The Lifehouse Chronicles... attainable at all?

Yes, another Who-ish thread.

I have seen copies of Pete Townshend's The Lifehouse Chronicles floating around on discogs, amazon and fleabay for obscene prices. Are these outliers or is it actually this expensive all the time everywhere? How can I get the material otherwise, in that case? I am tryna complete my Who discography and that includes solo work.

 

I ordered my copy prior to release and it was very expensive to begin with. I actually had almost all of the tracks on Who Came First, Scoop, various boots, the Greyhound Girl EP and other rare releases like the Baba box, but I bought it anyway. The first two CDs are the only ones I listen to. The rest you'll probably listen to once and file away as I did. Anyway, it's going to be pricey no matter where it's listed.

 

Dang, guess I knew, was just praying for another way... also never heard of that EP or the "Baba box" but I may try collecting the rare material comps instead, Scoops etc.

How expensive was it exactly?

 

I just got the Lifehouse Elements CD and convinced myself that it was enough.

I don't listen to it much, so it worked for me.

 

Lifehouse Elements should have been the first two friggin discs!!

 

I don't remember exactly, but it was around $100. The EP is Let My Love Open the Door/Greyhound Girl/Classified. The Baba box is called Avatar. It's another of his limited releases with all three Meher Baba tribute albums and a fourth one that (like the other Lifehouse CDs) I never listen to.

 

Luckily I saw the Chronicles set for sale at the merchandise table at a Who concert in Jones Beach NY in summer of 2000. I knew to grab it as it might become hard to find. Glad I did, but as noted above you'll only listen to the first 2 or 3 CDs

 

I'm remembering $125 for some reason as the original price. I think there's a disk I've never even played. But the demos!

 

Sigh, more limited boxes and stuff... if I could find an ad for the set for like, $150 I'd probably do it honestly. I just want the thing, and all of the CDs sound cool though I'm also fine if I just usually listen to the first two or three routinely.

 

There was a Towshend DVD that touched upon it, though it had a lot of Who material as well. It was a fun thing to watch as it was the last time I've seen him wear the Guitar Legend hat. I've forgotten if he explains Lifehouse in it in any way.

Pete Townshend - Music from Lifehouse
Tracks:
01 - Fantasia Upon One Note
02 - Teenage Wasteland
03 - Time Is Passin'
04 - Love Ain't For Keepin'
05 - Greyhound Girl
06 - Mary
07 - I Don't Even Know Myself
08 - Bargain
09 - Pure And Easy
10 - Behind Blue Eyes
11 - Let's See Action
12 - Gettin' in Tune
13 - The Relay
14 - Join Together
15 - Won't Get Fooled Again
16 - The Song Is Over
17 - Can You Really Help The One You Really Love?

 

The original price was $60-65.

 

That's my recollection too. I ordered it immediately. No brainer for me.

 

One of my favourite box sets. I ordered it back in 2000.

 

I wonder that once we get to the 50th Anniversary for 'Who's Next', if there might not be a Deluxe Box Set that includes most(or even all) of the Music that is on The Lifehouse Chronicles', since 'Who's Next was the Release put out instead of the planned Lifehouse Album/Project from what I read? You know that there will be some kind of Deluxe Box Set for the 'Who's Next' Album(and maybe 2nd Deluxe Box Set in 2023 for 'Quadrophenia', as the first Deluxe Box Set from a few years ago seemed to be too expensive for the Contents included).

 

I remember "Mary" from the Scoop set. Would've been great if the band had recorded it, Daltrey and Moon etc.

 

One of the all time great collectors disappointments for me - maybe #1 - was stumbling on a copy of this set in a used store for like $50, buying, getting it out to the car and discovering the disc with the best stuff was missing from the set. Returned. Never have found a reasonably priced copy again and doubt I ever will.

 

The main problem with this set is the radio show has no replay value. The demos are the best aspect of the set, and there are some interesting songs on the “Themes and Experiments” disc, but in general the box set is not worth the high prices on the secondary market.

 

I purchased the Lifehouse set when it was first sold on Pete Townsends Eel Pie website. I remember it costing something like $125. About 10 years later I sold it. And as a Pete Townshend, regretted selling the box. Recently I picked up one on eBay for $150. They usually list for more, but if you keen an eye out, you can get one near the original price. Not all the music is essential...the value is partly "nice to have" for this Townshend fan.

 

I can only pray for this, please.

 

I think most of the Music on The Lifehouse Chronicles will end up as part of the eventual/inevitable 'Who's Next' 50th Anniversary Box Set in 2021, as that would make sense, since the Music for Lifehouse was Pete's Original Vision to be released, before settling for a reduced version to a Single Album of only the Songs that became 'Who's Next'. The inevitable 50th Anniversary Edition of 'Who's Next' is one Deluxe Box Set that I am really looking forward to, along with The Doors-L.A. Woman 50th Anniversary Box Set and whatever Bowie Box Sets, if there is a continuation of Deluxe Sets for his early Albums like we got for 'Conversation Piece' Box Set this past Fall.

Anyways, This is a Book that I recently bought due to great reviews(but have not yet read it) that covers The Lifehouse Project to Quadrophenia.

 

Amazon says I bought a copy of that book in 2016. No memory, and no physical evidence of that. Weird.

 

When it comes to trying to figure out future Who releases, you can’t rely on anything being inevitable for a particular year.

 

Looks like Amazon no longer has New Copies of this Book to sell and only Secondary Sellers have it available on their website page. The only Brand New Copy is Selling for $130+. Glad I snagged a copy about a year ago.

 

Maybe, but 'Who's Next' is considered by many Who Fans to be their Best Album(not me, as I rank 'Quadrophenia' as their Best Album just slightly over 'Who's Next'), so I would be surprised if there is not a 50th Anniversary Mega Deluxe Box Set(I think that it will be a Huge Money Maker, even though Physical Product is selling less and less with each year, it will sell enough just to SHF Members, who grew up with that Album and those of us, who heard it years later-in my case then the 2 CD Deluxe Edition was released in 2003), and those Extra Songs in a 50th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set are most likely to come from Pete's Lifehouse Chronicles Box Set. Maybe not everything from that LC Box Set, but I would think at least the Better Songs from it. We will see. Although Mastering SQ might be different for the Bonus Songs, if repeated on a 5oth Anniversary Box Set.