Live At Leeds

Eh, I like My Generation. Most of the songs are pretty goofy, and I bet this show would be great in person. Just not the most enjoyable listen.

Sounds dated now but modern for its time. They're great live musicians, Moons drumming so powerful yet so tight. Pete Townsends talking between songs sounds like dialog from a 1960s Michael Caine Movie.

eh

The strength of this album is almost less about the music and more about the fury and bombast of it. To some degree, I forgot how weird this band was/is. A lot of this set a certain pathway for punk and the influence on those early Rush recordings is also pretty obvious.

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?

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]

Odd 6 song selection especially considering 3 are covers. It does showcase The Who’s ability live

naja

I’m frustrated about this album. I disagree with other posters—I think there are some live albums that absolutely deserve to be on this list: Johnny Cash’s “At Folsom Prison,” or Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged” for two. I don’t think “Live at Leeds” is one of them. I first got into The Who in seventh grade, primarily through “Tommy,” “Who’s Next,” and a greatest hits album. So for my birthday, my stepfather gave me a copy of “Live At Leeds.” I remember eagerly placing it in my boombox and being so disappointed. In fact, this album turned me off Live albums as a whole for a while. It’s not that The Who do a bad job—they play well (Keith Moon in particular shines). But I don’t think the album captures the excitement of a live performance well, and so we just end up with worse sounding rehashes of songs that we already know. The blues covers are interesting, but not worth the price of admission. Listening to it again, it’s not a bad album, but it just shouldn’t be on this list. I don’t really understand why it’s considered one of the greatest live albums of all time (except for the fact that The Who is one of the greatest bands of all time). And with 4 other albums on this list, it’s not like they’re poorly represented. And there are so many versions with different track lists, I have no idea which one is on this list. And the banter isn’t even particularly interesting. I’m frustrated! A part of me wants to give it a 2, but if I’m being realistic, a 2 would be unfairly punishing this album for the anguish it caused me at 13 (also, I can’t bear to do that to The Who). But I can’t justify higher than a 3.

Enjoyed it,, but it did feel a bit flat. Maybe to do w/ having it on in the background.

Not the best, but I did enjoy several tracks. I was also inspired to listen to Tommy again.

Didn’t really listen to The Who in younger years but a few of their songs I really enjoyed and recognized. Good live album and definitely has the rock/band sound of 70’s for teen youth.

I liked the second half more than the first. I think the live version probably appeals more to people who know The Who already.

Awesome live album

Great songs, I personally prefer the studio versions!

Good! I didn't pay too much attention to it all the time but I enjoyed it when I did lol it's worth another listen

What?

Ongs very good at what they do just not my thing

Not very into live albums. Songs were decent though

Not a huge fan of live albums, the banter was quite jokes mid songs Solid rock songs 3/4****

It's fine honestly. Nothing really stood out. 3/5.

I really loved this album, half of the whos song and half covers I thought was a very good mixture for a summary of the two concerts (theres also an extended deluxe edition with more songs added (such as 'tattoo' for example)). The drum work by keith moon was also extremely impressive and powerful, and there was an outstanding amount of sound and detail for only 4 people. I was also quite surprised to find a live album on this list, but it is a very nice addition

Doesn’t add anything to the who cannon imo

just kinda like old school rockish type stuff its prob good but also ive heard its like a lot so kinda boring idk

Woods was a beast!

Many 70s rock bands would throw their hat in the ring and make the live album with the really long songs, but this one I actually cared about. Maybe because the songs are actually really good or maybe that the band actually have some real energy or charisma. Since this is about as good as live albums get, the only real critique I can have is that I really don't feel live records belong on here. Isn't this list supposed to be compiling the best album statements ever, rather than just good sets of songs? Feels a bit cheap.

Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: The Byrds - So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star The Who - Sparks Big Brother & The Holding Company - Down on Me The Police - Next To You Paul McCartney - Smile Away

Good album

Fine background music. Nothing stood out. 2/5

i'm a super negative nancy about live albums -- i generally believe that they are the purview of superfans and shouldn't be peddled to the general 1001 album public -- but this one was pleasant.

fine i suppose. it's a 75-minute live album (yes i know it's iconic but still) with some decent hits and a bunch of random songs in between. it's a bit early in the who's career to have all the massive hits but there will be a few recognizable ones here. however, the live album format just doesn't really add anything. there's a bit of banter but that's about it. fine album but probably didn't need to be on this list. favorites: heaven and hell, tattoo, summertime blues, shakin all over, magic bus

About what you'd expect from.a.who.album

A good live album. But feels dated. Pete Townsend was always a one trick pony, and his style is a little blunt for my tastes. My dad loved them though!

Not a fan of the live format

Ugh another live album. This one definitely would have benefited from the polish of the studio. Some decent songs on here but they sound kind of terrible. I like the Who, I don’t like this live album

A decent rock album. I didn’t really feel like this album needed to be live, they didn’t talk to the crowd nearly as much as some of the other live albums on this list and you couldn’t hear the crowd very much. I think this would’ve been fine as a studio album of the mix of the songs they played at their tour.

I think I'd get more out of this if I *really* knew The Who's music, as the vocals are a bit muddied, but the sound is great besides that. The riffs and medleys are tops and the energy is tight throughout, exactly what you want from a live album. Favorite track: Heaven and Hell

My second live album in less than a week. I'm not a huge Who fan at the best of times. Moons drumming is amazing but I find the rest pretty meh. That said the recording quality is amazing and they sound like a heavier band than on their studio albums.

Probably the best live album I’ve ever heard

Meh

Is this only influential because it's an early live album? Great... not sure if I like the concept of live albums as a whole anyways.

Greatest live album of all time? That's what they say. And they're right.

They knew how to rock live. Good live album. Hard to find just the original album to listen to.

Good!

Mochte ich.

Keith Moon sounds great, but as an album this isn't enticing.

stereo image on Happy Jack is nice, was already vaguely familiar with the material of The Who, decent live album, but could almost be a studio record, were it not for the spoken interludes, spoken stuff is mixed a bit low and only in the right channel for some reason

YES

Not near as good as the studio versions but definitely would have been a concert worth going to back in the day

Incredible fun. Pure, simple, electric. The drums sound incredible! The snare sounds like machine gun chatter. Impossible not to love. My Who knowledge isn’t as good as it should be so I imagine my experience would only be heightened if I knew their previous discography really well.

Bra men, som flera påpekat, märkligt val. Magic Bus var spännande. Utgår från att det kommer fler skivor med the Who.

Ganska skönt. De verkar ha kul så det smittar av sig. Tror en studioversion med samma låtar hade varit sämre

Märkligt med ett livealbum med fyra covers. Sen är albumet trevligt. Gillar live-soundet. Särskilt trummorna (svag för trummor) å grymma riff/gitarr. Det är bra rock, melodiskt och kul. Nästa alla låtar är nya, men jag är ändå med från första lyssningen. Tajt! Känner på mig att detta kan/kommer jag lyssna på mer. Mycket bra!

Hatar live album

Vet inte riktigt hur denna ska betygsättas i relation till andra album eftersom det är en liveskiva och med många covers, men jag utgår helt från lyssningsupplevelsen. Det är helt klart en livespelningen som håller hög kvalitet rent utförandemässigt. Det är överhuvudtaget en skiva som genomgående är väldigt behaglig att lyssna på och jämn rakt igenom. Det är inga superhöga toppar dock, men sannerligen inga dalar heller. Svag fyra.

I never like "Live" albums due to the excessive crowd noise. This album is the exception. John Entwistle has great tone and wo derful bass lines beyond what's heard on the studio recordings. I loved these songs before hearing this album, but these recordings took it one step further.

Here I am again, cherry-picking what albums to rate - either an album I know really well or one I have always wanted to get to know better. So here goes. If you listened to a version that had more than 6 tracks, you didn't hear the version everyone fell in love with decades ago. The original is a tight 38 minutes of the magic of The Who live. As a Who fan, the reissues are fun to hear the whole concert with them talking between songs. But the original 6 songs (three of which are covers that the band has been playing live since the early days) with no breaks between is just amazing. This is the record that made we want to be a guitarists AND a drummer AND a bass player. Still don't understand how everyone is playing lead on most songs and it works. Highly regarded as the best live album of all time and I agree.

I've tried to listen and enjoy this album on different occasions, with no luck. As said before, live albums are typically not a favorite, and this fell into the "how is this better than the studio?" bucket. Funny, as I recall John Entwhistle listing this as one of the only Who albums he could ever stand to listen to (pretty sure I got that right). On this listen, I had a new appreciation for the band and the songs, and Keith Moon comes out of the gate with an impressive flurry of fills that gave me a new appreciation for his playing. And the band was almost quaint. I do like the band's personality when they're not playing music. But, as the album played and the uneven mix wore, so did the record. I tired of Moon's endless (if still impressive) tomfoolery (as in, fooling about on the toms), and the song selection is an odd grab bag in my estimation. So, I liked this a lot more than I ever did, but it never rose above a 3-star. It's a 3 of the highest order.

My review of the original, six-song LP: Goddamn this is some ferocious shit. I love how all four guys are on lead instruments. They are a true jazz band in a way that their rock contemporaries weren't. They listened to each other and responded and changed direction, and each live performance was different. And before you say, "What about the Dead?": No. Just no. I know no one would ever rank Pete Townsend as the greatest guitarist ever, but I'll take him over your Claptons, Hendrixes, etc. as a live guitarist every single time. Why? Because he doesn't just go weedly-weedly for ten minutes. He uses dynamics and drama and composition to keep things interesting. Also, I love how goofy these guys were. They could rock with the best of them, but they were also funny and fun; qualities profoundly lacking in many groups from that era. My review of the Expanded version, which is the shortest version I can find on streaming services: I love it, especially because you get great versions of their early goofy hits, but good lord that's a lot of rawk.

I love The Who but at first listen this sounded like a band of school boys still getting their shit together. A number of songs just didn't sound tight like they couldn't hear each other. I had a listen again this morning to a couple key songs and reconsidered my initial observations. Plus when the My Generation medley turns into the chorus from See Me/Feel Me, it ups everything there is about this band and reminds me why I'm such a fan. It's such a classic live album, Keith Moon is something else and Roger Daltrey is peak handsome. I spent a bit of time in Leeds during college. One of the first trips I visited this auditorium. It's so small compared to how big this album looms in The Who's history. I wonder if the sound system simply wasn't as big as the band and they had to work with what they had?

Great album, easy listening 4 of 5

Not my jam . Two stars for creating music.

live masterpiece

I hate live albums

I always forget that I like The Who. They were just as creative as the Kinks, a legendary "hard rock" live band, and this is a great live album. Some surprisingly kickass extended jams. John Entwistle's bass playing is fantastic... I need to spend more time listening to him and how he fills up his space in a trio, ie makes his bass sound like a bass + another guitar :) I was all set to rate this a 4 for most of the listen but the 2 closing songs are just sooo good and sold me on why people call this the best live album of all time. 5 - All-time classic

Doesn't sound live apart from some chat. And that's a good thing. Got the extended not the original, of course, so more chat than probably intended.

Never did get to see The Who live but, if this album is any indication, they are pretty good. Solid live album with really good recording quality.

very passive listening experience. no songs stuck out as amazing and none as bad in any way. bumping 0.5 stars above average because i have watched documentaries on the who that i’ve very much enjoyed and it feels more than half a star better than the last album of theirs that i listened to.

Good fun!

i like it

Loved the guitar, singing was meh

1/5 No live albums pls

Definitely not the best live album I've ever heard

Starts out low energy, kicks it up hard at young man’s blues and is sporadic the rest of the album. Some shredders though.

It's fine. The songs are great, of course, and the performances are solid. The stage banter is a little out of place and upsets the excitement of a live recording.

I like live albums, but maybe I don't like The Who? Or at least not the entire album, but the energy is great

Top notch maximum R&B

John Entwistle is god!

How is this a top 1000 album of all time? It's... fine, but literally just a normal live album.

Hmm I guess I don’t like the who as much as I thought I would. Music wasnt bad tho just not something I would put on often. Maybe some other time I will appreciate it more

Dahhhh Who!!!!

Loved this ..been a Who fan sine I was born lol

Good album. I enjoyed it. 3.4 +0.2 (live version) 3.6

4 - Schönes Album.

Love the band. Many songs I like. But I don‘t like listening to live albums on a device usually. So I searched manually for the songs. Quite enjoyed it. „Amazing Journey“ I already knew(and many more) from the album „Tommy“ which I would never have listened to if it wasn‘t for this challange! Big Keith Moon fan;) Best Album is „Who‘s Next!!!!!! Personal top3 in no order: Young Man Blues Substitute My Generation

Dieses Live-Album gefällt mir eine Spur besser, als z.B. das Studio Album "Tommy", was im Rahmen dieser musikalischen Entdeckungsreise auch schon aufkam. 5.4/10

Just like with the Metallica live album, this is best enjoyed by someone who is already a fan of the band. A few of the songs get too jammy, and with the 3 instrumentalists all doing their own solo, the coherence of the songs sorta falls apart. Still great energy though, and some banter between songs, this is what you want from a live album.

Not bad, good energy. I’d give it 2.5 if I could but I just wasn’t a fan.

This is a cool live album, with some lesser known "The Who" songs. However, sound quality is horrible and the "rape" jokes are very not adjusted to today.

Liked the music, but less so the accompanying and dated banter in between.

How does one expect a 4 hour listen on a daily album generator?

Classic rock sound, but nothing I loved. Did find the blues influence interesting.

It was alright. I'm not a huge fan of live albums, and I'm not a big Who guy. I'd probably give it a middle of the road 2.5/5 because it did have a couple of moments. Nothing added.

I feel like for a live album to be on this list it REALLY needs to be the epitome of live albums. I'm not really sure this is that, but Keith Moon's drumming is fucking incredible here and that's enough for me.

Kult å høre litt på livealbum egentlig. Ikke hørt noe særlig på The Who før, men var absolutt mye bra

Love the Who, don’t love live albums.

90 minutes of The Who live.

I'm no fan of live albums being on this list, but I recognise that this is often seen as a classic of the genre. That said, a handful of covers and not exactly a tight performance doesn't make me think this is all I was led to believe.

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.

Definitely some good jams but I had a distracting day so it was hard for me to focus

Mike booth would love this 7/10

Great live rock from legendary band!

Good live album Favorite Tracks: Amazing Journey, Summertime Blues, My Generation

Not quite sure why that album made the list of 1001 albums I needed to hear before I die, honestly. Nothing against The Who, I'm looking forward to listening to their other albums on this list, and I'm sure going to one of their shows in their heyday must have been a great experience, but listening to this 53 years after the concert, this is pretty much an ordinary live album, featuring the usual selection of songs I could hear a much better version of on their studio albums. I'm sure there is some historical context explaining why this live album was important at the time, but as it stands now, it wasn't particularly interesting to listen to.

One of my favorite live albums

long!

This album was pretty unremarkable to me, good band, but nothing special. I don't even have a favorite track that stood out.

A bit odd putting a live album on this list. As someone who doesn't know The Who very well, it doesn't give the best first impression of most of their songs.

Yeah!!!

Old ass british rock. Mysiginistic themes. Poor technical execution (it's live but still). Got halfway through it, not my cuppa tea.

The fact that it is a live album immediately takes away points as some songs go on too long which is great when live but gets repetitive listening at home, also dont need to hear the talking and audience between songs. Guitar and drums are great and generally solid sound/vibe but nothing that really grabs me. Think I would enjoy it a lot more in a studio version so looking forward to other The Who albums. For example, My Generation: really like the studio version but just sounded off here.

Bag of shit,

The definition of average. I'm not a big fan of The Who as is and this is a pretty unspectacular live album. What am I missing here?

It's not even a live album. Everyone went back in and overdubbed their parts. It does capture the energy to a degree. But there's never been a band drop off as hard as the Who after their first run of singles, which are so good they've allowed them to coast on in mediocrity for the 50 years since.

I hate live albums unless I really like the band. Drumming was fantastic though.

All time favorite

Solid rock without the jammy fluff. The Tommy tracks don't stand alone well.

Ganz nice

It’s a pretty cool album. I feel like including live albums on this list is a bit of a cop out, like they’re trying to cover multiple albums with one. Having said that I think this shows why The Who were popular, they had a full and exciting sound for a 4 piece. Too many covers though.

live album..

My Generation: 3/5 but just barely The rest of the album: 1/5 This is the worst version of My Generation I've heard.

Good live album

Amazing live performances of great songs.

Listened to the expanded edition. Felt like a little too much. Some great cuts here, but not everything grabs me.

Classic live album vibes

Easy 5 classic

Un album live??? Eh bien surprenant mais cool! Quelle énergie déployée par The Who devant un public cathartique. Ça devait être si bon un concert en 1970…

I just don't love Live albums

Hard rock de The Who. Pero no me ha gustado el directo... Ni fu ni fa.

I don’t find being live super additive here, but the music is still great.

Concerts are amazing for a good amount of reasons. You are sharing the space with more fans, the atmosphere, the emotion of being there, witnessing the delivery, etc... Many of them are not enjoyable in a live album. And what is more, it is not an original composition. When an album is tailored, a message and a coherence are implemented, which is lost and reinterpreted when creating a set list for a concert. Plus, the concert was in Leeds. Extra point for being The Who and some of the tracks included.

Entenc i aprecio la qualitat de la música de The Who, i m'ha agradat escoltar-los en directe, però no és un estil que m'agradi. No aconsegueixo trobar-li el gust. Se m'ha fet bastant llarg en alguns moments.

Livealbum

Good

Man, people don’t really care for live albums here, do they? This shit rocks!

ok

Live albums are usually hit or miss, but this one actually gave me some new respect for The Who. Never been a big fan of any of their albums i've heard, but this one really brings out their punk energy, which is crazy given that it only came out in 1970. The long jam tracks like the 17 minute My Generation track are fantastic, you can see how they were influential to the punk scene. Worth going back to.

My favorite Who's album is Who's next wich was realeswe the next year, a lot of my favorite songs are not there, but they have a lot of good song from the 60's too. And they are always been known for their impressive and energetic live performances so i'm exited to listen to it. I can't explain and Substitute are some of my favorite songs from them and they are perfecly executed Here are other song that i found very good: Happy Jack, shakin' all over and magic bus. Globably songs are good, they are some cover too, its one of the best live act of the 60's-70's for sure and they prouve it for sure. It's not the best live album i ever listen but its a good collection fo their work and how they sound live.

I edited the mire recent longer release down to the shorter original version due to lack of time. Muscular and heavier than studio recordings. Good atmosphere, but a few too many noodly bits. A 3.5 rather than a 4.

A decent live album - I tried to only listen to the original track listing so I'm not sure if all of the included banter was on the original record (they mention they will play songs that don't come up). I guess its fine to include, but I still think there are too many live albums included on this list.

It's pretty good, but listening to it today it doesn't feel like anything special.

Great live album Missing Baba O'Reilly for the big 5 though

Really enjoyed this, lots of great harmonies and melodies

Fun album but not familiar enough with The Who to know how the live songs were different from the originals

I don't like live albums

Pretty good, I like the rock and roll feeling

4.6

the My Generation alone makes this album great. everything else just adds to it

The Who- Live at Leeds 01. Young Man Blues 4 02. Substitute 4 03. Summertime Blues 3 04. Shakin' All Over 3 05. My Generation 3 06. Magic Bus 4 21/24 4 stars

3 stars because I actively disliked listening to it, but I can't imagine it's actually a bad album. I believe live versions of songs tend to be worse in quality than their recording studio counterparts.

Keith Moon killed a man and yet was still an amazing drummer

I struggle with The Who. Are they a serious band? Are they a purely commercial enterprise? Are they just some dudes having fun? I still have no idea. But this album is a ton of fun. The sound is a bit all over the place, and the guitar playing is pretty loose. That said... it's a really good listen.

Ook grotendeels onbekend album. Lekker om verhuisdozen bij in te pakken. Sommige liedjes zoals Tattoo interessantere tekst dan verwacht. Fijne stem van Roger Daltrey tussen de liedjes door met toelichting.

Not my cup of tea but classic rock

Surprisingly great stuff. Not usually a big fan of live albums, but this one is just great start to end, and for most of it you can barley tell it's live. My favorite song was my generation

I am not a The Who fan and this didn't change that. They are no doubt fantastic musicians but I just don't really like the songs. Especially the 'rock opera' stuff, my god that was horrible.

Not into live albums or The Who so this was a tough one. Despite that there's no denying they were a great live act

I will never understand the rockist obsession with live albums. This sounds like a jam band doing covers in a city park for a free weekend show. Every song is too long, they spend too much time on random riffs and asides, and the vocals (where they even show up at all) are way too low in the mix. I can only imagine people falling asleep at this show. 2/5 (+1 because some of the guitar riffs were cool, if not worth the 15 minute 'medley' they were a part of)

hmmmm idk

its ok a little too dated for me

The Who a bar band, whose musical ambitions surpass the abilities of what they could do live, rip through their classics in the Live at Leeds album in a tight hour and 15 minutes. The sloppy energy do well for things like Can't Explain and Magic Bus, but fall flat on on the mini opera of A Quick One While He is Away.

Ook grotendeels onbekend album. Lekker om verhuisdozen bij in te pakken. Sommige liedjes zoals Tattoo interessantere tekst dan verwacht. Fijne stem van Roger Daltrey tussen de liedjes door met toelichting.

I did a longish review of this, and the browser jammed and reset and I lost it. What it basically said was if you don’t like the who, you don’t like rock, and this album shows why. It’s better to watch them, thank the great spaghetti monster for YouTube, but this captures the sonic power. Summertime blues is a juggernaut. My generation shouldn’t work. But does. And the insane genius of a quick one… leading eventually to tommy. The rock and roll covers are superb. The who songs are incredible. There were a lot of punk bands that wanted to sound this anarchic, this powerful, this relevant and happening, and didn’t come close. And there’s essentially only three instruments and three voices. It’s not quite musical dna for me, but it gets five stars. Who’s next - now that’s musical dna.

I tried desperately to embrace Tommy in 1969, but, except for a few tracks, the whole rock opera thing sounded bloated & unnecessary. This album, on the other hand, jumps out at you from the start & takes no prisoners. All the band members are in great form, but, for me, it’s the drumming of Keith Moon that has always made this album so special. He’s all over this. And also the song selection. To start with the great Mose Allison’s Young Man Blues, which had been part of their set at the beginning, & also include Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues (which I’d see them performing live 6 months later when the Woodstock film was released) & Johnny Kidd’s Shakin All Over (which had been a huge hit in Australia for Normie Rowe) - all on Side 1 - was almost exhausting. They play Substitute very much like the original single. The long version of My Generation, interspersed with pieces of other Who tracks, works well, as does Magic Bus, although it’s not a patch on the original. I think this is a cracker of an album. I’ve listened to it half a dozen times in the last few daze & it just gets better.

I used to say I didn't like live albums. I was explaining this to my mate Dave one time, and started listing exceptions to my rule, and it turned out to be a pretty long list. "Maybe," I thought halfway through explaining my position, "maybe I _do_ like live albums". And I had to accept that I had been kidding myself. I like the rough and ready recording quality, the unpolished immediacy of it all, a band getting down to what they really do best. And it's hard to think of a better example of a live album than Live at Leeds. I am not generally a huge fan of the Who, but, by god, I love this album. It really is a great example of what they do best. They are an incredible live unit at this point in time, everyone at the height of their powers and playing tight and heavy. And with a sense of humour and fun. I own the vinyl version, but today I have been listening to the expanded edition. You can tell that, for the original release, they pared it down to the heaviest tracks, and some really non-obvious choices; only a few previous singles and an equal number of covers, played in their own style. Young Man Blues is a major reinterpretation from the Mose Allison version. The expanded version delves a bit deeper into their catalogue (including A Quick One While He's Away) and was worthwhile listening (which is rare for expanded editions, I find). But I do prefer the fat-free original version for a quick and dirty hit of powerful rock from one of the great live bands of the genre. If someone was going to ask me for a great example of the Who and/or a live rock album, this would be my go-to suggestion.

cool

1. Heaven And Hell - I like the melody and beat. Nice bass riff. The never die is catchy. 2. I Can’t Explain - this one is kinda a little 60s with backing vocals and corny lol. But it’s catchy. 3. Fortune Teller - this one was pretty upbeat and I liked its sound 4. Tattoo - this one is a little slower so it’s not my favourite. 5. Young Man Blues - I don't love the lyrics of this one and the singing style is not my favourite, again the music and sound is good. 6. Substitute - I don't mind this one, it's kinda poppy to me. I liked the lyrics too (apart from the "I look white but my dad was black", cause I'm confused...) 7. Happy Jack - I don't love the style of this one. 8. I’m a Boy - now this one has weird lyrics...don't love it. 9. A Quick One, While He’s Away - a mini opera, so that's interesting. it has a weird story imo, but interesting structure. 10. Amazing Journey/Sparks - i liked the second half better, but it wasn't very capturing for me. 11. Summertime Blues - not very memorable. 12. Shakin’ All Over - i don't like the way this one is sung and i find it a littel repetitive, did not love. 13. My Generation - this one was like a medley of four songs. I didn't mind My Generation, it had fun lyrics. See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, was ok it kinda gave me power ballad vibes. I did not like Higher aka Naked Eye. Coming out to get you had a cool sound. 14. Magic Bus - this one was ok, not my favourite. Got crazy fast at the end that was cool! Overall, it definitely was interesting listening to a live album. I wonder why this was in the 1001 albums, I kinda feel like it may have been easier to put a greatest hits or something, but overall I enjoyed it enough. I liked most of the music, very classic rock and I liked a lot of the guitar riffs. The rock opera was interesting...

holy shit, this was amazing. didn't expect myself to like a live album but FUCK, this was really good.

So good but not quite five stars.

Though I'm always skeptical of live albums, this one has some rare magic. There is a raw power that comes through this recording, and one can appreciate how tight and talented the band is individually and as a group. Makes me want to be there!

I'll join the chorus and say I like The Who, but it's a live album, and that generally doesn't sizzle my bacon. At least there isn't too much crowd noise throughout. The one track I really love here is "A Quick One While He's Away," which I think is actually superior to the studio version. And the way they are able to hop from song to song so seamlessly in those medleys certainly is impressive.

Fun to hear The Who live but... nothing here screams to me "wow, I'm glad I listened to this live." Maybe if I was a huge fan. Apparently some consider it the best live rock recording? Sure, ok.

Fun to hear the Who at the height of their powers. I saw them live in 2022 and the still got it.

Fijne muziek

Such a fantastic complement to Tommy, which is one of my favorite albums ever. They're absolutely shredding on this album. I love all the jamming.

Surprised that so many people reviewing on here are not fans of live albums. This one is decent, it predates a lot of the Who's more exploratory songs, but there are elements of that music here towards the end of the record. The rhythm section really shines on this one. 3.5/5 May listen again

Fantastic performance with limitless energy. An all time great live record even in its original abbreviated form. Never get tired of it.

Nice to hear the crowd noises and the band speaking between songs. Lacks some refinement in the recording.

Live albums shouldn't be on this list, in my opinion. That said, I thought it wasn't bad for a live album; they sounded good and all that but not really into the band outside of their hits. 7/10

Yeees!

Garbage.

What a great record! I never really liked the who, but this record is so good. I can understand that is considered one of the greatest live records of all time.

One of the great live albums of all time, a real pleasure to listen to. It's one of just a few live albums that I would recommend over an artist's studio work to give an idea of what they're all about. This is the Who in their element, an electrifying presence playing at the height of all their powers and rocking surprisingly hard. If you don't understand what the big deal is about the Who after listening to this, go check your ears. I have always favored "Summertime Blues," as a quintessential Who live track, but man, that side 2 combo of the "My Generation" medley and "Magic Bus" is a freaking revelation. Rating this just based on the original 6-song track list, which is an easy 5. I'm lukewarm on the tracks that were added for the reissues. They don't add much, other than getting to hear live versions of some of the band's more recognizable songs. Fave Songs (All songs on original release, from most to least favorite): My Generation, Magic Bus, Summertime Blues, Young Man Blues, Shakin' All Over, Substitute

My new all time favorite live album

I’m sure it was quite raw and heavy at its time, but this album doesn’t feel memorable. Like when I think of heavy moments from classic rock, I think of the exit of the solo in Heartbreaker, Comfortably Numb, or any of the black sabbath songs. This feels dull, homogenous, and a bit of a hot mess to be honest. Not a fan

ne kažem da je loša muzika, samo je neinspirativna i dosadna, dajem jednu zvezdicu ali to je kao 1,5 (3 od 10 jelte)

Tror fan att jag fått 5 liveplattor de senaste 10 dagarna. Jag får kräks.

Super album!!

This is easily one of the best live albums I’ve ever heard. The Who are playful with the crowd and each other and this live album let’s each member dine in ways the albums don’t always get to do. Listening to John Entwistle thunder away on bass and Keith Moon hammering out beats is a real thrill.

Not big into live albums

Was putting off listening to this one as I generally don't like live albums. The Who are tighter than Axls 90s hot pants here. Wow.

Having a live album on this list seems to be controversial but I personally think that live albums can be some of the best work a band puts out. I love the energy that this live album brings. You can just tell how good this band was live. Essential Tracks: -Heaven and Hell (Playlist) -Summertime Blues -Substitute -My Generation

5-

This bored me. The Who always did. I tried but it all felt so samey.

Very confusing. People are talking about a 37 minute cut, whereas the version I listened to had a 15 minute rendition of "My Generation" alone. I mean, it's fine. Not their best. And it's a live album.

Every time I listen to this band I think "Someone get this drummer a better band". I feel like I should like this since it's my favourite rock era - but I just don't. It sounds boring, the singing is bad, the lyrics are artsy-fartsy but the songs are bland.

I'll agree with others on a live album really not being a must listen and while Live at Leeds is a phenomenal album in particular Keith Moon, it's a meh from me. 3.5/5

Great live album

A live album eh? The Who bring plenty of energy but the crowd seems a bit lacking, seems a strange choice to release let alone include in 1001 albums

Ugh, why are live albums on this list?

I haven’t listened to this in years. Biggest observation for me is what a well recorded album. It just sounds great. This is actually one that I may go back and listen to extended editions. I’m curious about the Live in Hull recordings.

Early Who, it is OK 3 stars

Un increíble registro en vivo, en donde los miembros de The Who se lucen con interpretaciones sorprendentes, atrapantes y realmente sólidas, que destacan los mejores aspectos del rock duro y la energía en vivo que puede transmitir.

this is the third album ive heard from the who. so far ive heard the who sells out and tommy. man this is a great live album, heard the expended version with the almost full performance of tommy. the sound quality is great you can hear every instrument on its own. great band great live album

great listen

This was probably too over hyped for me, which is a shame. It's not even the best live album on the list (I prefer the live efforts from Thin Lizzy, Sam Cooke, Cheap Trick, and, even though it's not on the list Kiss Alive). I would have appreciated this more had it not come with all the "Best Live Album Ever" raves.

I must say, live albums are not my preference, but this one felt good! The Who were definitely a big part of rock and roll early on, and had various influences on other musicians as well. Worthy of this list for sure!

big nope

If we're being honest, this did not need to be included on this list. The Who are brilliant and made many classic albums which are included on this list, this is just, I dunno, overkill? However as much as I'd rather have another album in its place, it is still a solid album because The Who are still the frickin' Who and its almost impossible to enjoy their output at that time.

4.0 - Somehow the lore around the Who that's been handed down to me fixates on danger and destruction (Keith Moon breaking stuff on stage!!!, big windmill guitar strums!!!, explosions!!!). I'm glad to now have a chance to actually listen to their records and revise these perceptions. Behind all the schtick, The Who is a fun band. They're funny, too. In fact, some of the on-stage banter in between songs here is downright hilarious, often self-deprecating (see the intro to "A Quick One, While He's Away"). I really liked hearing these songs in a new light, even the 15 minute rendition of "My Generation."

Good who who only had a good couple of songs. But they sounded like aband you needed to see live felt the energy also enjoyed the bants and the covers

Awesome album, The Who at their best. So much better than Tommy, and all the better for being live

Good fun. I really enjoyed this one.

Enjoyed this more that some of the other Who albums, but unsure why it made it into the 1001 book. 3.5

A big mess. Massively overrated, both the album and the artist. 2/10 would never recommend.

I am never a fan of live albums but for quality of a live album and for the time period this is a great record. I was never a fan of The Who but it doesn't mean that they are not a good band. I personally don't care for the Blues undertones that many of their songs have and I really think the the quality of sound is only good when you dedicate the time to listen to this on a good sound system. I listened to this today in the car and honestly there is so much lost while not giving this album your whole attention.

me cargó me cargan los discos en vivo

Fun live album that ends with a great track.

I like the who, but I found this live experience over indulgent. I'm sure if I saw it live I'd have loved it, but not a live recording I pulled this energy from, just boredom

Highlights: "My Generation/Medley," "Shaking All Over" Even if this were the only Who pick, it would make sense. The thing you always hear about them is that they were the loudest band on earth for a while, but it absolutely does not translate to the bulk of their studio recordings. Meanwhile, here you can hear the full force of a Univox Superfuzz devouring the midrange and some of the most effective bass solos I've heard from a rock band, with Moon managing to solo for entire songs without drowning the group out. Good performances. As far as rock history, you can hear a synthesis of a lot of major bands from the 60s that were actually pretty distinct from each other. This gets us closer to the generic hard rock baseline that persists to today.

7 solid solid classic rock

Decent

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Expected to not be impressed, but the live performance added a lot to most of the songs on here, so I enjoyed it for the most part.

Was fine. I still mostly don't care for the who, I guess. 3/5

Really quite good live album. I do think it’s better the more the band experiments on here, like the extended “My Generation” and “Magic Bus” jams, but even those earlier, more sedate tracks sound more rollicking than the band did previously in recordings. I think I’m still a little too jazzed over Made in Japan from last week though, since I just can’t rank this the same. B+

I can't tell if the fact they're as good live now as they were then is a good thing or a terrible thing, but I'm not in my sixties so I don't really give a fuck.

Ik heb niet super veel met The Who. Tel erbij op dat het een live-album is (wat ik vaak matig vind) en dan krijg je deze score.

Me aburri. No lo termine de escuchar

I'm not usually the biggest fan of live albums. But I will say the quality and production value of this one is insanely impressive. Like it sounds as if it was recorded in a full studio modern day, let alone live and like 50 years ago. The music itself was fine and I'd listen to maybe one or two again. I'm mostly just impressed with the technical and performance quality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15WrB1N913I I like this more than an average album in this genre. Maybe because it's live. Listened to the 80 minutes version. The 40 minutes version has all the worst songs, I'd rate it 1 if the site linked me to it

this was all right background music but it wasn't good

It was okay. I didn't really connect with it personally but it was a decent experience.

Rockin and jammin My favorite was probably the medley

Überraschenderweise gefällt mir das überhaupt nicht

Pretty good. Need to listen to more of the who. Just don’t like live albums that much

Normally The Who gets a 3 but -1 for a live album. This is my 4th The Who album so far. I hope there's no more. Not that they're terrible, I just don't think I'm going to change my mind about them being only ok.

All time great who album

It's a solid album and you can really feel their energy as the superband that they were/are and their excitement about playing at home during a time when music in general was on the advance. I can't find fault in it and there were actually a lot of songs I did not know at all. Lots of blues sounds, grinding of axes and classic classic rock.

The only thing bad about this album is that it's music created and performed by The Who.

I don’t think live albums should be on the list. Most of them are essentially greatest hits.

A bit uneven, but still solid, live album. Keith Moon is in particularly fine form - I love his work on Happy Jack, one of my faves of this album, along with the closer (of the Ext. Edition), Magic Bus.

I originally listened to the bonus tracks edition that left me indifferent. Upon realizing the original version only contained 6 songs, I relistened and was more engaged. Being a live album, I think they really screwed up not having a mic picking up the crowd reaction. I did t feel like I was there from the recording. The recording always loses something compared to being there and having the crowd noise and cheering bridges the gap. Otherwise it felt like a bloated, lower quality version of the studio recording with too much talking. And I have to say that whomever was talking had zero charisma. The songs are good, but the circumstances surrounding the recording left we wanting more.

Oh my God they seriously spent a full 5 minutes introducing A Quick One (ironic). Look, the story isn't very complicated and DEFINITELY isn't deep enough to merit that much banter. Really the banter throughout is really, really dumb. I respect that the Who were absolutely determined to be different from what was out there at the time. It's just that sometimes that expressed as some rinky-dink kindergarten bullshit melodies. Substitute and Happy Jack back to back was absolutely brutal. I do have more appreciation for Keith Moon now, I'll admit. Always thought the drums really lacked potency on the studio recordings. Like if Bonham was the theoretical 10, Moon would be a consistent 4. In this recording I got a lot more of the frantic energy people are always raving about him, which meant the pure power wasn't missed so much. Really tempted to 1-star this thing just because of that 5 minute A Quick One intro, but there's some pretty putrid 1 stars out there. We're going 2.

See everydaytunez

Been putting off this album because I don’t like live albums. That has definitely changed for me. Well recorded such that the crowd is in the background, and you almost feel like you’re sitting on the stage. Cool to capture the band interacting with the crowd and you can almost hear the chemistry on stage. No apparent loss in quality and if anything better quality than a mono studio album. Overall really enjoyed the experience along with the music

Turns out I am not a fan of The Who. They have their couple good songs but most of these are boring, simple in a bad way, and being live just makes it worse.

I'm not totally into the Who's older-rock stuff, but I can respect how much they influenced later stuff. They're way better live, I liked this more than my generation - I finally "got" Substitute & Summertime Blues

A full bore rock experience in every sense, wish I could have been a part of the whole scene at that time, a fun album I was bopping along to.

Classic. A lot of fun songs.

2/5, 40%

1/5 Best: Summertime Blues Worst: I’m a Boy

sure is the Who I guess?

Live at Leeds is a magnificently raw and powerful record. It demonstrates the brilliance of The Who as a unit and is one of the finest live recordings committed to wax.

This is my third The Who record to review on this generator. This is a live album, recorded at the University of Leeds Refectory in 1970. This is the only live recording released featuring the all star line up (Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, and Pete Townshend). This record is the newest of the three I've reviewed thus far, coming out after their rock opera, Tommy. They were getting heavy into the psychadelic stuff when this record came out. A Quick One, While He's Away is a weird song. The inclusion of Amazing Journey/Sparks from their album Tommy was great to see. I guess they were having troubles with touring and promoting Tommy, because they couldn't reproduce the album in front of a live audience quite right. That is why they opted to go the route they did with this album. This album also forms the bridge between rock opera Tommy, and 70's rocker Who's Next. Overall, this was a super tight live album. Usually live albums suffer from shitty production or sloppy playing, but this album sounds like it was made in a recording studio. The 15 minute acid induced solo in My Generation was a bit much, but other than that, a really solid album. Favourite songs: Young Man Blues, Summertime Blues, I Can't Explain, Tattoo, Substitute, Shakin' All Over, Happy Jack Least favourite songs: "A Quick One, While He's Away" 3/5

Rock solid album.

Not a fan, nor do I like live albums.

Familiar but uninspiring, some simply conceived rock songs interspersed with plain chatter. Some songs are simply stupid, others are competent rock songs with a semblance of swagger. All seems a bit creaky looking back though, a bit ryvita and bone medicine

It's like a greatest hits album, and they are all great.

I can hear how they influenced a lot of artists

Really enjoyed this album. Can't really say, if it would've sounded better, if it wasn't a live version, but who knows. I enjoyed my time with it.

Reading the blurb beforehand I was excited about this. One of the best live bands at the time trying to capture and show that energy? Sounds great. It wasn't. Even focussing on the six tracks initially selected for the first release, just felt a bit flat. Keith's drumming the stand out item. Enjoyed the medley/jam after my generation. But other than that it was pretty mediocre.

Late 90s and early 00s I listened to so much of the Who, even saw them live [well two of them] - since then, only 17 plays apparently... Some great songs, some strange inclusions.

Don't love live albums, don't love the Who...not a great combo for me. 2/5

I really don't get why The Who are so lauded. They seem more a bunch of people who all over-play, more than a band. With one or two exceptions (Can't Explain, mainly), the songs are pretty ordinary, too. Maybe you had to be there, but this just highlighted the showing-off, and masked any decent writing that may be there. And that is a TERRIBLE version of Fortune Teller, usually a great song.

A great live album, for sure. But it gets a little too heavy for me in places. Young Man Blues borders on Led Zep territory - never a good place to be. The band is tight as fuck. When they turn their hand to being The Who, and not some bluesy wet dream of who The Who wanted to be, then it's bloody great. I Can't Explain, Substitute and I'm a Boy all have amazing energy.

Not incredible fan, but good nonetheless

Not that good, I appreciate the who but this album doesn’t seem appropriate for this list.

That's the best album by The Who I've listened to so far. And it's because it's live. It's a show. The point isn't some artsy concept album with shoehorned lyrics and strained metaphors. The point is for people to enjoy a show. To enjoy the music for itself. And I did enjoy it. Shorn of the pretentious "art for art's sake" aspirations, these boys rock so hard. Their skills and energy are on full display here and it's legitimately impressive. So much raw power that I would never have known they possessed if I'd just listened to "Tommy".

LP

Ah yes, the best band ever to write a song about a train conductor seducing a married woman. Since this band has been talked about into the ground, I’ll just say this album is great for fans of the band’s early work. Each member’s contribution is on full display here. The real fun here is listening to Entwistle and Moon just go ape shit as the most wild rhythm section in classic rock. The influence live albums like this had on bands going forward almost acts as a detriment to the legacy of The Who. When YOU set the template that every other band follows, it’s easy for your template to get stale.

Worth the price of admission alone to hear my favorite classic rock rhythm section run rampant.

I am not taking 1 hour and 20 minutes out of my day to listen to not only the who but a live album.

Good not super great to listen to.

I’m not a huge fan of their live playing style, but sometimes it’s a vibe when they just keep shredding the guitar like a Crazy Horse song.

Live albums rarely mesh well with my listening habits. I appreciate it, but not firing me up. Also, it's long. So many versions out there that are even longer than the original and it's a commitment that doesn't keep my attention.

Well it’s fine and all but that’s about the only feelings I have about it

Didn’t find this particularly interesting. Preferred the studio versions of most of these songs

Not a fan of live albums

Very good especially the bass!

A summary of my knowledge of The Who: Baba O'reiley, My Generation, big in the laste '60s/early '70s. One of those is on here, but it's about 5 times as long as the original? Oh and pinball wizard. That one cracks me up. Goofy as hell. I don't know if a live record is the best way to get into this band (I don't usually do that) but this one obviously seems well acclaimed. Plus, that certainly wouldn't stop me from loving a band I first saw in concert. The nature of this performance seems to lend itself more to their hard rock side, but many songs differ from that template, often in structure and lyricism. The band has some great synergy. The guitar playing is engaging and provides some nice countermelodies to the vocals Transitions between some of the tracks are awesome. It's a well-structured live show with an excellent flow. I was initially disappointed to get a live album in this project, but I must admit, it won me over, and I definitely want to check out some studio albums by The Who soon. Really fun listen! Faves: Fortune Teller (nice tempo change!) young man blues, A Quick One, While He's Away (mini rock opera?) Amazing Journey (that slowdown and sick instrumental in the middle?) My Generation (this is the definitive version!)

Amazing sound quality for a concert over 50 years old. Not my favorite Who songs though

I accidentally started this album on shuffle so it started with Happy Jack which I really liked! I don't usually enjoy live albums, something about the mixing just always sounds off to me, this one was pretty good as far as live albums go. It's really hard to hear what they're saying at the end of the songs though.

Not a huge fan of Live albums, and this didn't really change my mind although it was decent

I was enjoying this well enough but boy does it hit another gear in the 2nd half As good a time as you’ll have at a rock concert

Brilliant. Magic Bus so good

8/10 would’ve been a lot more fun to be there in person this is a pretty fun collection of songs really nice to hear but I would prefer a studio album

Good live album

Truly not sure why this is on this list. So forgettable.

It’s good but god I hate live albums

I'm not huge on most live albums-- this one certainly isn't bad, but I don't feel like I got something I couldn't get from the studio version

I usually don’t love albums by The Who, but this live album was full of great guitar licks and short, to-the-point rock songs. Good, not great. Amazing how good they do sound live, though. It’d sound just like a studio album if it weren’t for fans cheering.

Was good, would rather a recorded album though.

Here's a thing: I don't like live albums, especially when I'm listening on headphones, because when you hear the audience applause I immediately imagine they're clapping for me and I feel a bit silly. Am I strange? Anyway, this live album is good because you can't hear the audience (much). Also, The Who are a lot better, and more Led Zeppy, than I remember. They really knew what they were doing.

59 of 1001 The Who - Live At Leeds Favorite Track : Shakin' All Over Rating : 5 / 5 I'm always looking out for coincidences. As I listened through the 1001 Album playlist from beginning to end as I also did the random album a day generator, I wondered if the day would come where the generator gave me the same album that I was listening to on the playlist. This is about as close as it comes. Live at Leeds was next in line for today and up it pops. Not really a big fan of live albums. There are the few exceptions, but generally they are passed on by. Live at Leeds is one that has been floating around all my life. I had friends who had it but don't think I ever sat and listened to it. Today was the day to finally hear it and I'm very glad that I did. What a great album. It is like sitting in a club listening to a local favorite. A pure delight. Great covers included. Some say this is the greatest live rock album ever. I'll leave that to those who don't often shun live albums, but I agree that it is a great one. The classic lineup of Daltrey, Townsend, Entwistle & Moon does not disappoint. Excellent.

Pretty solid live album. 3.5/5

3.5 stars

I’m not a big The Who fan and I’m into live albums, soooo this did not do much for me!

Good - liked it as a live album contrary to most of these reviews

Fun concert. "A quick one, while he's away" was a highlight.

Great energy but also too long in some places. Nonetheless a nice live album but hardly essential listening.