The Who Releases Career Spanning ‘Essential’ Collection

Out now is the new 55-track, triple disc, career spanning Who compilation, titled Essential The Who. In addition to featuring such classic Who standards as “I Can't Explain,” “Baba O'Riley,” “I Can See For Miles,” “Who Are You, ” Pinball Wizard,” and “You Better You Bet” — the set also features such rarities and deep cuts as “The Ox,” “Here For More,” “Circles,” “Rael (Pt 1 & 2),” “However Much I Booze,” “Trick Of The Light,” and more. Essential The Who features a third disc featuring over a dozen live cuts.

The tracklisting to Essential The Who is:

Disc One: “Anyway, Anywhere, Anyhow,” “I Can’t Explain,” “My Generation,” “The Ox,” “The Good's Gone,” “Much Too Much,” “Circles,” “Whiskey Man,” “Run, Run, Run,” “So Sad About Us,” “I Can See For Miles,” “Armenia City In The Sky,” “Tattoo,” “Call Me Lightning,” “Rael (Pt. 1 & 2),” “I’m Free,” “Amazing Journey,” and “Sparks.”

Disc Two: “Pinball Wizard,” “Here For More,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Getting In Tune,” “Pure And Easy,” “I’m One,” “The Real Me,” “5:15,” “Long Live Rock,” “However Much I Booze,” “Slip Kid,” “Who Are You,” “Trick Of The Light,” “You Better You Bet,” “Eminence Front,” “It’s Not Enough,” and “Old Red Wine.”

Disc Three:
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” (Live at Shepperton from the movie soundtrack The Kids Are Alright)
“Amazing Journey/Sparks” (Live At Leeds 1970)
“Magic Bus” (Live At Leeds 1970)
“Summertime Blues” (Live At Leeds 1970)
“Shakin’ All Over” (Live At Hull 1970)
“Naked Eye” (Live At The Young Vic from Who’s Next deluxe)
“Bargain” (Live At The Young Vic from Who’s Next deluxe)
“Pinball Wizard” (Live at Woodstock from the movie soundtrack The Kids Are Alright)
“I’m Free” (Live bootleg album from Tommy deluxe)
“Go To The Mirror” (Live bootleg album from Tommy deluxe)
“See Me Feel Me” (Live at Woodstock from the movie soundtrack The Kids Are Alright)
“Young Man Blues” (Live at The Isle Of Wight 1970)
“Relay” (Live At Lyon 2006 from the deluxe edition of Endless Wire)

Pete Townshend reflected on the musical connection he shared with John Entwistle and Keith Moon: “The improvisation was sadly dependent on me, because I led the band off on these musical exercises. And John on bass and Keith on drums; we tried to play together like an engine. Keith, and John, and I, we tried to track each other. We would try to work together. We'd try and stay right on top of each other as though we were in each other's heads. And there are moments every now and again throughout our career where we, we hit that. And that's always very exciting 'cause it's very strange.”

Pete Townshend shed light on how well after over 50 years together, he's able to still consider what he and Roger Daltrey do as “being in the Who”: “When we play songs that we've played at every single Who show — ever; like, 'I Can't Explain,' and 'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,' and 'Substitute,' I just get in a groove, and what I find myself doing is amusing myself that this is the 500th time that I've played this song — and it's still a good song. And, y'know, what are we — a Who copy band now? I don't feel like I did in the years prior to Keith (Moon's) death, which was that we were becoming a parody of ourselves. That was really quite a difficult thing.”