Pete Townshend finds new ways to play old songs on Live In Concert 1985-2001

Pete Townshend made seven solo albums but hardly ever gigged without The Who . When he did – usually as two-night stands – his setlists were a mixture of solo material, tracks from his 1977 Rough Mix album with Ronnie Lane, covers, plus Who deep cuts and mightily re-arranged versions of their standards. Over the years, Townshend’s Eel Pie label released seven limited-edition doubles documenting such shows. Now, those long-deleted works are re-issued as a 14-CD box set.

Without Roger Daltrey singing, the beauty here is how far Townshend strays from The Who. The oldest show here – the free-wheeling 27-song Brixton Academy set from 1985 – proves that. An 18-piece band including David Gilmour, John Bundrick, a brass section and backing singers, all but eschews guitar bombast. It has real power, but is very different to a Who gig. Moreover, covers such as That’s Alright Mama, Harlem Shuffle and Night Train re-defined what future Townshend solo audiences should expect. They had a long wait, though…

When he did play again (his only proper solo “tour”, of just 15 dates) it was in 1993 to promote his Psychoderelict concept album. Discs 3 and 4 – recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music – show him unusually faithful to his studio originals. One CD reproduces Psychoderelict , and on the companion disc of Who/solo songs, only Behind Blue Eyes, The Kids Are Alright and Keep Me Turning truly stretch the envelope.

The 1996 San Francisco Fillmore discs go much further: Pete on acoustic guitar or piano alongside his long-time collaborator Jon Carin on keys. The results are sparse and breathtaking. Likewise the most recent recordings – across four CDs covering two similar nights at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego in 2001 – featuring Pete alone on acoustic guitar (though closing with a second electrified version of Won’t Get Fooled Again ).

Between songs he speaks lengthy and often funny intros. He talks much less but plays an acoustic set, too, midway through 1998’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire show. Elsewhere, the full band completely reinvent Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere – and do reduxes of Who Are You and Baby Don’t You Do It .

The 2000 Sadlers Wells discs contain Pete’s long-gestating Lifehouse rock opera performed for the first and likely only time. The original proved the progenitor for Who’s Next , but this update is dramatically softened by the tones of the English Chamber Orchestra – demonstrating how firmly Townshend believes, as he once wrote with The Who… music must change.