Another great element about this album is the singability. Every song is so catchy and easy to sing along to and it makes it more enjoyable to listen to. I have long had a UK original Tommy but was tempted in a rash moment ten years ago to pay the equivalent of USD 110 for a Classic Records copy to compare with, as I had read a lot about it (and have the Norah Jones Classic Records 4 LP 45 rpm set which I rate highly). It would be remiss of me not to say that looking at such issues found on Tommy does not have merit, as certainly anyone who enjoys this release should not be considered to support the notion of child abuse, very much like the book “The Basketball Diaries” by Jim Carroll, who kept detailed notes, poems and thoughts during his downward spiral into drug addiction, where simply watching or reading his story is not tantamount to supporting or glorifying drug addiction ... it is all a visual and musical journey, dark as it may be, in the life of one of the greatest musicians of our time. In 1991, Townshend broke his wrist in a cycling accident and could not play guitar. Looking for alternative work while recuperating, he responded to a request from the PACE Theatrical Group for the rights to a Broadway musical adaptation of Tommy. The group introduced him to La Jolla Playhouse director Des McAnuff, and the pair began to develop the musical together. It opened at La Jolla in summer 1992 and was an immediate commercial success. [124] Townshend wrote a new song, "I Believe My Own Eyes", to explain the relationship between Tommy's parents, but otherwise tried to be faithful to the music on the original album. [125]

Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. Neill, Andy; Kent, Matt (2002). Anywhere Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1217-3.One of the most interesting things about the album is the perspective. It’s all about Tommy, clearly, but it seems to be from the point of view of other people in his life. We see a lot from cousin Kevin, uncle Ernie, his mother, and even a whole section about perspective of some random girl named Sally Simpson. With these themes of reflection, it might be very well that all these people in Tommy’s life see themselves in Tommy and by telling his story from their perspective, they’re relating their experiences to his and in some situations, like Kevin’s bullying and Ernie’s diddling, their negative actions towards Tommy might just be a reflection of their own insecurities and problems, that they choose to take out on him because he’s easy to manipulate and take advantage of. Christgau, Robert (1969). "Robert Christgau's 1969 Jazz & Pop Ballot". Jazz & Pop . Retrieved 17 April 2014. By 1968, Townshend was unsure about how the Who should progress musically. The group were no longer teenagers, but he wanted their music to remain relevant. [12] His friend, International Times art director Mike McInnerney, told him about the Indian spiritual mentor Meher Baba, [13] and Townshend became fascinated with Baba's values of compassion, love and introspection. [14] The Who's commercial success was on the wane after the single " Dogs" failed to make the top 20, and there was a genuine risk of the band breaking up. [15] The group still performed well live and spent most of the spring and summer touring the US and Canada, [16] but their stage act relied on Townshend smashing his guitar or Keith Moon demolishing his drums, which kept the group in debt. Townshend and Kit Lambert realised they needed a larger vehicle for their music than hit singles and a new stage show, and Townshend hoped to incorporate his love of Meher Baba into this concept. [17] He decided that the Who should record a series of songs that stood well in isolation but formed a cohesive whole on the album. He also wanted the material performed in concert, to counter the trend of bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys producing studio output that was not designed for live performance. [18] The new half-speed mastered Tommy sounds especially nice in the lows and mids, yet with natural highs. There is a good sense of dynamics that allows you to turn up the volume without everything falling apart, and things getting harsh. Indeed, this new Tommy felt bigger when I increased the volume on the “Sparks” section (one of my favorites on the album, along with “Underture”). Keith Moon’s drums resonate massively in a quite three-dimensional sense, much more so than on the U.S. pressing. Listen for those intense tom-tom fills on “Eyesight To The Blind” — and then, when guitarist Pete Townshend is soloing, close your eyes to immerse yourself in the studio space. The 180g pressing is excellent on this new half-speed Abbey Road mastered edition of Tommy. That dead-quiet and well-centered sensibility is really appreciated on moments like on Side Four, where it commences with the “Extra!” exaltations of “Miracle Cure” and then, after a tight pause, launches into the punchy acoustic-guitar drive of “Sally Simpson.” I’ve heard noisy pressings of this album before, and it is this clarity that’s most welcomed at these moments.

The album was commercially successful, reaching No. 2 in the UK album charts. It peaked at No. 7 in the US in 1969, [44] but in 1970 it re-entered the charts, at which time it went on to peak at No. 4. [45] It sold 200,000 copies in the first two weeks in the US alone and was awarded a gold record for sales of 500,000 on 18 August. [46] " Pinball Wizard", " I'm Free" and " See Me, Feel Me" were released as singles and received airplay on the radio. "Pinball Wizard" reached the top 20 in the US and the top five in the UK. "See Me, Feel Me" reached the top 20 in the US and "I'm Free" reached the top 40. An EP of selections from the album was planned to be released in the UK in November 1970 but was withdrawn. [47] As of 2012, Tommy has sold 20 million copies worldwide. [25] [48] Pinball Wizard” — one of the arguable centerpieces of the album [no arguments here!—MM] — sounds brilliant, with Townshend’s acoustic guitar punctuating the mix alongside the electrics and Moon’s drums. And Roger Daltrey’s vocals on “Go To The Mirror” are simply fantastic on this LP. It’s a Boy”, “‘21”, “Amazing Journey”, “Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)”, “Christmas”, “Cousin Kevin”, “The Acid Queen”, “Do You Think It’s Alright?”, “Fiddle About”, “Pinball Wizard”, Go to the Mirror!”, “Tommy Can You Hear Me?”, “Smash the Mirror”, “Sensation”, “Sally Simpson”, “I’m Free”, “Welcome”, Tommy’s Holiday Camp”, and “We’re Not Gonna Take It”So, coupled with the aforementioned hi-res editions, I was contented enough over the years with the versions of Tommy that I do have. I eventually upgraded my much-loved and played American copy of Tommy — which got me through high school and college in the late ’70s and early '80s, truth be told — with a nice, near-mint copy that sounds pretty good for what it is. (Yes, I know, dear AP friends, the UK version would likely trounce it.) The Who continued to play a smaller selection of Tommy live in subsequent tours throughout the 1970s. [102] They revived Tommy as a whole for its twentieth anniversary during their 1989 reunion tour, reinstating the previously overlooked "Cousin Kevin" and "Sensation" but still omitting "Underture" and "Welcome". Recordings from this tour can be found on the Join Together live album and the Tommy and Quadrophenia Live DVD. The Los Angeles version of this show featured Phil Collins as Uncle Ernie, Patti LaBelle as the Acid Queen, Steve Winwood as the Hawker, Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, and Billy Idol as Cousin Kevin. [103] [104] Other incarnations [ edit ] 1970 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens [ edit ] First released in 1965, My Generation was The Who’s debut album. It peaked at #5 and unleashed The Who on to the world. It has been described as one of the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone, MOJO, and the NME and was included in the US Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry as ‘culturally significant’ to be preserved and archived for all time. Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (2011). 1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die. Hachette UK. p.455. ISBN 978-1-84403-714-8.

Hurwitz, Nathan (2014). A History of the American Musical Theatre: No Business Like It. Routledge. p.225. ISBN 978-1-317-91205-7. Tommy (Media notes). The Who. MCA. MCAD-10801. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012 . Retrieved 19 September 2019. Randall, Mac (22 January 2004). "Tommy Deluxe Edition". Rolling Stone. New York . Retrieved 3 July 2013. Cawthorne, Nigel (2005). The Who and the making of Tommy. Unanimous Ltd (Vinyl Frontier 5). pp.224. ISBN 1-903318-76-9a b Bayles, Martha (1994). Hole in Our Soul:The Loss of Beauty and Meaning in American Popular Music. University of Chicago Press. p.224. ISBN 0-226-03959-5. Tommy remained in the Who's live set through the rest of the year and into 1970. In October 1969, the Who played six shows at the Fillmore East, where Leonard Bernstein praised them for their new music. [95] The group's show on 14 December at the London Coliseum was filmed for a possible future Tommy feature. [96] Lambert was keen for Tommy to be taken seriously and wanted the Who to perform at opera houses. [97] In June 1970, the group performed two shows at the Metropolitan Opera House, which was the first time Townshend announced the show as being the "last Tommy ever". [98] The group made a second trip to the Isle of Wight, appearing at the 1970 festival on 29 August, before an audience of 600,000. [87] The last live performance for 1970 was at The Roundhouse, London on 20 December. Townshend said "This is the very last time we'll play Tommy on stage", to which Keith Moon promptly cried, "Thank Christ for that!" [99] The story follows Tommy who is a blind, deaf, and mute boy who lost his senses after traumatically seeing his father murdered by his wife’s lover. Throughout his story, we see the struggles of being a disabled youth, which includes bullying, rape, and an early introduction to sex and drugs, and how one’s story can be exploited into a national, beloved freak show. As with most demagogues, there tends to be a falling off point where they reach a level of fame and recognition but some thing, whether financial or political, ruins their character and many people lose their following. I also love the masterful musicianship of the band on this album. Every instrument is fantastic. I love how the vocals incorporate harmonies from the other bandmembers, like the Beatles would, and how the lead singer uses a lot of vocal distortion, soul, screaming, and explores his vocal style throughout. He’ll switch between clean and raw and incorporate some elements of normal singing versus goofy singing versus spoken word. One of the biggest things about the album is the drums. They are incredible and prominent throughout, specially with the dotted eighth note rhythm that stands out throughout the album. Townshend, Pete (1996). Tommy: The Interactive Adventure Then and Now. Eel Pie Publishing. Kardana & Interplay Productions. Cdrom for PC (CD-MCR-263-0 / CD-C95-263-0) or for Mac (CD-MCD −263-UK)