THE WHO WITH ORCHESTRA : LIVE AT WEMBLEY

 

Disc One (52:11)

  1. Who Are You
  2. Eminence Front
  3. Imagine A Man
  4. Pinball Wizard
  5. Hero Ground Zero
  6. Join Together
  7. Substitute
  8. The Seeker
  9. Won't Get Fooled Again
  10. Behind Blue Eyes

Disc Two (52:57)

  1. Ball And Chain
  2. The Real Me
  3. I'm One
  4. The Punk And The Godfather
  5. 5:15
  6. Drowned
  7. The Rock
  8. Love Reign O'er Me
  9. Baba O'Riley
  10. Tea & Theatre

Label : Polydor

Venue : Wembley Stadium, London, UK

Recording Date : July 6, 2019

Release Date : March 31, 2023

Review (AllMusic) : The Who with Orchestra: Live at Wembley captures the group's return to Wembley on July 6, 2019. It was their first time playing the venue in 40 years and the only show the Who played in the U.K. during their Moving On tour, so it was designed as an event. Some of that spectacle does translate on The Who with Orchestra: Live at Wembley, which came to home media in a variety of formats, including triple-vinyl, double-CD, and audio Blu-ray. The Who integrate the orchestra quite seamlessly throughout the performances, especially during an extended segment focused on Quadrophenia material; the orchestra helps Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey summon a bit of the old Who's flair for bombast. Even so, the moments on the record that cut the deepest are when the band plays without the orchestra. "Substitute" and "The Seeker" sound vigorous delivered by a straight rock combo, while Townshend and Daltrey's acoustic renditions of "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Behind Blue Eyes" help make these old warhorses sound relatively fresh.

Review (Spill Magazine) : Six decades into their career, The Who continues to experiment with its performances, justifying its worth as one of the greatest bands of its era. Their 2019 tour saw the British invasion pioneers collaborate with the Isobell Griffiths Orchestra. The result is their latest live album, The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley. Opening with a string of hits including “Who Are You”, “Eminence Front”, and “Pinball Wizard”, the addition of the orchestra ebbs and flows between subtle and vastly apparent, fitting within the song seamlessly and highlighting the strength of the songwriting force that is guitarist Pete Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey. With the orchestra largely taking a back seat during the opening “Who Are You”, the power of the band is showcased first and foremost: Daltrey’s voice still robust and Townshend’s Stratocaster cutting. From the subtleties of the orchestra during “Who Are You” to their bold stand immediately following in “Eminence Front”, the Isobel Griffiths Orchestra makes for a welcome addition. Over the course of its 20-song set, Live At Wembley is a unique concert experience that can stand along not only The Who’s growing collection of live releases, but also those from other rock and metal bands performed alongside an orchestra. With stunning arrangements on “Love Reign O’er Me” and “Baba O’Riley”, The Who prove to be just as strong without the orchestra, as heard on a handful of tracks, most notably including “The Seeker” and the acoustically-performed “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, and “Behind Blue Eyes”. While the acoustic renditions of these classics made for an interesting choice, perhaps their performance would have benefited from the power of plugging in for some of their biggest hits. The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley sees the classic rock outfit revive their material in a unique manner. With the help of the Isobel Griffiths Orchestra, Townshend and Daltrey have breathed a new sense of life into their classic material that showcases the timelessness of their songwriting through a stellar performance.