the who

Buy the MFSL Gold CD recordings of the WHO, especially Who's Next. THat's if you can find it. Incredible recordings done by MFSL, still the best regardless of the remastering technique done today.

Usually, a remastered vesion will have a statement to that effect (great selling point!) I'm not sure if you're specifically looking for "Tommy" but the original 2 disc version is nothing great (sonically) but I don't know about the single disc version. The MFSL version is to die for, but it can get kinda pricy. "Who's Next" MFSL gold disc has been discribed as the best version in ANY format, but get ready to pony up some bucks as MFSL was rumored to produce only 1000 pressings before going under. If you want earlier Who (up to Quadrophenia) the 4 CD set "30 Years of Maximum R&B" is a winner. I dont know if this set is still in current production. Good Luck!

MFSL produced some excellent CDs,but there are some standouts and Whos Next is certainly one of them.Unfortunatly this is a very hard and expensive cd to find.

From my experience, Seabird is on the right track. Somewhere
on the package youll find the words "remastered" or "digitally remastered". Another way you can tell (in most cases) is if the CD is housed with a clear CD tray, instead of the black, or gray tray. These trays are being used more frequently with newer releases, and I dont beleive the Who
titles are being released not remastered anymore. Lastly,
get the matrix, or catalog number off the package, and then hit the big on-line sites to see what they have in their description. Usually there pretty good about such notes.

Personnally, Ive shelled out a bit for my favorite Who titles. Tommy MFSL, Whos Next & Quadrophenia Jap rematers.
I had a copy of Whos Next MFSL, but I dropped it at eBay
for a cool $105. Payed for all my others with that!
Good Luck

The original vinyl version of Who's Next sounds good with reasonable dynamics -- Quadraphenia less so. Haven't compared to the cd version, though!

In another thread, Blues Man noted that some "remastered" versions sport LESS dynamics!!

Cheers!

The MCA 180 Gram version released a few years ago, of Who's Next, on LP, was the best sounding version I heard. Better than the Decca "Rainbow" original and subsequent MCA remasters. Other than that, Greg is right, the original is still best.........Frank

Is the MCA GOld CD of Who's Next any good? I've heard that these are also fairly rare. How does is compare to the MFSL version?

thanks you guys about all the info about the "Who's Next" album...the interesting thing about this album is that Steve Hoffman (of DCC fame) has a thread at Audio Asylum discussing the remastering job he did on this album back in the '80's. It's now released as a budget Canadian CD and I picked it up from an online store in Canada. it really is quite good (and very cheap). anyone interested should do a search at AA and read the thread. regarding my question about "live at leeds" - didn't the remastered version add some songs that the original CD didn't contain?

best,

gregg

The remastered Tommy is one of the BEST remasterings I have heard. It brings that old warhorse to life like you wouldn't believe. I have played that album (!) and CD in every format--original pressing, Jap remastered vinyl, original CD, and remastered CD, more than 500 times, and the remastered CD is by far and away the absolute best. Vinyl freaks, you are really missing out on this one. Sounds like a recording only ten years old instead of 32. No added cuts, as Tommy was a concept album.

Live at Leeds remastered is almost double length of original, and is still the best live rock recording ever made. Don't argue with that--it's the best. Sounds a little hot remastered, but not objectionable as so many other remasters.

Who's Next remastered also adds some very good old cuts, and the sound is first rate. You will go gaga for Baba.