The Who – Who Are You (2025) - (Super Deluxe 7-CD & Blu-ray)

Who Are You occupies a somber place in the discography and history of The Who, as the final album with the rock quartet’s original drummer—the irreplaceable Keith Moon. Within a month of its original release in August of 1978, the timekeeper had succumbed to an overdose of an alcohol-detox drug. An ill-fated attempt at sobriety leading to his passing, maybe the ultimate irony in the life of Moon the Loon.

Who Are You, though, contained some eternal light. The title track is both immortal and brilliantly of its contemporary moment—with its percolating synth and drunken, profane retort to the tidal wave of British punk. “Sister Disco,” too, offers a timely eulogy to its own fab fad. Beyond that pair, there are a few glints of Pete Townshend’s insightful songwriting; the deliciously brazen trolling on “New Song,” a winner. Yet it’s bassist John Entwistle, possibly predicting our AI-infected present on “905,” who, this round, one-ups Pete for impressive prognostication. Overall, it’s solid album, if not the wholly representative swan song of Moon’s greatness.

Perhaps ironically too, while this 4-LP edition (as well, the 7-CD edition does contain a full complement of bonus material with Moon) marks Moon’s final statement with this nicely remastered reissue, it softens the loss and forges ahead; three of its four records showcase live performances from 1979, highlighted by the band’s new backbeat, Kenney Jones.

Too much of the responsibility for The Who’s first retirement- famously following a 1982 “farewell” tour—centered around the notion that Jones was never quite the right fit. Granted, Jones’ in-the-pocket style was much different from Moon’s. Not to mention the two studio albums he recorded with the group—Face Dances and It’s Hard- being less than stunners on the charts or with fans, lending to the dissonance. Add in, over the decades since, singer Roger Daltrey’s public comments and memoir account divulging his dissatisfaction with Jones, and it’s almost confounding to imagine 75% of this box is live artifacts from the “Jones era.”

Here’s the answer: They’re undeniably that good. And exactly why the self-contained Live USA 1979 trio of vinyl- culled from three concerts on a fall ’79 U.S. tour- is crucial to this collection’s high value. Jones is Formula-One perfect from start to finish- accelerating tempos, locked-in to the hairpin bass runs of Entwistle, meeting Townshend’s electric ferocity, and holding firm beneath Daltrey’s full-throated command. Anyone who thought The Who was lost or less-than after Moon’s demise needs to listen to this. If ever there was a time to re-evaluate who are The Who after the Moon went dark, it is now, with this undeniably resilient, robust rock-and-roll reinvention.

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— Larson Sutton, jambands.com

The Who's eighth studio album, is to be released in a suite of formats including a super deluxe edition, this October featuring over 70 unreleased tracks including never before heard versions of the title track WHO ARE YOU, newly mixed live tracks from their first tour without original drummer Keith Moon, and candid recordings of the band rehearsing in 1977 and 1978. Also included in the 7CD/1 Blu-ray set are brand-new Atmos & Stereo mixes by Steven Wilson. The album will also be released as a deluxe 4LP box set, a 2CD deluxe edition.

Initially released in August 1978, WHO ARE YOU marked a significant chapter in The Who's career while a commercial triumph, peaking at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and achieving double platinum status and No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, it was also tragically the last album to feature legendary drummer Keith Moon, who died a week after its release.

The album saw the band pushing boundaries once more, with the songs referencing the incoming influence of British Punk. Most notably, the title track was written after a night out with Steve Jones & Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, and it reflected the sentiments of Music Must Change and Sister Disco. Pete Townshend also delivered some of his most ambitious and intricate arrangements, incorporating layers of synthesizers and strings into The Who's powerful backing tracks.

Title track WHO ARE YOU preceded the album in early July 78 and became an instant anthem and has remained in the band's set list to this day. Aided by its appearance in the CSI TV franchise in the early 2000s it is one of the band's most streamed tracks.

The initial sessions for the album took place at the band's Ramport Studios, produced by Glyn Johns and Jon Astley. However, the recording process was fraught with challenges and creative tensions. The Who Are You Super Deluxe Edition finally tells the whole story, featuring, for the first time, the rejected original Glyn Johns mix of the album, a newly remastered version of the released Jon Astley mix and fly on the wall rehearsal sessions from Shepperton Studios, which the band owned at the time, and a wealth of unreleased material including demos, alternate takes and in the case of standout track Sister Disco, a previously 'lost' guitar solo rescued from the multi-track tapes by Steven Wilson.

In 1978, the album was seen as a return to form for The Who, and anticipation for a tour to support the album was high. Sadly, the death of Keith Moon on 23rd August put paid to any such plans. The band introduced their new drummer, Kenney Jones, formerly of The Faces and The Small Faces, in May 1979, along with new keyboard player John' Rabbit' Bundrick. One of the many highlights of the super deluxe edition is the newly mixed live tapes from the US leg of the 1979 tour, capturing The Who's explosive new lineup in full flight with tracks from the album coming to life onstage with a renewed energy. The band sustained that energy into the new decade with the epic The Kids Are Alright film project, the Quadrophenia movie, and the multi-platinum Face Dances album in 1981.

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Blu-ray

UPC: 602448864871
Label: Geffen Records
Release Date: 10.31.25
Format: CD