SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE WHO – THE WHO WITH ORCHESTRA: LIVE AT WEMBLEY

The Who
The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley
Universal Music

Six decades into their career, The Who continues to experiment with its performances, justifying its worth as one of the greatest bands of its era. Their 2019 tour saw the British invasion pioneers collaborate with the Isobell Griffiths Orchestra. The result is their latest live album, The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley.

Opening with a string of hits including “Who Are You”, “Eminence Front”, and “Pinball Wizard”, the addition of the orchestra ebbs and flows between subtle and vastly apparent, fitting within the song seamlessly and highlighting the strength of the songwriting force that is guitarist Pete Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey. With the orchestra largely taking a back seat during the opening “Who Are You”, the power of the band is showcased first and foremost: Daltrey’s voice still robust and Townshend’s Stratocaster cutting. From the subtleties of the orchestra during “Who Are You” to their bold stand immediately following in “Eminence Front”, the Isobel Griffiths Orchestra makes for a welcome addition.

Over the course of its 20-song set, Live At Wembley is a unique concert experience that can stand along not only The Who’s growing collection of live releases, but also those from other rock and metal bands performed alongside an orchestra. With stunning arrangements on “Love Reign O’er Me” and “Baba O’Riley”, The Who prove to be just as strong without the orchestra, as heard on a handful of tracks, most notably including “The Seeker” and the acoustically-performed “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, and “Behind Blue Eyes”. While the acoustic renditions of these classics made for an interesting choice, perhaps their performance would have benefited from the power of plugging in for some of their biggest hits.

The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley sees the classic rock outfit revive their material in a unique manner. With the help of the Isobel Griffiths Orchestra, Townshend and Daltrey have breathed a new sense of life into their classic material  that showcases the timelessness of their songwriting through a stellar performance.

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