Quadrophrenia: Live In London (2 CD / DVD)
UME, 2014
REVIEW BY: David Bowling
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/08/2014
Tommy was one of the seminal albums in rock history. Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon took rock ‘n’ roll music and moved in a new and creative direction. While The Who would produce a number of excellent rock albums and sell tens of millions of records, Tommy remains their defining release.
Quadrophrenia was released in 1973 as the next step in a musical vision that began with Tommy. It was a more ambitious and personal project that contained some of the most sophisticated music of the band’s career. Tommy made the complex simple while Quadrophrenia was just complex, which gave it a very different feel. It is music that requires your attention and commitment to appreciate. While not as commercially successful as its predecessor, it represents the peak of Townsend's creative process.
Quadrophrenia: Live In London is an album that took four decades to create and in some ways brings the music to a satisfying conclusion. The release presents a complete live performance of the album followed by a six-song encore.
The Who of today is far different from the band of 1973. John Entwistle is gone and Keith Moon is long gone. While Townsend’s guitar play is crisp and Daltey’s voice is better than I have heard it in years, John and Keith are surely missed. It’s not so much in the music as it is in the perception during the live show, which is more apparent on the DVD than the CDs.
Townsend and Daltrey have recruited drummer Scott Devours and bassist Pino Palladino to round out the basic quartet and both are more than competent musicians.
In many ways, the music from Quadrophrenia has withstood the passage of time better than Tommy. Listening to the music in chronological order heightens an appreciation of the album and story. “The Rock,” “5:15,” and “Love, Reign O’er Me” form a blistering rock trifecta. Townsend and Daltrey appear invested in the performance as it may be a final curtain call for the album. It may not be classic Who, but it is very good, and at this point in their career the effort is appreciated.
The six song encore is icing on the cake. “Who Are You,” “You Better You Bet,” “”Pinball Wizard,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Tea & Theatre” are sort of an odd combination but are welcome as live performances.
The sound and video throughout is excellent. The concert was filmed and recorded for release and the care in which that was done comes through when watching.
Time is passing and The Who are closing the book on a chapter of their lives. For any fan of the band, this release is a must, although it must be approached with the year 2014 in mind. Quadrophrenia: Live In London is an ambitious project with a worthy result from an important band in the late fall of their career.