LEGENDARY WHO TAKES FANS BACK TO THE DAY.

Byline: Jesse Heistand Staff Writer

The Who, rock's original, legendary gang of bad boys, pounded the Hollywood Bowl Monday with power chords and poise, recalling its prime more than 30 years ago as a leader of the British invasion.

The last great dinosaur of the genre's classical period, returning to the venue for the first time since 1967, went through the moves in its greatest hits set with surprising vigor, from the urgent opener ``I Can't Explain'' to the closing encore of ``My Generation.''

This was indeed the Who's generation: graying pony tails, faded T-shirts from the band's 1982 ``farewell'' tour, youngsters with industrial strength earplugs and teen-agers looking bewildered as Dad sang along with Roger Daltrey's ``Hope I die before I get old.''

Luckily Dad was paying, because mid-range tickets cost $150 apiece and those closer to the stage topped $300, a fact from which the members of the band tried to distance themselves by practically apologizing for it at the final curtain.

The show kicked off the second leg of the Who's stateside tour that runs through October and promotes the release of a live album made during last year's reunion shows. The band plays in Irvine on Wednesday.

Tan, lean and fired up, members of the Who seemed comfortable with their age (mid-50s) and stature, with Pete Townshend, rock's greatest rhythm guitarist, joking ``It's just too much for a man of my age'' after he struggled to switch between amplifier sounds.

For nearly two hours, the audience of about 17,000 lounged and swayed, with fans shooting out of their seats at the blistering climax of ``Won't Get Fooled Again,'' which Townshend introduced with a sneer as a ``song about politics.'' Bombarded this week by Democratic Party hoopla, the crowd relished lyrics like: ``Meet the new boss, same as the old boss'' and ``the parting on the left is now a parting on the right,'' the meaning of which was left deliciously vague.

Thundering bassist John Entwistle rounded out the original lineup, joined by hired gun John ``Rabbit'' Bundrick on keyboards and Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, on drums, filling in for madman drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978.

For appearances sake, Starkey dressed and wore his hair like Moon. Then again, the Who was always the quintessential mod band with the sharp, clean, short hair that set it apart from the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.

Not to say the Who on Monday didn't drop a few beats; allow Entwistle a bass solo reminiscent of Spinal Tap; flirt with its concept albums, including two songs from the long lost ``Lifehouse Project''; and turn ``Magic Bus'' into a 10-minute workout of confused folk jazz.

But at their best - on ``Baba O'Riley,'' ``5:15'' and ``Pinball Wizard'' - Townshend hammered his guitar like a windmill and Daltrey's soaring vocals returned the crowd to a time in which the Who was one of the most exciting and pioneering rock combos around.

Back then the band was also one of rock's most dangerous - smashing equipment long before it became a concert cliche and setting off concussion bombs to punctuate peak moments. The Who did that its last time at the Bowl, leading to the arrest of the sound man, who was threatened with prison, Townshend told the crowd.

No such antics Monday, with the now-mature band preferring to let the songs carry the night with the barest of lights shows and no extravagance. Just five guys, top tunes and the proof, after the underwhelming reunion of other classic rock bands, that this music may just hold a secret to youth.