Faced with the impossible task of following up the grand statement of
Tommy, the Who just cranked up their amps. Rather than wade through eighty
hours of American shows for a live album, Pete Townshend claimed he burned
those tapes "in a huge bonfire" and selected a concert at Leeds
University in England. Leeds is a warts-and-all live album, including
an accidental clunking sound on "My Generation." There's no
finesse, just the pure power of a band able to play as loud as it wants
to. When the Who blew up Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues"
to Godzilla-like proportions, they invented Seventies arena rock.
(Rolling Stone)
Total album sales: 2 million / Peak chart position: 4
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