The Who: Live in Hyde Park Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Who: Live in Hyde Park Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 24, 2015

If glancing into the mirror every morning isn’t enough of a reality check for you that time is indeed moving on, here’s another: it was more or less fifty years ago that The Who burst upon the scene when their debut album My Generation was released in December 1965. This June 26, 2015 performance at London’s massive Hyde Park may not therefore be a “real” golden anniversary concert for the group (which was founded in 1964), but it proves that instrumentally at least Pete Townshend and the rest of the band (including Townshend’s brother Simon on guitars and Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey on drums) is still as potent as ever. Unfortunately, neither Roger Daltrey nor Townshend himself are vocally quite as supple as in their heyday, and the result is a somewhat disappointing concert from a singing standpoint. Still, there’s energy to spare on display throughout the long and at times theatrical performance, and fans of the group should be well pleased with the wide array of tunes from some of the band’s best loved albums.

The band's set list for the concert includes:

I Can't Explain
Who Are You
The Kids are Alright
Pictures of Lily
I Can See for Miles
My Generation
Behind Blue Eyes
Bargain
Join Together
You Better You Bet
I'm One
Love Reign O'er Me
Eminence Front
Amazing Journey / Overture / Sparks
Pinball Wizard
See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again

The Who: Live in Hyde Park Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Who Live in Hyde Park is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Music Group and Eagle Vision, an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment, with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 2.39:1. This outdoor concert benefits from its natural lighting regimen, and so typical bugaboos like posterizing and banding are nowhere to be found. The image is typically quite well detailed, especially in close-ups, though the frenetic movements of Daltrey in particular may give the impression of softness at certain times. There are a few issues with less than optimal shadow detail as the concert wends its way into dusk and beyond, but otherwise this is a great looking transfer that offers excellent sharpness and clarity.

The Who: Live in Hyde Park Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's surprisingly little difference in amplitude and even low end between the included LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, perhaps due at least in part to the vagaries of the live recording environment. That said, there's perhaps a bit better focus and prioritization in the stereo track, one which tends to boost Daltrey's voice just a tad more forward in the mix, though this is at best an incremental difference. The surround track has a lot more ambient atmosphere and probably better recreates the actual somewhat diffused sound of the band playing out of doors. Fidelity is excellent on both tracks and there are no problems of any kind to address in this review.

The Who: Live in Hyde Park Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bonus Tracks:

  The Seeker (1080i; 3:44)

  The Kids Are Alright (1080i; 3:09)

  You Better You Bet (1080i; 5:39)

  Squeeze Box (1080i; 2:45)

Additionally the tri-fold Digipack comes with two CDs offering a soundtrack of the concert.

The Who: Live in Hyde Park Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My hunch is longtime Who fans are going to be more than willing to overlook the vocal shortcomings of this concert since the energy level is so high and the set list so appealing. But those expecting the now 71 year old Daltrey and 70 year old Townshend to sound exactly like they did back in the day may be in for a bit of a letdown. With that caveat out of the way, The Who Live in Hyde Park comes Recommended.