In just a few years The Who went from being a scrappy, amphetamine fuelled mod band to producing a insanely ambitious prog rock opera and back to playing a grotty student union bar in Leeds one night in the middle of February 1970. After the Tommy tour, Pete Townshend couldn’t face reviewing the recordings of the performances to pick out tracks for a live album so he ordered the tapes to be burned, later calling it the worst decision he’d ever made. Instead the decision was made to record this gig in Leeds, picking out six tracks for the initial release and later including almost the entire performance. It’s fun to listen to the banter with the crowd where he name checks the artists who they are covering and reminiscing about the Who of just three years previously. There is a good mix of songs on this including ones from Tommy, classic R&B numbers and old favourites. The highlight for me is the 15 minute medley that starts with My Generation mixed with “See Me, Feel Me” from Tommy and other pieces, before closing out with Magic Bus. The sound is excellent for a live album and it really captures the feel of what must have been an amazing night for those students in Leeds.
