s A Boy
3)
1921
4)
Amazing Journey
5)
Sparks
6)
Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)
7)
Christmas
8)
Cousin Kevin
9)
The Acid Queen
10) Underture
11) Do You Think It’s Alright?
12) Fiddle About
13) Pinball Wizard
14) There’s A Doctor
15) Go To The Mirror!
16) Tommy Can You Hear Me?
17) Smash The Mirror
18) Sensation
19) Miracle Cure
20) Sally Simpson
21) I’m Free
22) Welcome
23) Tommy’s Holiday Camp
24) We’re Not Gonna Take It
25) See Me Feel Me/Listening To You
It is an
incredible show and no Rock band ever came up with a work that is the equal of Tommy as a concept or groundbreaker,
though it is hard to compare to the likes of Sgt. Pepper for instance, since it is a more abstract concept work
and the band never played it live. Tommy is something very special and a
masterwork of 20th Century music.
Any serious fan should have this version and the Deluxe Edition CD Set with 5.1 SACD Universal Music issued a few
years ago and is still out there if you look hard enough for it.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image in both concert cases are from film
elements, but the Kilburn footage is
the main program because it is in such good shape, though the Video Black on
this DVD is an issue. We look forward to
seeing the improvements Blu-ray could bring, while the 1969 footage has its share of flaws and damage, plus times the
audio being recorded was messed up, with audio drops or someone knocking out a
cord when the concert could not be stopped.
For a fan like myself, they are minor as compared to seeing the band as
an unstoppable force of nature. With all
that said, this is the best Who on DVD yet, even though the Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 DTS
DVD also includes a great (and higher fidelity playback version) of Tommy
at full length.
The sound
in all cases is best in DTS 5.1, though lesser Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 mixes
are also included. Even in the 1969
footage, the DTS yields more audio quality than its Dolby variants. For
more of The Who on DVD and SACD, try these links:
Original 1968 Tommy album as
Deluxe Edition CD Set with 5.1 SACD + Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970
DTS DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1923/The+Who+-+Tommy+SACD
Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival
1970 DTS DVD
reissue review
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5933/The+Who:+Live+at+the+Isle
Tommy/Quadrophenia Concert DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3113/The+Who+-+Tommy+&+Quadrophenia
- Nicholas Sheffo
