Monday was a big day for classic rock enthusiasts for two reasons: The Who’s re-mastered release of their 1969 rock opera “Tommy” and The Beatles’ release of the 1994 special “On Air — Live at the BBC Volume 2.”
Fans of these iconic bands will be excited to hear fresh, unheard versions of various tracks from both albums.
The Who’s Super Deluxe Edition Box Set of “Tommy” features a high definition re-mastered version of the 24-song masterpiece, as well as a disc of demo tracks from the album, according to rollingstone.com.
Rolling Stone magazine also said that the set includes a Blu-Ray audio disc and a live performance of The Who performing “Tommy.”
This last feature might be the best part of the box set, aside from the un–released demo tracks, due to the fact that The Who was widely considered by rock fans as the best, most energetic live performers of the 1960s and ‘70s.
The latter album “On Air — Live at the BBC Volume 2,” is an equally exciting release as it captures multiple Beatles’ recordings that were previously only heard on albums. “Live at the BBC”, the 1994 predecessor to the album, is also being reissued.
The 63-track two-disc set includes live versions of classics such as “Please Please Me,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and more, as well as live song covers from rock ‘n’ roll legends like Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Buddy Holly, according to allmusic.com.
Another feature on the set is a “Pop Profile” of each of the four Beatles, giving listeners another chance to get caught up in the British icons’ charm.
The live, in-studio versions of classic songs add another level of depth to the Beatles music, giving listeners a chance to hear the tracks in their raw form as opposed to the more polished album versions, according to an article in the New York Times.
Both of these releases are must-haves for fans of The Who, The Beatles or rock lovers in general, and will make a great addition to already plentiful collections from either band.