The Who - Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B (1994)

Okay, I'm going to risk my already doubtful reputation as a critic and make the following statement: the Who are not only one of a handful of the greatest rock bands of all time (no argument yet), but they were also influential far beyond what they're generally given credit for. I'd argue that without the collective efforts of Peter Townsend, Roger Daltry, John Entwhistle and Keith Moon, we probably would never have had bands like the Replacements, Soul Asylum or R.E.M. They may all claim the Velvet Underground as their big influence, but even Lou and the gang wouldn't have gotten a second look by their record label if not for the ground-breaking success of The Who.

The Who created and fused together the archetypes that would become rock music. Daltry was the Hollywood dandy, the pretty boy and a perfect foil to Townsend's bristling, attitude-ridden young punk (spitting in the eye of convention while Johnny Rotten was still in diapers). Entwhistle was to become the model of the quiet rock journeyman, while the late Keith Moon was rock's original wild man. At their best, the Who were sloppy, amateurish and obstinate, shining with a creative genius even while destroying the stage. At their worst, The Who were among rock's first superstars – by the time of the band's first "break-up," they had over 15 years in it together – and they didn't have the sense to stay retired rather than subject their fans to numerous "final tours."

So why should you buy Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B, the recently-released four CD box set documenting the Who's career, rather than, say, any one of a slew of "best of" discs that have been released throughout the years? Because Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B is the definitive Who collection. If you grew up with the band, suffering through their trials and tribulations, savoring classic discs such as Who Are You or Who By Numbers, then you'll want what this set has to offer. And if you're coming at the band from a newer perspective, a young rocker whose familiarity with the band may only be their sad latter years, then you'd be interested in hearing some of the greatest, most impassioned rock music ever created.

Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B collects 79 songs, many remixed for CD, including over a dozen unreleased songs and an equal number of rare live tracks. Scraps of interviews, commercials and studio dialogue fill in the gaps on disc, while a monster booklet complete with photos, liner notes, a discography and more will feed your head with more than you ever wanted to know about The Who.

As for the music, there's a little bit of everything to be found herein. Disc one begins with a handful of cuts by the Who's predecessors, the High Numbers, meaty early-60s British R & B that is interesting, but not very distinctive. All of the hits are here, from '60s-era gems like I Can't Explain, My Generation and I Can See For Miles to their heavier seventies material like Won't Get Fooled Again or Long Live Rock.

Much of the previously unreleased material is interesting mostly as a historical footnote, creations that tend to further reinforce the band's already concrete image. A number of the live tracks included on Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B show the band in what was always their best element: on stage. That was always where the particular chemistry of the foursome became its most volatile, its most passionate. Unreleased gems like See Me, Feel Me or Dreaming From The Waist, as well as familiar performances such as Substitute or Summertime Blues, taken from the Live At Leeds album, are what created the legend that is the Who. This is the way that the band should be remembered, and Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B is a fitting tribute to one of rock's greatest bands. (MCA Records)

(Click on the CD box set cover to buy Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B from Amazon.com)