Review of Who, The: Live In Boston

Introduction

People try to put us down
Just because we get around
Things they do look awful cold
I hope I die before I get old

So wrote Pete Townshend in 1965, and so started The Who. And they are still going, although without Keith Moon (who really did die before he got old), and John Entwistle who died on the eve of the tour that is featured on this DVD. Zak Starkey has taken over drumming duties, long time session artist Pino Palladino took over Entwistle`s bass. This concert was recorded on 26th July 2002, and the set list is up above.

Video

It`s yet another bog standard full-frame concert transfer. It`s a 1.33:1 affair, and this is a shame as the concert was only filmed 2 years ago. Hard to believe that it wasn`t filmed in widescreen. As you might expect from a Who concert, there are some men on stage, playing instruments. There are some lights. There`s a crowd. It`s not really that exciting to watch.

But it`s all about the sound, not the visuals, so you can forgive the fact that it`s not all that exciting to look at.

Audio

A choice of 2 soundtracks in ascending order of quality, DD2.0 stereo or DD5.1. However, neither of these mixes are the greatest in the world. The stereo sounds average, and the DD5.1 mix concentrates mostly on the front three channels, with quite a lot of sound from the centre channel. A few guitars escape to the left and right channels, and some audience sound makes it into the rears.

With so many fantastic music DVDs out there nowadays, it`s a bit of a let down when discs are just average. There`s nothing that will put you off listening, it just could have been a lot better when you compare the sound with other releases.

Features

A couple of interesting interviews with Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, who talk about the tour featured here, the loss of Entwistle, and the new band members. Interesting to hear them talk frankly on these subjects.

There`s also a gallery of artwork by John Entwistle, featuring his drawings of fellow band members as well as Clapton, Page, Hendrix and members of the Stones.

Conclusion

Another music DVD brings another predictable end to a review. If you`re a fan of The Who then this DVD will interest you. If you don`t like their work, this won`t change your mind. The songs are somewhat of a mixed bag for the more casual fan. Substitute, Who Are You, Pinball Wizard and My Generation are the only songs on here that I`d listen to again.

So if you are a big Who fan, then you might want to make a purchase. The visuals are uninspiring but technically fine. The sound is ok to listen to but could have been so much more with the right person at the mixing desk. The extras are ok, with the interviews being worth a watch.

There are a lot more Who DVDs out there, and if you own a recent one like Live At The Royal Albert Hall (recorded in 2000) then you might give this one a miss. If you can pick it up cheap it might be worth a look if you want a record of the "new Who".