Rock Band Download Low-Down: Week 35
Each week we’ll run out onto our website stage like roadies and review the latest Rock Band Downloadable Content. Check back every week! (And click here for all of our previous music DLC reviews.)
*NOTE: Each of the songs in this week’s selection costs 160 Microsoft Points ($2). They are also available as a package download for 1,600 points ($20).
The Best of the Who: Rock Band Edition (12 tracks)
WHAT ROCKS: Before getting into any of the songs, serious kudos go to Harmonix for going the extra mile on this package. Not only did they add in an animation for Pete Townshend's trademark windmill guitar move into "Baba O'Riley" (keep an eye on your in-game guitarist just as he comes into the song), but they incorporated the crowd singing along to the song into this pack. It is the first DLC to feature this, and literally gave us chills when it first happened during the aforementioned "Baba O'Riley." The other song best abetted by the chanting crowd is the classic "Who Are You," which also happens to cook on guitar.
But Harmonix wasn't done there. This pack is also the first to incorporate live tracks (Guitar Hero III has already done this, with mixed results), as three of them -- "Summertime Blues," "My Generation," and "Young Man Blues" -- are all off of the band's epic 1970 concert disc, Live at Leeds. The latter tune is amazing on vocals -- raw and pure at the same time.
"My Generation" is relentlessly awesome on bass, while nearly every one of the dozen tracks is blissfully challenging (but not impossible) on drums. After all, this is Keith Moon we're talking about...
Vocals highlights include "Baba," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Going Mobile," "My Generation," "Who Are You," and "Real Good Looking Boy," which is actually a ballad, and a darn good one at that. It's one of the band's more recent songs, and it's almost got a Springsteen sound to it.
And everything in this pack is, as you'd expect from trying to emulate Townshend, an absolute blast. A mix of challenging riffs, jam sessions, and straight-up adrenaline-fueled rock is how to best sum up these 12 tunes with the Strat in your hands.
WHAT SUCKS: Drums on "Eminence Front" are straightforward and repetitive. Uh...that's about it. Want us to complain more? OK, how's this: half of the masters for Who's Next, which was the originally planned piece of big DLC from the band, are missing. That means we're not getting the rest of the album anytime soon. Boo!
FINAL VERDICT: The wait was worth it. This is the single greatest package of downloadable content that Rock Band has ever seen.
Related
More like this:
deltaXkila
August 05, 2008 at 4:49am
Terr0r Inc, get your head out your ass. They aren't listening apparently. But, I don't like some of the tracks vocals and I was aware of the repetitive charts. I didn't save much, but I got what I wanted. This has to be the best DLC so far! My GamerTag is deltaXkila. I have too many friends on Xbox Live. I have no life.
Terr0r Inc
July 27, 2008 at 12:34pm
One of the best DLC for Rock Band so far, but please put out COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION or YOUTHANASIA by Megadeth. Or ALIVE II by Kiss. Or the first five albums by Black Sabbath. I WANT TO ROCK! ROCK! I WAAAAAANT TO ROCK! ROCK!
Pazuzu
July 22, 2008 at 5:20am
The live at leeds songs were definitely the best. Rock Band needs more live tracks.
desolator
July 20, 2008 at 8:28pm
I am definitely getting this... as soon as rock band comes out in New Zealand:(
toddmisty
July 20, 2008 at 6:14pm
Being a drummer in a cover band that plays alot of Who songs I have been dying to get these tracks, and they don't disappoint at all. Long live the Who!!!
DelishusSeagull
July 20, 2008 at 5:07pm
THE WHO ARE AMAZING!!!! This is the greatest pack of DLC i have ever seen.
instantdeath999
July 20, 2008 at 12:14pm
This is without a doubt the best pack to grace rock band. This pack has so much variety... and the live tracks were great. But they were from live at leeds, so that's to be expected. If this had gotten anything below "Hell Yes", I would have been very disappointing.
Purp1eHayes
July 20, 2008 at 10:28am
The Who are the second greatest band in the universe, so I was really psyched about this. I'm actually much happier with this than I think i would have been with all of Who's Next. When I saw that they were going to be able to use tracks from "Live At Leeds" I nearly keeled over from excitement. If they released the rest of "Live At Leeds" THAT would be the greatest DLC of all time. Especially if they did the full deluxe version that includes a full (and awesome) performance of Tommy that puts the album version to shame.
New Gunslinger
July 20, 2008 at 10:27am
Took you guys a while this week. I'm guessing E3? No matter. I got the songs anyways and was glad I did. What's more fun then the bass and guitar solo in My Generation? I hope that future songs have this feature of two guitars soloing off each other. That'd be great if you could pick between bass and rhythm guitar. It's also nice to FINALLY get some fun yet challenging drum songs. The wait was long but worth it!
Ryan_OXM
July 20, 2008 at 9:03am
bahama: Podcast went up late Friday. E3 delayed us on it this week. -- Ryan McCaffrey Senior Editor Official Xbox Magazine
factory
July 20, 2008 at 6:31am
how could the fact that who are you is cut by one minute and missing an incredible verse not suck? i am sooo angry with that. i knew they would have to edit out the f bomb .otherwise this is just incredible
bahama mama
July 19, 2008 at 10:02pm
FINALLY DLC worth downloading for RB! P.S. where is the podcast for this week?
Connect with OXM Online
Featured Content
Only YOU can help make a new Tim Schafer adventure game a reality!
OXM and GamesRadar interview players at Capcom's latest Fight Club
We hand-picked 3 unique and unusual offerings in the Xbox Live Indie Games Channel.
This month's issue
Features
Max Payne 3!
Reviews
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, SoulCalibur V, NeverDead
Previews
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Major League Baseball 2K12, Risen 2
OXM Twitter Feed
- OXM: Dreams do come true! Double Fine's @TimOfLegend to make new adventure game, aims to fund project via KickStarter. http://t.co/lCj9fuLK3 hours 53 min ago
- OXM: If Blades of Time action heroine Ayumi were in Spaceballs, she'd be a Mog, because she's her own best friend: http://t.co/A4m9GoJR @Konami5 hours 44 min ago
- OXM: Baseketball may never become a real sport, but we're definitely digging the MLB/NBA 2K12 bundle coming from @2KSports: http://t.co/qrueLUBj5 hours 48 min ago
