Listening to You: The Who at the Isle of Wight

May 21 - May 24, 2010

(Murray Lerner, USA, 1970, DigiBeta, 85 min)

Filmed at 2 a.m., Listening To You is a record of one of the finest concerts given by The Who during arguably their most dynamic and creative period. This is the quintessential Who: Townshend in white overalls and work boots and Daltrey bare-chested under the ubiquitous fringed jacket, playing the ultimate in high energy rock 'n' roll.
 
For the first 50 minutes, The Who blast through the mixed bag that comprised their then current set, including versions of "I Can't Explain," "Young Man Blues," and "Magic Bus," as well as lesser known songs like "Heaven and Hell and Water." Apparently finished, they leave the stage before returning for an encore, which turns out to be an almost complete rendition of Townshend's rock opera, Tommy. Beautifully shot with exceptional sound, Listening To You will surely become one of the great rock concert films.

 

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