who did this?
this is by far the worst live disc I have heard. I was at this show and it was nothing like this muffed miss mix they so shamelessly put out here. Townsend owes me and every other fan a personal apology

(4.5 stars) the Who's other live classic
This is a heavily acclaimed live album, at times compared favorably to Live at Leeds. And there's a good reason for that: this is the Who, a legendary live act, at their prime, playing a really good show. Sure, you could complain about all the overlap with the one-disc Leeds reissue - "Young Man's Blues", "Heaven and Hell", "Summertime Blues", and a multitude of the early hits ("I Can't Explain", "Substitute", "My Generation", "Happy Jack", "Magic Bus") appear on both discs - but that doesn't matter much, and I'll tell you why: those songs, both originals and covers, represent the Who at their absolute prime. Other than those, most the album is devoted to one of two things. There are a lot of Lifehouse outtakes: "I Don't Even Know Myself" (a fun little rocker that switches to jaunty ragtime), "Water" (an awesome epic rocker with Pete packing more guitar heroics into eleven minutes than most guitarists can fit into an album - it obliterates the version found as a bonus track on Who's Next), and "Naked Eye", which only rules slightly less than "Water"; or, the reason you probably bought this in the first place, a performance on Tommy that's more or less in its entirety, though "Underture", "Welcome", "Cousin Kevin" and "Sally Simpson" are absent, and the order is a bit off - "Tommy Can You Hear Me" is for whatever reason placed before "Go to the Mirror?", even though it makes no sense when placed there. The Tommy performance is as good as if not better than the original version, since Townshend plays a lot of guitar, and there aren't many better guitarists than Pete. It's loaded with energy, too. Okay, so the piano part on "1921" is missed, as are all the French horn parts. The "Amazing Journey"/"Sparks" medley is always classic (Especially "Sparks", where Townshend gets in more of those guitar heroics you heard on "Water" - it's enough to rival Jimi Hendrix, and Entwistle plays another genius bassline, the kind he could knock off without even thinking too hard about it - Keith Moon goes crazier than usual, and it's too bad they never gave him a drum solo. That would be amusing), "The Acid Queen" is graced with one of Pete's most distinctive vocals; "Pinball Wizard" is "Pinball Wizard" (need I say anymore? By the way, how did he manage to play the intro with only one guitar? Does Roger do double-duty or something?), they rampage their way through "Go to the Mirror!", not like that's a bad thing; "We're Not Gonna Take It" is still the same desperate prayer. And even some of the "minor" songs have their good points - "Christmas" and "Eyesight to the Blind" aren't favorites of mine, but they are performed quite well. Sadly, an ear-bursting "I'm Free" doesn't at all fit the subtlety required for that song, and it ends up being the only real disappointment on the album, along with "Substitute", which they seemingly can't get right live. The rambling "My Generation" is much better, though, and an easy highlight. Great guitar solos, and I like the random quote from "Water". So no, this album can't match Live at Leeds, but what can?

A Superior Performance, And CD Release, To Live At Leeds
The Who's performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival was phenominal. In my opinion, it is better than their "Live At Leeds" concert. Leeds seemed to be more polished, but Isle of Wight shows more of the authenticity of The Who's early-day live performances. The music is played with much energy, and the banter between songs gives it more of an actual concert flavor, unlike Leeds. The Leeds concert sounds like a studo album that just happened to have an audience.

Not only is this a superior performance to Leeds, it is also a better CD release. Leeds omitted songs, chopped up other songs, was presented out of order, and was re-released with inferior sound quality. Isle of Wight has none of those qualities, and is a perfect release in every way. Of course, die hard fans will want both this and Leeds, but if you are trying to choose, this is easily the better buy.

This Is Better Than "Leeds". Seriously.
Many people say you need to get "Live At The Leeds" to experiece The Who in all their glory. Personally, if you ask this fan, I completely disagree. Now, I greatly enjoy "Live At The Leeds", but I feel at many times it lacks energy and feels very incohesive and as a whole, yes, I'm going to say it, it's a tad overrated.

To truly experience The Who at their zenith, look no further than the two disc "Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970". Now this is classic Who. As one reviewer pointed out, Roger and Pete are much more focused and energetic than they are on "Live At The Leeds". Pete's guitar work is nothing short of astounding, and vocally Roger has never been better. The Ox as always plays bass than anyone who has or ever will touch the instrument, and Moon is his wild, over the top self throughout the whole running time, never missing a beat.

Every song, including a terrific "Tommy" set, is full of life and is a sheer joy to listen to. The sound quality is overall terrific, and the liner notes and packing are very well done. This is a highly worthwhile purchase.

Long time fan finds only disappointment
This geezer, who owns vinyl going back to My Generation, was disappointed. You can read all the glowing reviews here (I sure did) and be swayed. Or you can save your dough and go back to the Live at Leeds 14 track version, which includes many of the same songs, just in a more stirring performance. And, as a bonus, you get to skip the perfunctory Tommy stuff completely. It just ain't worth it. From the sadly missing horns in the overture to the strained vocals throughout, this Tommy is a hobbled version of the original.

I read here The Who was the finest live act ever. Maybe they were, though I sure did not see every big band in those days. I saw many, including the Moon-drumming Who twice, and was richly rewarded both times. Those were fun nights, with an energy and vibrancy I enjoyed. This CD just does not measure up.

No need for more comment. I didn't much like it. Leeds is still a winner, this, a remote runner-up.