The Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals, harmonica); Pete Townsend (guitar, keyboards, background vocals); John Entwistle (bass, background vocals);

Keith Moon, Kenney Jones (drums).

Producers include: Shel Talmy, The Who, Kit Lambert, Glyn Johns, Jon Astley.

Compilation producers: Andy McKaie, Bill Levenson.

Recorded between November 1964 and June 1982. Includes liner notes by Matt Kent and Andy Neill.

Following in the footsteps not only of Universal's many Ultimate Collection, but also the Beatles 1 -- a groundbreaking collection in the sense that it proved that a collection that contains all the hits will actually sell on CD (thereby proving the cynical ploy of leaving hits off a compilation in order to sell catalog is flawed) -- the Who's 2002 compilation The Ultimate Collection attempts to collect all their hits, all their anthems in one place. It fits that bill very well, providing all the big items from "I Can't Explain" to "Emenince Front" as it spans two discs and 35 tracks. Sure, fans will find personal favorites missing, whether it's "A Quick One While He's Away" or "Athena," while collectors will note that it contains everything from the previous attempt at an exhaustive CD compilation, 1996's My Generation: The Very Best of the Who, but it doesn't matter, because this is the best summation of their career for a general audience yet assembled. It functions as both an introduction and as the one Who album listeners who just want the hits will need. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

When it comes to a ground-breaking, iconic band like the Who, dubbing an anthology THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is no small claim. The kicker here is that it happens to be the truth. Without venturing into the realm of the box set, there's never been such a definitive batch of Who tunes all under one roof before. Virtually all the bases are covered here, from such attitude-laden mid-'60s mod anthems as "My Generation" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" to the conceptual expansiveness of TOMMY-era tunes ("I'm Free," "See Me Feel Me"). We get the full-on long-haired, bare-chested glory of the early '70s ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as well as the tapered, synth-flecked smartness of the early '80s ("Eminence Front," "You Better You Bet." For someone looking for an entry point into the work of this larger-than-life group, or just somebody who wants a great all-purpose who disc, THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is truly a case of truth in advertising. Get one.