THE WHO : LIVE AT THE OVAL 1971

THE WHO : LIVE AT THE OVAL 1971

So Glad To See Ya
Summertime Blues
My Wife
Love Ain't For Keeping
I Can't Explain
Substitute
Bargain
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again
Baby Don't You Do It
Pinball Wizard
See Me, Feel Me / Listening To You
My Generation
Naked Eye
Magic Bus

Label : UMe

Venue : Oval Cricket Ground, Kennington, London, UK

Recording Date : September 18, 1971

Release Date : August 22, 2025

Length : 76:37

Review (Discover Music) : Ahead of their highly anticipated farewell tour, The Who are set to release a new live album, Live At The Oval 1971. The album is the first-ever official recording of The Who’s set at ‘Goodbye Summer: A Rock Concert in aid of Famine Relief for the People of Bangladesh,’ held on The Oval cricket ground in Kennington, South London on September 18th, 1971. The album is available to order in multiple formats, including CD and a limited edition splatter vinyl. Previously only available as a poor-quality bootleg, this legendary show has never received an official release until now. At that show, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon performed a 15-song setlist highlighted with staples such as “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Pinball Wizard,” and more for an audience of over 35,000 people. Live At The Oval 1971 has been newly mixed from the original 8-track analogue multi-track tapes. At the time of recording, the band had released Who’s Next only a month prior on August 2nd, 1971. Five songs from the iconic album were included on the setlist. Already renowned for their unpredictable performances, the show concluded with Townshend and Moon smashing their equipment. In August, the group will embark on their “The Song is Over” farewell tour. The North American tour, named after The Who’s 1971 song of the same name, kicks off in Newark, N.J., on August 19th before continuing onto cities including New York City, Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles, and more. “Well, all good things must come to an end. It is a poignant time. For me, playing to American audiences and those in Canada has always been incredible. The warmth and engagement of those audiences began back in 1967 with hippies smoking dope, sitting on their blankets, and listening deeply and intensely. Music was everywhere,” Townshend said in a press release.

Review (Bourbon And Vinyl) : The Who, who are currently out on what feels like their actual final tour (after several final tours), “The Song Is Over” tour, have released a powerful live album from their vaults, Live From The Oval 1971. And what a live album this one is, oh my! The Who have released a lot of live albums from their vaults and I haven’t exactly kept up with all of them, but this album (for me) ranks up there with Live At Leeds which I consider to be one of the greatest, most essential live albums of all time whether you own it in the original 1-disc live vinyl LP configuration or the 1995 expanded edition (which went from six to fourteen songs) or the 2001 super deluxe edition which was multiple discs… that monster keeps growing! Live At The Oval 1971 finds the original lineup of the band, Roger Daltrey (vocals), John Entwistle (bass/vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar/vocals) and Keith Moon (drums/mischief) in rare form. I’m told this performance has been widely bootlegged over the years but this is my first time hearing it. When it comes to the Who, I’m at a slight disadvantage. I didn’t start listening to music until roughly the time drummer Keith Moon passed away in 1978. Most of my Who experience, other than going to the record store and buying their back catalog while in college, was the Daltrey/Entwistle/Townshend configuration. At first with Kenny Jones, formerly of the Faces, filling in on drums – Face Dances was the first Who album I ever bought (and yes, call me sentimental, but I’m the only person who likes that album). And then later after Kenny Jones bowed out, after retiring and then coming back, the Who played with other replacement drummers including the recently sacked Zak Starkey, Ringo’s son. And of course, after we lost Entwistle in 2002 it’s just been Roger and Pete whose relationship has always been fraught. In these very pages I’ve reviewed the Pete/Roger configuration’s The Who With Orchestra and the Roger/Pete/John and Kenny Jones configuration’s Live At Shea Stadium 1982 album. In both cases despite being down two original members on the former, and one original member on the latter, I’ve found both those performances to be startling potent and strong. With that as a backdrop, you’ll have to forgive me in that I had forgotten how amazingly powerful this band was when the original lineup was still intact. These guys rival Zeppelin in terms of playing bombastic, hard rock. I guess I need to pull out Live At Leeds more often to remind myself. Tommy, the Who’s and the world’s first double-album “rock opera,” and the ultimate “concept album” came out in 1969 and was a sensation. By that point, their manager Kit Lambert had really painted the Who as an artsy band. Chafing under that description and struggling to complete a followup album, the Who released the sensational, hard rocking Live At Leeds as a counterpoint to that just to prove how hard they rocked in concert. The followup to Tommy was supposed to be another conceptual double-album, perhaps the mother of all concept albums, a record called Lifehouse. Townshend worked and worked to make the concept in his head come together but just couldn’t pull it off. It was similar to what Brian Wilson went through with Smile. Eventually it led Townshend to what has been described as a nervous breakdown. Making lemonade out of lemons, so to speak, the band pulled the best tunes from Lifehouse and in August of 1971 put out a single disc, non-concept album, Who’s Next, which turned out to be arguably the Who’s best album. I believe it was their biggest seller, anyway. At that point, the Who were approached to play a charity event on September 19, 1971, the “Goodbye Summer: A Rock Concert in Aid of Famine Relief for the People of Bangladesh,” which was the UK companion version of George Harrison’s Concert For the People of Bangladesh. The Who would headline a bill featuring the Faces and Mott the Hoople. (Am I wrong as a Faces fan to wish that someone had hit “record” when Rod & the gang were on stage?). At this point, the Who had been cooped up in a studio for quite a while and were looking for an excuse to rehearse and get out in front of an audience. Townshend was also feeling freed of the burden of trying to realize the Lifehouse project. And the band had to be riding high on the wonderful reception Who’s Next was receiving. That’s a lot of good vibes for a band to contain… It was the perfect time to re-emerge and play a show that was going to melt the faces off some fans. And with all that new material from Who’s Next am I wrong to think that Who were kind of happy to not be playing Tommy in it’s entirety for the umpteenth time? Good vibes and hard rock are the call of the day as the Who took the stage and Live At The Oval 1971 kicks off. These guys come off as a feral animal escaping captivity… they’re taking no prisoners. They open with a kitschy track “So Glad To See You,” but then they probably were glad, and then right into “Summertime Blues” (which features on our Summer/Sun/Beach Playlist) which fit the “Goodbye Summer” theme to a “T.” Sure, Eddie Cochran wrote it and did it first and Springsteen’s E Street Band used to play it live, but the Who own this song. It’s muscular hard rock, “Maximum R&B,” indeed. It’s hard to overstate how spectacularly this rocks. Moon and Entwistle sound like barely contained thunder and lightning as they do for the whole performance. There’s a reason Entwistle was an automatic for my favorite bass players list. Next up is Entwistle’s contribution to Who’s Next, “My Wife” a comical track about an angry wife coming after a husband who’d gotten drunk and fallen asleep and not made it home (we’ve all been there). You can tell how jazzed these guys are to be playing this new material. These songs that are now “old warhorses” were fresh and new and the Who seem to be discovering the raw power in their performance. Toward the end of “My Wife” Daltrey starts singing parts of “Going Mobile,” and randomly sings “Keep me movin’.” Beyond the rhythm section bringing down the sky, Townshend’s guitar is a lethal weapon here. I don’t know why, but sometimes I forget what a guitar god this guy was/is. The big riffs, the loud solo’s, make Pete sound a lot like Hendrix on this album and he plays his ass off. You can tell he’s happily out of the confines of the studio and he’s gonna bend some strings and rawk! Again, it’s the Who’s Next stuff that shines and “Love Ain’t For Keeping” is no exception. I love Daltrey’s vocal here. He’s got a reputation as a shouter, but he sounds phenomenal on this live LP. After a few of those great, short singles, “I Can’t Explain,” and “Substitute” which both sizzle, we get to the emotional heart of the performance and yes, it’s all the new stuff. “Bargain” just rocks out. That leads to one of the most beautiful performances of “Behind Blue Eyes” that I’ve ever heard. The newly minted “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is spectacular. I always judge a version of that track by how well Daltrey’s climactic banshee wail at the end goes and on this one, it’s A+. That’s followed by one of my favorite deep track/covers songs the Who ever did, “Baby Don’t You Do It.” Daltrey conflates the track with an Elmore James song, but Elmore never did this one. Marvin Gaye did do it and frankly the Band used to use it as their encore… I’m hard pressed to name a favorite, but the Who’s version is certainly a top candidate. I need to do one of my “With 3 Versions, which is your favorite” posts about this song like I did with another Who track, “Pinball Wizard.” Speaking of which, up next is a mini-Tommy “suite” of two songs with the aforementioned “Pinball Wizard” which leads to “See Me, Feel Me/Listening To You.” After an almost punk rock version of “My Generation” they play another of my favorite deep tracks, “Naked Eye” (which, yes, is on my Playlist: Songs About Eyes). I’ve always loved the dual Roger and Pete lead vocal songs. I’m embarrassed to admit that the first time I heard that song was on a video, maybe on VCR or maybe on MTV, of the Who’s “last” tour in 1982. I went out immediately bought Odds & Sods, a compilation of unreleased stuff because it had that song on it. I knew any Who mix tape I made going forward would have to contain that song. The version here is over 7 minutes and may be definitive. That opening line, “Take a little dope and walk out in the air, the stars are all connected to the brain” reminds me of a night on shrooms many, many moons ago… I stick with beer now. The concert wraps with an extended jam version of “Magic Bus” where apparently Keith Moon played the drums with a purloined cricket bat… although somehow in my mind I keep conflating that with a croquet hammer… which you have to admit, paints a funnier picture. “Magic Bus,” at 9 minutes long is just a perfect, rocking end to what must have been one Hell of a night. I wish I’d been there, but in 1971 it would have been past my bedtime. Often when I listen to a live album from a certain point in time, I grouse about tracks they didn’t play or maybe they didn’t do the song well. I have no notes for this performance. Like Live At Leeds, this is a perfect Who live album and a fine addition to anybody’s rock n roll collection. I heard some people grousing about the cover art – Can you believe that shit? Everyone’s a critic… – that it’s too “bootleg like.” Have you seen the cover of Live At Leeds, which was literally a spoof on the bootleg covers of the times? I actually kind of dig the cover, but obviously it’s irrelevant to what’s inside! Turn this one up loud over your Labor Day Weekend while you’re lounging by your pool and grilling up some burgers and pour yourself something strong… best fasten your seat belt as well. This is gonna rattle the neighbor’s windows… I have to admit that I’ve been listening to this one non-stop since it came out – save for a detour for Cheap Trick’s new song “Twelve Gates” – and it just keeps growing in my esteem. Between this one and Elton John’s recently released Live At The Rainbow Theater, my vaults runneth over! Cheers! and happy Labor Day to all the working stiffs out there!

Review (All About Jazz) : The Who were at the peak of their performing powers by the time they embarked upon an extensive touring schedule in 1971. Having honed their chemistry as a performing unit during the nearly two years of performing Tommy (Decca, 1969), the quartet had relegated equipment smashing to an occasional sidelight. And, having distilled guitarist/composer Pete Townshend's magnum opus Life House into Who's Next (MCA, 1971), the foursome had a panoply of sterling new material to choose from in addition to a wide array of varied older material. Live At The Oval 1971 is a fifteen-song concert from the volatile group's headlining appearance on the bill of 'Goodbye Summer: A Rock Concert in aid of Famine Relief for the People of Bangla Desh.' During the course of the seventy-plus minute set at The Oval cricket ground in South London on September 18, 1971, the program runs the gamut of the Who's history. Clearly, the group's familiarity with selections like "I Can't Explain" does not adversely affect the performances. In fact, juxtaposing 1966's "Substitute" with "Bargain" (off the just-released LP) freshens the playing of both. Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon gain confidence from the former and transfer it to the latter. Meanwhile, in his role as lead vocalist, Roger Daltrey displays a similarly abandoned yet focused approach. Whether it is the range of dynamics in "Behind Blue Eyes" or his stalwart reading of the anthemic "Won't Get Fooled Again," the lead singer never succumbs to histrionics anymore than his bandmates on their instruments. And the novel incorporation of pre-recorded tapes into the arrangement of the latter is seamless. The quartet remains in time throughout the number without losing the tremendous visceral impact of its musicianship; as a result, in immediately following two other selections from the new album, the majesty of the climax is palpable. After the Who proffer selections from the rock opera, including "Pinball Wizard, " "My Generation" arrives without the meandering that afflicted later stage versions. "Magic Bus," thereby becomes even more cathartic (even with some wheezy harmonica from Daltrey). Culled from an unreleased 1970 EP and an intermittent stage inclusion, "Naked Eye" sets up a choice cull from the British quartet's early repertoire in "Baby Don't You Do It," leaving the distinct impression the Who are more than a little proud of the expanse of their catalog. In fact, the joy they radiate throughout is as unmistakable as the expert pacing of the setlist. The spontaneous excitement does get the best of them on occasion, such as the ragged vocals during "Summertime Blues," and, as a result, the Who do thrash around a bit on Entwistle's original "My Wife," but that is only a means of savoring the visceral simplicity of this tune by the man nicknamed 'The Ox.' That interval, like the little over two minutes of "Love Ain't For Keeping," reaffirms not only the combined power and the precision of these four musicians, but also the fundamental self-discipline they had worked so hard to foster over the years. Still, their playing never becomes too busy (unlike the cover artwork of Josh Townshend). Previously only available as a poor-quality bootleg, Live At The Oval 1971 was newly mixed from the original 8-track analog multi-track tapes by long-time Who soundman Bob Pridden with Richard Whittaker (who worked on the recent Robin Trower deluxe anniversary editions). Taken from recordings by Glyn Johns for subsequent mastering by Jon Astley and Layla Astley, the technical expertise preserves an often-savage edge to the music, not to mention a clarity comparable to the audio this now-famous engineer helped oversee in the studio for their aforementioned fifth longplayer. The sonics suit the intensity the Who always brought to their best performances. So, taking into account the rarity of the recording and its astute production, and notwithstanding Andy Neill's longstanding advocacy for the band, the journalist who authored the essay in the enclosed booklet here would no doubt attest, Live At The Oval 1971 deserves placement in that very category.

Review (Cult Following) : An ugly, artificially generated cover image and a concert with such poor sound quality it feels more like a bootleg than an official release. What a time it is to be a fan of The Who. With the band conducting yet another farewell tour, it is hard to think of a better time to release those archive tapes, no matter the quality. Live at the Oval 1971 dropped onto streaming services with almost no fanfare. It’s not as though this is much to be proud of, especially with the crunchy guitar sound. Loud does not always mean better. Keith Moon sounds as though he’s hammering away on a toy drum kit, and Pete Townshend overwhelms the show with his guitar work. The Who were a great live act, just ask the fans who keep calling them the greatest of all time. Live at Leeds may be a convincing spectacle, but Live at the Oval 1971 is far from a strong listen. You can just about hear the grooves of a great rock show throughout. It never comes to the surface, though. Tape degradation is a fact of these archive tapes. Just listen to a Rolling Thunder Revue bootleg from Bob Dylan. But the touch-ups and packaging of the release make all the difference. Slapping some artificially generated slop on the front of a show without the magnitude or meaning which would define The Who makes it more of a cash grab than anything. A show released for the sake of it. Most fans will be keen to entertain better quality bootlegs, and rightly so. Live at the Oval 1971 is one for the completionists. Roger Daltrey sounds solid throughout, though that is not enough for the passing listener. For those dedicated Who fans, Live at the Oval 1971 will serve as an interesting listen, more because it marks an official release of a live show from the band’s archives than anything else. Those wanting to learn more about The Who’s live stage dominance are best off avoiding this. Recognisable songs like Substitute sound relatively tame compared to the studio versions, let alone those Live at Leeds highs. Moments of interest come from Townshend on this performance, his guitar playing a strong and constant force for this set, even if there is a harshness from the tape quality. Won’t Get Fooled Again is enjoyable no matter the quality, and while this live rendition is nothing special, the energy is enough to carry listeners who lasted this long into Live at the Opal 1971 through the rest of the album. Elongating the instrumentals and having a lyric which is repeatable yet catchy is the golden line for a band like The Who, and it helps the likes of My Generation tremendously. Songs like Baby Don’t You Do It and Magic Bus feel more like instrumental slogs than anything which showcases The Who as a band which defines the live shows of the 1970s. This home country show is little more than an excuse to fleece fans of their cash. Good thing it’s on streaming services for those inclined to hear it. Not an incredible show by any stretch, but a few moments of note which those seasoned fans will want to extract for future listening. As a show, though, as a defining piece of The Who’s decades on stage, it’s far from their best. A somewhat flat Pinball Wizard is one of the many duds featured in this lengthy live album, one which paints the band in solid light, but not world-beating form. Even at the peak of their studio powers, the turn of the decade affords very little momentum to The Who. Irrespective of the performance is an ugly as sin album cover, generated slop for a performance which was hardly a great showcase of the band’s abilities.