Magic Bus: The Who on Tour



Magic Bus: The Who on Tour was the fourth American album by British rock band The Who, released in the US in September 1968 to capitalize on the success of their single of the same name. It is a compilation album of previously released material, and was not issued in the UK, although the album was also released at approximately the same time in Canada. It peaked at #39 on the Billboard 200.

The somewhat deceptive title implies that the songs were recorded live, but all recordings here are in fact studio tracks. The album's track list duplicates a few songs from the second and third US albums, but also contains singles tracks and tracks from extended play singles that were previously unavailable on a US album. Members of the group (Pete Townshend in particular) have frequently expressed their dislike of this compilation. When the cover pictures were taken the group was not made aware by Decca that the shots would be used for a US album. Immediately following the modest success of this album, a similar but unrelated Who compilation, Direct Hits, was released in the UK by Track Records.

In 1974, the album was re-issued by MCA Records in the US and Canada as part of a budget priced double album set which also included the 1966 US debut The Who Sings My Generation. It was reissued on compact disc by MCA Records in the 1980s, but was not included among the catalogue remastering that took place in the 1990s. Though out of print in the US, the 1980s CD remains available in Canada.

Track listing
All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. Tracks pulled from singles on the original album are presented in mono on the original release. This compilation uses the shorter mono version of the title track. Some Canadian CD reissues use the longer 4 minute plus stereo version (also the case on the Canadian version of the compilation album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy). As was standard practice at the time this album was compiled, recycled B-sides to singles and other tracks were filler around the big current single. Masters were used at the discretion of the record label or compilation directors, taking into factor availability of masters, whether it be stereo or mono. Some variations occur in different countries based on successes of songs for that country's market, along with then-standard procedure master availability for that country. Most, if not all, of the songs appearing in mono are rechanneled on the Stereo LP, and subsequent vinyl re-issues (Like the 1974 MCA 2-For with The Who Sings My Generation).