If you’ve grown up listening to the Who, you are sure to pick this DVD no matter what the price tag is. The two-disc set includes recent and extensive interviews with surviving Who members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, who candidly recall every chapter of the group’s career, from childhood to the premature deaths of drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle. They also reopen their own past and present and speak of how the band has evolved and the success that came their way.

Fans of the band will remember ‘The Kids Are Alright’ (1979), a movie on the band, released months before Moon’s unexpected death. So, now over 30 years after the flick, comes ‘Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who’ that delves into the entire career of the band and is more in-depth than The Kids Are Alright.

The story is probably just a continuation of where the earlier one left off. It’s the time segment of when Roger Daltrey led the band doing raw and powerful covers of R&B and Motown tracks and the emergence of Townshend from guitarist to becoming one of the most introspective and complex songwriters and composers ever, heading the best live band in rock.

‘Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who’ and ‘Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones’ are two exhilarating feature films about one of the greatest rock bands in the world!

The second disc contains a detailed study on Daltrey and Townshend, both now in their 60s, examining their individual careers. Who fans and musicians alike will certainly enjoy an exciting analysis, from the likes of the Edge of U2, Sting, Simon Townshend (Pete’s brother and member of the Who’s backing band) and Eddie Vedder. This must-have collection also features electrifying rare and unreleased concert footage in mind-blowing 5.1 surround sound.

You can also make out the intensity of the crowd of fans at their concerts. The documentary also rolls back to 1979 when in Cincinatti the major tragedy took place where fans got injured. Who fans were trampled to death in a stampede for festival seats. The band as they existed then was a strong one, by the time they were in their pristine, the story of The Who was not even half over. Moon had died in 1978, and the band was struggling with his loss, especially Pete Townshend.

The focus is also on the final tour in 1982; Townshend's personal problems, which led to his decision to end the band in 1983 (the first time), to the bands inactivity from 1983-1989 (save for sets at Live Aid in 1985 and when they were given the British Phonographic Industry's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988). There’s also a bit of a spotlight on the group's 25th Anniversary Tour in 1989 (a huge success) and the Quadrophenia tour in 1996-97.

On the bad side, the director has sadly missed on including a few full concerts, or at least four or five full songs from the 1970s shows. That would have made this perfect for fans of the band. But there is enough humor on the set to keep you musically amused on the band.

Amazing Journey harks on the hope Who fans felt with the reformation of the group in 1999, which saw that the band had reverted back to their quartet (accompanied by John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboard and backing vocals) lineup (the Las Vegas return on this formation is chronicled on the fantastic DVD, The Vegas Job) and hit the road to play their catalogue in 2000. A show-stealing set at The Concert For New York in 2001 was so well received and showed The Who so back on track that they planned a full US summer tour in 2002.

The death of Who bassist John Entwistle on the eve of the tour kickoff cast a giant shadow of loss during that summer’s tour (which did go on, with Pino Palladino bravely filling in on bass). Instead of a rebirth, it seemed as if The Who, now down to two original members, was really over. However, tours in 2004, 2006-07 and the band's first record of new material, Endless Wire (2006) showed The Who at an activity level not seen since the '70s.The film ends with a wonderful shot of The Who in 2007 performing "Tea & Theatre”. Daltrey and Townshend are now, after all the fighting and breakups, more united and devoted to each other and look more determined than ever to continuing The Who.

Amazing Journey is a well done look at The Who. Lots of unearthed footage is used (there is some crossover from The Kids Are Alright, but not too much) and new interviews with Townshend and Daltrey add to the air of truthfulness and reality of the band's story (tributes from such musicians as Sting, Eddie Vedder, and Noel Gallagher are intertwined during the film as well).

The Who’s story is not always a happy one, but it is embodies the band as survivors, and while they hit many bumps along they way, their legacy has many more high points than lows.

Rating: ***

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira