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The Who - Pete Townshend Albums - Page 5:

Live>Sadler's Wells 2000 - UK - 2000 Eel Pie CD

Live>The Empire 1998 - UK - 2000 Eel Pie CD

Live>The Fillmore 1996 - UK - 2000 Eel Pie CD

Live>La Jolla Playhouse 2001 [22/06/01] - UK - 2001 Eel Pie CD

Live>La Jolla Playhouse 2001 [23/06/01] - UK - 2001 Eel Pie CD

The Oceanic Concerts - UK - 2001 Warner Strategic Marketing CD (front cover)

Test pressing CD "Acetate"

The Oceanic Concerts - UK - 2001 Warner Strategic Marketing CD (back cover)

Test pressing CD "Acetate"

The Oceanic Concerts - USA - 2001 Rhino CD

The Oceanic Concerts - USA - 2001 Rhino CD

Test pressing CD "Acetate"

Scoop 3 - UK - 2001 Eel Pie CD

Scoop 3 - UK - 2017 UMC LP

Blue vinyl

Scoop 3 - UK - 2017 UMC LP (Label Face)

Blue vinyl

Scoop 3 - UK - 2017 Abbey Road LP (Test Pressing)

Scoop 3 - UK - 2017 UMC CD

Scoop 3 - USA - 2002 Classic DVD-A

Scoop 3 - USA - 2006 Hip-O CD

Scoop 3 - USA - 2009 Classic LP

200 Gram

Scoop 3 - Germany - 2006 SPV CD

Mini-LP cover

Scoop 3 - Japan - 2006 Imperial CD

Mini-LP cover

Scooped - USA - 2002 Redline Entertainment CD

Scooped - France - 2002 Redline Entertainment CD

Live>BAM 1993 - UK - 2003 Eel Pie CD

Magic Bus - Live From Chicago - 2004 Compendia CD

Pete Townshend - Russia - 2004 Delta CD

MP3 collection of: Who Came First, Rough Mix, Empty Glass, All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, Scoop, White City, Deep End Live, Iron Man, Another Scoop, Psychoderelict, Scoop 3, The Oceanic Concerts, Twenty

Pete Townshend - Russia - 2004 Delta CD

MP3 collection of: Lifehouse Box Set

Live>Brixton Academy '85 - UK - 2004 Eel Pie CD

Anthology - Germany - 2005 SPV CD

Anthology - Japan - 2005 Imperial Records CD

Anthology - Japan - 2005 Imperial Records CD (Promo)

Disc 1

Gold - USA - 2005 HIP-O/Universal CD

The Definitive Collection - USA - 2007 Hip-O CD

Lifehouse Method - UK - 2007 Eel Pie CD (Promo)

Instrumental music - comes with Lifehouse Method Press Kit

Lifehouse Method - UK - 2007 Eel Pie CD (Promo)

Instrumental music - comes with Lifehouse Method Press Kit

Method Music - UK - 2011 Navona CD

Same contents as 2001 Lifehouse Method promo. Liner notes by Pete Townshend

Method Music - UK - 2011 Navona CD (Inside Cover)

Who Is This? The Best Of Pete Townshend - USA - 2009 Bug/Windswept CD (Promo)

The Quadrophenia Demos 1 - UK - 2012 Polydor 10" LP

The Quadrophenia Demos 1 - USA - 2011 Geffen 10" LP

The Quadrophenia Demos 2 - UK - 2012 Polydor 10" LP

The Quadrophenia Demos 2 - USA - 2012 Geffen 10" LP

The Quadrophenia Demos - UK - 2012 Polydor 10" LP (Box)

Contains both Quadrophenia Demos 1 & 2 LPs (Similar to USA pressings)

Truancy - UK - 2015 Universal CD (Promo)

Front cover. Remastered best of Pete Townshend with 2 new songs: "Guantanamo" & "How Can I Help You"

Truancy - UK - 2015 Universal CD (Promo)

Back cover. Remastered best of Pete Townshend with 2 new songs: "Guantanamo" & "How Can I Help You"

Truancy - USA - 2015 Universal CD

Remastered best of Pete Townshend with 2 new songs: "Guantanamo" & "How Can I Help You"

Truancy - Germany - 2015 Universal CD

Remastered best of Pete Townshend with 2 new songs: "Guantanamo" & "How Can I Help You"

Truancy - Japan - 2015 Universal CD

Face The Face - USA - 2016 Eagle Rock CD/DVD

Face The Face - UK - 2016 Eagle Rock CD/DVD (Promo)

Front cover

Face The Face - UK - 2016 Eagle Rock CD/DVD (Promo)

Back cover

Face The Face - Japan - 2016 Ward CD/DVD

Face The Face - Germany - 2022 Mercury/Universal LP

Record Store Day (RSD) Release - April 23, 2022

Face The Face - USA - 2022 Mercury/Universal LP (Disc)

Record Store Day (RSD) Release - April 23, 2022

Night Train To Brixton - Hong Kong - 2021 Wicker Man CD

Night Train To Brixton - EU - 2023 Parachute LP

Night Train To Brixton - EU - 2023 Parachute LP (Label Face)


LIVE: SADLER'S WELLS 2000

Album: Live: Sadler's Wells

CDs Sampled: This CD (set) was only available through the <former> www.eelpie.com.

CD Comments: A stunning performance by Pete, spoiled by a poor mix.

Other Comments: Compare this CD to the Westwood One (WW1) promo (Lifehouse Chronicles), which has a better mix and mastering. Unfortunately, the WW1 version isn't the complete performance.

About: Live>Sadler's Wells 2000
 
I hadn't listened to this CD set in over 10 years. I recall then not liking it very much and preferring the concert in other formats (i.e. the edited Westwood One show - or a dub from the DVD to CD).
 
I'm not sure what the best way to describe this, so here goes...
 
This is sort of a live, Lifehouse/Pete Demos/Orchestrated/Modified '98 mini-tour show...
 
(How's that for a description?)
 
How did I come to this description?
 
If you start out with the "Lifehouse Chronicles", add the BBC Radio Play stuff (orchestrated), and then take the band/style from 1998, you sort of get there...
 
This is a range of semi-subdued (i.e. "Love Ain't For Keepin' "), Who-ish (i.e. "Join Together"), funky (i.e. "Relay"), etc., style of these songs. The "subdued" feeling is aided by the compression - the overall sound is kind of "mid-rangy" (vs. allowing the bass and high tones shine through on their own).
 
Overall, I like the performances. I'm not crazy about the non-Pete lead vocals (i.e. a woman opens up on "Love Ain't For Keepin' ").
 
I've always preferred Pete, Roger and John to sing their respective parts in any given live show. Other singers (other than for backing vocals) tend to be a distraction from the music (i.e. it sounds more like a cover song than their music).
 
I seem to recall that this CD set was made from a combination of the 2 night's performance and that the Westwood 1
show had some alternate performances. (I may have copied the DVD to CD - I'll have to track that down - as I think the sound on that might be different as well.) hMMM...
 
Highlights of this concert to me are:
 
Teenage Wasteland, Time Is Passing, Goin' Mobile, Greyhound Girl, Mary, Baba O'Riley, Sister Disco, Relay, Join Together, The Song Is Over
 
Why these?
 
These are songs that are typically either not performed often (or almost ever) or, are very different and special (i.e. Pete singing all of "Baba O'Riley").
 
Essentially the sound on the "Music From Lifehouse" DVD is almost identical to the Eel Pie CDs. (Similar compression levels)

What is notably different is that the crowd noise (between the tracks) is almost muted on the CDs, but at "normal" levels on the DVD soundtrack.

Personally, I prefer to hear some crowd noise for live recordings - it reminds you that you are listening to a concert.

Again, there might (or might not) be some different performances vs. the CD version...

Track Listing: One Note, Purcell, Teenage Wasteland, Time Is Passing, Love Ain't For Keeping, Goin' Mobile, Greyhound Girl, Tragedy, Mary, I Don't Even Know Myself, Bargain, Gettin' In Tune, Pure And Easy, Baba O'Riley (orchestral), Baba O'Riley, Hinterland Rag, Behind Blue Eyes, Let's See Action, Sister Disco, Relay, Who Are You, Join Together, Won't Get Fooled Again, Tragedy Explained, The Song Is Over, Can You Help The One You Really Love?


LIVE: AT THE EMPIRE 1998

Album: Live At The Empire

CDs Sampled: This CD (set) was only available through the <former> www.eelpie.com.

CD Comments: This CD is poorly mixed and doesn't sound "right" Compare with "Pete Townshend Live" (a similar performance).

Other Comments: This CD should be remixed.

Track Listing: On The Road Again, A Little Is Enough, Pinball Wizard, Drowned, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, You Better You Bet, Behind Blue Eyes, Baby Don't You Do It, English Boy, Three Steps To Heaven, Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand, Sheraton Gibson, Substitute, I Am An Animal, North Country Girl, (She's A) Sensation, A Friend Is A Friend, Now And Then, Let My Love Open The Door, Who Are You, The Kids Are Alright, Acid Queen, Won't Get Fooled Again, Magic Bus, I'm One


LIVE: AT THE FILLMORE 1996

Album: Live At The Fillmore

CDs Sampled: This CD (set) was only available through the <former> www.eelpie.com.

CD Comments: Great sound quality, except that too much needless compression was used creating some "flat spots" in the vocals.

Other Comments: A great, great concert performance at The Fillmore West, 1996

About: Live At The Fillmore 1996

I hadn't played this concert in many years. How many? Quite possibly at least 10 - could be more (this is what happens when you are 1,000 years old - you stop listening to music that you like!)

Way back in 1996, Pete decided to do a little "mini-tour": LA -> SF -> NY. It was just Pete and
John Carin (who backed Pete up with vocals/keyboards/synthesizers) and a mostly acoustic show. I went to the 2 NY shows, which were played at The Supper Club.

These were really outstanding shows. Pete pulled all kinds of songs from his "vast catalogue" (i.e. "A Legal Matter", "Sheraton Gibson", "Parvardigar", etc.) and it was amazing. At times he sat down to play piano for "Slit Skirts" and "Cut My Hair". All great stuff!

As I was working out today, I realized two things...

1) This isn't really good workout music (great music - but the mostly acoustic nature makes you want to "relax" vs. "push" yourself)

2) There's WAY too much compression in this recording.

I thought that I had recalled that regarding the "official" release, so I grabbed my edit of the West Wood 1 promo first. What did I discover there? (Too much compression as well!)

Oh well, compression aside, this is really great stuff - Popular and obscure Pete and Who song mixed in for a very enjoyable experience.

The track listing is:

Let My Love Open The Door, English Boy, Drowned, The Shout, I Put A Spell On You, Cut My Hair, Sheraton Gibson, I'm One, Heart To Hang Onto, O'Parvardigar, A Legal Matter, A Friend Is A Friend, I Am An Animal, All Shall Be Well, Slit Skirts, Eyesight To The Blind, Driftin' Blues, Now And Then, Rough Boys, I'm A Boy, Magic Bus

And my favorite tracks are:

* The Shout - What's funny is that the version on "Another Scoop" doesn't do this song justice. Pete's live performance brings it to life. Great song

* Cut My Hair - Such a great song from
Quadrophenia and really nice to hear "just Pete and his piano".

* Heart To Hang Onto - This is such a fantastic song. It makes you wonder why this was never a Who song with Pete and Roger swapping parts...

* A Legal Matter - A nice Country & Western variation. Very cool version of a great song.

* A Friend Is A Friend - I loved this song from the moment I first heard it in 1989. Can you ever get enough of something you love?

* Slit Skirts - Pete on the piano again. Such a great and moving song. When Pete walked to the piano at the Supper Club show, I yelled out "Lazy Fat People" !!! I got a "smirk" out of Pete, but Pete never, ever does "requests". 
 

Track Listing: Let My Love Open The Door, English Boy, Drowned, The Shout, I Put A Spell On You, Cut My Hair, Sheraton Gibson, I'm One, Heart To Hang Onto, O'Parvardigar, A Legal Matter, A Friend Is A Friend, I Am An Animal, All Shall Be Well, Slit Skirts, Eyesight To The Blind, Driftin' Blues, Now And Then, Rough Boys, I'm A Boy, Magic Bus 


THE OCEANIC CONCERTS

Album: The Oceanic Concerts

CDs Sampled: Rhino (USA) [Only available]

CD Comments: Apparently the master tapes for these concerts weren't in the best of shape. However, it seems as if the mastering was changed part of the way through as if some songs were mastered one way and others, another. This CD has the sound and feel of a bootleg, but not really in a bad way.

Other Comments: Interesting performances!

Track Listing: Raga, Drowned, The Seeker, Magic Grace, Who Is Meher Baba?, The Ferryman, Kitty's Theme, A Little Is Enough, Contact In Solitude, Sleeping Dog, Sound Barrier, Bargain, Longing For The Beloved, Tattoo, Let My Love Open The Door, Awakening, Western (American) Arti, O'Parvardigar


LIVE: LA JOLLA 2001

Album: Live: La Jolla (1), Live: La Jolla (2) [Note: these are two separate releases from 2 consecutive, separate nights of concerts.]

CDs Sampled: This CD (set) was only available through the <former> www.eelpie.com.

CD Comments: Both of these CDs sound great.

Other Comments: These concerts are truly wonderful. They capture Pete at his best.

About: Live: La Jolla 2001

The La Jolla shows were interesting...
 
Pete Acoustic/Pete Piano/Pete Electric (sort of)/Pete Talking (I think if you were to edit out his talking each show would fit on one disc each!)
 
I liked these shows... What could be wrong with Pete, a stage and you? Nice set lists
(some variation between the 2 performances), etc.
 
What I didn't like was that there was too much "air" between Pete and my speakers (most of the time).
 
I guess the problem with mixing something like this is that you have Pete getting close to the mic (good), Pete stepping back from the mic (bad), Pete playing hard (i.e. "Drowned") (good) and Pete playing "soft" (i.e. "Heart To Hang Onto") (bad).
 
With all of the above, the volume goes up and down and up and down - sometimes the guitar sounds really good (i.e. "Drowned"), other times it sounds just OK (i.e. "Heart To Hang Onto").
 
This is probably where studio engineers say "oh let's use compression" to balance the levels - but then the problem is you actually hear the compression and while the levels might be more balanced, now everything sounds muffled!
 
I've never worked in a studio before, but I would think to do something like this right (to correct all the volume variations and keep the dynamic range and sound qualities intact) that you would cut the whole thing up track by track, fine tune each track to the right volume levels and then stitch it all back together... (perhaps in a perfect world)
 
In the first show, Pete plays "Won't Get Fooled Again" acoustic, then "Behind Blue Eyes" and switches to Electric for another "Won't Get Fooled Again".
 
I didn't quite understand that. Why play the <same> song 2x and 2 different ways?
 
In the 2nd show, Pete plays "Won't Get Fooled Again" (acoustic), "I'm One", "Behind Blue Eyes" and then switches to Electric for "Driftin' Blues", "Eyesight To The Blind" and a 2nd "Won't Get Fooled Again".
 
Again, not sure why 2 versions of the same song in once concert. Why not a surprise rendition of "Lazy Fat People" or "Join My Gang" instead?
 
Good stuff... 

Track Listing:

(1): Pinball Wizard, Let My Love Open The Door, Cut My Hair, Slit Skirts, Drowned, Greyhound Girl, Tattoo, The Sea Refuses No River, St James Infirmary, Eminence Front, Won't Get Fooled Again, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again (electric)

(2): Pinball Wizard, Let My Love Open The Door, Heart To Hang Onto, Cut My Hair, Slit Skirts, Drowned, Greyhound Girl, Tattoo, Collings, Eminence Front, Sheraton Gibson, Won't Get Fooled Again, I'm One, Behind Blue Eyes, Driftin' Blues, Eyesight To The Blind, Won't Get Fooled Again (electric)


SCOOP 3

Album: Scoop 3

CDs/DVD-A Sampled: CD (UK Eel Pie, UMC), DVD-A (USA - Classic), CD (USA - Hip-O), CD (Germany - SPV) CD (Japan - Imperial)

CD/DVD-A Comments: All CD versions are "over processed" - A little on the bright side, a little too much compression and the lower frequencies are muffled. The 24/96 DVD-A version sounds almost "just fine" but suffers slightly from a lack of ambience. The 2017 UMC CD feels like it was "squished" from the middle - having an unnatural compressed sound in the mid-frequencies and unnaturally extended lows and highs (see Popeye illustration below). If I had to pick, I would choose the any of the 2006 versions. They do have compression added, but sound the most natural of the bunch.


(Popeye squeezing a can of spinach - An analogy for the Abbey Road versions - representing the can with a "compressed" middle and "extended" lows and highs.)

LP Comments: (USA Classic Records - 2009 & UK UMC - 2017) This Classic (USA) LP sounds great! Everything sounds just as it should like an old-fashioned analog recording. A delight to listen to over and over again. The UMC (UK) LP was mastered at Abbey Road Studios. I was curious how it would sound because the 2017 (UK) UMC CD apparently was mastered there as well. Upon playing it for the first time, I noticed it was very different than the Classic (USA) LP. The sound was dryer (less/no reverb) and more upfront. I then took the time to record it to HD (24/96) and edit it, so I could give it a more proper listen (while not recording). What I found was way too much processing. Pete's demos generally sound excellent without doing anything to them. The problem with a "Scoop" album (for mastering engineers) is that the songs come from different recording sessions recording on different equipment over <sometimes> many years. The goal is to "slap them all together" and get a consistent sound level - this was how "Scoop" and "Another Scoop" were originally assembled. What happened here is that while trying to get a consistent bass, treble, etc., one song might sound "just right", but the next song doesn't. The listener ends up being fatigued because you have songs that sound pretty good, mixed together with songs that are "off" and that doesn't make for a cohesive album. Some mastering engineers attempt to "level" dissimilar tracks with compression - but unfortunately, most people don't like the way compression sounds (I hate it). The Classic LP doesn't suffer from these problems. What I suspect they did there was just tweak the songs very slightly and then they threw in a little reverb to soften the whole effect - it works and it works well. I can listen to the Classic LP (which I also converted to CD) all day and night and enjoy every minute of it. After listening to the 2017 LP for about 20 minutes, "I had enough"...

Other Comments: A nice collection of songs, but noticeably missing are some of the 60's demos that were featured on the previous 2 "Scoop" albums. "Can You Really Dance?" is a different mix of "Real World (Can You Really Dance?)" (1989 b side of 12" and CD Single copies of "A Friend Is A Friend").

Compare for yourself!
 
Below are 30 second WAV samples from various pressings of "Scoop 3" as described above. Note: The song selection below was picked due to the diversity of sound quality for sound comparison purposes.

Can You See The Real Me?:


2001 UK CD   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

No Way Out (However Much I Booze):

2001 UK CD   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

Maxims For Lunch:

2001 UK CD   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

Did You Steal My Money?:

2001 UK CD   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

Teresa:

2001 UK CD   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

Man And Machines:

1988 UK Master Tape   2001 UK CD   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

It's In Ya:

2001 UK CD
   2001 USA Reel Master   2001 USA DAT Master   2002 USA DVD-A   2006 USA CD   2006 Germany CD   2006 Japan CD   2009 USA LP   2017 UK CD   2017 UK LP

Note: Sound comparisons are only as good as your ears and the equipment you are listening to the music with.

Summary: The 2009 Classic (USA) LP is stunningly good and is the only version recommended. This is a great album (which you would never know it by listening to any of the digital versions). Unfortunately, none of the other versions are worth listening to, each with its own set of problems which take away from the beauty of the music. Note: Additional info on this recording can be found in the description of the 2001 Real To Real Master and DAT Master.

Note: DVD-A (DVD Audio Discs) may require special equipment for you to play properly.

About: Scoop 3
 
Listening to this album was very exciting for me. Shades of 1982 and discovering "different pressings" came to mind. I began collecting to find the "best sounding" source internationally (i.e. the great "A Quick One" from Germany vs. the lousy USA reissue "Happy Jack") and this AM's "find" seemed to bring it all home... Wow!
 
OK - so what the hell am I talking about?
 
For those of you who know me or at least read the crap I write, know my love for Pete Townshend demos. This is where it all begins - the creative process, the "raw" Pete, the "idea" behind the "finished product", etc... While never a fan of the "Scoop" concept (i.e. just release EVERYTHING - since we're all gonna die before we get old), I love the "Scoop" albums (at least the first 2).
 
Today, I very happily say - I love "Scoop 3".
 
Over the years I've had many conversations with various Who/Pete fans about this album and I don't recall anyone ever being particularly jazzed about this album. I can see why - the selections are a bit more complicated, lots of instrumentals, 80's demos, etc...
 
I recall when the original CD (Eel Pie label) came out in 2001. I was disappointed with it. To me, it sounded too "processed" (whatever that means - or meant then). I couldn't get into the songs and the CD got quickly "shelved"...
 
Fast forward to 2002 - the Classic DVD-A was released. OK, (I thought) let's try this one. Again, didn't do anything for me... It sounded similar to the Eel Pie CD...
 
In 2006, the CD was released again (on different labels in Japan, Europe and the USA). I believe it was right before my "tinnitus incident" and I never played the new
CD (at the time) or even realized that it was remastered vs. the 2001.
 
Then, in 2009, the album was reissued again - this time on vinyl. I didn't even own that one until
recently. In a conversation with a friend, he had mentioned that the mastering was different on the vinyl than on the CD versions - this raised an eyebrow and I tracked down ~3 sealed copies. (One I played and recorded to CD).
 
It was the latter of these that I played when I wrote this. Wow! This thing sounds REALLY good. It was an affirmation that sound quality is an important facet of listening to music. Songs I previously glossed over in the past, came to life on my stereo system. What ran through my head was: "This sounds great!" A very happy camper indeed!
 
Now, before everyone runs out and buys a copy of the LP, I need to remind you that not all analog equipment (nor digital for that matter) is created equally...
 
I have a LOT of "
horsepower" driving my old fashioned turntable...
 
This LP was recorded thusly:
 
VPI Record Cleaning Machine -> SOTA Sapphire Turntable/Sumiko Arm/Grado Platinum cartridge -> Audio Research SP11 MK 2 (nice tubes nice) -> OTARI Pro CD Recorder (and a bunch of really expensive cables in-between) - If you had to buy all this stuff new today, the replacement cost would probably be between $25K-$30K. Hence, the old Technique, Sure and ??? will probably not deliver the same results...
 
I will note that the 2006 (pick a label) sounds a lot better than the 2001/2 variety - but was recorded with compression. Some of you don't mind it, I do. The thing about music - it isn't a science; we all have different tastes... 
 
However, the LP version (however it was done) seems to work very well with the album's songs - every nuance, every detail right there. While I'm sure some of the quality of this is attributable to my system - I'm very grateful for the results.
 
Seems kinda odd to me that I've owned one version or another of this album since 2001 and ~12 years later, just "discovering" it for the first time. Better late than never - but "happy" is a good thing...
 
One disappointment with the vinyl...
 
The LP was recorded on 200 Gram, "Quiex" vinyl. Similar vinyl pressed in Japan in the 80's was "flawless". This isn't. A few (not many) pops can be heard, as well as some "groove noise" between the tracks. They probably would have been better off "farming out" the LP pressing to Japan (as good, old fashioned "virgin vinyl") than going through the expense of 200G, Quiex, but with disappointing results...
 
Oh well...
 
(All that aside, I'm still very happy and satisfied)

The thing about Pete demos is that they are very diverse. Apparently Pete has about 2,000 demos in his vault waiting to... ???
 
Pete's demos range from the very simple, "Kill My Appetite" (circa 1965 presumably written/rejected for "My Generation") to
sophisticated, "Football Fugue". (Neither of which is on this album.)
 
"Scoop 3" seems to draw heavily from Pete's 80's demos as well as an abundance of instrumentals. I think they work well together and blend nicely. The 80's demos (specifically the
Face Dances ones) have an "odd" mix to them - such that Pete seemed to mix is vocals down lower than usual. This might be due to the way he's singing these songs - I really don't know.
 
My favorite songs in this demos collection are:
 
Can You See The Real Me? (a remixed version was released with
Quadrophenia Super Deluxe)
 
Sea & Sand (a remixed version was released with
Quadrophenia Super Deluxe)
 
Did You Steal My Money? (demo from
Face Dances)
 
Elephants (a very cool instrumental)
 
Teresa (a song about Pete's infatuation with Theresa Russell, which later was reworked and became "Athena")
 
Man And Machines (Pete's demo for "Man Machines" - which was originally released on the A Friend Is A Friend single and chopped to bits for Iron Man. I always loved this song - and really love the way Pete throws the "kitchen sink" into the background effects)
 
It's In Ya (the demo for the song
left off of Face Dances - I probably prefer The Who version to this version - but both are great)
 
As I think about all of Pete's demos and the "scoop" of the ~2,000 he's released over the years, I'd still like to hear them all one day. The creativity and intelligence is absolutely amazing... (Pete, we're not getting any younger!)

Track Listing: Can You See The Real Me, Dirty Water, Commonwealth Boys, Theme 015, Marty Robbins, I Like It The Way It Is, Theme 016, No Way Out (However Much I Booze), Collings, Parvardigar (German version), Sea & Sand, 971104 Arpeggio Piano, Theme 019, I Am Afraid, Maxims For Lunch, Wistful, Eminence Front, Lonely Words, Prelude 970519, Iron Man Recitative, Tough Boys, Did You Steal My Money?, Can You Really Dance?, Variations on Dirty Jobs, All Lovers Are Deranged (Pete's version), Elephants, Wired To The Moon (part 2), How Can You Do It Alone?, Poem Disturbed, Squirm Squirm, Outlive The Dinosaur, Teresa, Man And Machines, It's In Ya


SCOOPED

Album: Scooped

CDs Sampled: Redline Entertainment (USA)

CD Comments: This CD is a compilation of the 3 "Scoop" albums. Sound wise, a combination of "no noise" (very apparent on Pete's intro to "So Sad About Us"), and a slightly bright overall sound, makes this CD a little disappointing when compared to the original releases. Furthermore, an apparent attempt to increase the bass of the first "Scoop" albums tracks was also added to the "Another Scoop" tracks (which didn't need them), causing a bit too much of bass and distortion on those tracks. 

Other Comments: Regardless of the sound complaints (above), this is a nicely packaged CD with a great track listing all for a "budget" price. For someone who never heard the original "Scoop" albums, they probably wouldn't be any wiser to the sound quality issues...

Track Listing: Recorders, Pinball Wizard, Can You See The Real Me, Dirty Water, Zelda, Pictures Of Lily, Body Language, Seige:Theme 019, 971104 Arpeggio Piano, Brooklyn Kids, Substitute, Elephants, Eminence Front, Baroque Ippanese, Magic Bus, I Like It The Way It Is, Unused Piano, Bargain, Lonely Words, So Sad About Us/Brrr, Tough Boys, You Better You Bet, Mary, Begin The Beguine, Piano: Tipperary, How Can You Do It Alone, Football Fugue, Behind Blue Eyes, Never Ask Me, Circles, Holly Like Ivy, Variations: Dirty Jobs, Catsnatch, You're So Clever, Love Reign O'er Me, Ask Yourself (previously unreleased video)


LIVE: BAM 1993

Album: Live: BAM (Brooklyn Academy Of Music) 1993

CDs Sampled: This CD (set) was only available through the <former> www.eelpie.com.  

CD Comments: Excellent sound quality. Same soundboard source as the video versions of this concert (Pete Townshend Live). However, the mastering is similar to the "heavier bass" Japanese CDs, which tends to compliment this performance due to Pete's vocal problems (see comments below).

Other Comments: The "Psychoderelict" tour was one of the most enjoyable of Pete's solo tours. It featured great performances of Pete's solo music as well a a nice spin on some classic Who songs, including, "A Quick One While He's Away" and "Cobwebs and Strange"! Unfortunately, for this show, (which was professional recorded for Pay-Per-View and video) Pete stayed up all night and did a full dress rehearsal before the show, causing him to lose a good portion of his voice. Hopefully, some other shows from this great tour will be released to better represent how Pete actually performed...

Note: The track listing is not in performance order and the non Pete-written songs performed that night (i.e. "Good Night Irene", "Save It for Later", etc.) which were shown on the Pay-Per-View, were deleted to fit the rest of the songs on 2 CDs.

Track Listing: Intro, English Boy, Meher Baba M3, Let's Get Pretentious, Meher Baba M4 (Signal Box), Early Morning Dreams, I Want That Thing, Intro: Outlive The Dinosaur, Outlive The Dinosaur, Gridlife, Flame (Demo), Now And Then, I Am Afraid, Gridlife 2, Don't Try To Make Me Real, Intro: Predictable, Predictable, Flame, Meher Baba M5 (Vivaldi), Fake It, Intro: Now And Then (Reprise), Now And Then (Reprise), Baba O'Riley (Demo), English Boy (Reprise), Pinball Wizard, See Me, Feel Me, Let My Love Open The Door, Rough Boys, Behind Blue Eyes, The Kids Are Alright, Keep Me Turning, Eminence Front, A Little Is Enough, You Better You Bet, Face The Face, Won't Get Fooled Again/Let's See Action, Magic Bus


MAGIC BUS - LIVE FROM CHICAGO

Album: Magic Bus - Live from Chicago

CD Sampled: Compendia (USA)

CD Comments: Excellent sound quality

Other Comments: Edited reissue of "PETE TOWNSHEND LIVE: A Benefit for Maryville Academy". I'm not quite sure what the purpose of this release is, considering the downgraded artwork and reduced track listing (compare to original release).

Track Listing: On The Road Again, Drowned, You Better You Bet, Now And Then, North Country Girl, Let My Love Open The Door, Magic Bus, Heart To Hang Onto


LIVE: BRIXTON ACADEMY '85

Album: Live: Brixton Academy '85

CDs Sampled: This CD (set) was only available through the <former> www.eelpie.com.

CD Comments: Fair sound quality. Same soundboard source as the video and album versions of this concert (Pete Townshend's Deep End Live) [video versions] and (Pete Townshend's Deep End Live) [album versions]. However, this CD's mastering completely lacks bass.

Other Comments: This is a great concert, and this CD version adds several tracks that were previously unreleased:
The Shout, Boogie Stop Shuffle. Several other tracks were previously released on the promo LPs from The King Biscuit Flower Hour (KBFH) and Westwood 1 (WW1), but not on the album or video versions: Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand, That's Alright Mama, Harlem Shuffle, Driftin', Night Train.

Track Listing: Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand, Won't Get Fooled Again, A Little Is Enough, Secondhand Love, That's Alright Mama, Behind Blue Eyes, The Shout, Harlem Shuffle, Barefootin', After The Fire, Love On The Air, Midnight Lover, Blue Light, I Put A Spell On You, I'm One, Driftin', Magic Bus, Save It For Later, Eyesight To The Blind, Walkin', Stop Hurting People, The Sea Refuses No River, Boogie Stop Shuffle, Face The Face, Pinball Wizard, Give Blood, Night Train


ANTHOLOGY / GOLD

Album: Anthology (Worldwide)/ Gold (USA & Canada)

CDs Sampled: Anthology (Germany - SPV), Anthology (Japan - Imperial Records)/ Gold (USA HIP-O/Universal)

CD Comments: One of the difficulties in mastering material recorded from different sources for a compilation (or soundtrack) is that the tracks should have a consistent feel to them as if they all came from the same source. Unfortunately, you can identify the tracks from their original sources, as they all seem to be remastered together from the original source, then pieced together here.

All three versions sound somewhat different from each other. While I'm sure their mastering is identical, the process in which the record company manufactures the CD, sometimes makes a considerable difference in what the actual CDs sound like. In this case, the Anthology has some interesting elements to it, but unfortunately those elements seem to be completely lost on the Gold as I didn't find anything that sounded "good" on that disc, but rather bright and/or compressed throughout. Regarding the <Germany> Anthology:

The Goods:

Seemingly big improvements over the "Empty Glass" and "White City" previously released CDs.

Other than the "gold" "Empty Glass" (which is long out of print), none of the other CDs bearing that name sounded good, but rather tinny and sterile. These tracks seemed to have the full gamut of frequency response, including a nice bottom end.

"White City" never sounded "bad" per say, but it always sounded "thin". Like "Empty Glass" (above), the tracks seemed to have a much fuller range and additional "bottom end" to make the music sound *better*.

The "Psychoderelict" tracks seemed to have a little extra bottom line to them. I personal thought the album was well-recorded and sounded just fine, but the slightly extra bass works well too.

The Neutrals:

The tracks from "Iron Man" didn't seem to stand out one way or the other.

The "Who Came First" tracks may have been OK. The mastering was perfect on the Rhino CD, but it was always a very "heavy" sounding recording and perhaps because that is so, these tracks don't "blend" well on this type of compilation. So, to be "fair", I'm giving this a neutral - (until I listen to them again).

The Bads:

The "Chinese Eyes" tracks seemed slightly compressed and the vocals were a tinge muffled. There was nothing wrong with the first CD issue of the album, Sterling Labs (?) in NYC remastered it once and did a sloppy job and these tracks really didn't do justice to the music either.

The "Rough Mix" tracks seem to have some moderate compression added. The original CD release was *perfect* and the sound was breath-taking. "Rough Mix" is one of the best recorded/sounding Who-related albums. I can't imagine doing anything to it, but making it sound worse that what it is (how can you make something perfect sound better?)

Regarding the <Japan> Anthology:

The Goods:

As with the <Germany> Anthology, The "White City" and "Psychoderelict" tracks benefit from some added bass, as well as a slightly "fuller sound" improvement on "White City".

The Neutrals:

The "Chinese Eyes" tracks which sounded too compressed on the other versions are acceptable here. Not as good as the original CD or LP releases, but certainly listenable.

The Bads:

Everything else. Too much compression, shrill sounding instruments, tinny vocals, etc.

Summary: There are some tracks that are "sound quality" worthy on the two "Anthology" versions (as noted above), but none I can find on the "Gold".

Other Comments: Nicely packaged CD with Pete written "blurbs" on each of the tracks. Please note that this "best of" CD is the first release before Pete's entire catalog is remastered and reissued, with bonus tracks.

Track Listing: English Boy, Secondhand Love, A Little Is Enough, Heart To Hang Onto, Sheraton Gibson, The Sea Refuses No River,  Brilliant Blues, Now and Then, I Won't Run Anymore, Keep Me Turning, Let My Love Open The Door, Slit Skirts, A Friend Is A Friend,   Let's See Action, Street In The City, Empty Glass, Rough Boys, Give Blood, Exquisitely Bored, Jools and Jim, Crashing By Design,  Don't Try And Make Me Real, Face The Face, Uniforms, My Baby Gives It Away, Outlive The Dinosaur, Keep On Working, White City Fighting, All Shall Be Well, Time Is Passing, I Am Afraid, Misunderstood, Pure And Easy, Parvardigar


THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION

Album: The Definitive Collection

CDs Sampled: Hip-O (USA)

CD Comments: n/a

Other Comments:
Nice packaging with fresh liner notes and pictures. The cover has a great live shot of Pete, but there are only studio tracks on the album.

Track Listing: Pure And Easy, Sheraton Gibson, Time Is Passing, Street In The City, My Baby Gives It Away, Misunderstood, A Little Is Enough, Let My Love Open The Door, Rough Boys, The Sea Refuses No River,  Slit Skirts, Mary, Give Blood, Face The Face, A Friend Is A Friend, I Am Afraid, English Boy


Who Is This? The Best Of Pete Townshend

Album: Who Is This? The Best Of Pete Townshend

CDs Sampled: Bug/Windswept (USA)

CD Comments: Promo only release.

Track Listing: Communication, Gonna Get Ya, Brilliant Blues, Keep On Working, A Little Is Enough, Keep Me Turning, The Sea Refuses No River, A Friend Is A Friend, Face The Face, Face Dances Part Two, Rough Boys, Let My Love Open The Door, Blue, Red and Grey (The Who), You Better You Bet (The Who), Squeeze Box (The Who), Who Are You (The Who) 


The Quadrophenia Demos 1

Album: The Quadrophenia Demos 1

LPs Sampled: n/a

LP Comments: Select Pete Townshend demos from "Quadrophenia"

Track Listing: The Real Me, Cut My Hair, Punk, Dirty Jobs, Is It In My Head?, Anymore


The Quadrophenia Demos 2

Album: The Quadrophenia Demos 2

LPs Sampled: n/a

LP Comments: Select Pete Townshend demos from "Quadrophenia"

Track Listing: I've Had Enough, Drowned, It It Me?, Doctor Jimmy, Love Reign O'er Me


Face The Face

Album: Face The Face

LPs Sampled: 2022 Mercury/Universal RSD (Germany)

LP Comments: Sounded good, but the music seems to sit further back (not as "up front") than the CD versions. This could be due to better dynamic range, or perhaps the CDs just sound a bit better.

Other Sampled: Master Tape Reels

Other Comments: The master tapes are sped up and have a different feel to them

CDs Sampled: Eagle Rock (USA, UK), Ward (Japan)

CD Comments: The CD versions are about the same. However the Japan version is issued with (2) two CDs and includes "I Put A Spell On You", which is on the DVD, but not on the other CD versions. The "USA" CD appears to be manufactured in Germany.

Compare for yourself!
 
Below are 30 second WAV samples from various pressings of "Face The Face" as described above.

Slit Skirts:


2016 USA Reel Master   2016 USA CD   2016 UK CD (Promo)   2016 Japan CD   2022 Germany LP

The Sea Refuses No River:

2016 USA Reel Master
   2016 USA CD   2016 UK CD (Promo)   2016 Japan CD   2022 Germany LP

Note: Sound comparisons are only as good as your ears and the equipment you are listening to the music with.

Summary: The Japan CD has the most tracks as well as the nicest packaging. The LP is nice to have, but I would defer to the Japan CD.

Track Listing (CD & LP): Won't Get Fooled Again, Secondhand Love, Give Blood, Behind Blue Eyes, After The Fire, Slit Skirts, Blue Light, Hiding Out, The Sea Refuses No River, Face The Face, Pinball Wizard, A Little Is Enough, Rough Boys, Night Train

Track Listing (Japan CD & DVD):
Won't Get Fooled Again, Secondhand Love, Give Blood, Behind Blue Eyes, After The Fire, Slit Skirts, Blue Light, I Put A Spell On You, Hiding Out, The Sea Refuses No River, Face The Face, Pinball Wizard, A Little Is Enough, Rough Boys, Night Train  


Night Train To Brixton

Album: Night Train To Brixton

LPs Sampled: n/a

LP Comments: n/a

Other Sampled: n/a

Other Comments: n/a

CDs Sampled: Wickerman (Hong Kong)

CD Comments: Sound quality is as good as any of the other related CD releases from this concert. The track listing here includes most of the tracks that were left off of the other, non-Eel Pie releases.

Listen for yourself!
 
Below are 30 second WAV samples from "Night Train To Brixton" as described above.

That's Alright Mama:


2021 Hong Kong CD 

Harlem Shuffle:

2021 Hong Kong CD

Driftin' Blues:

2021 Hong Kong CD

Note: Sound comparisons are only as good as your ears and the equipment you are listening to the music with.

Summary: A good CD that fills the track list void from prior releases.

Track Listing: Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand, That's Alright Mama, Harlem Shuffle, Barefootin', Midnight Lover, Blue Light, I Put A Spell On You, I'm One, Driftin' Blues, Save It For Later, Eyesight To The Blind, Band Intro, Walkin', Boogie Stop Shuffle, Night Train 

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