Live At Leeds

why the fuck are live albums on here

Distilled into 6 cuts (3 of which aren’t even their own songs) ‘Live At Leeds’ is 37 minutes of awesome unrestrained destructive bluesy hard rock power with not an ounce of fat or filler. While the expanded versions of this record released over the years are still great and give context to the rest of the Leeds gig, it’s still the concise original released version that represents the Who at their absolute best live.

After the last Who album (a 5 for me), of course I would like more. But a live album isn't something I need, especially when there are studio albums with these same songs available. I've looked ahead at albums on this list, and I was annoyed to see that for three legendary black artists--James Brown, Sam Cooke, and B.B. King--we only get one album each, and it's a live album. Not sure why, hopefully they really are worthy of classic status. But I don't think this one is, especially considering there are four studio albums from the Who on the list. That being said, this is still pretty good. Of course they're talented, the songs are great, but live albums just aren't my thing. Some lame banter on here that would be fine at a concert but I'm sitting at home. Inevitably I loved some performances, especially "My Generation," but as a whole, I could do without this. Maybe I'd have liked it more if I listened to just the 37 minute version originally released on vinyl. Favorite tracks: My Generation, Amazing Journey, Happy Jack. Album art: Charming simplicity. I would never buy this, but a blank cardboard cover is intriguing. A brown bagger. 3.5/5

Like The Who and the tracks in the album, but live albums are terrible.

Absolutely brilliant. Usually not into live albums, but The Who absolutely smashed it out of the park here. Really cohesive sound. Some of my favorites from the album included Young Man Blues, Shakin' All Over, and Heaven and Hell. I really enjoyed that you can hear during the endings and beginnings of some of the tracks. Makes you feel like you're there. I wonder if they knew they were witnessing the recording of one of the greatest live albums of all time.

If The Who were live, why did Keith Moon die?

Live albums shouldn't be in the list. That being said, this rocks straight out of the gate. Moon is all over the place on the kit, Townshend does his thing well. Vocals all seem a bit too clean, but not sure how much studio magic there was back then. Either way, it sounds really good. Can't hear the crowd except between songs, but that's kinda what I'd expect from a real live album, and there's a good bit of banter. I know a few tracks but also a lot of it was new to me. I enjoyed this way more than expected. Didn't realise I liked the Who this much lol. Only criticism is that the version I have on Spotify is too long. 1hr 17min is too much in one go if you're not obsessed with a band. 4/5.

eh not a big fan of The Who

When you think of great live albums, Live At Leeds is always in the conversation. Not only did the Who release excellent studio records, they were an amazing live band. I had this on cassette back in the early 80's and it got to many listens, I wore out the tape. I thought at the time, I wish the album was longer and there must have been other songs during the set. After listening to the deluxe edition that contained the whole concert, I take back my earlier concerns. The whole show which was during the "Tommy" era, contained lots of songs from that record, which is fine, but it loses some of it's energy. I can now see why the original Live At Leeds album was edited down, it's so much more powerful and dynamic with the shorter track list and it remains (to me anyways), a landmark live album. (I would give the deluxe edition 4****)

Listening to this album makes you wish you were in the room - and it gets you close enough to smell the burning dust inside the hiwatt amplifier stacks - the sweat flying off Daltreys tambourine and feeling Moons constant kick drum thumping right in your chest - it’s definitely one of the best live albums ever released

I love The Who but not this live album

I don't really like The Who. And this recording doesn't sound great either. Maybe they were one of the best live bands ever, but that's not captured here. Live albums were such a weird fad, and seem very 70s. What's the point? Shitter sound than the studio and really doesn't capture the vibe of a gig. The "funny" story about the girl guide and the pedo train driver has not aged well

Having trouble getting my head round this, so I’ll fling fragments out instead. Seeing The Who play Live Aid on tv was my first formative rock experience, followed by watching a long-lost vhs documentary about them. I also saw them live playing what I’ve learned was a travesty, but this pre-teen’s face was slayed. This is the only record of theirs I like a lot. Albini said something along the lines that they are unique in being a great band that put out mostly crap; this performance underlined that. I would not voluntarily listen to many, maybe most of their originals on this record, but I happily blasted the whole thing at volume today. Suspect it’s something to do with Entwhistle and his deranged, almost drunk meandering. An acquaintance once described The Who as inverting the usual rhythm/lead divide: here, the drums and bass go all over the place, while Townshend holds the songs together. The Who are a weird band. The sleazy songs aren’t pleasant, but they are interesting, a very middle-class English mode of creepiness that Townshend seemed to revel in. Keith Moon’s cymbals irritated my brain for the first song and a half until I managed to mentally dial them down. Their great songs are among the best rock ever made, and the brutal panache of the band carries the rest. How else could I bear to listen to more than a minute of rock opera?

Who the fuck starts an extended Album with the extra songs?

I am not a fan of Live albums so this may be rough. I love, love The Who but I just can't get down with Live albums

I have never heard any of these songs.

Nice, solid live performance from The Who. I, of course, only listened to the original tracklist, which is relatively short. The tracks are all fire though, and this is the band in its best lineup, so it's a blast.

One of the best live albums. Would recommend the deluxe edition that had the whole show packed into it, but the original vinyl track list is still worth a shot

I don’t really love live albums. This one was no exception. It was fine.

This was a really good live album. A good collection of their earlier stuff, we'll mixed, and well performed. 5/5

Live at Leeds Another band I had a period of obsession with about 15-20 years ago. I bought the deluxe edition of this on CD when it was released, and I think the CD versions with 14+ songs have become the de facto versions, rather than the original 7 track release. The deluxe version is over two hours long and includes almost the whole of Tommy, and while that’s worth a listen, the other tracks either side of that are on the standard CD release are the most essential, particularly the versions of Heaven and Hell, I Can’t Explain, Young Man Blues, Substitute and the medley strewn My Generation. And of course there are the versions of A Quick One While He’s Away and Magic Bus, which are both thrillingly, transcendently brilliant, especially that moment when Moon first comes smashing in on Magic Bus at around the 3.21 mark. In fact you probably could just listen to these two tracks and ignore the rest and you’d get the idea, and why this is always heralded as one of the best live albums of all time They do sound incredibly powerful and exciting, right at the peak of the original line-ups' live powers. Also I don’t think the audience were mic'd up, so the crowd noise is almost non-existent during the songs, so you can really hear the alchemy of their playing. Moon is relentless, I know he would have been aided by some substances and would have built up ‘match fitness’ from being on tour but it is incredible how he maintains so much energy from start to end. Entwhistle is obviously a great bassist, but you can really get a sense of their performance dynamic, as he’s somewhere between lead bassist and rhythm guitarist, while Townshend is somewhere between rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist. Townshend really is great on here, showing what an excellent, versatile and clever player he is, oscillating between different volumes and tones and anchoring the whole thing with some semblance of structure. Dan I’m sure you’ll know much more about this but from my cursory reading it seems his set up enabled him to switch between tones and sounds just using his volume knob? Sometimes on record Daltrey’s voice can be a little grating, but here he’s in his element, having to compete with the cacophony the rest of the band were making probably bought out the best in his voice, and he mixes the shouting and screaming with some more delicate tones too. As always it’s kind of tricky to rate live albums, like the Cash ones and the Jerry Lee Lewis one. The original release misses some of the best stuff, A Quick One While He’s Away most prominently, and the CD releases are pretty long, so it can feel a bit like you are being pummeled in the head by Entwhistle and Moon. Having said that, if you are going to listen to a live album, you may as well listen to this, and whichever version you listen to, the energy and visceral thrill of their live prowess is undeniable, so it would feel churlish not to give it a 5. 🚌🚌🚌🚌🚌 Playlist submission: Between Magic Bus and A Quick One, While He’s Away. I’ll go Magic Bus.

Loved this album back when I was 16 or so. Think it was the first Who cd I gave any meaningful listen to. Still fantastic. I forget how fun they were in addition to being incredible musicians. Shame Daltrey became such a miserable tit. Fav. Lyric: "Substitute you for my mum. At least I'll get my washing done".

70's Math: Skip class + smoke joint + stereo at 10 + Magic Bus from Live at Leeds = Failure No Supplement on your transcript. Five star memories of a 4star or B+ album.

Never heard this before even though I have seen the Who live and like their studio work. This is a great album. The individual musicianship is all high but superlatives cannot describe Moon. Surely a man who was born to die young. If not from the drugs, then surely from exhaustion! perhaps the legend wouldn't have been so great had he lived, because the man surely couldn't have continued to drum with this energy into his 40s. Extraordinary

Somehow, Live At Leeds is my favorite album by The Who. I do not say this about a lot of bands/artists (in fact, i have pretty much never said it until now) but i genuinely think that The Who's live performances are better than their studio albums if the albums i have listened to in both fields are anything to go off of. I feel that The Who is not exactly the best when it comes to producing their albums so this album not really having any production at all actually sorta helps it. The songs here all generally have a fun, raw sound which i really like and the album never got tedious due to it's short length. This is one of the better live albums i have looked at for this project. Best Song: Magic Bus Worst Song: Substitute

Always though the who is a bit overrated because although great music and musicians in my opinion (and Im a fan), I think they were a live band to see more than an album to listen to (exception of Tommy). Everytime I listen to them I am proven wrong, cause I like them more and more every year. This although short album its very powerful and heavy, you can here their live magic and the public witnessing the concert. They have to be talked in the greatest rock bands ever. Moon was a force and Pete is a bonafide genius.

a really good live album! Songs like the my generation medley and magic bus make it a fun listen. They take a little while to get warmed up, so songs like tattoo are not my favorite. Overall, I can thoroughly jam out to this record.

Exceptional live record capturing some of The Who’s best, pre-Who’s Next work, but I would be remiss if I failed to mention their performance of “A Quick One While He’s Away” from The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus. It’s the definitive version of the song and outpaces the version found here on Live at Leeds. It very well may be the greatest live performance ever captured on film and you should check it out over on YouTube.

Capacity of University of Leeds Refectory: 2,100. Excellent intimate session with The Who in top form. 5/5 live album, 4/5 on-stage banter.

Don't try to reconstruct the original album release from what's currently available on streaming. Doing so adds 6+ minutes of banter that kills the original flow. Reconstructed 6 song playlist gets only 2 stars IMO. Original LP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MmguY2Cwzk

i feel bad cuz everything i read thinks of this as one of the greatest live albums ever and it is pretty cool dont get me wrong ... i just dgaf :(

I enjoyed this much more than the last album. Live Who is much better than album Who.

ok

I like The Who, but I'm not really sure they shine as a live band.

No offense to the Who, but if I am running a best albums list, I would not include any live albums because that is duplicative. I listened to a few of my favs and they sound just as fine as the regular album. Why this is on this list makes no sense. Also that is a very bland album cover.

Klingt für mich alles ziemlich gleich. Aber nicht schlecht das ganze. Lieder mit 15min sind aber ne Frechheit. Egal von wem sie kommen. Besser als Bowie wars aber

Sounds pretty good for a live album; it's still The Who though, so the songs aren't up to much and are pretty long without much of interest happening [edit: "I Can't Explain" rocks, fair enough. Still a 2 though]

1.5

I used to like The Who, but I listen to the lyrics now and realize that the worldview idealized in their times is today's reality, and it's total degeneracy crap, so screw that.

Wasn’t feeling this. Possibly bc the last album was cheap trick live 🤷‍♂️

Not really my style, too many guitar solos

Too noisy for me

Not really my cup of tea, a bit ploddy

Couldn't finish it

Ik hou niet zo van live albums

Ik had erbij moeten zijn.

Summer Time blues and Magic bus were catchy but not into the unknowns songs. They are talented and so impressed they stayed together as a band. But it’s not my first choice (or10th) of their music style.

Hay más discos en directo en esta lista de los que habría pensado. No soy un gran fan de los discos en directo, si has ido al concierto o uno parecido es genial. Algunas veces hacen versiones o cambios interesantes pero en general no me convencen. En este caso tampoco, prefiero sus discos normales.

just couldn't get excited about it, tuned out fairly quickly

I love the Who. I hate live albums. The sound quality is awful even though this is one of the best albums.

Live At Leeds is just a 'substitute' for another album. I like The Who but I don't feel this belongs on 1001 albums when they have plenty of fantastic studio albums already on the list and with duplicate tracks no less. Needless to say, very disappointed.

Garbage

Never liked The Who, never liked live recodsings

very unremarkable

great, I’ve now listened to Who songs other than My Generation and Baba O’Riley, and can with confidence say that I still only know those two songs.

Jeg HADER rock

So müssen sich mitt-50er beim grillen fühlen, dann sagen sie: Das ist eben noch echte Musik gewesen. Sowas gibts heutzutage einfach nichtmehr! Ja warum wohl? Weil alles gleich klingt und langweilt. Natürlich fehlt auch hier nicht eine 15minuten Bullshit Live version von irgendeinem Lied, das man auf halbem weg nicht mehr erkennt. 1* würde es nie wieder hören, ich hasse rock.

I'm finding it difficult to get through this one. I don't really like the heavy electric guitar, and I find the songs really repetitive.

So many familiar songs so good

terrible album

I remember hearing this one for first time (the original 6 track version). I had been only familiar with the band's studio work by then, and I just couldn't believe how ferocious and powerful their live performances were. I still can't believe it. It is also noteworthy to mention that this is probably the moment when Roger Daltrey fully came into his own as a vocalist.

Unlike some of the reviews I loved that this was a live album. I actually listened to the extended version which goes for almost an hour and a half I loved the rawness of it, the wild guitar solos and revelled in the difference between the live performance and studio recordings of their hits.

Pure rockers. Not all my favorites but they would have been so fun live.

An excellent live album.

This is another exception to the general rule that I do not like Live albums. It rattles and hums and screams and absolutely blows your head off. I listened to the original release, not the extended versions with all the extra tracks, and what you get there is a perfectly condensed shot of the raw power of The Who in their prime. The hardest, rawest blues rock of this or any era.

Epic

The Who has had a strong musical influence growing up

As someone who considers Deep Purple's Made In Japan as the pinnacle of live recordings and who was raised on 1970s and early '80s 'double lives' like Live and Dangerous and Strangers in the Night, it can be difficult to know how to react to Live at Leeds. Which version are we listening to? For 25 years the only version of the album was the original. It is undoubtedly great but, at 37 minutes, 6 tracks, only 3 of which are Who originals, it is not really a representation of a Who show. It is a snapshot. It is powerful. But it leaves you wanting more. The vinyl equivalent of coitus interruptus. I am not sure what the logic was for choosing the original 6 songs. In 1995 we got a CD which doubled the running time and restored the wonderful, heavy rock cacophony of the John Entwistle sung, "Heaven and Hell". The Who enter like a thunderstorm, the bass rumbling ominously, the drums clattering all over the place like only Keith Moon's could, Townsend's power chords crashing exclamation points. It is powerful and breathtaking. The re-release adds other songs which increases the enjoyment level, but only a short teaser from Tommy in "Amazing Journey/Sparks". 2001 brought the full gig, 33 songs, with the full performance of Tommy on the second disc, even though this meant the running order was broken. My favourite version (I own several) is my 3-record vinyl version which has the whole gig in order. If I am completely honest, each of the longer versions dips a little in "A Quick One, While He's Away" and you don't always want to hear Tommy in full. So choice is a good thing. The original 37 minutes distils the energy and power but, listening to what else was in the can, could easily have done the same thing as a double. That said, Made in Japan was seen as a risk only two years later. In any case, any version, Live At Leeds is a time capsule, capturing one of the greatest rock bands of all time at the height of their powers.

Right, so Keith Moon just goes particularly apeshit during this gig then? Daltrey's vocals sound exactly like the studio after the first track as well.

Four guys that never got along joined to make great rock-n-roll in spite of themselves. Brilliant!

An excellent record—one of the best live albums ever recorded in rock history. This performance hits like a sledgehammer—heavier than what The Who typically played or was known for. It's amazing how Pete Townshend’s guitar manages to fill every space, soloing and laying down rhythm at the same time, all with great weight and taste. And that praise extends to the whole band. Sometimes it’s hard to believe there are only four musicians on stage. In short, a raw and visceral live recording that even reveals a heavier side of the band compared to what we're used to hearing on their studio albums. -------------------------------- Excelente disco, um dos melhores ao vivo já gravados na história do Rock. Esse registro é uma paulada, é de um peso acima do que o The Who estava, e sempre esteve, acostumado a executar. É incrível como a guitarra de Pete Townshend consegue preencher todos os espaços, solando e faze a base simultaneamente, tudo com muito peso e bom gosto. E esse elogio se estende a todos. Às vezes fica até difícil de acreditar que são somente 4 músicos no palco. Em suma, um ao vivo cru e visceral, que parece até mesmo mostrar uma faceta mais heavy dessa banda em relação ao que estamos acostumados a ouvir em seus álbuns de estúdio.

Oh my god.

One of the Masterpieces Love the who and the live version is amazing

Taking only 6 songs from such a long set feels so funny, as it really feels like a sampler. The quality of the recording is just amazing, even to this day. You can clearly hear every instrument and has a perfect mix with the vocals, as well. The entire band was completely on point, and the songs are just classic. And the banter is funny and entertaining. I just think it would have been better with at least 2-3 more songs on the original release. It's hard to not give it a 5, but I do wish I could give it a 4.5 due to it being too short and just not feeling as complete as I think it should - even with the extended My Generation, which is cool but still not the same as if there were just more songs.

One of the best live albums ever. The remaster with the full Tommy included is the way to go. It's pure rock fury. "A Quick One" is a masterpiece.

By the early 1970s, live albums in rock music were going the same way as studio albums: as an act of musical expression increased solely by documents of the strongest performances eked out of certain songs and enhanced by a rapturous audience. No live album fits that description better than Live at Leeds. Sure, there are prime examples from this time period that may attempt to dwarf this album's purpose. But those were attempts. They may mark a moment in a band's trajectory where they were at a pinnacle but they would not match up to the sheer ferocity of three dynamos and a steady ox. This is the moment where The Who is captured amidst the peak of their powers, where they'd not let up until an untimely end. It's exhilarating, it's an endurance test, it's The Who.

great

c'mon

Ohhhhhh how my heart has been stolen

Perfect Live!

Why shouldn't live albums be on the list? This one certainly deserves its place. I was already going to give this a 5 having listened to it sober, but I relistened to it drunk and want to give it 6 stars.

Furious I had to listen to a vinyl rip of this on YouTube, but astounded at the quality of both the rip, and the album itself. For a recording from 1970, I'm immensely impressed with the sound quality. The guitar and drum work on this thing are fucking off the charts. Emphasis on the guitar work. My Generation was absolutely peak and I was genuinely blown away by the instrumentals. I usually tend not to favour live albums favourably, but this doesn't even sound like one. Just an incredible listen start to finish. Genuinely this is probably one of my favourite live performances I've ever heard, just from first listen. Fuck me. I had no idea The Who put it on like that. Currently sitting at a trifecta of 5's. Can't wait for some more Britpop today to even things out!!

The only versions available on Spotify are the expanded and deluxe versions. Just give me the original release instead of making me cobble it together. Everyone who dumps on George Lucas for going back and fucking with the original Star Wars movies should think about why they're complaining because bands have been doing this for just as long with reissues and special edition albums. That being said, this album and No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith show the quality of live recordings that can be possible. Young Man Blues is good. The Who has to be The Ramones favorite band. I like this Who better than My Generation Who. I think 70s rock is most superior to 60s rock, maybe the Stones are the only band that I like their 60s stuff better. Maybe there is a cutoff in the 60s now that I'm thinking about it. Pre-67? Ending the album on two super long versions of songs is a risky move although so far I like this version of My Generation better than the studio album version. There's nothing not to like about this version except that it plays better live than as a super extended cut of one song on an album. You can definitely hear what came next for the Who. Pete Townshend is really on it in this one. Why would anyone listen to the studio version of Magic Bus. This version is vastly superior.

It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to this album all the way through. I don’t remember so many cover songs. I don’t remember all the talking during the concert. But the quality of recording is awesome. And the drumming with Keith Moon was always phenomenal. One of the best live albums ever.

Always found this one overrated from previous listens but gave it another chance and also listened to some of the tracks from the extended edition and found more to enjoy here. They were clearly a legendary live act and you get a taste here.

KEITH MOON DRUMMING!!! One of the best live albums start to stop, not a bad song in the whole album. Sound production is top notch. Entwhistle’s bass is on fire! Fave tracks: I can’t explain, a quick one while he’s away, young man blues, substitute

Nice Albums

Of course The Who get a 5 for everything they do!

It took me a while to listen to this album because it did not have a lot of songs, much less hit songs, by the Who on it. Regretfully, it took too long because this is a really great live album. I can see where there is an issue with a live album being in the book, except this album does not replicate other songs that are already represented. In fact, there is a bizarre lack of The Who in here. Who's Next isn't even in this book, instead their first album and The Who Sellout are in here. I listened to the expanded edition of this album because Spotify only has that available and do not regret it. Live albums do not necessarily deserve to be in this book and it's hard to justify a live album that does not have many hits on it. This one is worth the listen though.

very awesome

Awesome. Incredible live sound from artists in their prime at the top of the rock pyramid

Many say this is the best live album ever. It's good but I wouldn't say best. Not my ideal Who set list but still good. The rhythm section is powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline

Original 1970(!) LP track listing is great - 5 star, love the live sound, play it LOUD Side one "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) – 4:52 "Substitute" – 2:23 "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capehart, Eddie Cochran) – 3:27 "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) – 4:24 Side two "My Generation" – 14:47 "Magic Bus" – 7:50 Later expanded, then deluxe reissues get overwhelming, too much of a good thing, don’t bite off more than you can chew - 4/3 star Not sure which album we are meant to be rating, I’m going with the original.

Hands down, the greatest live album of all time. (Search for my Spotify playlist with the original 6-song version.) Liked Songs Added: Fortune Teller* Young Man Blues Substitute Summertime Blues Shakin' All Over My Generation/Medley Magic Bus *Extended Version

Great album

Liked track 4, 5.

This was my formal introduction to The Who. I'd heard "Who Are You," and that's about where it ended at the time. My dad had this album when he was in high school, and when I was in high school it was re-released, including the entire set they played at Leeds. This was new. Until this point, only the six-track version of the show was officially released. So my dad bought it on iTunes and shared it with me. I ran with it. I listened to this thing front and back and front and back and again and again and again until I knew ever nuance, every inch of every track. I knew all the little jokes and banter between songs, most of Pete's ridiculously long introduction to "A Quick One While He's Away," the timing of the back and forth in "Magic Bus," and more. So much more. I'm confident that I can say that if you searched my entire city, maybe my entire state that you would not find anyone as well-versed in this album as me. That might be hyperbole, but you know what I'm saying - I love this album. I was conflicted about which version to listen to for this project. I settled on listening to the vinyl version I have for the first time, and then supplementing with my favorite tracks from the expanded version. I consider that a full-enough listen for this. Anyway, a review. The sheer amount of raw energy, musicianship, and hard work displayed on this album is astounding. It's four guys. Only three of them are playing heavily amplified instruments. So why do they sound like a full eight-piece band? It's insane. Townshend's guitar playing is completely full of this incredibly manic-but-under-control energy and sound that completely melts your face. His solos here are completely insane. Why he isn't considered one of the best guitarists of all time is beyond me. Entwhistle's bass is, as always, what really fills out that Who live sound, that gives it that weight and helps it feel bigger than it should. Daltrey's voice is in peak form here, and it's such a delight to be able to hear him absolutely destroy line after line. And then there's Moon. If Townshend is manic-but-under-control, Moon is just manic. I have copied so many licks he uses on this album that I probably could be sued for plagiarism if it were allowed. He's an absolute god and you need only listen to this album to understand why. That's the thing about The Who - they're four musicians who each are some of if the very best at what they do. And this album is exhibit A as to why and how. If you didn't listen to the entire thing, I really encourage you to do so. It's mind-boggling. Five stars. Couldn't have been easier. Standout Tracks (from the full version): Heaven and Hell, Young Man Blues, A Quick One, While He's Away, Magic Bus, Overture, Amazing Journey, Sparks, Eyesight to the Blind, The Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard

Fun! Makes it easy when they're playing their best, I imagine, but they seem a lot better Live than in the albums I've listened to so far. 'Amazing Journey / Sparks - Live / Medley' was my fave from this set!

I usually roll my eyes when I see critical reviews like “best live rock album” But holy shit they were right. It’s so fucking good.

Damn. This was great. I feel crazily stupid for never checking this out before.