Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970

Infobox Album
Name = Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Type = Live album
Artist = The Who


Released = 29 October 1996
Recorded = 29 August 1970
Genre = Rock
Length = 112m 19s
Label = Columbia/Legacy
Producer = Jon Astley and Andy Macpherson
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gxfoxqlhldje link]
*Robert Christgau (C+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=the+who link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Not Rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thewho/albums/album/135560/review/5944336/live_at_the_isle_of_wight_festival_1970 link]
Last album = ""
(1996)
This album = "Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970"
(1996)
Next album = ""
(1999)

"Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970" is an official live album by The Who, recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 29 1970 and released by Sony in 1996 along with a corresponding VHS video, which was re-released on DVD in 1998 and remastered in 2004. The DVD is very different from the CD. Differences include very significant cuts in the "Tommy" part of the show and in "My Generation", and, in addition, the video at many parts of the concert is not in sync with the audio.

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.Their extraordinary rendition of "We're Not Gonna Take It/See Me Feel Me" was a highlight of the concert. 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." [Michael Heatley, liner notes from 1996 CD release]

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 "Heaven And Hell", "Substitute", "My Generation", "Magic Bus", "I Can't Explain", and the perennial covers of "Shakin' All Over" and "Summertime Blues".

Track listing

Disc one

All songs were written by Pete Townshend except where noted.
# "Heaven And Hell" (Entwistle) - 5:16
# "I Can't Explain" - 2:45
# "Young Man Blues" (Allison) - 6:06
# "I Don't Even Know Myself" - 6:11
# "Water" - 10:53
# "Overture" - 5:08
# "It's a Boy" - 1:33
# "1921" - 2:27 †
# "Amazing Journey" - 3:19 †
# "Sparks" - 5:10 †
# "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" (Williamson) - 1:58
# "Christmas" - 3:25

Disc two

# "The Acid Queen" - 3:41
# "Pinball Wizard" - 2:50
# "Do You Think It's Alright?" - 0:22
# "Fiddle About" (Entwistle) - 1:15
# "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" - 0:58
# "There's a Doctor" - 0:22
# "Go to the Mirror!" - 3:32
# "Smash the Mirror" - 1:16 †
# "Miracle Cure" - 0:13
# "I'm Free" - 2:24
# "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Moon) - 1:01
# "We're Not Gonna Take It" - 9:37
# "Summertime Blues" (Cochran/Capehart)- 3:24
# "Shakin' All Over / Spoonful / Twist and Shout" (Kidd/ Dixon/ Medley, Russell) - 6:27
# "Substitute" - 2:10 †
# "My Generation" - 7:15
# "Naked Eye" - 6:33 †
# "Magic Bus" - 4:35

†Omitted from concert DVD (except Substitute & Naked Eye which are featured in the special features section).

References