The Who: Live at Shea Stadium 1982

Comparing The Who as they appear in The Who: Live in Texas '75 (VL-1/13) to this October 1982 concert, most viewers would note a difference in energy and attitude. A lot happened in the seven years between: manic drummer Keith Moon died in 1978, a stampede at a Who concert in Cincinnati left 11 dead in 1979, and creative force/guitarist Pete Townshend was coming off bouts with heroin addiction and depression in 1982 when the group recorded It's Hard, their 10th album (and final for 25 years). Despite recording the new material, old tensions and anxieties continued to simmer and the 1982 tour was announced as their last. While the band here—mic-twirling Roger Daltrey on vocals, windmilling guitarist Townshend, legendarily stoic bassist John Entwistle, drummer Kenney Jones, and keyboardist Tim Gorman—is not the same electrifying group from 1975, they do eventually catch some fire in this generous 25-song set that is mercifully short on new songs and packed with hits, including “Substitute,” “I Can't Explain,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Baba O'Riley,” “Who Are You,” “Pinball Wizard,” and, of course, one of rock's all-time great—and continuously relevant—anthems: “We Won't Get Fooled Again” (to paraphrase the current president: “yes we will”). Highlights include Daltrey and Townshend sharing a mic for vocals on “Sister Disco,” Entwhistle's rousing “The Quiet One,” and the early and rarely performed “Tattoo.” But this is still a different Who: Daltrey now wears a suit, quietly entreats the audience (twice) to please step back, and Townshend smashes no guitars. Here, The Who are not going out with a whimper, but not exactly a bang either. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include five bonus songs. Visually unimpressive—as many ‘80s shot-on-video concerts are—this is still sure to be welcomed by Who fans. Recommended. (R. Pitman)