Hear the Who Play ‘A Quick One’ for First Time in 44 Years
When the Who announced their 50th anniversary tour earlier this year, they promised to play “hits, picks, mixes and misses,” and they lived up to that at the kick-off this past Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland. Longtime favorites like “I Can’t Explain,” “Pinball Wizard” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” were mixed in with lesser-played gems like “Join Together,” “Long Live Rock,” “I Can See For Miles” and “Naked Eye.”
The band even played “Slip Kid,” the very song Roger Daltrey told Rolling Stone in October 2013 they’d probably never break out. “It’s easy for fans to stick their heads in the sand and not understand the economics of touring,” he said. “It’s incredibly expensive to put on a show, so you have to put bums in seats. There might be 40,000 total people in America who want to hear ‘Slip Kid.’ That won’t be enough to put us on the road. That’s the problem.” Thankfully, he had a change of heart.
The most stunning setlist selection, though, was “A Quick One, While He’s Away,” the 1966 mini-opera they hadn’t played a single time since February 1970, the very month the group recorded Live at Leeds. The nine-minute song was a regular highlight of their early shows, and their performance of the tune at the Rock and Roll Circus blew the Rolling Stones off the stage. While video of the historic event doesn’t appear to exist online, audio of the new rendition has surfaced above coupled with images from the gig.
The Who’s tour arrives in America in April and dates are scheduled through November, including their first show at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens since 1971. (Hopefully they’re still playing “A Quick One, While He’s Away” by that point.) If they’re looking for other deep cuts, we recommend “How Many Friends,” “Relax,” “Sunrise,” “Music Must Change,” “So Sad About Us” and “A Legal Matter.”
Here’s the complete setlist from opening night.
“I Can’t Explain”
“Substitute”
“The Kids Are Alright”
“I Can See For Miles”
“Who Are You”
“Long Live Rock”
“A Quick One, While He’s Away”
“Slip Kid”
“Join Together”
“Behind Blue Eyes”
“Squeeze Box”
“The Seeker”
“5.15”
“Bell Boy”
“Love Reign O’er Me”
“Eminence Front”
“Cry If You Want”
“Amazing Journey”
“Sparks”
“Pinball Wizard”
“See Me Feel Me”
“Magic Bus”
“Baba O’Riley”
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”
“Naked Eye”