Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (The Who album)
| Live at the Isle of Wight Festival | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by The Who | ||||
| Released | 29 October 1996 | |||
| Recorded |
29 August 1970; East Afton Farm, Isle of Wight, England, UK | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 112:19 | |||
| Label | Columbia/Legacy | |||
| Producer | Jon Astley, Andy Macpherson | |||
| The Who chronology | ||||
| ||||
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival is a double live album by The Who, recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970, and released in 1996. A DVD of the concert was also released.[1]
The Who were one year and three months into their Tommy tour when they played their second engagement at the Isle of Wight Festival. As in 1969, they played most of their famous rock opera, which by this time was quite familiar to the festival crowd. Huge spotlights bathed the audience of some 600,000 attendees, and as The Who's tour manager John Woolf recalls, attracted "every moth and flying nocturnal animal on the island". The Who started this famous concert at 2:00 A.M.[2]
By August 1970, Pete Townshend was already introducing new songs to the setlist including "Water", "I Don't Even Know Myself" and "Naked Eye". These songs, which were being recorded at the time of the festival, were intended for an upcoming project known as Lifehouse. Although Lifehouse was eventually abandoned, the sessions paved the way to the Who's classic album Who's Next.
The Who also performed some live staples such as "Substitute", "My Generation", "Magic Bus", "I Can't Explain", and the perennial covers of "Shakin' All Over" and "Summertime Blues".
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[4] |
| MusicHound | 4.5/5[5] |
| Rolling Stone | (favourable)[6] |
Track listing
All songs were written by Pete Townshend except where noted.
- Disc one
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle) | 5:16 |
| 2. | "I Can't Explain" | 2:45 |
| 3. | "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) | 6:06 |
| 4. | "I Don't Even Know Myself" | 6:11 |
| 5. | "Water" | 10:53 |
| 6. | "Overture" | 5:08 |
| 7. | "It's a Boy" | 1:33 |
| 8. | "1921" | 2:27 |
| 9. | "Amazing Journey" | 3:19 |
| 10. | "Sparks" | 5:10 |
| 11. | "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" (Sonny Boy Williamson II) | 1:58 |
| 12. | "Christmas" | 3:25 |
- Disc two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Acid Queen" | 3:41 |
| 2. | "Pinball Wizard" | 2:50 |
| 3. | "Do You Think It's Alright?" | 0:22 |
| 4. | "Fiddle About" (Entwistle) | 1:15 |
| 5. | "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" | 0:58 |
| 6. | "There's a Doctor" | 0:22 |
| 7. | "Go to the Mirror!" | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Smash the Mirror" | 1:16 |
| 9. | "Miracle Cure" | 0:13 |
| 10. | "I'm Free" | 2:24 |
| 11. | "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Keith Moon) | 1:01 |
| 12. | "We're Not Gonna Take It!" | 9:37 |
| 13. | "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) | 3:24 |
| 14. | "Shakin' All Over/Spoonful/Twist and Shout" (Johnny Kidd/Willie Dixon/Phil Medley, Bert Russell) | 6:27 |
| 15. | "Substitute" | 2:10 |
| 16. | "My Generation" | 7:15 |
| 17. | "Naked Eye" | 6:33 |
| 18. | "Magic Bus" | 4:35 |
Musicians: Roger Daltrey: Lead vocals, tambourine, and harmonica. Pete Townshend: Lead guitar and vocals. John Entwistle: Bass guitar and vocals. Keith Moon: Drums, percussion, and vocals
References
- ↑ "Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970". The Who Official Band Website. 1 October 1970. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ↑ Michael Heatley, liner notes from 1996 CD release
- ↑ AllMusic review
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (3 December 1996). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 1227. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ↑ Rolling Stone review