Like the members of The Beatles who sought spiritual enlightenment via Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Pete Townshend of The Who trod a similar path through his interactions with Meher Baba. The guru's impact on Townshend was so great that there are more photos of him than of Townshend in the artwork for "Who Came First" (UMe), the official 1972 solo debut by The Who's lead guitarist and chief songwriter. Newly reissued in an expanded 45th anniversary double-disc set, the original album, filling one CD, and a second CD of 17 tracks of bonus material, are a far cry from both Townshend's trademark work with The Who and his later solo releases. Still, from gorgeous meditative numbers "Content" and "Parvardigar" to more rock- and pop-oriented tunes "(Nothing is Everything) Let's See Action," "Sheraton Gibson" and "Pure & Easy," there's no doubt this is the work of Townshend.
John Fogerty was also originally associated with a band from the 1960s. Along with his brother Tom, Doug Clifford and Stu Cook, Fogerty formed Credence Clearwater Revival, and had an impressive string of well-received albums and hit singles ("Born on the Bayou," "Bad Moon Rising," "Up Around the Bend," "Fortunate Son," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Down on the Corner" and "Lookin' Out My Back Door"), all with a Southern blues rock flair. But Fogerty's solo career was fraught with legal entanglements, so his output wasn't as prolific as it could have been. A critical and commercial breakthrough occurred with 1985's "Centerfield" (BMG), newly reissued in an expanded edition that includes two B-side bonus tracks ("My Toot Toot," "I Confess"). The disc's big hits are so different it's funny that they appeared on the same album. "The Old Man Down the Road" is as swampy as the best CCR tunes. The title track, with its period synth instrumentation, is still a catchy tune. Also notable are the songs "Mr. Greed" and "Vanz Kant Danz," in which Fogerty takes archnemesis Saul Zaentz to task.