« Back to Top Level | Who, The

The Who - Liverpool University 14 May 1971 (1971)

Track listing:
  1. Love Ain't For Keeping 3:28
  2. Pure & Easy 8:04
  3. Time Is Passing 5:15
  4. Behind Blue Eyes 4:01
  5. Bargain 7:31
  6. Getting In Tune 7:32
  7. Too Much Of Anything 4:41
  8. I Don't Even Know Myself 6:33
  9. Baby Don't You Do It 7:58
  10. Pinball Wizard 2:55
  11. See Me, Feel Me 6:31
  12. Water 9:29

Notes

Liverpool University, England
14 May 1971

A fair audience recording with a little distortion, but definitely listenable. The first 74 minutes of the show are here intact, but the rest is missing. 'My Generation' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again' supposedly rounded out the performance.

Vintage Who here, recorded while 'Who's Next' was being completed and featuring mostly new material. Includes rare versions of 'Time Is Passing', 'Getting in Tune', and 'Too Much of Anything', all dropped by the time they toured the States.

While still working Who's Next, the band played a few strings of shows in smaller U.K. venues during May and July, probably as a warm-up for the upcoming U.S. tour. The set again features much of their new material and the playing is outstanding (particularly Daltrey's impressive singing)—by this point they've gotten used to playing the newer songs. 'Love Ain't For Keeping' is very different as an electric piece and much heavier as a result—the band gets lost at the end here. 'Pure and Easy' was unfortunately dropped from the set in the middle of the later U.S. tour—an extra verse (familiar from Townshend's solo versions) is included in live airings, along with some excellent guitar work. 'Time Is Passing' is a nice addition to the early 1971 set, but can only be found on a handful of recordings—Daltrey adds some harmonica during the instrumental passage. 'Behind Blue Eyes' and 'Bargain' are played very well here, with Moon improving 'Bargain' immensely since the Young Vic show, and the key change in 'Too Much of Anything' is now omitted. A new favorite with the band is
Baby Don't You Do It', which has developed into one of their best live numbers after a long absence—it's reintroduced with a heavier feel than in the early days, just as 'Young Man Blues' had been in recent years. The recording ends with Daltrey at his best in
Water', and Moon keeps the bass drum thudding during the pause much like in the studio version. At least 'My Generation' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again' are missing.