Listening To You: The Who Live At The Isle of Wight (Warner Vision, 85 mins, #12.99)

n HOW quaint. At 2am on August 30, 1970 AD, 600,000 young people stood in a field on the Isle of Wight in order to make earnest peace-signs at a popular singing-and-music band of the era, the Who.

If this video is to be believed, writes DAVID BELCHER, drummer Keith Moon began the proceedings with a loud belch into the video-maker's microphone, thereafter pounding his traps like a dervish and occasionally engaging in semi-audible mockney badinage with guitarist Pete Townshend. Mr Townshend repeatedly windmilled his strumming arm whilst singer Roger Daltrey swirled both his microphone and the buckskin fringes on his jacket. In marked contrast, bassist John Entwhistle looked simply stoic in a zip-up suit featuring a lifesize skeleton print.

What else? All the big hits were given a live airing. Rock historians will be pleased to note that Keith Moon's ratty haircut has been passed on, via Liam Gallagher, to our own Gyres. As for the rest of us . . . well, I suppose you had to be there back in '70, man, for it to have any resonances in the here and now.

But an amusing thought occurs: if the surviving members of the Who were to announce a reunion gig in London's Hyde Park, sponsored by MasterCard, say, do you think more than 150 people would turn up? What do you mean: ``They have . . . they did''? And 150,000 turned up? Blimey. Some folk are determined they will get fooled again.

Dub In The Roots Tradition, Scientist; Freedom Sounds In Dub, King Tubby and Soul Syndicate (both Blood And Fire)

n LIVING reggae history, capable of inciting high-steppers to raise a dust storm on any dancefloor. Scientist, or Hopeton Brown as he was originally christened, began his sonic manipulations as a teenager in the famed Kingston studio of King Tubby, otherwise known as Osbourne Ruddock.

The Scientist collection covers the years 1976-79, concentrating on his work with the Roots Tradition label, and features two bands: the Roots Radics and Soul Syndicate. The latter combo also feature on the King Tubby compilation, which similarly concentrates on the period 1976-79.

Why should you buy them? Because they still offer exciting new ways of listening to, and employing the medium of recorded sound. Vibrate to the tectonic bass-lines. Walk in the shadow of the echo, fearing no evil. Get dubbed up at the earliest opportunity.

Borodin: Orchestral Music (Sony)