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The Who have issued a new compilation titled “The Who Hits 50!” to mark their 50th anniversary.

Available in standard and deluxe editions, “The Who Hits 50!” charts the band’s incredible career, from “Zoot Suit” (recorded while still called The High Numbers) up to the brand new track “Be Lucky”.

There’s little to fault with the collection and there are some real plus points, including the inclusion of the mono versions of the early singles and the longer edit of “Magic Bus”. The full length version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is not included though, which is a shame. The sound is also impressive throughout, with effective and intelligent remastering of this classic material.

The tracklist for the two-disc deluxe edition of “The Who Hits 50!” is as follows:

CD One

1. Zoot Suit (as The High Numbers)
2. I Can’t Explain
3. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
4. My Generation
5. Substitute
6. The Kids Are Alright
7. I’m A Boy
8. Happy Jack
9. Boris The Spider
10. Pictures Of Lily
11. The Last Time
12. I Can See For Miles
13. Call Me Lightning
14. Dogs
15. Magic Bus
16. Pinball Wizard
17. I’m Free
18. The Seeker
19. Summertime Blues (live)
20. See Me, Feel Me
21. Won’t Get Fooled Again (single edit)
22. Let’s See Action
23. Bargain
24. Behind Blue Eyes.

CD Two

1. Baba O’Riley
2. Join Together
3. Relay
4. 5:15
5. Love Reign O’er Me
6. Postcard
7. Squeeze Box
8. Slip Kid
9. Who Are You
10. Trick Of The Light
11. You Better You Bet
12. Don’t Let Go The Coat
13. Athena
14. Eminence Front
15. It’s Hard
16. Real Good-Looking Boy
17. It’s Not Enough
18. Be Lucky.

Some fans will have hoped for a more substantial release to mark the anniversary, such as a box set full of real rarities from the archives, but “The Who Hits 50!” is a solid compilation and of particular value for those who don’t already have something similar in their collection. Unless on a very tight budget, the two-disc deluxe version is the one to go for.

The Who are also marking the 50th anniversary with “The Who Hits 50” worldwide tour, which begins on 30 November at SEE Hyrdo, Glasgow. The following dates are confirmed for the UK leg of the tour:

• 30 November – SEE Hyrdo, Glasgow
• 2 December – First Direct Arena, Leeds
• 5 December – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
• 7 December – NIA, Birmingham
• 9 December – Metro, Newcastle
• 11 December – Echo Arena, Liverpool
• 13 December – Phones 4U Arena, Manchester
• 15 December – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
• 17 December – The O2, London
• 18 December – The O2, London.

The previously announced dates in Dublin (26 November) and Belfast (28 November) have been rescheduled and will now take place next summer at the 3Arena, Dublin (23 June) and the Odyssey Arena, Belfast (21 June).

The US leg of the tour kicks off in April of next year.

You can order “The Who Hits 50!” via the links below.

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The Who Hits 50!	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	N/A
The Who Hits 50! – Deluxe	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now