Listening to You: The Who at the Isle of Wight (1970) (TV)

Director:

Murray Lerner

Release Date:

August 1970 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

This is the film of The Who's appearance at the third (and final) Isle of Wight festival in 1970. This is regarded as the band's finest performance. |

Plot Keywords:

Isle Of Wight | Band | 1970s | Performance | Outdoor Concert

Cast

Roger Daltrey	...	Himself (The Who)
John Entwistle	...	Himself (The Who)
Keith Moon	...	Himself (The Who)
Pete Townshend	...	Himself (The Who)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ricki Farr	...	Himself
Jimi Hendrix	...	Himself
Kris Kristofferson	...	Himself
Taste	...	Themselves

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:G

Company:

Pulsar Productions

Trivia:

During The Who's performance, Pete Townshend makes a comment about "foreigners" coming in and causing problems. Earlier that weekend, a group of French anarchists tried to storm the festival and tear down the iron fence that surrounded the stage area.

Soundtrack:

Tommy Can You Hear Me?

the heart of rock and roll is still beating

I saw The Who when the 1982 version of their "final tour" passed through Toronto. While enjoying them immensely, what most sticks in my mind the 20 years and more since is the visual of Roger Daltrey running on the spot a few times, suggesting more than a few ideas that must have been in mind at that time. Here, however, taken from 1970, is a singer and a band musically and visually connected to the music. I doubt that anything of that music and time would have inspired him to be running on the spot. As Huey Lewis would later note and i find it applicable here, judging by a performance like this it would be easy to say that "the heart of rock and roll is still beating." An inspiring performance worth seeing.