There is absolutely nothing wrong with this show! But Really The Band craves Keith Moon to pick a fight with someone and lose it on stage! The Who Rocks America is the final show from their 1982 concert tour it was recorded in Toronto Canada. It is technically and musically a fine show. The Band Performs My Generation, Can't Explain,Dangerous, Sister Disco, The Quiet One, It's Hard, Eminence Front, Baba O' Reilly, Boris the Spider,Drowned, Love Ain't For Keeping, Pinball Wizard...See Me Feel Me, Who Are You, Love Reign O'er Me, Long Live Rock, Won't Get Fooled Again, Naked Eye, Young Man Blues, Twist & Shout. The film is shot nicely, with lots of closeups of the band, and the guys sound great!.
7 Reviews
A bit past their prime, but still a strong performance
InjunNose13 June 2018
The band's swan song as a touring entity (until 1989, that is), "The Who Rocks America" finds them in slightly battered but still very listenable and watchable form. Kenney Jones has settled comfortably into his role as replacement drummer despite vocalist Roger Daltrey's reported antipathy toward him, and they pack twenty-two songs into their 115-minute set. (A few career highlights like 'Magic Bus', 'Behind Blue Eyes', and 'You Better You Bet' are notably absent.) This is not The Who at the top of their game--Daltrey's voice, in particular, is beginning to display some wear and tear--and therefore not essential, but it's fun for diehard fans. Pete Townsend's playing is fine throughout; he's correctly regarded as a great songwriter, but underrated as a guitarist. Highlights: bassist John Entwistle's performance of 'Boris the Spider'; the 'Pinball Wizard'/'See Me, Feel Me' medley; and 'Naked Eye'.
What a great show this was...
lov7yus24 January 2005
I have this on Hi-Fi Stereo VHS and man I loved this show. I sure wish it could be released on DVD. My tape is now degraded and has many dropouts in both sound and video. I really believe this is one of the last shows that captures ALL of them at the top of their game. Roger's voice does show some signs of giving up but it really is a great show. If you can find a good used copy somewhere scoop it up because it is good! Come on Pete, remaster it to DVD ! This was supposed to be their "Farewell" tour from North America but of course they have returned to the U.S. several times since then but each time seeming to lose just a little bit of that chemistry that made them so famous.
Who's Last...well sort of
TheRowdyMan5 October 2007
More of a curiosity for hardcore fans than an enjoyable concert film, this tape is married by lackluster performances and a terribly muddy sound mix. The sound on this "Stereo" VHS is even worse in the DVD age. In light of other concert videos from the time such as the Talking Heads film "Stop Making Sense" (released just two years after), I think this tape would of sounded mediocre even back in 1982.
A few laughs as Daltrey gets his microphone cord tangled up in Townshend's guitar lead after one of his patented mic twirls. Also the dated 80's video effects are also amusing.
Maybe a remixed DVD would bring the star rating up.
Update: this was released as a DVD in 2006 under the title "The Who: Live from Toronto". Unfortunately, the sound mix is not really any better.
A few laughs as Daltrey gets his microphone cord tangled up in Townshend's guitar lead after one of his patented mic twirls. Also the dated 80's video effects are also amusing.
Maybe a remixed DVD would bring the star rating up.
Update: this was released as a DVD in 2006 under the title "The Who: Live from Toronto". Unfortunately, the sound mix is not really any better.
Pretty Good Show
tarzan613 October 2003
Filmed at the end of their career, The Who Rocks America was well filmed, clearly done, and has some fine rock moments. All the good songs are here and the hard edge of Townshend's guitar is great! Daltrey's vocals are a little strained though and not as good as usual.
NOTE: Includes some strong lyrics (f*ck mostly)
NOTE: Includes some strong lyrics (f*ck mostly)
Who Is This?
NoDakTatum27 October 2023
This decades-old concert was captured on video in order to preserve what was going to be The Who's final performance before they retired from touring. Of course, that did not happen, and some of us wish this tape did not happen, as well. The concert film is shot on video in front of thousands of screaming fans in Toronto, Canada. I guess when they rocked America, The Who meant NORTH America. The concert lasts almost two hours, and the lads give it all they have- and that ain't too much. The group includes Roger Daltrey on vocals and some guitar, Pete Townshend on guitar and some vocals, John Entwistle on bass and some vocals, Kenney Jones replaces Keith Moon on drums, and Tim Gorman is trapped behind a bank of keyboards.
The film opens with what can only be described as a lethargic version of "My Generation." "Can't Explain" follows, and the group looks tired and unprepared. "Dangerous" wanders all over the place, and I noticed the film suffers from a terrible sound mix, as Townshend's microphone seems to be set lower than the others'. On "Sister Disco," Townshend sings but Daltrey's trademark microphone throwing is way off. Director Namm cuts to Entwistle a lot as Roger chases his prop around the stage. Namm also has a habit of using then state-of-the-art video effects when things slow down, and they do nothing to enhance the viewing experience. "The Quiet One," written about Entwistle, is next and it has a bluesy feel to it that seems to wake everyone up. "It's Hard" finds Daltrey on guitar, and things definitely improve as they pound through "Eminence Front" and "Baba O'Reilly." And along came a spider...Entwistle proudly announces that "Boris the Spider" took just eight minutes to write- I doubt it was that long. The song is terrible, and the build-up to this point is quickly lost. "Drowned" is better, as Daltrey does some awesome harmonica playing. "Love Ain't for Keeping" is average, but Daltrey continues his streak with some decent guitar work. "Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me" sounds good, but shots of Townshend indicate he is completely bored. The liveliest performance here, "Who Are You" is negated by more stupid special effects. Then comes what I can only refer to as "the cord incident."
On "Love Reign O'er Me," Daltrey gets his microphone cord tangled in Townshend's guitar amplifier cord. Daltrey is literally under Townshend's nose. He sings his bit of the song, then turns his back to the audience while furiously trying to untie the knot. I thought I was watching a deleted scene from "This is Spinal Tap." "Long Live Rock" gives Daltrey room to move, and suddenly the stage does not seem as large as before. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is good, but features some unintentional (?) feedback and a weird gallery of photographs from the old days of the group. The band says good night, and leave the stage. Interesting observations: someone gives Entwistle a cigarette right offstage. Later, when the group comes back for their encore, Entwistle is scratching his nose. This man had a well-known heart condition and his cocaine addiction triggered a fatal heart attack, just wondering why there was so much shock when he died. Entwistle always looked about twenty years older than his bandmates, and he looks terrible here. The nose scratching? Maybe he was just scratching... For the encore, the intimate song "Naked Eye" gets completely lost in such a big venue. "Squeezebox/Young Man Blues" is handled well, and Entwistle closes the show with the perennial "Twist and Shout."
For the final concert they would ever perform, this was a complete disappointment. This was the final night of the tour, so no pick-up shots could be done. Instead, the viewer must suffer through two hours of material that does not even seem to interest the band. It took me three days to plow through the video, I was just as bored as The Who was. At one point, Townshend even comments that the audience has no idea what he is talking about. Terrible stage banter abounds. I do like some of the songs, and Namm's picture is clear and colorful. He does spot some of his other cameramen on certain occasions, and when in doubt he cuts to Entwistle a little too often, but for a live concert this is directed well enough. The Who survived, and tour despite the deaths of Moon and Entwistle. Hopefully, this video will not serve as a reminder of better days, I think next time I will just watch "Tommy" instead.
The film opens with what can only be described as a lethargic version of "My Generation." "Can't Explain" follows, and the group looks tired and unprepared. "Dangerous" wanders all over the place, and I noticed the film suffers from a terrible sound mix, as Townshend's microphone seems to be set lower than the others'. On "Sister Disco," Townshend sings but Daltrey's trademark microphone throwing is way off. Director Namm cuts to Entwistle a lot as Roger chases his prop around the stage. Namm also has a habit of using then state-of-the-art video effects when things slow down, and they do nothing to enhance the viewing experience. "The Quiet One," written about Entwistle, is next and it has a bluesy feel to it that seems to wake everyone up. "It's Hard" finds Daltrey on guitar, and things definitely improve as they pound through "Eminence Front" and "Baba O'Reilly." And along came a spider...Entwistle proudly announces that "Boris the Spider" took just eight minutes to write- I doubt it was that long. The song is terrible, and the build-up to this point is quickly lost. "Drowned" is better, as Daltrey does some awesome harmonica playing. "Love Ain't for Keeping" is average, but Daltrey continues his streak with some decent guitar work. "Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me" sounds good, but shots of Townshend indicate he is completely bored. The liveliest performance here, "Who Are You" is negated by more stupid special effects. Then comes what I can only refer to as "the cord incident."
On "Love Reign O'er Me," Daltrey gets his microphone cord tangled in Townshend's guitar amplifier cord. Daltrey is literally under Townshend's nose. He sings his bit of the song, then turns his back to the audience while furiously trying to untie the knot. I thought I was watching a deleted scene from "This is Spinal Tap." "Long Live Rock" gives Daltrey room to move, and suddenly the stage does not seem as large as before. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is good, but features some unintentional (?) feedback and a weird gallery of photographs from the old days of the group. The band says good night, and leave the stage. Interesting observations: someone gives Entwistle a cigarette right offstage. Later, when the group comes back for their encore, Entwistle is scratching his nose. This man had a well-known heart condition and his cocaine addiction triggered a fatal heart attack, just wondering why there was so much shock when he died. Entwistle always looked about twenty years older than his bandmates, and he looks terrible here. The nose scratching? Maybe he was just scratching... For the encore, the intimate song "Naked Eye" gets completely lost in such a big venue. "Squeezebox/Young Man Blues" is handled well, and Entwistle closes the show with the perennial "Twist and Shout."
For the final concert they would ever perform, this was a complete disappointment. This was the final night of the tour, so no pick-up shots could be done. Instead, the viewer must suffer through two hours of material that does not even seem to interest the band. It took me three days to plow through the video, I was just as bored as The Who was. At one point, Townshend even comments that the audience has no idea what he is talking about. Terrible stage banter abounds. I do like some of the songs, and Namm's picture is clear and colorful. He does spot some of his other cameramen on certain occasions, and when in doubt he cuts to Entwistle a little too often, but for a live concert this is directed well enough. The Who survived, and tour despite the deaths of Moon and Entwistle. Hopefully, this video will not serve as a reminder of better days, I think next time I will just watch "Tommy" instead.
Absolutely excellent concert video
estephan7 November 2010
Please ignore the one reviewer that said this was a poor film. This performance and video are truly excellent, this had me riveted for years as a portrayal of the Who on an excellent night, yes later in their history, post Keith Moon, but absolutely sharp.
It was acknowledged that this was an excellent show when, 4 years later, the audio of this exact same concert was released on a CD called "The Who Live from Toronto." On wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_from_Toronto_%28The_Who_album%29 I would seriously love to have a copy of this like I used to. High points are many but even new songs like 'Eminence Front' sound incredible... the classics are delivered flawlessly. They do "Young man blues" (Orig. from Live at Leeds) and it's awesome though Roger screws the lines up, funny.
It was acknowledged that this was an excellent show when, 4 years later, the audio of this exact same concert was released on a CD called "The Who Live from Toronto." On wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_from_Toronto_%28The_Who_album%29 I would seriously love to have a copy of this like I used to. High points are many but even new songs like 'Eminence Front' sound incredible... the classics are delivered flawlessly. They do "Young man blues" (Orig. from Live at Leeds) and it's awesome though Roger screws the lines up, funny.
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