The Who: Tommy and Quadrophenia Live

Clocking in at more than four hours, the triple-disc boxed set The Who: Tommy and Quadrophenia Live features both of guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend's rock operas: Tommy (the first of its kind, debuting in 1969) and Quadrophenia (1973), as well as an assortment of nearly two dozen live songs. Tommy, performed live at Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheatre in 1989, and featuring guest stars such as Phil Collins, Elton John, Steve Winwood, Patti LaBelle, and Billy Idol, is the better of the two on nearly all counts. The story of a traumatized young boy who becomes a virtuoso pinball player-celeb-messiah, Tommy is a virtuoso musical suite boasting a number of songs that have entered the classic rock repertoire, including “Pinball Wizard,” “I'm Free,” “We're Not Gonna Take It,” and “Amazing Journey.” All are performed by the then three remaining members of the Who—Townshend, Roger Daltrey on vocals, and the late John Entwistle on bass—backed by a large band, including a substantial brass section. In 1996, the band regrouped to perform Quadrophenia on tour, a somewhat muddled tale of a ‘60s mod teen named Jimmy with a four-way-split personality, that nevertheless features some of the Who's best material, including “The Real Me,” “I'm One,” “5:15,” and “Love Reign O'er Me.” Unfortunately, the sound quality is disappointing (compared to Tommy), with a noticeable “hollow” effect dampening the brightness of the music, while newly-filmed sequences telling Jimmy's story—projected on a jumbo video wall—simply slow the concert down. Still, even here there are evanescent moments: Entwistle's stunning bass solo on “5:15,” Townshend's exquisite guitar work on “Drowned,” and guest Billy Idol's fine turn as the “Bell Boy” among them. The final disc serves up a bevy of Who hits, including “Baba O'Riley,” “I Can't Explain,” “The Kids Are Alright,” “My Generation,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and “Who Are You?” as well as Townshend's “Rough Boys.” DVD extras include visual commentaries by Daltrey and Townshend on Tommy and Quadrophenia (a mixed bag of insights into the band and way too much obvious deconstruction of the narratives), and featurettes on creating the Quadrophenia tour and Billy Idol. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, this set may lack the high fidelity we've come to expect from contemporary music DVDs (check out The Who & Special Guests: Live at the Royal Albert Hall [VL-11/01]), but it's a remarkable showcase for one of the truly definitive bands of the classic rock era. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)