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Curtis Ensler's Collection

The Who   04/06/1968

Fillmore East, New York, NY
Media CDR   1 disc
J-Card Comment Pete Townshend - guitar, vocals
Roger Daltrey - vocals
John Entwistle - bass
Keith Moon - drums

The Who headlined the Fillmore East with Free Spirits and Buddy Guy opening.

The second night of The Who's first run ever playing at the Fillmore East is an unbelievably great document of the band in its early prime, still full of the punk attitude that they would initially define while beginning to venture off into more artistic and experimental territory. Every minute of this performance is fascinating and much of this material cannot be found in better quality or at all, on any other Who recordings. This set captures the entire band fully engaged in their music. Although many songs were still short and concise during this stage of their career, the intensity level is undeniable.

Opening the show with Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," they immediately set a bar that most other bands could never even approach. The sheer power of this band in 1968 was devastating, and this set opener immediately pummels any doubters into submission.

The previous year, two members of The Rolling Stones were arrested on drug charges under questionable circumstances, and were victimized by the UK courts. They were harshly sentenced in an attempt to make an example out of them, which immediately caused an uproar that shook London to the core. Following Jagger and Richards’ ridiculous sentencing, The Who quickly recorded two of their more popular songs in support and vowed to record nothing but Stones songs until the two were released. Their second song of this set is the Stones cover of the Allen Toussaint penned "Fortune Teller," which they had just performed for the first time ever the previous night. Like most rock bands in 1968, The Who were embracing their artistic side and beginning to experiment with their sound. The next two numbers "Tattoo" and "Little Billy" reflect this shift. The latter was a song written to order for The American Cancer Society. According to Townshend's stage banter, they were impressed by the humorous "Odorono" commercial that The Who had included on their recent "Sell Out" album.

They continue with "I Can't Explain," one of the few songs American audiences were familiar with at the time, but with a new level of aggression that wasn't apparent on that early single.

Next up is their current single at the time, "Happy Jack," another tune that found them exploring new directions and beginning to experiment with dynamic changes. Extremely rare live performances of "Relax" and "My Way" follow and continue to explore and expand on the boundaries within the band's music. "Relax" surprisingly turns out to be one of the heavier numbers on this set and the band takes flight into some inspired jamming following the verses. Unfortunately, the jam fades out and is incomplete.

John Entwistle then steps up for his defining song, "Boris The Spider," lending his dark sense of humor to the proceedings. At this point, the band launches into "My Generation" and this version is amazing. The improvisational section following the verses is a great early example of the band letting the music propel itself. Although at times it seems like they are on the verge of being out of control, they never are, and early signs of Townshend developing themes within a jam are also surfacing. The approach to their instruments and the sound they create as a unit is utterly unique and unlike any other band at that time. The reels were changed during this jam, so a small part of it is missing on this recording.

This surely must have left the audience breathless, so while they were recovering, the band embarks on their most experimental composition yet, "A Quick One While He's Away," which is incomplete and begins in the middle of the song. This adventurous suite of songs, loosely tied together, is a hint at Townshend's future aspirations that would eventually be realized in his first full-blown rock opera, "Tommy." This is a fascinating performance for its entire eight minutes.

They close their set this night with another propulsive jam on "Shakin' All Over," again letting the music propel the band through several pulverizing jams, including spontaneous flailing of riffs familiar from other songs. Again, the raw energy is astounding. This and the previous night's performance must have gone a long way to cementing their reputation in New York City. Few bands in 1968 could have approached this level of intensity, especially with only three instrumentalists. This recording allows us a glimpse at that mysterious transitional time when The Who were transforming from a power-pop singles band to one of the most creative and visionary album bands on the planet. This should be required listening for anyone interested in that era of rock music and especially for anyone interested in The Who. Absolutely essential.

Summertime Blues4:17
Fortune Teller2:36
Tattoo2:57
Little Billy3:26
I Can't Explain2:35
Happy Jack3:02
Relax (Incomplete)7:11
My Way2:21
Boris The Spider2:44
My Generation8:39
A Quick One While He's Away (Incomp...8:05
Shakin' All Over8:29
Trades Allowed Yes
Owned by Curtis Ensler · Last Updated May 23, 2023