Name: WHO - NEW YORK 1979 FINALS (4 CD)
SKU: K39688
Availability: InStock

Description

THE WHO – NEW YORK 1979 FINALS(4CD)
Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. USA 17th & 18th September 1979 TRULY PERFECT SOUND

The final two shows of the eventful 1979 MSG5 concert in New York are fully recorded with previously unreleased, high-quality audience recordings. Like the previously released and highly acclaimed “New Jersey 1979” and “New York 1979,” these previously unreleased, ultra-high-quality live recordings are utilised by the JEMS master, which has delighted enthusiasts worldwide. The September 17th concert, clocking in at a whopping 2 hours and 33 minutes, is rumoured to be the most exciting of the five shows and a culmination of the MSG5 days. During “Who Are You” midway through the show, Pete accidentally cut his palm badly on a guitar string, causing a spectacular bloodbath. At the end of the song, Pete retreated backstage, while Roger attempted to bridge the gap with an MC, but the venue erupted in turmoil. This marked the beginning of a nearly nine-minute improvised instrumental. The recording is realistic, with Roger’s harmonica solo followed by a drum solo, a bass solo, a band jam featuring organ, and another drum solo, filling in the gaps in Pete’s absence (Roger plays Pete’s guitar). The audience is enthusiastic and excited, clearly enjoying this unexpected turn of events. Since Pete still hasn’t returned from treatment after the jam, the next track is a rare guitar-less performance of My Generation, with Roger’s voice counting. The jam-style arrangement allows the audience to sing along, and the audience responds enthusiastically to this unexpected turn of events. The song then moves into Magic Bus, with a spontaneous, drum-and-bass-driven feel. Pete finally appears around the two-minute mark, eliciting applause from the crowd. The guitar roars, driving the entire band to a truly moving moment (there’s a tape change cut at 5:47). Pete’s injury was in his palm, not his finger, so once the bleeding was contained, he was able to play guitar without any problems. He continued his energetic performance for over an hour, much to the delight of the audience. Fully recovered, the band launched into a series of tracks: Pinball Wizard, See Me Feel Me, 5.15, and Long Live Rock. After a solid rendition of My Generation, they energetically performed rare covers like Shakin’ All Over, Please Don’t Touch, Sweets For My Sweet, Pretty Vacant, and Cat’s In The Cupboard, creating a truly captivating experience. The sound quality, likely due to the PA system on the day, steadily improved as the show progressed, with the second half of the concert being recorded with exceptional quality. Following Won’t Get Fooled Again, they performed The Real Me, Sparks, Big Boss Man, and finally the new song Dance It Away (their second live performance), delivering a solid set that delivered everything they had. MSG’s final show, on September 18th, was a much shorter one, lasting just under two hours. Perhaps fatigued from the previous day’s accident and a show packed with covers and surprises, the set was simple and standard, with only “I Am An Animal” and “Roadrunner” as the only daily specials. The performance itself was tight, powerful, and fantastic. Roger’s impressive vocals, which showed no signs of fatigue despite the consecutive shows, were truly impressive. However, a problem arose during the fifth track, “My Wife.” The song started off energetically, but just 1 minute 30 seconds in, Pete spotted some trouble in the audience and motioned for the entire band to stop (though he didn’t actually stop completely), and Roger and Pete protested during the song. After the song resumed, the second half of the song was as wild and exciting as ever. After the song ended, Roger can be clearly heard on the microphone asking a woman in the front row to step down so the people behind him could see. The flow is a bit choppy during this section, but otherwise the performance is smooth, powerful, and solid. The second half of the show, featuring My Generation, Dreaming From the Waist, Magic Bus, I Am An Animal, and Won’t Get Fooled Again, rounds out the main set with a solid, well-balanced flow. The encore, featuring The Real Me, Shakin’ All Over, and Roadrunner, powerfully concludes the historic MSG five-day set. While the sound quality on the fourth day is also excellent, the sound quality on this final day is particularly noteworthy, recorded with such clarity and directness that it’s considered the best of the five days, making it the ultimate live take anyone can enjoy. This four-disc press CD is packed with must-listen highlights for fans.

★This is a summary of the review from Beatleg magazine, vol. 113 (December 2009 issue). For your reference.

　This bootleg combines MSG performances from September 17th and 18th, 1979, but let’s start with the 17th, which is arguably the best live performance of the MSG concerts. The sound quality, thanks to the JEMS master, is clear and powerful, recorded from an audience recording source, so it’s at a level that you can expect to hear, but the balance, which makes it sound a little distant, is a bit disappointing. However, there are no major issues with the impact or the individual sounds, so it’s a quality that’s more than enjoyable. While the first half of this concert was certainly exciting, the most notable incident was when Pete performed his customary windmill technique during the performance of “Who Are You,” and slammed his fist into the guitar, resulting in a bloody accident. “Who Are You” itself is so intense you barely notice any bloodshed until the ending. At this point, Pete steps offstage, and Roger, despite requesting a short break, pulls out his harmonica and begins a rare, fully improvised jam session with The Who. What’s fascinating is that the sound that emerges at this juncture is, as expected, deeply rooted in the blues. While jamming on a harmonica inevitably sounds like a blues harp, it’s a fascinating sound that’s not typically heard in The Who. It’s reminiscent of The Who’s earliest music, and even in 1979, 15 years after their debut, it’s fascinating to hear this sound, almost like a deep emotion. It’s a testament to the saying, “The child is as strong as the child.” The jam session itself begins with a harpist playing, followed by a random backing band. Kenny Jones’s drum solo is followed by John’s thumping bass solo, and then the band jams with Rabbit’s organ, but it’s clear that they’re struggling a bit, lacking a theme. It ends there, but Pete still hasn’t returned, so surprisingly, Roger starts counting and singing “People try to put us d-down” a cappella, and then they start “My Generation” without Pete’s guitar. Listening to this scene, it’s clear that Roger still had some control over the band in 1979, but musically, Pete was obviously the driving force. John didn’t care, so it was only natural that Roger would take over, but listening to it live is astonishing. The overly casual “My Generation” left the audience mostly singing along to the main melody, then transitioned straight into a Bo Diddley-esque drum rhythm. As the band drifted into “Magic Bus,” Roger once again hummed “Every day I get in the queue” and “Magic Bus,” getting the audience to sing along. Then Pete returned, instantly increasing the groove. It was fascinating to hear The Who in a driving role. Since it was “Magic Bus,” the band didn’t heat up all at once, but rather tightened up and heated up. Perhaps Pete was frustrated by this, as the second half of the show picked up steam with each song. It seemed as though the band was reaffirming its identity as the Who, thanks to Pete, and playing rock with vigor. The sharp performance of “Pinball Wizard” also influences Kenny Jones’ drumming, “See Me Feel Me” is completely explosive, and the subsequent “5:15” features Rabbit’s piano playing overflowing with dynamism, while Pete’s guitar solo is so aggressive it draws you in. Between “Long Live Rock” and “My Generation,” Pete starts off by cutting his guitar and inciting the band members. Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t approve of “My Generation” in which he wasn’t a part, or perhaps it’s because he wants the audience to hear it properly. The medley fest then began, and while “Shakin’ All Over” played smoothly, Pete launched into Johnny Kidd’s “Please Don’t Touch” with aplomb. The rhythm and guitar cutting riffs echoed the Kinks’ “Louie Louie” riff, but Pete immediately launched into the Drifters’ hit single “Sweets For My Sweet.” Perhaps influenced by the Searchers’ debut single from around the same time, Pete’s influence here is fascinating. Still riveted, Pete continued to develop his own unique sound, even belting out “Pretty Vacant,” a non-Sex Pistols track. He then belted out “Cat’s in the Cupboard,” his second appearance during the MSG concert, before launching into the killer “Lawless World” with a slinky guitar riff. The Who’s fourth day at MSG was a formidable performance, an encore that exploded even more, despite the already exhaustingly heavy live set. They launched straight into the blistering “Sparks” from the blistering “The Real Me,” continuing the guitar without a break. Kenny Jones’s completely clueless drumming sounded truly pathetic, a shame. Many would have thought Keith Moon would have been the better drummer. Still, Pete, undeterred, continued to play the full four-and-a-half minutes of “Sparks” in one go, demonstrating his usual assertiveness. Perhaps this was the moment when he most truly experienced The Who without Keith. However, he showed no signs of it, immersed in an improvisational medley, and Kenny Jones, with some stubborn drumming, launched into the riff of “Big Boss Man.” This is one of the scenes where you can hear the band’s incredible unity, but they also ended the show by screaming their new song “Dance It Away” as if they were going to explode until the very end, giving us an incredible live show full of confidence that truly showed off the new Who. While there are a few cuts, the show is nearly complete, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to listen to it on bootlegs, making this the best MSG performance ever, and a great way to enjoy it in this day and age.

　The September 18th show marked the final day of the memorable MSG5 performances. Despite the excitement of the previous night, perhaps due to fatigue and a mishap, the show was kept short, just under two hours. Whether this was intentional or just a matter of mood is unclear, but listening to the live performance clearly demonstrates a high level of tension, so it’s likely that the previous night was simply an extremely high-energy performance. This performance, recorded from the JEMS master, is perhaps the most stable of the MSG5 performances, as the sound quality is assured. While each performance is an excellent source, it’s difficult to rank them, but the consistency is easy to listen to, and the powerful sound is also quite impressive. The strange thing about the JEMS master is the complete absence of unnecessary noise. While clapping and roaring are usually present, these distracting elements are completely absent, and the presence of the audience’s cheers, which sound almost like an official recording, makes the live recording even more enjoyable. One highlight of the night was the unexpected “Dreaming From the Waist,” which also emerged from a “My Generation” medley. While Pete, John, and Roger certainly sounded like they were playing normally, Kenny Jones’s drumming here felt unfamiliar, somewhat diminishing the song’s impact. The new Who played this song quite frequently, from their debut gig in May 1979 through their Euro tour, and it seems they were quite fond of it, but listening to the bootleg discs calmly left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. This was something I finally realized at this concert, perhaps reflecting the contrast between the intense energy of the front three and that of Kenny Jones. Another example of Pete’s self-indulgence was his solo rendition of “I Am An Animal,” a track from one of his solo albums. While it was a brief break, it didn’t feel quite right, perhaps contributing to the overall lack of flow. Perhaps that’s why, after the encore, instead of a medley starting with “The Real Me,” they awkwardly launched into “Shakin’ All Over” after a pause. It didn’t sound like they were fully engaged, and I’m sure it wasn’t just my imagination. The same vibe carried over to “Roadrunner,” which continued with a somewhat listless vibe, and the show ended with a bang. It wasn’t a bad show, of course, but as I mentioned at the beginning, the compactness of the performance, due to fatigue and unexpected events from the night before, somehow made it feel like a fitting finale. In any case, I’m grateful for this package, which undoubtedly allows me to fully enjoy the first leg of the turbulent 1979 US tour, which began in New Jersey and concluded with all the MSG shows.

★Originally released in November 2009. 16 years ago, this is still the definitive version of the final two MSG shows from 1979!!

★A miraculous and super-excellent master sound source that can only be described as JEMS.

Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. USA 17th September 1979

Disc 1
1. Intro. 2. Substitute 3. I Can’t Explain 4. Baba O’Riley 5. The Punk And The Godfather
6. Boris The Spider 7. My Wife 8. Sister Disco 9. Behind Blue Eyes 10. Music Must Change
11. Drowned 12. Who Are You 13. Harmonica/Drum/Bass Solo

Disc 2
1. My Generation 2. Magic Bus 3. Pinball Wizard 4. See Me Feel Me 5. 5.15 6. Long Live Rock
7. My Generation 8. Shakin’ All Over 9. Please Don’t Touch 10. Sweets For My Sweet
11. Pretty Vacant 12. Cat’s In The Cupboard 13. Won’t Get Fooled Again 14. The Real Me
15. Sparks 16. Big Boss Man 17. Dance It Away

Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. USA 18th September 1979

Disc 3
1. Intro. 2. Substitute 3. I Can’t Explain 4. Baba O’Riley 5. The Punk And The Godfather
6. My Wife 7. Sister Disco 8. Behind Blue Eyes 9. Music Must Change 10. Drowned

Disc 4
1. Who Are You 2. 5.15 3. Pinball Wizard 4. See Me Feel Me 5. Long Live Rock 6. My Generation
7. Dreaming From The Waist 8. Magic Bus 9. I Am An Animal 10. Won’t Get Fooled Again
11. The Real Me 12. Shakin’ All Over 13. Roadrunner

Pete Townshend – Guitar, Vocals Roger Daltrey – Vocals, Harmonica
John Entwistle – Bass, Vocals Kenney Jones – Drums John Bundrick – Piano, Keyboards

Howie Casey – Saxophone Reg Brooks – Trombone Dave Caswell – Trumpet