UMeThe Who‘s Pete Townshend has prepared an expanded and remastered reissue of his 1972 debut solo album, Who Came First, for release on April 20.
The two-CD set, which celebrates the album’s 45th anniversary, features a bonus disc of rare material that includes eight previously unreleased tracks.
The original version of Who Came First featured several recordings that first appeared on two privately issued albums Townshend recorded as a tribute to his late guru, Meher Baba: 1970’s Happy Birthday and 1972’s I Am. It also included reworked demos of a few songs originally intended for the aborted Who concept album Lifehouse.
Who Came First also includes “Evolution,” a song that was written and sung by founding Faces bassist Ronnie Lane who, like Townshend, was a devotee of Baba’s. A different version of that song appears on the first Faces album, First Step, under the title “Stone.”
Among the unreleased tracks on the deluxe Who Came First are alternate versions of “Parvardigar” and “Content,” and a live rendition of the Who song “Drowned,” recorded in India.
The bonus disc also includes new edits of Townshend’s demo for the Who hit “The Seeker,” the outtake “I Always Say” and the version of Cole Porter‘s “Begin the Beguine” that Pete recorded for the Happy Birthday album.
The Who Came First reissue features a 24-page booklet containing rare photos of Townshend and Meher Baba, new sleeve notes written by Pete, a replica of the poster included in the original album and an updated cover pic.
Here’s the complete track list of the Who Came First reissue:
CD 1
“Pure and Easy”
“Evolution”
“Forever’s No Time at All”
“Let’s See Action”
“Time Is Passing”
“There’s a Heartache Following Me”
“Sheraton Gibson”
“Content”
“Parvardigar”
CD 2
“His Hands”
“The Seeker” (2017 edit)
“Day of Silence”
“Sleeping Dog”
“Mary Jane” (Stage A version)
“I Always Say” (2017 edit)
“Begin the Beguine” (2017 edit)
“Baba O’Riley” (instrumental)
“The Love Man” (Stage C)*
“Content” (Stage A)*
“Day of Silence” (alternate version)*
“Parvardigar” (alternate take)*
“Nothing Is Everything”*
“There’s a Fortune in Those Hills”*
“Meher Baba in Italy”*
“Drowned” (live in India)*
“Evolution” (live at Ronnie Lane Memorial)
* = previously unreleased.
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