If you’re a producer or an audiophile, or you’ve only heard the album on poorly ripped mp3s, you’ll appreciate what Astley has done here.
Plus, Astley already remastered Quadrophenia in 1996 for the CD re-release, evening out the balance and bringing Daltrey’s vocals to the fore, while crisping everything up. As for the remastering, the sound of the original was brilliant, with crisp guitars, John Entwistle’s bass nimbly popping into the mix, Keith Moon’s thundering drums resounding, and Roger Daltrey’s clarion voice cutting through it all. The two new musical components of this box set, the Jon Astley remaster of the original vinyl mix and the 25 Pete Townshend demo tracks, get three and a half stars. Nor does it take into consideration the sizable goodies included in this box set, including essays by Pete Townshend and others involved in the recording, extensive photos, original handwritten lyrics, and sleek packaging. Most importantly, this is not a review of the music of Quadrophenia as it was released in its full, glorious double LP form in 1973. So why only three and a half stars? It’s tough to rate what is essentially a box set re-release of a legendary album. Make no mistake about it, this is one of those albums, a guaranteed five-star offering, up there with Exile on Main St., Revolver, Dark Side of the Moon, and Days of Future Passed among the late ’60s/early ’70s British rock pantheon. Yet this album is perhaps The Who’s finest, the zenith of Pete Townshend’s considerable songwriting talent, with standout performances from every band member. No, Quadrophenia is The Who’s forgotten masterpiece, with barely any presence on classic rock radio save for the occasional “deep cut” lip service to “Love Reign O’er Me” or “5:15”. ‘s Quadrophenia is not their best known album (that would probably be 1969’s Tommy), nor is it the one with the most hits (1971’s triple-platinum Who’s Next).
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