The Who’s landmark 1978 album Who Are You is returning in spectacular form with an expansive new 7CD/Blu-Ray Super Deluxe Edition box set, offering the deepest dive yet into what would ultimately become the final studio record to feature Keith Moon before his untimely death that same year.
Due for release as a limited-edition bundle with a store-exclusive poster, the collection sheds new light on one of the band’s most turbulent and creative eras. Beyond the remastered album, fans are treated to a treasure trove of demos, out-takes, Shepperton rehearsals, The Kids Are Alright sessions, and extensive live material from The Who’s powerhouse 1979 US tour.
Originally released on 18 August 1978, Who Are You was The Who’s eighth studio album, following 1975’s The Who by Numbers. It arrived during a period of instability for the band. Guitarist and principal songwriter Pete Townshend had grown disillusioned with the pressures of fame, while drummer Keith Moon’s health and reliability were in steep decline due to years of substance abuse.
Despite these struggles, the album reached No. 6 in the UK and No. 2 in the US, making it one of their strongest-selling records. Its iconic title track, “Who Are You,” became a defining anthem, fuelled by Townshend’s angular guitar riffs and Roger Daltrey’s powerhouse vocals. The cover photo of the band standing around chairs in a Soho studio – with Moon slumped on a chair marked Not to Be Taken Away – proved eerily prophetic, as the drummer died just three weeks after the album’s release at age 32.
The album marked the end of The Who’s classic lineup. With Moon gone, the band recruited former Faces drummer Kenney Jones for their 1979 tour and subsequent albums. Yet Who Are You remains a unique snapshot of a band balancing brilliance and chaos, innovation and decline.
The new 7CD/Blu-Ray boxset spreads the story of Who Are You across more than 80 tracks, many previously unreleased.
CD 1 presents the original album newly remastered by Jon Astley.
CD 2 resurrects Glyn Johns’ original rejected mix of the album, alongside brand new Steven Wilson remixes.
CD 3 highlights early run-throughs and John Entwistle’s demos, offering a rare glimpse into the bassist’s songwriting voice.
CD 4 delivers Shepperton Studio rehearsals, including Keith Moon’s playful vocals on “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Barbara Ann,” plus an early 1976 live version of “Who Are You.”
CD 5 focuses on Shepperton’s The Kids Are Alright filming, alongside rehearsals with Kenney Jones as he prepared to step into Moon’s shoes.
CDs 6 & 7 showcase the raw power of The Who’s 1979 US tour, featuring shows from Pontiac Silverdome, Philadelphia Spectrum and Detroit’s Masonic Temple.
The Blu-Ray disc takes things further, featuring Steven Wilson’s new Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo mixes, immersing listeners in Who Are You like never before.
Also included is a 100-page hardback book, packed with rare photos, memorabilia, tape boxes and original ads. The text includes sleeve notes by Matt Kent, a candid new interview with Roger Daltrey about the chaotic months before the album’s release, and detailed track-by-track insights.
The boxset’s tracklist runs 89 tracks deep, spanning studio recordings, alternate mixes, demos, and blistering live cuts. Highlights include Entwistle demos (“905,” “Trick of the Light”), Moon-led curiosities (“Barbara Ann,” “I Saw Her Standing There”), and rare live versions like “The Real Me” and “Long Live Rock.”
Who Are You (Super Deluxe Edition)
Original Album
01 New Song
02 Had Enough
03 905
04 Sister Disco
05 Music Must Change
06 Trick of the Light
07 Guitar And Pen
08 Love Is Coming Down
09 Who Are You
10–19 Glyn Johns mixes and alternate versions
10 New Song (Glyn Johns mix)
11 Had Enough (Glyn Johns mix)
12 905 (Glyn Johns mix)
13 Sister Disco (Glyn Johns mix)
14 Trick of The Light (Glyn Johns mix)
15 Guitar and Pen (Glyn Johns mix)
16 Who Are You (Glyn Johns mix)
17 Trick of The Light (Single Version Edit – Glyn Johns mix)
18 Guitar and Pen (Glyn Johns Alt mix)
19 Who Are You (Glyn Johns Single edit)
20–32 Steven Wilson remixes, early takes and radio edits
20 New Song (Pete Vocal – Steven Wilson mix)
21 Sister Disco (Lost Guitar Mix- Steven Wilson mix)
22 Had Enough (No Orchestra- Steven Wilson mix)
23 Guitar and Pen (Pete Guide Vocal- Steven Wilson mix)
24 Love Is Coming Down (No Orchestra- Steven Wilson mix)
25 Who Are You (Early Run Through -Pete Vox- Steven Wilson mix)
26 Who Are You (Lost Verse Mix)
27 Guitar and Pen (Olympic 78 Mix)
28 Love Is Coming Down (Early Run Through)
29 Empty Glass (Session Out Take)
30 No Road Romance (Session Out Take)
31 Trick of the Light (Unused Olympic Edit)
32 Who Are You (Clean Radio Edit)
33–38 John Entwistle demos
33 905 (John Entwistle Demo)
34 Had Enough (John Entwistle Demo)
35 Back On the Road (John Entwistle Demo)
36 Wild Horses (John Entwistle Demo)
37 Trick of the Light (John Entwistle Demo)
38 Good Time Coming (John Entwistle Demo)
39–60 Shepperton studio recordings (The Kids Are Alright)
39 Who Are You (John and Cyrano’s mix from The Kids Are Alright)
40 Who Are You (Early version recorded live in Toronto, 1976)
41 The Kids Are Alright (Shepperton Studios)
42 Run, Run, Run (Shepperton Studios)
43 Spoonful / Smokestack Lightning (Shepperton Studios)
44 I Saw Her Standing There (Shepperton Studios)
45 Instrumental Jam (Shepperton Studios)
46 Who Are You (Knocking It into Shape 1 – Shepperton Studios)
47 Who Are You (Knocking It into Shape 2 – Shepperton Studios)
48 Baba O’Riley (Shepperton Studios)
49 Shakin’ All Over (Shepperton Studios)
50 Bell Boy (Shepperton Studios)
51 Won’t Get Fooled Again (Shepperton Studios)
52 Barbara Ann (Shepperton Studios)
53 I Saw Her Standing There 2 (Shepperton Studios)
54 Drowned (Shepperton Studios)
55 Baba O’Riley (Shepperton for The Kids Are Alright 1978)
56 My Wife (Shepperton for The Kids Are Alright 1978)
57 My Generation (Shepperton for The Kids Are Alright 1978)
58 Join Together (Shepperton for The Kids Are Alright 1978)
59 Who Are You (Shepperton for The Kids Are Alright 1978)
60 Won’t Get Fooled Again (Shepperton for The Kids Are Alright 1978)
61–64 Shepperton tour rehearsals with Kenney Jones
61 Sister Disco (Shepperton Tour Rehearsal 1979)
62 Music Must Change (Shepperton Tour Rehearsal 1979)
63 Won’t Get Fooled Again (Shepperton Tour Rehearsal 1979)
64 Who Are You (Shepperton Tour Rehearsal 1979)
65–89 US live tracks from 1979 including “Pinball Wizard,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Baba O’Riley,” “My Generation,” and “Summertime Blues.”
65 Substitute (Live U.S.A. 1979)
66 I Can’t Explain (Live U.S.A. 1979)
67 Baba O’Riley (Live U.S.A. 1979)
68 The Punk and the Godfather (Live U.S.A. 1979)
69 Boris the Spider (Live U.S.A. 1979)
70 Sister Disco (Live U.S.A. 1979)
71 Behind Blue Eyes (Live U.S.A. 1979)
72 Music Must Change (Live U.S.A. 1979)
73 Drowned (Live U.S.A. 1979)
74 Who Are You (Live U.S.A. 1979)
75 5.15 (Live U.S.A. 1979)
76 Pinball Wizard (Live U.S.A. 1979)
77 See Me, Feel Me (Live U.S.A. 1979)
78 Long Live Rock (Live U.S.A. 1979)
79 My Generation (Live U.S.A. 1979)
80 I Can See for Miles (Live U.S.A. 1979)
81 Trick Of the Light (Live U.S.A. 1979)
82 Sparks (Live U.S.A. 1979)
83 Won’t Get Fooled Again (Live U.S.A. 1979)
84 Jam /Take A Fool Like You (Live U.S.A. 1979)
85 How Can You Do It Alone (Live U.S.A. 1979)
86 Magic Bus (Live U.S.A. 1979)
87 Summertime Blues (Live U.S.A. 1979)
88 Dancing in the Street / Dance It Away (Live U.S.A. 1979)
89 The Real Me (Live U.S.A. 1979)
Though critics were divided upon its release, Who Are You has grown in stature as a critical document of The Who at a crossroads. It bridged their classic ‘60s and ‘70s rock sound with the more polished, arena-sized style that would dominate their ‘80s work. For many fans, the record captures both the brilliance and the vulnerability of one of rock’s greatest bands as they faced an uncertain future.
This Super Deluxe Edition gives fans a definitive chance to revisit that moment, with all its triumphs, flaws, and raw humanity preserved in stunning new detail. For longtime listeners and new generations alike, it’s an unmissable celebration of a band refusing to fade quietly, even in the shadow of tragedy.
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