THEN AND NOW

For any casual fan of The Who, Then and Now is perhaps the best thing out there. Many of the hits are here, particularly the music that has gotten a substantial amount of airplay over the years. There are no obscure gems included, and I'm pleased to say that the version of "Who Are You?" on this one is not the weak, radio-edit (which some stations forgo anyway in favor of the original). The title of the compilation is perhaps a bit misleading, since only two of the twenty songs are recent, but it is those last two songs that really make this collection worth having. Filling in for the late and revered John Entwistle on "Old Red Wine" and "Real Good Looking Boy" are Pino Palladino and Greg Lake, respectively. "Old Red Wine" is a nostalgic tribute to Entwistle, who loved the fruit of the vine. "Real Good Looking Boy" features mildly humorous lyrics and is also, in its way, a tribute to someone- this time, that someone is Elvis Presley. The band nods to "Can't Help Falling in Love," using it as a bridge. Both are exceptional songs; in fact, if I had to choose only five songs off this compilation, the new fare would be somewhere in that list.