Having sufficient electronic equipment to blast a rocket into orbit, The Who invaded the Greensboro Coliseum Sunday night, proving they’re the loudest, if not the best, rock group of the past three decades.

Surrounded by a bastion of amplifiers which were fed into 40 suspended speakers, the legendary rock quartet combined moments of brilliance with an overpowering sound system to the delight of a sold-out crowd.

But biggest isn’t necessarily best. At times the deafening sound system drowned out the lyrics of lead singer Roger Daltrey, muffled the lightning quick guitar licks of Peter Townshend and all but ruled out hearing the keyboards of John “Rabbit” Bundrick.

Based on crowd reaction however, it would have taken more than obtrusive acoustics to put a damper on The Who’s second Greensboro appearance.

As usual, the menagerie of rock fanatics was on hand. Long hair, tattered blue jeans and Stetson hats were common. The sweltering heat at the Coliseum quickly forced a number of fans to shed shirts and shoes.

Shortly after 8 p.m., the band cavorted on stage to a thunderous reaction from the crowd and quickly moved through two classics that made the group famous.

Daltrey, clad in black leather jacket and blue jeans, perfectly complemented Townshend in the opening number, “Substitute.” It was like a walk through rock history as the band concentrated on tunes from “Magic Bus,” “Who Are You” and “Quadrophenia.”

The songs that led off the first hour of the concert seemed programmed to dispel any notions of the band’s slip from prominence after drummer Keith Moon died in 1979.

The second song, “Can’t Explain,” featured a superb percussion piece by Moon’s replacement, Kenny Jones, formerly of “Small Faces.”

With the crowd firmly in their grasp, “The Who” moved on to “Good-bye Sister Disco,” a tune that brought the house down.

Daltrey and Townshend seemed on the verge of overwhelming the audience as they danced and leaped across the stage. But Townshend’s lead guitar, often compared to the best in music today, faltered.

On two occasions, while drenched in flood lights, Townshend failed to prove his ability and frequently was overshadowed by the blasting sound system.

But Daltrey, the blond-haired, blue-eyed central force of the band, was quick to bail the guitarist out of trouble.

The highlight of the evening came with a three song series featuring “Who Are You,” “Pinball Wizard” and “See Me, Feel Me.” Daltrey, backed up by the vocals of Townshend, proved he is one of the most prominent vocalists of our time.

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