20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of The Who CD

The Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals); Pete Townshend (guitar); John Entwistle (bass); Keith Moon (drums).
Producers: Shel Talmy, Kit Lambert, Glyn Johns, Jon Astley, The Who.
Compilation producer: Andy McKaie.
Recorded between October 26, 1965 and July 11, 1978. Includes liner notes by Joseph Laredo.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
This is part of MCA's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series.
Liner Note Author: Joseph F. Laredo.
Recording information: 10/26/1965-07/11/1978.
Like any record company worth their salt, MCA knows a good gimmick when they see it, and when the millennium came around -- well, the 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection wasn't too far behind. Supposedly, the millennium is a momentous occasion, but it's hard to feel that way when it's used as another excuse to turn out a budget-line series. But apart from the presumptuous title, 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection turns out to be a very good budget-line series. True, it's impossible for any of these ten-track collections to be definitive, but they're nevertheless solid samplers that don't feature a bad song in the bunch. For example, take the Who's 20th Century volume. Yes, there are some great, great songs missing, but what's here (with the possible exception of "Squeeze Box") is terrific, including "My Generation," "Happy Jack," "I Can See for Miles," "Magic Bus," "Pinball Wizard," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Who Are You," "Join Together," and "Won't Get Fooled Again." Serious fans will want something more extensive, and neophytes would be best served by more well-chosen collections, but this disc is quite entertaining, considering its length and price. That doesn't erase the ridiculousness of the series title, but the silliness is excusable when the music and the collections are good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The end of the millennium made it easy for the music industry to put the rock stars of the 20th Century into historical perspective, a mutually beneficial phenomenon that provided both new marketing opportunities and a chance for the uninitiated to discover the treasures of rock's past. Such is the opportunity afforded by the 20TH CENTURY MASTERS series. To squeeze the entire history of a band as influential as the Who into a mere 10 tracks is no mean feat, but this compilation makes an admirable attempt. The iconoclastic fury of the Who's early years is aptly represented by "My Generation." "Pinball Wizard" fulfills the TOMMY quota for rock opera aficionados. "Won't Get Fooled Again" finds the band at the height of their bare-chested '70s glory. "Squeeze Box" shows the Who's often-neglected sense of humor. Ultimately, this collection is as representative as its time restrictions allow.