Odds & Sods 1998

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

My take on the new O&S...

First, the good parts. The early mono versions of Leaving Here and Baby
Don't You Do It are essential...raw, powerful, crude, and everything The
Who were circa 1964. Absolutely wonderful IMHO. Now I want a remixed MG
more than ever.
Time Is Passing is only a good Who song, but it's great to get another
good Who song! Ditto with We Close Tonight...written by Pete and sung by
John (with Keith), it doesn't measure up to the rest of QUAD...but I'd
never heard it, and I'm glad I have it now.
It's also nice to get good copies of CKMC, MW, and these versions of
LAFK & SB. They "fixed" the drop-out on P&E.
The bad parts, at least for me: Young Man Blues sounds slowed down. I've
got a copy of the HOUSE THAT TRACK BUILT version, and if this is it
they've slowed it down. The vocal isn't double-tracked either. Don't
know why they'd do such a thing, but...anyway, I've been told privately
it's a different version entirely, so perhaps the notes are wrong.
I'm The Face is the fade-out-early version, also found on 30 YEARS. Mary
Ann is in stereo but still the same version released on WM.
It's sequenced as "chronological order," but it seems to ignore when it
was recorded as opposed to when the song was completed for release.
Otherwise Naked Eye would NOT be the last song, instead We Close Tonight
or Water. Still, NE is a wonderful last song.
Some of the material has been remixed, and it's easy to spot. They did a
wonderful job on Naked Eye, for instance. Other songs have only been
remastered, most notably Too Much Of Anything, Long Live Rock, and Put
The Money Down.
All in all, I'm happy with it. There are still 25 previously released
songs currently out of print by my count. Not counting the MG album.
I'll post a list if anyone's interested.
For those of you who were saddened by the news this was the last Who
rerelease, you will be heartened to hear that there is a strong rumour
the King Buscuit label is working on the Largo Md. & Philadelphia `73
QUAD shows for release.

> << I could swear that this version of 'too much of anything' is different from
>  the version on the who's next reissue.

> I did notice this, listen to the parts of each song when Roger sings "I can't
> remember before 49..."

It is a different version, but it's the one originally released on O&S.

-- 

            Cheers                ML

   "                                     "
                                   Meher Baba