The Who

Following in the footsteps not only of Universal's many Ultimate Collection, but also the Beatles 1 -- a groundbreaking collection in the sense that it proved that a collection that contains all the hits will actually sell on CD (thereby proving the cynical ploy of leaving hits off a compilation in order to sell catalog is flawed) -- the Who's 2002 compilation The Ultimate Collection attempts to collect all their hits, all their anthems in one place. It fits that bill very well, providing all the big items from "I Can't Explain" to "Emenince Front" as it spans two discs and 35 tracks. Sure, fans will find personal favorites missing, whether it's "A Quick One While He's Away" or "Athena," while collectors will note that it contains everything from the previous attempt at an exhaustive CD compilation, 1996's My Generation: The Very Best of the Who, but it doesn't matter, because this is the best summation of their career for a general audience yet assembled. It functions as both an introduction and as the one Who album listeners who just want the hits will need. But in case you're one of those listeners who need to be persuaded to buy a new Who compilation, since you already have three or 12, plus all the expanded reissues, the initial pressing of The Ultimate Collection contain a four-track bonus disc of rarities featuring the rare U.S. single version of "Substitute," an early version of "I'm a Boy," a previously unreleased acoustic version of "Happy Jack," and the U.K. single version of "Magic Bus." All are nice rarities, but collectors will have to consider if they really want to buy a double-disc set of everything they already have just to get four songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide