Which CD edition of Live at Leeds should I get? Sound is more important to me than completeness. And to think I once owned it on vinyl with all the inserts!

The double disc deluxe edition of Live At Leeds is the best one to get, unless you search out the bootleg "The Complete Live At Leeds: The Original Soundboard Recordings". The deluxe edition is the complete show, although the original running order of the songs has been changed and a few mistakes have been edited out. The sound is better on the deluxe edition, but the bootleg has the original running order and all the mistakes left in.

I have the 1995 remastered version and it sounds great. If I didn't have any version yet, I'd probably go for the 2001 2-disc set with the complete Tommy performance. There's probably not much difference in sound quality, if any.

Thanks, guys. Mike M, does the 1995 remaster have the original running order?

What, no mention of the MFSL cd? I tend to grab MFSLs when they are available but that's one I've never sought so don't know how the sound quality compares to the recent remaster. Anyone have any opinion on it?

The only change to the running order for the double disc deluxe edition was that all of the Tommy tracks were put on disc two. Had they strictly followed the original running order, part of Tommy would have been on disc one and the rest on disc two.

This way, you get it all together on one disc. I don't see why some people get so hung up on that.

No. It is one disc with 14 tracks. The only part of Tommy it has is Amazing Journey/Sparks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_Le ... ck_listing

1. "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle) – 4:50
2. "I Can't Explain" (Pete Townshend) – 2:58
3. "Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville aka Allen Toussaint; original by Benny Spellman) – 2:34
4. "Tattoo" (Townshend) – 3:42
5. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) – 5:51
6. "Substitute" (Townshend) – 2:06
7. "Happy Jack" (Townshend) – 2:13
8. "I'm a Boy" (Townshend) – 4:41
9. "A Quick One, While He's Away" (Townshend) – 8:41
10. "Amazing Journey/Sparks" (Townshend) – 7:54
11. "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capehart/Eddie Cochran) – 3:22
12. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) – 4:34
13. "My Generation" (Townshend) – 15:46
14. "Magic Bus" (Townshend) – 7:46

To get the complete show, you would need to get the 2-disc version. To get the original running order, you would need to get the bootleg that Willy mentioned. The deluxe 2-disc version put Summertime Blues, Shakin' All Over, My Generation, and Magic Bus at the end of disc one so that they could keep Tommy all on one disc. Those 4 songs were actually performed after Tommy.

But I take it that the 1995 remaster preserves the running order of the original LP?

No it does not--which is why I'd reccommend seeking out the original 6-song "Live At Leeds" so that the listener can understand what all of the fuss was about from the years 1970 through 1995. While the remasters are much appreciated, I still think that the original LP was the greatest live album of all time, and that the additional tracks are just an appendix to the original listening experience;

The 1995 remaster added 8 new tracks. The original LP contained only 6 tracks.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_Le ... ck_listing ,

Side 1:

1. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) – 4:45
2. "Substitute" (Pete Townshend) – 2:05
3. "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capehart, Eddie Cochran) – 3:22
4. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) – 4:15

Side 2:

1. "My Generation" (Townshend) – 14:27
2. "Magic Bus" (Townshend) – 7:30

If we're talking sound quality, the audio fanatics at the Hoffman forums HATE the mastering on the Deluxe Edition. I haven't heard it myself.

I do own the '95 remaster which I enjoy.

Even though I've got every reissue that came down the pike, I still like my original Polydor import CD with the original track list. It sound the most like the LP I grew up listening to, and the fold-out booklet has reproductions of the poster and other items from the LP.

I go for getting the Deluxe expanded edition CD and grabbing a clean used copy of the original LP!

All of the 1995 Who remasters that I've heard including Leeds had excellent sound. I haven't heard the 2 cd edition.

amazon.co.uk has the regular Live at Leeds CD on sale for £2.98 right now.

That's a great price!

Yeah, check the £2.98 section of their winter sale, got the Who BBC Sessions for that price.

I wholeheartedly agree. The purists bemoan the fact that they are all remixed, but I think they sound fantastic. The Deluxe Editions have, for the most part, returned to the original mixes, and aside from the Tommy DE, I prefer all the remixed remasters.

Buy them all!

Who do you think you are...Jimbo?

And they are full of * most of the time.

Unless you got some waveforms to back up what yer sayin, back off, fella!