The Who - A Quick One (While He's Away) - Live 

Cello cello cello cello cello 🎶 Townshend asked for cello and strings at this moment of the song but Kit Lambert said "no money for strings Pete". So they sang "cello cello cello cello...". Genius.

One of the greatest live performances ever caught on film... A precursor to Pete Townsend's later long form works... Keith Moon at his peak!

It was filmed during a BBC TV show dedicated to the Rolling Stones, there were many guests including Lennon , Marianne Faithfull,Taj Mahal I think and Jethro Tulll( with Tony Iommi),but that evening the Who were really Great!!! It's a mini rock opera (before Tommy) composed by Pete Townshend which is on their second Album: A Quick one( 1966)! Thank you!!!

Keith Moon at his best...the guy was outta control, but still very tight. Loved it.

They all but took flight here. What a gift. And illustrates perfectly why I cherish, in particular, Mr. Moon. Thanks for your epic reaction mate, hands down the best I've seen of the ol rock n roll circus.

If you have not listened to their live album, called Live at Leeds, you need to do that stat. And make sure it’s the remastered version. Listen to it beginning to end and you really understand why The Who was held to such high esteem.

Pete has said he wrote this when a longer song was needed to complete an album. Because longer songs weren’t as common back then, he wrote a medley of shorter songs, which he called a “mini opera”. It was a precursor to his first real rock opera, “Tommy”.

Also, don’t underestimate John Entwistle, the bass player. He was a master on the bass, one of the best in rock, ever, and he usually played all the horns used in their songs. He wrote great songs for The Who, which he often sang, like Boris The Spider, and Success Story, with the deepest voice of the group, and the highest falsetto. He always looked bored standing still on stage while the others went wild around him, but he was such an integral part of the group. Try listening on RU-vid to his isolated bass, from a live Won’t Get Fooled Again. Unbelievable.

Mad Good!

One of my Favorites!

Love The Who and esp when they go insane and weird like Zappa. Silly crazy and a banger all at once. 😂

Rory, if you want to be convinced of The Who's greatness, listen back to back the albums from their peak of creativity starting with "Tommy" then the live document "Live at Leeds," followed by "Who's Next," and then "Quadrophenia." Also, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" which contains their early pop hits. I'd also recommend any of the albums of their hits containing their later work.

That was recorded in late 1968 at the Rolling Stones aborted Rock and Roll Circus TV special. The Stones followed The Who on-stage and were completely blown off the stage by them and as a result, didn't release it until 1996! The song itself was first released on their second album A Quick One. You mentioned The Who being a mod band due to Quadrophenia. That album was 1973 but it was inspired by their mod beginnings back in the early '60's with "My Generation", "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", "The Kids Are Alright" and their debut album, MY GENERATION. Get into The Who, Rory, you will absolutely love them. And the bass player, John Entwistle, is anything but a minor player in the group. Play that track again and listen to his playing. He is generally regarded among those in the know as the greatest bassist in rock history. He virtually reinvented the instrument. Check out their 1970 LIVE AT LEEDS album if you doubt me.

Keith is going crazy on those drums 🤣😂

Keith Moon is one insane drummer 🥁 love Pete and Roger and I can't remember the other band members name. It is very creative definitely! Awesome reaction Rory and thank you Mystery requester 😊💓🤘✌️ hello Nala 🐕💓🤗

I fracking love this reaction … watching Rory go from … oh yeah, what's this, then? … and then starting smiling as the weirdness and energy spreads and the plain awesomeness of it all just blows the speakers. I'm way too young to have even had the chance of seeing them live in any constellation. But I can sort of understand why they were thought of as the best live band ever after seeing this. They never did perfectly executed navel-gazing music, it was about living it out for an audience. And Keith Moon was irreplaceable as the spark plug to kick them all into action (or orbit). He was dynamite. This is an unforgettable experience. Thanks man! And cheers! 🍺

One of the best things EVER

Awesome performance!! 🔥

Never doubt the mighty Who, the greatest live rock band of all. Try watching their Young Man Blues from the 1970 Isle of Wight festival - it even outguns this🎸🎼

Respect man. Been watching a few of your videos today 😅

It's funny you mention Jethro Tull they were also featured on this program although they had Tommy iommi from Black Sabbath on guitar

They were cold, merciless, killers on stage...they didn't take prisoners (a)live!

Keith Moon, favorite drummer

Oh, here we go!

Dear The Who, For blowing The Stones out of the water on their own show - you are forgiven 😂😂😂

The Who Sellout was my favourite album with classic who songs like this, and this one came out on their previous 1966 album called "A quick One". So that era of songs is certainly my favourite from the Who.

There’s a great version of this song that Eddie Vedder did with the band My Morning Jacket. Might have to send you that one.

My Morning jacket did a killer version of this with Eddie Vedder and it rocks all live. react to it!

🙏 🔥!!!!

AND...YES.. this version is great....BUT... you can only really appreciate this version fully AFTER you have heard the original STUDIO version... and realize how tight the band was.

This is the second "Rock Opera" by Perter Townshend. The FIRST is "REAL" ...and you really should listen to it. This is the second... the third is "Tommy", and the fourth one is Quadrophenia. Peter Townshend said in an interview that this song and "Rael"...and as a result..."Tommy"...were ALLLLL created after he heard "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" by Frank Zappa and the album "S.S. Sorrow" by The Pretty Things. Peter said that if Zappa could do it... so could he. And let's be honest...Zappa might have invented the idea...kind of... (With Freak Out and Brown Shoes don't Make It")...but Pete perfected it and turned it into a million bucks.

Yeah, the full title is, "A Quick One While He's Away."

If you haven’t heard, Love reign o’er me is a great song by them

“Very Who”…….he knows. 👍🏻. Pete Townshend is a genius composer.

in a film... you can tell a good editor when you DON'T notice them,. In THE WHO... you can tell it's a GREAT Bass player... because you DON'T notice him. John Entwistle is playing his ASS off on this song... but he fits into the groove SO FUCKING WELL... that you forget about him... which is as it should be.

It wasn't irish in the slightest. The english are way more known for shanties.

Listen to ALL of Quadrophenia. Then, you'll get it.

Please notice that Keith Moon... does NOT have a High Hat.

Also... in ANOTHER interview Pete talked about the child abuse that he was subjected to and said that the end of this song... ("Cousin Kevin" and "Fiddle About" from Tommy are also about this same abuse) "You are forgiven...ect ect"...is a sarcastic response to the adults that abused him. That pert of the song... is very... very... ummm.... serious .

Silly billy

I've just rewriten the song the the words All my Farts are better than Trevors on a made t shirt from Blackpool

This was a TV special that was supposed to solidify the Stones status as the best live band in the world....and then The Who came out and did this........mmmmmmwwwwwaaaaaahhahahahahahah....

You are REALLY wrong about John Entwhistle, the bass player. Listen to this song again, and focus solely on the bass part.