Back in 1982, The Who was without iconic drummer Keith Moon, but for this tour (which was supposed to be their last. Yeah, right) they brought the more than adequate Kenny Jones along with keyboardist Tim Gorman in promotion of their latest albums Face Dances and It’s Hard. The original core of Roger Daltrey/voc, Pete Townshend/g-voc and John Entwistle/b (his last time with the band) sound in excellent form, and for this night at Shea Stadium, they had their mojo risin’.
They mix up their pop hits like “Substitute” and “I Can’t Explain” with vintage period pieces like “Pinball Wizard,” “Baba O’Riley” and the iconic “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” More recent pieces such as “Sister Disco” and “Eminence Front” hold up fairly well, but it’s the material from the overlooked-but-aging better-every-day Quadrophenia that works best. “Love Reign O’er Me” has Daltrey at his best, while the band simmers on the bonus track from the first night’s show of “5.15” A medley of rockers like “Twist and Shout” tip the hands of the band’s allegiance. Good show, and for this night, the kids were alright.
Eagle Vision dvd