The Who with Orchestra: Live at Wembley captures the group's return to Wembley on July 6, 2019. It was their first time playing the venue in 40 years and the only show
the Who played in the U.K. during their Moving On tour, so it was designed as an event. Some of that spectacle does translate on
The Who with Orchestra: Live at Wembley, which came to home media in a variety of formats, including triple-vinyl, double-CD, and audio Blu-ray.
The Who integrate the orchestra quite seamlessly throughout the performances, especially during an extended segment focused on
Quadrophenia material; the orchestra helps
Pete Townshend and
Roger Daltrey summon a bit of the old
Who's flair for bombast. Even so, the moments on the record that cut the deepest are when the band plays without the orchestra. "Substitute" and "The Seeker" sound vigorous delivered by a straight rock combo, while
Townshend and
Daltrey's acoustic renditions of "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Behind Blue Eyes" help make these old warhorses sound relatively fresh. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine