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For those of you with accounts on the Who site, here's the scoop on the new Who comp coming March 30:

http://www.petetownshend.co.uk/projects ... &zone=news

For those without:

Basically, it replaces My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who. It includes two new tracks: "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine." (Pete really doesn't care what people think about him, does he?) They are called "previews of a new Who album due out in the next year."

The hype: "The Who have not recorded a new song in two decades and have not had a new single full-length CD of their greatest hits in eight years." (One: I guess The Iron Man is now apocryphal.) (Two: I guess the 20th Century Masters thing isn't considered "full length.") (Three: I guess the demand for a new repackaging of the same damn songs for the 2,348th time was enormous.)

Supposedly it is "Digitally Remastered From The Original Masters."

I don't know what's sadder -- this naked attempt to extort more money from Who fans or the fan that I'll buy it. Crap, I hate myself.

The remainder of the track list:

I Can't Explain
My Generation
The Kids Are Alright
Substitute
I'm A Boy
Happy Jack
I Can See For Miles
Magic Bus
Pinball Wizard
See Me Feel Me
Summertime Blues (Live)
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again
5:15
Love Reign O'er Me
Squeeze Box
Who Are You
You Better You Bet
Real Good Looking Boy
Old Red Wine

Still no "Relay."

Ryan

Why buy it?

Rspaight wrote:(One: I guess The Iron Man is now apocryphal.) (Two: I guess the 20th Century Masters thing isn't considered "full length.") (Three: I guess the demand for a new repackaging of the same damn songs for the 2,348th time was enormous.)

Four: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting wasn't a "new song" because it was a cover?

And David, you'll buy it because you're a Who fan and they buy anything and everything.

[cowers in corner]

Just to show you how sick I am, I can justify to myself that I'd pay $10 for an import single with the two new tracks, so I'll just pretend I'm doing that and getting a whole bunch of superfluous bonus tracks along with them.

Four: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting wasn't a "new song" because it was a cover?

I thought that they had used the "original material" dodge, but you're right, they didn't in the phrase I quoted. It's pretty silly any way you slice it.

Ryan

lukpac wrote:
Four: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting wasn't a "new song" because it was a cover?

And David, you'll buy it because you're a Who fan and they buy anything and everything.

[cowers in corner]

I did buy Ultimate Collection. I still feel guilty.

Maybe...they use the original single mixes of I'm A Boy and I Can See For Miles.

Or, heaven forbid, the long version of Magic Bus. Nah.

Ryan

I'm sure it's the short version of Magic Bus again. In mono! Cuz, y'know, the fans want it!

And they'll probably call it a "rare version."

Ryan

If the new tracks are indeed a "preview of the upcoming album", then I'm not sure why you'd buy it unless you just can't wait to hear new the Who. It may not be superfluous now, but certainly would be as soon as the new CD shows up.

True, assuming these tracks do show up on the new album, and assuming that there actually will be a new album. (If the Who had made all the albums they were supposedly making since 1982, a new Who record would be no big deal.)

Ryan

Here's an interesting yet pricey (damn weak dollar!) alternative:

http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=277883

THE WHO The Singles Box (2004 UK 24-track 12-CD single box set including orginal b-sides [approved by the band] plus 2 previously unreleased recordings, each CD in individual card picture sleeve with artwork from releases around the world plus original NME single reviews, presented in picture box complete with 16-page booklet featuring photo's & adverts!). ** released 12 April 2004 **



CD1:
I Can't Explain (Original Mono Version)
Bald Headed Woman
CD2:
My Generation (Original Mono Version)
Shout and Shimmy
CD3:
Substitute (Single Version)
Circles (Revised/ Second Mono Version)
CD4:
I'm A Boy (Mono Version)
In The City (Original Stereo Version)
CD5:
Happy Jack (Single Version)
Ive Been Away
CD6:
Pictures of Lily
Doctor Doctor
CD7:
I can see for Miles
Someones Coming
CD8:
Pinball Wizard (Original Album Version)
Dogs Part Two (2003 Stereo Version)
CD9:
Wont Get Fooled Again (Single Edit)
Don't Know Myself
CD10:
5:15(Single Mix)
Water (Studio Version)
CD11:
Who are You (Single Edit)
Had Enough
CD12:
Real Good looking Boy
Old Red Wine

Frustratingly incomplete (why not two volumes with all the singles?), and what the heck is the 2003 remix of Dogs Part Two doing there? I wonder if this means that the two new tracks will indeed be released as a single on their own...

Edited to add official press release:

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

THE WHO SINGLES BOX 1
Box Set Of 11 Classic Singles With Two Brand New Tracks

Release Date Monday April 12th 2004

March 2, 2004, London.

2004 is quickly shaping up to be the busiest year for The Who in decades.

In March alone, the band are playing three sold out dates at The Forum in London. These gigs are warm ups for their Teenage cancer Trust show at The Royal Albert Hall where they will perform the rock opera 'Tommy'.

Following on from these shows, April 12th sees the release of a 12 cd box set of classic Who singles, beginning in 1965 and culminating in two brand new songs that lead the way for The Who in the 21st Century.

The news that this box set includes two brand new songs has set The Who Internet message boards alight over the past few days, with rumour and conjecture as to what the songs sound like and the subject matter they deal with.

Pete Townshend has commented extensively on his website about the genesis of these songs, 'Real Good Looking Boy' and 'Old Red Wine' which are the first original Who recordings since the early 1980's.

Townshend commented, 'Real Good Looking Boy' is a song I wrote quite a few years ago about two young men who worry about their looks. One of them, based on me - hopes and believes he might look like his best friend who is a conventionally handsome fellow. (He is disavowed of this notion by his mother). The second, based on Roger - hopes and believes he will one day turn out to be like the young Elvis. (He, more happily, sees part of his dream come true). They both find love in later life'.

The song itself opens with the piano refrain from Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling In Love' and is an instantly recognisable as a classic Who track.

'Real Good Looking Boy' and 'Old Red Wine' feature what Townshend has described as 'Who2', the band that supported Pete and Roger after John Entwistle's sudden death in 2002. They are Zak Starkey on drums, Rabbit Bundrick on keyboards, Pino Palladino on bass (Greg Lake plays bass on Real Good Looking Boy) and Pete's brother, Simon Townshend on additional guitar and vocals.

The second brand new track, 'Old Red Wine' was written by Townshend about the late John Entwistle. Of this song and it's subject Townshend said 'He (John) loved expensive claret, and often drank it past its prime. There is an irony there somehow: John never seemed to realize how perfectly mature he had really become as rock musician. He didn't need the trappings he thought essential, and that - in my opinion - led directly to his premature death'.

As with 'Real Good Looking Boy', 'Old Red Wine' was produced by Simon Townshend.

These two new tracks form the basis of a brand new studio project from The Who that is due to be released in the first part of 2005.

The full tracklisting for the boxset is as follows:

CD1 I Can't Explain / Bald Headed Woman No. 8 in 1965
CD2 My Generation / Shout and Shimmy No. 2 in 1965
CD3 Substitute / Circles No. 3 in 1966
CD4 I'm a Boy / In the City No.3 in 1966
CD5 Happy Jack / I've Been Away No. 3 in 1967
CD6 Pictures of Lily/Doctor Doctor No. 4 in 1967
CD7 I Can See For Miles/Someone's Coming No. 10 in 1967
CD8 Pinball Wizard/Dogs Part II No. 4 in 1969
CD 9 Won't Get Fooled Again/Don't Know Myself No. 9 in 1971
CD 10 5.15/Water No. 20 in 1973
CD 11 Who Are You/Had Enough No.18 in 1978
CD 12 Real Good Looking Boy/Old Red Wine Brand New!

Included in the box set package will be a 16-page book with photos, original adverts and, instead of sleeve notes, the original reviews that appeared in publications such as the NME and Melody Maker.

The original singles were housed mostly in Polydor/Track records house bags, but for this release, sleeves from all over the world have been used. These include sleeves from as far as away as Japan and Yugoslavia plus a very rare French promo-only release for Pictures Of Lily.

Following on from the London shows and the boxset of singles, the band return for their only other UK show of the year at the scene of one of their most triumphant shows at The Isle Of Wight Festival on 12th June.

Ryan

Probably taken from the CD masters. Aren't the Rolling Stones doing something similar at the exact same time?

Could be, but we may see the original mix of Had Enough slip back into print via this set...

Don't know about the Stones, but Elvis Costello just did a multi-volume set of these, Marillion has two volumes, Morrissey's got one, Duran Duran has one, and probably quite a few more (not to mention the old Beatles set, of course). It's turning into a trend, at least in the UK...

It's interesting that the press release calls it "box set 1." They certainly have released enough singles to do another. Just off the top of my head, there's Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Magic Bus, Summertime Blues, The Seeker, Join Together, Relay, Let's See Action, Long Live Rock, Last Time/Under My Thumb, You Better You Bet, Athena, and Squeeze Box. There's another 12.

Legal Matter, Kids Are Alright, Ready Steady Who EP, Behind Blue Eyes, Dogs, Call Me Lightning, I'm Free, See Me Feel Me, Don't Let Go The Coat are other possibilities.

Ryan

Still no Relay...<g>

And what exactly is the "single mix" of 5:15? I *thought* the version on The Singles and the box set was from the single released to tie in with the Quadrophenia movie - that single mix is similar to the movie mix.

Anyone have a 1973 single of 5:15?

Circles will be back in print.

What's the "single version" of Substitute? The US version?

How about the "original stereo mix" of In The City? I wasn't aware that was released in stereo until the AQO reissue, where it was remixed.

And what's the "single version" of Happy Jack? Simply not the "acoustic" version?

Wonder if they'll use the actual single version of ICSFM with the bass overdub (*different* from the BBC version on The Singles).