The Who

Many consider The Who to be the best live band ever. Even with the group presently down to only two living original members, the band can still generate amazing energy and a level of music passion that is still hard to equal.

In 1975, the band was, performance wise, at their peak. Reeling from the success of the movie version of "Tommy " earlier that year, the band was a certified stadium-level act at this point. The DVD, “The Who: Live in Texas’ 75,” is a full length performance of a show the band gave at The Summit in Houston in November of 1975.

While as great as The Who’s shows have always been, there was always a risk that drummer, Keith Moon, might have had a bit too many “party favors “ on the day of a show and that could throw a wrench into any concert (as Moon infamously passed out at a Cow Palace concert just two years before this concert).

Fortunately, Moon was healthy and in shape for this gig. Opening with some early hits, “Substitute” and “I Can t Explain,” the band then played their then “new” hit, “Squeeze Box.” Kind of funny to think that the now 37 year old single was actually amongst the quartets new material at the time.

Since the band had last toured the states playing "Quadrophenia" two years earlier (which has been long documented as being a torturous trek for the band), The Who only played a single track from their second rock opera, ”Drowned.” While material form “Quadrophenia” is barely touched upon, the Who perform a very generous 9 song selection from “Tommy.” Roger Daltrey was in angelic voice this night (as he always is), but he really stands out on ”See Me, Feel Me/Listing To You,” – where he rivals his own legendary performance of the song from Woodstock.

Touring in support of the bands “The Who By Numbers” record, The Who pulled out two not often performed cuts: the stellar John Entwistle penned “Dreaming From The Waist” (which features a magnificent bass solo from “The Ox”) and Pete Towshend’s autobiographical “However Much I Booze.” “However Much I Booze” is one of Townshends earliest works where he admits his true feelings about rock star trappings and growing older in the limelight.

There is not a down moment on the DVD and some of the later moments provide legendary Who moments, including a fiery cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and the standard set closing “Won't Get Fooled Again,”

A first rate DVD of the band in is prime. Let’s hope that more releases of The Who from the 70’s are on the horizon.