Then and Now! 1964-2004

iTunes Review

Condensing the Who’s four-decade career into 20 tracks requires a militant constitution. It’s actually 18 tracks even, since the final two cuts — “Real Good Looking Boy” and “Old Red Wine” — are recent (and decent) band recordings that can hardly be scored as “hits,” but rather as fair representations of where the band exists five decades on. There’s no arguing the greatness of their early Mod hits, (“My Generation,” “The Kids Are Alright,” “I Can See For Miles”), their ambitious rock opera material, (“See Me, Feel Me,” “Pinball Wizard”), their thunderous ‘70s arena rock (“Summertime Blues,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Love Reign O’er Me,” here in its single version) and Pete Townshend’s reflective ballads (“Behind Blue Eyes”). The band rewrote the rules and set new standards for songwriting and performing throughout their career. From drummer Keith Moon’s wild man rhythms to Townshend’s critical self-analysis and production experiments with backing tapes and synthesizers to Roger Daltrey’s constantly evolving histrionic lead vocals, the Who represented rock at its least compromising and most confrontational. A wild ride, then and now, for sure.