Odds & Sods, a compilation of outtakes and rarities from
the Who's first decade, is a rather jumpy listen that harbors few songs that could be termed top of the line. Also, since its 1974 release, several of the tracks have been issued on other compilations. Setting your expectations at the appropriate level, however, you'll find much of this worthwhile. "Pure and Easy," "Naked Eye," and "Long Live Rock" were all concert favorites in the '70s, "Glow Girl" introduced some riffs that would resurface in Tommy, and "Postcard,"
John Entwistle's tale of rock life on the road, was one of his better compositions. This also has their very first single, "I'm the Face," recorded in 1964 when the group were known as the
High Numbers. [The 1998 reissue of
Odds & Sods boasts a few differences that make its compact disc version noteworthy. For starters,
Townshend's original track-by-track liner notes are extended and appended, using the longer version that appeared in New Musical Express upon the album's original release. Even more important is the inclusion of nine newer tracks from the same time period, resequencing the entire package to keep everything in a far more chronological lineup. These "new" unreleased tracks include studio versions of "Leaving Here," "Baby Don't You Do It," "Summertime Blues,"
Eddie Cochran's "My Way," and a version of "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" that features
Al Kooper guesting on organ. An interesting chunk of
Who history made even better.] ~ Richie Unterberger