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The Who - 00's "Best Of" and Compilations: 

The Ultimate Collection - UK - 2002 Polydor CD (Limited Edition)	The Ultimate Collection - UK - 2002 Polydor CD (Promo)
Then And Now - UK - 2004 Polydor CD	Then And Now - UK - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo)
The 1st Singles Box - UK - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo) Promo compilation of the separate singles offered via the box set	The 1st Singles Box - UK - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo) Promo compilation of the separate singles offered via the box set
The 1st Singles Box - UK - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo) Promo compilation of the separate singles offered via the box set	The 1st Singles Box - UK - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo) Promo compilation of the separate singles offered via the box set
Then And Now - UK - 2007 Polydor CD	Then And Now - UK - 2007 Polydor CD (Promo)
The Who Greatest Hits - UK - 2010 Polydor CD	The Who Greatest Hits & More - UK - 2010 Polydor CD
The Who Greatest Hits & More - UK - 2010 Polydor CD (Promo)	The Who Greatest Hits & More - UK - 2010 Polydor CD (Promo)
Pinball Wizard: The Collection - UK - 2012 Spectrum CD	Pinball Wizard: The Collection - UK - 2012 Universal CD (Promo)
The Studio Albums - UK - 2012 Polydor LP(s) (Box Set) (See comments below)	The Who Hits 50! - UK - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) 1 CD version
The Who Hits 50! - UK - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) (Back cover) 1 CD version	The Who Hits 50! - UK - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) 2 CD version
The Who Hits 50! - UK - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) (Back cover) 2 CD version	The Who Hits 50! - UK - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) Sampler version
The Who Hits 50! - UK - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) Sampler version (back cover)	The Moon Years - UK - 2020 Coda LP Blue vinyl. Live album (see track info below)
The Moon Years - UK - 2020 Coda LP (Disc)	The Essential Who - UK - 2020 UMC CD 3 CD compilation (3rd disc is live)
The Essential Who - UK - 2020 UMC CD (Promo) Front cover	The Essential Who - UK - 2020 UMC CD (Promo) Back cover
The Ultimate Collection - USA - 2002 MCA CD Front cover	The Ultimate Collection - USA - 2002 MCA CD Back cover
The Ultimate Collection - USA - 2002 MCA CD Bonus disc	The Ultimate Collection - USA - 2004 Hit The Ground Running CD (Promo)
Then And Now - USA - 2004 Geffen CD	Then And Now - USA - 2004 Geffen CD (Promo) Test pressing
Direct Hits - USA - 2006 Classic LP Reissue of the UK LP, but with the color of the New Zealand version	The Who - USA - 2006 Universal CD (Box Set) (Promo) Includes: The Who Sings My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Who's Next, Who Are You
UMe Catalog & Endless Wire Radio Sampler - USA - 2006 Geffen CD (Promo)	Amazing Journey - USA - 2008 Geffen CD Available from Best Buy stores only
Amazing Journey - USA - 2008 Geffen LP 2 LP - Available from Best Buy stores only	The Who Greatest Hits - USA - 2009 Geffen CD
The Who Greatest Hits - USA - 2009 Geffen CD (Promo)	The Who Greatest Hits - USA - 2009 Geffen CD (Promo) (back cover)
The Who Greatest Hits Live - USA - 2010 Geffen CD	The Who - USA - 2011 Geffen CD Single CD - Icon 1
The Who - USA - 2020 Geffen LP Exlusive mustard vinyl Walmart edition with bonus track of "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"	The Who - USA - 2020 Geffen LP (Back Cover) Exlusive mustard vinyl Walmart edition with bonus track of "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"
The Who - USA - 2020 Geffen LP (Disc) Exlusive mustard vinyl Walmart edition with bonus track of "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"	The Who - USA - 2011 Geffen CD 2 CD - Icon 2
The Who - USA - 2011 Universal CD (Promo) 2 CD - Icon 2	The Heyday Of The Who - USA - 2012 Universal CD
The Who - USA - 2014 BMG CD (Promo)	The Who/Pete Townshend - USA - 2014 BMG CD (Promo) "Meher Baba M3" is actually "Let's Get Pretentious"
The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Geffen CD Single CD version	The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Geffen CD Closeup of sticker on the outside packaging
The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Geffen CD 2 CD version	The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Geffen CD (Promo) CD 1
The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Geffen CD (Promo) CD 2	The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Quality Records LP (Promo) Test pressing
The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Quality Records LP (Promo) (Label Face) Test pressing	The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2014 Geffen CD Best Buy only. 2 CD version in custom box with T-Shirt
The Who Hits 50!- USA - 2015 Geffen LP	Then And Now - Argentina - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo)
Then And Now - Argentina - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo)	Greatest Hits & More - Argentina - 2010 Polydor CD
The Who Hits 50! - Argentina - 2014 Polydor CD Single CD version	The Who Hits 50! - Argentina - 2014 Polydor CD (Promo)
The Who Hits 50! - Argentina - 2014 Polydor CD (Promo) Label face	The Who Hits 50! - Argentina - 2014 Universal CD (Promo)
The Who Greatest Hits - Argentina - 2017 Garra LP (Front Cover)	The Who Greatest Hits - Argentina - 2017 Garra LP (Back Cover)
The Who Greatest Hits - Argentina - 2018 Garra CD	The Ultimate Collection - Australia - 2002 Polydor CD
Then And Now - Australia - 2004 Polydor CD	Then And Now - Australia - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo)
The Who Greatest Hits & More - Australia - 2010 Polydor CD	The Who Hits 50! - Brazil - 2014 Universal CD (Promo)
The Ultimate Collection - Canada - 2002 MCA CD	Then And Now - Canada - 2004 Geffen CD
The Who Greatest Hits & More - Canada - 2010 Polydor CD	The Who - Canada - 2011 Geffen CD Single CD - Icon 1
The Who - Canada - 2011 Geffen CD 2 CD - Icon 2	El Rock De Los Chicos Malos - Chile - 2017 Garra CD
The Who - Chile - 2023 Garra LP	The Who - Chile - 2023 Garra LP (Disc)
Then And Now - China - 2004 Universal CD (Slip Case) Single CD version	Then And Now - China - 2004 Universal CD Single CD version
Then And Now - China - 2005 Universal CD (Slip Case) 2 CD. 2nd CD is Elton John best of	Then And Now - China - 2005 Universal CD 2 CD. 2nd CD is Elton John best of
The Who Greatest Hits & More - China - 2010 Polydor CD	The Who Hits 50! - Denmark - 2014 Universal CD (Promo)
Then And Now - France - 2004 Polydor CD (Promo)	The Who Hits 50! - France - 2014 Universal CD (Promo)
The Who Hits 50! - France - 2014 Universal CD (Promo) (Back cover) Sampler	The Ultimate Collection - Germany - 2002 Universal CD
The Ultimate Collection - Germany - 2002 MCA CD (Promo)	Then And Now - Germany - 2004 Universal CD
Then And Now - Germany - 2004 Universal CD (Promo)	Box Set B-Sides - Germany - 2004 Universal CD (Promo - Front Cover)
Box Set B-Sides - Germany - 2004 Universal CD (Promo - Back Cover) "Pictures Of Lily" ???	Then And Now - Germany - 2009 Universal CD (Box) Includes "Then And Now", "BBC Sessions" and "Who's Better, Who's Best" DVD
The Who Hits 50! - Germany - 2014 Polydor CD Single CD version	The Who Hits 50! - Germany - 2014 Polydor CD Two CD version
The Who Hits 50! - Germany - 2015 Polydor LP	Then And Now - Indonesia - 2004 Universal Cassette
The Who Hits 50! - Indonesia - 2014 Polydor CD Two CD version	Then And Now - Israel - 2007 Polydor CD (Promo)
The Who Hits 50! - Israel - 2014 Polydor CD (Promo) Single CD version	The Who - Italy - 2012 Polydor CD (Box Set) Front & side view of box. 9 mini-LP CDs and a DVD of "The Kids Are Alright"
The Ultimate Collection - Japan - 2002 Universal CD	Then And Now - Japan - 2004 Polydor CD Single CD version
Then And Now - Japan - 2004 Polydor CD Limited 2 CD version with 5 bonus tracks	Then And Now - Japan - 2004 Polydor Cassette (Promo)
Then And Now - Japan - 2004 Polydor CD Reissue budget series	Magic Bus - Japan - 2007 Polydor CD Mini-LP. Recreation of 1968 USA LP
Direct Hits - Japan - 2007 Polydor CD Mini-LP. Mono. Recreation of 1968 UK LP	Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy - Japan - 2007 Polydor CD Mini-LP
Then And Now - Japan - 2007 Polydor CD UK export with Japan OBI	The Ultimate Collection - Japan - 2008 Universal CD Super High Material (SHMCD) CD
The Who Greatest Hits & More - Japan - 2010 Polydor CD Super High Material (SHMCD) CD	The Singles - Japan - 2011 Polydor CD Super High Material (SHMCD) SACD (Expanded track listing from 1987 release)
The Singles - Japan - 2011 Polydor CD Box (Promo) Box only	The Singles - Japan - 2012 Polydor CD Super High Material (SHMCD) 2CD expanded track listing
The Singles - Japan - 2012 Polydor CD Disc 2 - Super High Material (SHMCD) 2CD expanded track listing	The Singles - Japan - 2018 Polydor CD Ultimate High Quality CD
The Who Hits 50! - Japan - 2014 Polydor CD 2 CD version	The Who Hits 50! - Japan - 2014 Polydor CD (Promo)
The Who Hits 50! - Japan - 2014 Polydor CD (Promo) Label face	Missing Target - Japan - 2018 Eternal Grooves CD
The Who Greatest Hits & More - Korea - 2010 Polydor CD	The Who Greatest Hits & More - Malaysia - 2010 Polydor CD
The Who Hits 50! - Mexico - 2014 Polydor CD 1 CD version	The Who Hits 50! - Mexico - 2014 Polydor CD 2 CD version
Young Hooligans Hits - Poland - 2000 Selles CD	Then And Now - Romania - 2004 Universal CD (Promo)
The Ultimate Collection - Russia - 2002 Universal CD	The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2002 - Cartoon CD MP3 versions of: My Generation, A Quick One , The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Live At Leeds, Who's Next, The Who By Numbers, The Who Collection, Join Together
Rock Collection - Russia - 2001 Warner Brothers CD Same tracks as "My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who". Liner notes in Russian	The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2002 - Digital Records CD MP3 versions of: Who Are You, The Kids Are Alright, Face Dances, It's Hard, Who's Greatest Hits, Who's Last & My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who
The Who MP3 - Russia - 2002 - Music Collection CD MP3 versions of: Who Are You, The Kids Are Alright, Face Dances, It's Hard, Who's Greatest Hits, Who's Last & My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who	The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2002 - RMG CD MP3 versions of: The Who Sings My Generation, A Quick One (1995 version), The Who Sell Out (remix), Tommy (remix), Live At Leeds Deluxe, Who's Next (remix). Photo gallery included
The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2002 - SP Music CD 95 MP3 Who songs in no particular order	The Who MP3 Deluxe Collection - Russia - 2003 - Dream Sound CD MP3 versions of: My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Live At Leeds (Deluxe), Who's Next
The Who - Russia - 2003 - PCDisc CD MP3 versions of: A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, The Kids Are Alright, Quadrophenia, Who's Next, Face Dances, It's Hard, My Generation, Who's Greatest Hits	The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2004 - MP3 Service CD MP3 versions of: My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Live At Leeds & Who's Next
Then And Now - Russia - 2004 Universal CD	Then And Now - Russia - 2004 Universal Cassette
The Who - Russia - 2004 - AOM CD MP3 versions of: A Quick One, Tommy, Who's Next, My Generation: The Very Best Of, Quadrophenia, Odds & Sods, Face Dances, It's Hard, My Generation, The Who Sell Out, Live At Leeds, The Who By Numbers, Who Are You, The Who Sings My Generation, The Who: Kings Of World Music, The Kids Are Alright, Who's Greatest Hits	The Who - Russia - 2005 - n/a CD MP3 versions of: A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Quadrophenia, The Kids Are Alright, The Who Sings My Generation, Who's Next, Face Dances, It's Hard, My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who, Who's Greatest Hits
The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2006 - Star Records CD MP3 versions of: A Quick One, The Who Sings My Generation, The Who Sell Out (remix), Tommy (remix), Live At Leeds (remix), Who's Next, Quadrophenia, Who Are You, The Kids Are Alright, Face Dances, It's Hard, Who's Greatest Hits, Who's Last, My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who	The Who MP3 Collection - Russia - 2006 - Star Records CD MP3 versions of: A Quick One, The Who Sings My Generation, The Who Sell Out (remix), Tommy (remix), Live At Leeds (remix), Who's Next, Quadrophenia, Who Are You, The Kids Are Alright, Face Dances, It's Hard, Who's Greatest Hits, Who's Last, My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who, Endless Wire
The Who 12+ Collection - Russia - 2006 - Midem Records CD MP3 versions of: The Who Sings My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out (remix), Tommy (remix), Who's Next (remix), Quadrophenia, The Who By Numbers (remix), Who Are You (remix), Face Dances (remix), It's Hard (remix), Endless Wire	The Who - Russia - 2006 - Blu Ray Club CD MP3 versions of: Endless Wire, It's Hard, Face Dances, Who Are You, The Who By Numbers, Quadrophenia, Who's Next, Tommy, The Who Sell Out, A Quick One, The Who Sings My Generation
The Who - Russia - 2010 - Golden Collection CD MP3 versions of: My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Who's Next, Quadrophenia, The Who By Numbers, Who Are You, Face Dances, It's Hard, Endless Wire	The Who Greatest Hits - Russia - 2010 Polydor CD
The Who MP3 Deluxe Collection - Russia - 2011 - Star Track CD MP3 versions of: My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Live At Leeds (Deluxe), Who's Next	The Ultimate Collection - South Africa - 2004 Universal CD
Then And Now - South Africa - 2004 Polydor CD	The Who Greatest Hits & More - South Africa - 2010 Polydor CD
Then And Now - Singapore - 2004 Virgin CD 3 bonus tracks	The Who Greatest Hits - Taiwan - 2010 Polydor CD
The Who Hits 50! - Taiwan - 2014 Polydor CD CDs made in Germany, Taiwan OBI	The Ultimate Collection - Thailand - 2002 Universal CD
The Ultimate Collection - Thailand - 2002 Universal Cassette Double cassette package	Then And Now - Thailand - 2004 Universal Cassette
The Who Greatest Hits & More - Thailand - 2010 Polydor CD	The Millenium Collection - Ukraine - 2004 Universal CD (Promo)
New Collection - Ukraine - 2008 Universal CD Same track list as 2004 "Then & Now"

00'S "BEST OF" AND COMPILATIONS

The Ultimate Collection:

The first of the <predictable many> "best of" collections for the new millennium... What makes this 3CD set most interesting, is the "bonus disc" of rarities, which includes:
Substitute - the alternate vocal version ("I try walking forward but my feet walk back") that was only released in the USA, Canada and South Africa
I'm A Boy - an unreleased alternate version, which is similar to the version on "Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy"
Happy Jack - a similar, but different version to the one on the remastered "A Quick One" CD
Magic Bus - Mono version. I'm not sure why this is on this disc, as it's fairly common

In addition to the above, the UK Limited Edition adds video footage from Charlton, 1974 of "Baba O'Riley" and "Substitute"

Comments:

The tracks are sourced from the original mixes, including the true stereo "Magic Bus" and a very reverberated, simulated stereo, "Call Me Lightning". The latter most likely comes from a master that was used in Holland, as some of their 60's greatest hits collections were released in that style.

The overall mastering is somewhat  uneven throughout - ranging from very good to fair. For example, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" suffers from muffled vocals, and is followed by a very clear, "My Generation". However, the volume is much louder on "My Generation" - and causes you to grab the volume control. The tracks from "Who's Next"/"Lifehouse" sound pretty good, but seem to have some unnecessary compression, which mutes the vocals a bit - except for "Behind Blue Eyes", which is a bit loud, and... might actually improve the song slightly. "Squeeze Box" sounds pretty good, but then the tracks which follow from "Who Are You" sound a little on the thin side.

Overall, most common listeners will enjoy the set, but those who are familiar with some of the better sounding reissues, might compare and ask too many questions...

Note: The UK and USA CDs feature slightly different track listings.

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Then And Now:

What's unique about this CD, is that it marks the band's first new studio tracks ("Real Good Looking Boy" & "Old Red Wine") since the 1991 cover of Elton John's, "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting".

While it seems that a lot of thought went into the very nice packaging, almost no thought went into the sound quality. Unfortunately, the "greatest hits" tracks were sourced from various previously released compilations, and for the most part, they don't blend together - and overall sound terrible. The CD actually starts out with a decent sounding version of "I Can't Explain". However, shortly thereafter, the CD falls apart. Please note the tracks and comments next to them:

Note: See Real Good Looking Boy (Remastered) for step-by-step instructions how to remaster "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine" on your home computer.

Track Listing/Comments:

I Can't Explain (mono) [sounds fine]
My Generation (mono) [sounds fine]
The Kids Are Alright (mono) [short version - sounds fine]
Substitute (mono) [sounds fine]
I'm A Boy (stereo) [overly bright]
Happy Jack (simulated stereo) [sounds OK, but no true mono version is available???]
(All tracks below are in true stereo)
I Can See For Miles [over-modulated]
Magic Bus [harsh/bright sounding]
Pinball Wizard [harsh/bright sounding]
See Me, Feel Me (LOUD MASTERING)
Summertime Blues (single version (?)) [Sounds OK, but compared to the 1995 remixed version on "Live At Leeds" this version is many steps backwards.]
Behind Blue Eyes (LOUD MASTERING)
Won't Get Fooled Again (LOUD MASTERING)
5:15 (LOUD MASTERING and heavy distortion)
Love, Reign O'er Me (LOUD MASTERING)
Squeeze Box (LOUD MASTERING)
Who Are You (LOUD MASTERING)
You Better You Bet (LOUD MASTERING)
Real Good Looking Boy (harsh/brittle mastering)
Old Red Wine (harsh/brittle mastering)

Bonus Tracks (from Japan CD):

Great Shakes (sounds like it was dubbed off of a bootleg - recorded at the wrong speed <too slow>)
Magic Bus (long studio version - a bit on the bright side)
Eyesight To The Blind (alt. vocal version as found on later UK LPs and MFSL CD - excellent sound quality)
Postcard (alt. mix, possible alt. vocal - excellent sound quality)
I Don't Even Know Myself (alt. version - excellent sound quality)

Bonus Tracks (from Singapore CD):

Sparks (studio version from "Tommy" - excellent sound quality)
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (simulated stereo studio version - very good sound quality)
Pictures Of Lily (simulated stereo studio version - very good sound quality, but with dropouts)

2007 UK CD:

Substitutes "Summertime Blues" and "Old Red Wine" (from above) with "Baba O'Riley" and "It's Not Enough"

Instead of feeling the joy and excitement associated with a new Who release - I was left shaking my head in disgust and a suffered a severe, 4-day  earache. I'd like to point out that loud volume doesn't bother me. I love loud, well produced music. However, there's no place for distorted music, especially when the original source wasn't.

Everyone who was involved with producing this CD should hang their head in shame - it's an embarrassment. Perhaps someone can explain why the band took the trouble to create brilliant new music, only to have it ruined by bad mastering? There's no excuse for ANY CD to be released this carelessly.

Because of a mistake by iTunes (www.apple.com), Who fans were able to download the new tunes about 2 weeks ahead of the CD release date. While the MP3 versions of these songs are less detailed than their CD counterparts, they lack any sort of harshness.  Which sadly, is what you might experience by listening to this carelessly compiled album. I recommend downloading the new songs via iTunes, as a viable alternative. As another alternative the UK promo CD single of the two new songs sounds better than this CD as well. However, "Real Good Looking Boy" is edited on the promo.

Note: No sound quality differences between the USA [Geffen], Polydor [UK], Polydor [Japan] and Virgin [Singapore] CDs (except for the [Japan & Singapore] CD's bonus disc as noted above).

Note #2: The Singapore disc is a bit of a quandary - the front cover art says "Polydor", the back cover says "Vigin Records" and the disc face says "Virgin Records" (bad English or bad pirate?). This disc is packaged in a standard jewel case and includes a lyric sheet to many of the songs. The other odd thing is that the disc plays for 86+ minutes! (The disc played fine on 2 different home players, but it wouldn't play on my car stereo.)

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The 1st Singles Box (Promo):

This single CD is a 16 track promo sampler from the 2004 Polydor UK "Singles Box" set (issued both on CD and 7"). Unfortunately, very little of what I listened to on this CD, sounds quite like the original singles and that's not a good thing. These tracks suffer from a combination of loud mastering, simulated stereo and wrong mix and/or versions (all of which varies from track to track). For example, "I Can't Explain" is a loud mastered track, "Bald Headed Woman" is a normal mastered track. The original UK "b" side to "Substitute" was the Who produced version of "Circles", but this CD (and the box set it represents) uses the mono mix of the Shel Talmy version - which was never released with "Substitute" (but was released with "A Legal Matter", as "Instant Party"). Unfortunately, the "count down" of "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3" is edited out of "I've Been Away" (which isn't just a countdown - it's part of the song!). So I have to ask... What is the point of releasing a "singles box set", if you don't use the original singles or something that closely represents them???

Track Listing (as listed on back cover)

I Can't Explain, Bald Headed Woman, My Generation, Shout And Shimmy, Substitute, Circles, I'm A Boy, In The City, Happy Jack, I've Been Away, I Can See For Miles, Someone's Coming, Pictures Of Lily, Doctor Doctor, Pinball Wizard, Dogs Part II, Won't Get Fooled Again, Don't Know Myself, 5:15, Water, Who Are You, Had Enough, Real Good Looking Boy, Old Red Wine

Track Listing (actual)

I Can't Explain, Bald Headed Woman, My Generation, Shout And Shimmy, Substitute, Circles, I'm A Boy, In The City, Happy Jack, I've Been Away, Pictures Of Lily, Doctor Doctor, I Can See For Miles, Someone's Coming, Pinball Wizard, Dogs Part II

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UMe Catalog & Endless Wire Radio Sampler:

Interesting cover art variation of Endless Wire. Nothing particularly note worthy of the track listing. "I Can See For Miles" is the very loud mastered version (you need to turn the volume down when it plays). "Who Are You" is the original edited USA single version with the alternate, who the hell are you lyrics. "Real Good Looking Boy" is the radio edit version which has a "moment of silence" over the "F word". "Happy Jack" is the acoustic version from the A Quick One CD.

Track Listing

My Generation, Happy Jack (Acoustic), I Can See For Miles, Won't Get Fooled Again, Who Are You (Single Edit), Let My Love Open The Door, Giving It All Away, Real Good Looking Boy (Single Edit), Tea And Theatre, It's Not Enough

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The Who Greatest Hits/The Who Greatest Hits & More

Greatest Hits is a best of, which includes the rare single version of "Who Are You" (...who the hell are you... lyrics). The Greatest Hits & More's 2nd disc is a compilation of live tracks from various sources, including a previously unreleased 2007 version of "Man In A Purple Dress". All tracks remastered by Gavin Lurssen

Comments: The Japan pressing of "The Who Greatest Hits & More" includes "Dancing In The Street" (Live At The Spectrum, Philadelphia, 1979) which was previously only available on the 1988, UK & Holland, "Won't Get Fooled Again" EP (12" & CD).

About: The Who Greatest Hits & More   I wanted to compare the live tracks on this CD to the same tracks on the "Greatest Hits Live" CD. I was curious to see if this CD sounded any different.   I first grabbed the Japan CD, since it had the bonus track of "Dancing In The Streets" live from 1979...   Apparently I never played the CD - it was still sealed!   Oddly enough, the "Greatest Hits Live" CD was mastered by Metropolis Studios and this CD was mastered by Gavin Lurssen in California.   I played the live tracks first since the "Greatest Hits Live" CD were fresh in my mind.   Wow! Night and day different! The high frequencies which were absent from the "Greatest Hits Live" was very present on this CD!   What was noticeably different was that this CD had: a) all the high frequencies it should have b) much less compression than the "Greatest Hits Live" CD.   hMMM... you have to wonder - since most of the tracks from "Greatest Hits Live" are on "The Who Greatest Hits & More", why not use the same guy to "finish the job"? (Wouldn't that be less expensive than starting over?)   As you might be aware, most of the Polydor Japan CDs have that phenomenon I refer to as "value added bass". I had a sneaking suspicion that it was present on this CD, so just to confirm... ...I pulled out the UK copy to compare.   Sure enough, the UK pressing sounded even better. The high end sound "crisp" and as a tradeoff - a snad less bass. However, I preferred this CD over the Japan version - even though the Japan CD has the extra track... (Don’t you hate it when that happens?)   I also played the studio tracks on both the UK and Japan CDs. Again, like the live material, the studio songs sounded that much crisper on the UK CD. Both CDs sounded really good, but the UK CD has better and more accurate definition. If only the compression on the live tracks were completely removed, you'd have a much better CD overall...   Worth noting, this CD has the US single version of "Who Are You", which uses the "who the hell are you..." line (instead of the common line...)

Track Listing

Greatest Hits: I Can’t Explain, My Generation, The Kids Are Alright, Substitute, Happy Jack, Pictures Of Lily, I Can See For Miles, Magic Bus, Pinball Wizard, Behind Blue Eyes, Baba O’Riley, Won’t Get Fooled Again, Love Reign O’er Me, Squeeze Box, Who Are You, (USA Single Version), You Better You Bet, Eminence Front, Real Good Looking Boy, It’s Not Enough

Greatest Hits & More: I Can’t Explain (Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium 1971), Substitute (Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium 1971), Happy Jack (Live at City Hall, Hull 1970), I’m A Boy (Live at City Hall, Hull 1970), Behind Blue Eyes (Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium 1971), Pinball Wizard (Live In Swansea 1976), I’m Free (Live In Swansea 1976), Squeeze Box (Live In Swansea 1976), Naked Eye/Let’s See Action/My Generation (Medley) (Live At Charlton Athletic FC 1974), 5:15 (Live At The Capital Centre, Largo 1973), Won’t Get Fooled Again (Live At The Capital Centre, Largo 1973), Magic Bus (Live At Leeds University 1970), My Generation (Live At The BBC 1965), I Can See For Miles (Live At Universal Amphitheatre 1989), Who Are You (Live At Universal Amphitheatre 1989), A Man In A Purple Dress (Live At Nassau Coliseum) 2007

Greatest Hits & More (Japan Pressing): I Can’t Explain (Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium 1971), Substitute (Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium 1971), Happy Jack (Live at City Hall, Hull 1970), I’m A Boy (Live at City Hall, Hull 1970), Behind Blue Eyes (Live at San Francisco Civic Auditorium 1971), Pinball Wizard (Live In Swansea 1976), I’m Free (Live In Swansea 1976), Squeeze Box (Live In Swansea 1976), Naked Eye/Let’s See Action/My Generation (Medley) (Live At Charlton Athletic FC 1974), 5:15 (Live At The Capital Centre, Largo 1973), Won’t Get Fooled Again (Live At The Capital Centre, Largo 1973), Magic Bus (Live At Leeds University 1970), My Generation (Live At The BBC 1965), I Can See For Miles (Live At Universal Amphitheatre 1989), Who Are You (Live At Universal Amphitheatre 1989), A Man In A Purple Dress (Live At Nassau Coliseum 2007), Dancing In The Street (Live At The Spectrum, Philadelphia, 1979)

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The Who Greatest Hits Live

Comments: This CD is comprised of the same live tracks as the above "Greatest Hits & More" with several extra tracks - as noted below.

About: Greatest Hits Live   In 2009 and then 2010, there was a new "Greatest Hits" CD, simply called, "The Who Greatest Hits". Then, later in 2010, the CD was reissued in Europe and Japan as "The Who Greatest Hits & More". Whereas the "more" represented a 2nd CD, of live material. The Japanese pressing took this a step further and added the 1979 "Dancing In The Street" track, which was only previously available on the 1988 "Won't Get Fooled Again" EP.   This was followed up with a "USA Only" release of... "Greatest Hits Live", which took all the live tracks from the "& More" CD and added "more" live tracks (but not the rare "Dancing In The Street")...   I think this release kind of came and went under most folk's radar. I believe I purchased mine at a local BestBuy and I see copies on eBay from time to time...   As I looked at the credits, I saw that Metropolis Studios (one of my favorite studios) did the mastering - and thought that it would be interesting to see how they tackled the sound on the Universal Amphitheatre tracks, which I had previously pointed out had "too much compression" (from the original mastering). Most of the tracks here were issued on either View From A Backstage Pass (i.e. the The Who Live At Hull 1970 tracks have the "Leeds" type mix vs. the "Keith Moon Band" mix on the actual Hull CD release) or Join Together, with the 3 of the remaining 4 tracks from the Encore Series and "Eminence Front" appears to be a unique release...   So, I begin to play the 1st of the 2 CDs and I'm immediately disappointed in the sound... Why? TOO MUCH COMPRESSION. Not only is there too much compression, but the high frequencies are noticeably absent. (i.e. it was so noticeable, that I had to put another CD on my system to ensure that my pre-amp didn’t "pop a tube"). Imagine a painting in a frame and a glass panel protecting the painting. However, the glass panel is tinted, so you can't see all of the artist's true colors. That's sort of what happened here with this excessive compression and high frequency absence. "Magic Bus" from Live At Leeds is one of my favorite tracks from Leeds. On this album, the power of the song was gone and it felt "lazy". I had to stop the CD, because was not what "Magic Bus" was supposed to sound like.   The 1989 tracks were interesting... The mastering added more "bottom end" (which was clearly missing from the Join Together album), but with the extra compression and lack of high frequencies, the tracks sounded weird. You can get a sense of what the music COULD have sounded like, but without the highs and all that compression, why bother???   This mastering had a really odd effect on "The Real Me". Sacks cymbals were trying to "break out" of the compression and sounded very odd...   Probably the least affected track on the CD was "Man In A Purple Dress" - perhaps with just the vocals and acoustic, it fit within the range being targeted here.   I'm usually a big fan of Metropolis, I can't imagine why they would master a CD this way and essentially "kill" it...  (Note: Compare this CD to the live tracks on "The Who Greatest Hits & More")

Track Listing

I Can't Explain (San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, 1971), Substitute (San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, 1971), Happy Jack (City Hall, Hull, 1970), I'm a Boy (City Hall, Hull, 1970), Behind Blue Eyes (San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, 1971), Pinball Wizard (Vetch Field, Swansea, 1976), I'm Free (Vetch Field, Swansea, 1976), Squeeze Box (Vetch Field, Swansea, 1976), Naked Eye/Let's See Action/My Generation Blues (Medley) (Charlton Athletic Football Club, South London, 1974), 5:15 (The Capital Centre, Largo, 1973), Won't Get Fooled Again (The Capital Centre, Largo, 1973), Magic Bus (Leeds University, England, 1970), My Generation (Aeolian Hall, London, 1965), I Can See for Miles (Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 1989), Join Together (Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 1989), Love Reign O'er Me (Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 1989), Baba O'Riley (Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 1989), Who Are You (Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 1989), The Real Me (Watford Civil Hall, Watford, 2002), The Kids Are Alright (Royal Albert Hall, London, 2002), Eminence Front (Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, 2009), A Man in a Purple Dress (Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, 2007) 

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The Studio Albums

Comments: LP Box Set of The Who's Studio Albums (not including "Odds & Sods" or rarity compilations)

My Generation
A Quick One
The Who Sell Out
Tommy
Who's Next
Quadrophenia
The Who By Numbers
Who Are You
Face Dances
It's Hard
Endless Wire

Missing Target:

Comments: Appears one of these quasi-official releases based on copyright expirations.  This is a compilation of audio taken from old videos and previously released bootlegs. Sound quality varies depending on source material.

Track Listing: My Generation, Substitute, Walking' The Dog, Daddy Rolling Stone, I Can't Explain, Pictures Of Lily, A Quick One While He's Away, Happy Jack, I'm A Man, I Can See For Miles, My Generation, Memphis, Tennessee, Substitute, Many With Money, Dancing In The Street, Barbara Ann, Summertime Blues, I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying, You Really Got Me, Pretty Thing 

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The Moon Years

Comments: A compilation of live tracks.

Track Listing:
(Tanglewood Music Center 7/7/70): I Can't Explain, Pinball Wizard, My Generation
(The Spectrum 12/04/73): Won't Get Fooled Again, See Me, Feel Me/Listening To You
(Watch Tower, Houston 11/20/75): Behind Blue Eyes, Substitute, Baba O'Riley, Summertime Blues

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