I Don't Know How To Feel About Tommy｜Vinyl Monday

[@abigaildevoe]

SO sorry for the wait! what's your favorite song on tommy? comment below!

[@TomRagoOfficial]

Pinball Wizard! (AKA a default answer lol)

[@mariedesrosiers9870]

1921 orrrrr overture 😊

[@alexmeyers2274]

Pinball wizard i like song because radio hit playing the who 70s era

[@davidellis5141]

See Me , Feel Me

[@frankthorne11]

Overture/Underture

[@ClassicRockLivesOn]

The movie is absolutely insane. An all time favorite of me and my friends!

[@ChromeDestiny]

I think some of the roles could have been cast better but it's been a favourite of mine for a long time.

[@north45j]

I spent much of the summer of 69 at the age of 16 listening to Tommy in a darkened room with headphones. It was a revelation. The album changed my idea of what rock music could be. It was the first rock opera that I heard. Still get goose bumps listening to it. I really appreciate a young person of your generation discovering the music of my youth and giving it a greater understanding than we had at the time. Of course we were living through those turbulent times so the music had context and meaning for us, but you are able to delve into the behind the scenes of the making of the music. We just listened to the music. Thank you and keep up the great work.

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

Did you listen to it "with a candle burning"? 🕯️

[@north45j]

@@sugadelicsavagesoul8623 - no, but often by the light of the turn table.

[@derfgerps4016]

The Isle of Wight, Hull and Leeds shows were so legendary. They were a force of nature live.

[@rsears78]

Yes!!!! They were the best when Pete was wearing hot painters suit and John was wearing the skeleton shirt 😊

[@jamesfetherston1190]

It was really the Tommy tour where Daltrey found the power of his voice.

[@webz3589]

Yes the live version of Tommy is vastly superior. Frankly it's the only version/s I ever listen to.

[@honiideslysses12]

Damn skippy! Not just a force of nature, but able to control it!

[@derfgerps4016]

@@honiideslysses12 nah, maybe if Pete Townshend wasn’t a subpar player.

[@mikeforbes7705]

Abby, time for Live At Leeds!

[@danmayberry1185]

Quadrophenia is a testament to how much maturing can be achieved in four years.

[@neil993]

Quadrophenia is truly The Whos magnum opus, and Townshends peak. I'd have it as the best rock opera/concept album too

[@derfgerps4016]

@@danmayberry1185 definitely their best album after who’s next.

[@davidtoups4684]

Quadrophenia is my favorite Who album by far!

[@webz3589]

Quadrophinia, one of (if not actually) the greatest album of all time.

[@nvm9040]

@@neil993definitely agree with this I enjoy Tommy but Quadrophenia is more defined as a concept

[@DoctorInsomnia-qw7us]

Great show Abby, a big improvement from the first time, you not only got the Rael connection, but you even mentioned the first attempt at a mini-rockopera, a quick one while he's away. The only detail you overlooked is a real life event that shook Pete Townshend up, as he faced the very real limitations and fragility of the human senses, in this case his hearing. It happened in 1967, right at the height of the psychedelic movement. The Who, whose singles kept flopping in the USA, finally got a top 20 with I Can See for Miles. They went on the Smothers Brothers show to promote it. First they lipsync the hit single, followed by a funny interview, with Roger saying he's from Oz. Then they perform My Generation live, and at the end, Townshend starts smashing his guitar. Unbeknownst to everyone, Keith Moon had loaded his drumkit with TNT, and while Pete is completing his guitar smash-up, the drumkit loaded with TNT explodes, with Townshend dangerously close to the epicenter of the blast. He literally went deaf for several seconds, and the ear that took the brunt of the blast would suffer severe hearing loss. And yes I saw this on TV when I was 9 years old, wasn't until I saw the footage at the start of Long Live Rock in 1979, that i realized I discovered the Who at such an early age. So that brief encounter with deafness probably gave Townshend the inspiration for deaf dumb and blind boy which became Tommy. And yes it was the first attempt at a rock opera, a quick one, which the Who performed at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, that led the Stones to not televise the project, and shelve the footage for nearly 3 decades, because that Who performance made the Stones look sloppy by comparison.

[@Lanooski]

really glad i finally gave some of your longer content a shot because i've been missing out on some of the most robust yet approachable classic rock analysis out there. as a die-hard Who fan who clocked the overlap between Rael and Tommy, it never occurred to me that there could be some kind of narrative interweaving between the captain in that mini-opera and Captain Walker. i love that angle!

[@pwcincy]

As a few others have said, I’d really like to see you do Quadrophenia. It hangs together so much better than this and is simply more relatable (at least if you’re an insecure male teenager). Plus Entwistle and Moon get more time to shine.

[@Fang70]

Tommy the album: an amazing journey Tommy the musical: Ann-Margret swimming in beans

[@Royalle_with_Cheese]

You mean Tommy: The Movie. There was a stage play done. I saw it in the 90s. That would be Tommy: The Musical.

[@Pablo668]

I can't imagine what anyone could have against Ann-Margret swimming in beans....

[@bobbybroadway9513]

Automatic turntables were absolutely wonderful. Musical life at the time, without them, is utterly unimaginable. Utterly. You could stack half a dozen different albums all at one time.

[@MichaelBoltonsEntireCatalog]

@@bobbybroadway9513 Dual 1219 and 1229, baby. Those were perfect automatics.

[@triscat]

That note-scene from Almost Famous always makes me weep.

[@kabiam]

The smartest thing The Who did was "The Kids Are Alright" film. It reinvigorated interest in all things The Who. A lot of new kids were drawn in. We had an idea from songs like My Generation, I can See For Miles and Won't Get Fooled Again but the film opened the door for everything else.

[@triscat]

Exactly right. I became a huge Who fanatic while in high school as a result of that film. It's been an ongoing (frustrating) lifetime love affair. Pete is a genius! Just ask him. :)

[@neilmurray7330]

It was also released at the right time as the Mod revival was in full swing and it gave the new generation of mods a chance to see The Who in their prime.

[@leomilani_gtr]

Great video! Tommy is such a complex and sometimes chaotic work, but you figured it out very well! Thanks for that!

[@tomedmonson501]

I am loving the combo Tommy / Kate Hudson in Almost Famous look you’ve got going.

[@pontifexvonhummer9459]

Fair and insightful as ever. As a 12 year old, Tommy blew me away with the majesty of the sounds and songs and many hours were spent listening to interpretations by sage teenagers, explaining it all. The parallel work to link it to isn’t The Wall, but Jesus Christ Superstar. Those two rock operas orbited each other into, apparently, rock oblivion.

[@s.henrlllpoklookout5069]

"Pete shouts out Glynn Johns..." Maybe it's the literal side of my psyche, but I had an image of Pete standing up mid-interview, pointing at the sky & bellowing "Glynn Johns!" at the top of his lungs then sitting back down & continuing the interview

[@miquefan]

The Who: Roger Daltry: lead vocals Pete Townshend: lead guitar John Entwistle: lead bass Keith Moon: lead drums Tommy is one of my favorite Who albums, and my favorite song is the closer, "We're Not Gonna Take It".

[@deepermind4884]

"Daltrey"

[@kassemir]

As some one who watched the film first. I literally just caught it on tv, and decided to watch it with zero knowledge of what it was. That was a trip. But, I was glad that you mentioned the songs that are better in the film. Because, when I finally did listen to the album, I really found myself missing the guest performers popping in. Especially on Pinballwizard, The Acid Queen, and Eyesight to The Blind. I mean, I'm probably weirdly biased, as watching the film before listening to the album is probably the complete opposite of how most people did it :)

[@DavidLye-no4ht]

I love the Ken Russell movie, it's utterly bizarre and a work of genius in it's own right. Some interesting cameos in that Eyesight to the Blind section too.

[@josemaria8177]

Tommy is a truly one of a kind experience. I personally love it to bits. The film is excellent as well, if you're into weird stuff. Also, props to Abby for managing to get the same hair style as Roger Daltrey

[@abigaildevoe]

i'd love to get more into the film into the future, there's SO much to unpack. and thanks, the hair gel was putting in the WORK this week!

[@josemaria8177]

@@abigaildevoe the film is One of Ken Russell's masterpieces. Equal parts extraordinary and deranged. You'll never be able to look at Heinz Baked Beans the same way again. And if you want real mad stuff watch his Lisztomania film. It stars Roger Daltrey and features Ringo Starr as the pope

[@brunohebert1351]

@@abigaildevoe There's a channel that did a 3 part in depth review/analysis of the movie that runs over 2 hours. The thing is it's in French... And I tried the English subs (autogenerated) it's bad, really bad. So I cannot really recommend it to any non French speaker. Too bad it's really well done. If you're curious, you can check the first part here /watch?v=Gai8S21pMo0 The channel is @Epenser1

[@cartilagehead]

The 1->3, 2->4 layout of "automatic friendly" records also made them ideal for rich people with double-turntable setups, the idea being that you can have the next side cued up and ready to crossfade to without having to take a long silent pause to flip or replace the disc. This was carried forward into the 70s and beyond, while automatic turntables eventually went extinct for the most part, with this sort of pressing pattern sticking around for genres like classical/theatrical and even a lot of club/dance music. It was popular with classical and public radio stations, etc that could play through a whole symphony from vinyl without any breaks or needing a second copy. I've gotten and seen a few new LPs over the years with this order, most notably the LCD Soundsystem farewell live show (or maybe it's the comeback one, lol) and I remember the promo and reviews refer to it as "DJ friendly" and "DJ order" or "club order". Anyway I think this is the universe telling you to get a twin table setup with a DJ mixer. You could write it off as a work expense. Having two tables rules if you listen socially or do listening parties, etc. It makes everything flow so much better as ppl aren't scrambling to fill the silence in between tracks and there isn't this awkward break every time a new track is picked. Plus executing a flawless cue + crossfade is probably one of the last ways in the hobby to look + feel cool.

[@bruceanderson2103]

The movie is very 70's I saw it when I was 11 yrs old, blew my mind. Btw the first video of yours that I watched was about Tommy, I thought you did a good job then and a better one now, it turned me into a fan.

[@lovesicksyntax]

Great review! I always love your Vinyl Mondays, I've found out all kinds of things about artists I love, and have discovered new artists and albums to enjoy in the process. Your love for the music shines through in your research and analysis. Tommy's really special to me. I grew up listening to my parents' music, but for a long time I was just into the Beatles, the Monkees, and whatever hits were played on oldies radio. I caught the film flipping channels when I was 14, and it was so weird to me that I was transfixed. Mom saw me watching it and said they had the album somewhere in their long-abandoned vinyl collection. I played it that evening and fell in love with the Who right away. I'd never heard anything like them. It encouraged me to branch out and start finding new (to me) music to love.

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

Thumbs up from me. I too, was about 14 around 1989 and totally into The Beatles and Monkees when the Who made it into my life in a similar fashion as yourself. I can totally relate. 👍🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@coordinatezero]

Very well presented, as always. Great points! Somehow I convinced my dad to take me to see "Tommy" when it came out in 1975. I was 9 and knew the Who from the radio. I *loved* that movie instantly!

[@abigaildevoe]

hahaha i imagine a 9 year old in 1975 would have a blast with tommy. the silliness! the colors! the beans! elton john!

[@coordinatezero]

@@abigaildevoe I've had a thing about Ann-Margret since I was 'so' high. "Acid Queen" was intense, but since I had bought the soundtrack at K-mart a couple of months beforehand and had absorbed it like a sponge, I was all about that ricka-chicka guitar groove! :-) "Amazing Journey" is the jam for me from either release (and the imagery from that section of the film stuck with me for a long time). (I also like the fact that, as with Quadrophenia, the movie mixes are often a bit more exciting.)

[@islandhorizonvideos8230]

I love the movie Tommy, I was about 15 when it came out and saw quite a few times then I have it on DVD and I still watch it. It’s the best movie based on a rock album ever made.

[@BlueSky...]

I love the album cover art for Tommy, just gorgeous. The instrumentals on this album are stellar as well, especially given it's just the band playing. The lyrics are a bit too dark in places for me to embrace this album. 25:43 time to switch to decaf? 😂

[@richwhite4052]

I had never heard of the WHO prior to viewing Woodstock when it first came out. Left the theatre a huge fan of the WHO. Thanks for the review, I can't wait till next Monday!

[@chrislaustin]

I didn't come to know "The Who" until the early 90's when their Thirty Years of Maximum R&B was released, and PBS in Los Angeles had a weekend beggathon(and it was a all Who related weekend). Being in my early 20's, unemployed and with nothing else to do, I tuned in, and holy shit, if my life wasn't transformed that weekend(saw the Kids Are Alright Documentary as well). I knew the Who from the radio hits, and while some great tunes, I knew nothing of their live reputation(or their history in general), and between the "Kids Doc & 30 Years", I was very much a believer. I won't go in to much detail here, as I don't want to hijack the comments, but yeah, Tommy was amazing live and honestly, I never got that deep in to the story. There was enough there to make it interesting, but I never needed it to gel all that much(it wasn't a novel for Christ sake, it was rock music). It's such an amazing work, as the album is so very different than what you got live, at least back then, as future shows with orchestras of course did the source material justice. Of course Quad was a much more cohesive story, but for a first effort, and how amazing it was live, I thought Tommy was amazing. And Acid Queen is probably my favorite track, as I love it live, and Pete kills it every time(some of his acoustic sets are the stuff of legend).

[@scott4482]

When the disk drops it spins for just a second. Scratching one or both the disks. I never used the long spindle on my turntable

[@tomedmonson501]

Great redux. Thanks. I agree with all your comments on the pacing, and the unnecessarily ambiguous plot details. The first two sides have some great moments, but also a lot of stop and start. However, when it gets to “Go to the Mirror,” the momentum picks up, and I’ve got to listen all the way through to the end.

[@ChromeDestiny]

The album is a bit ambiguous cause it sometimes goes for realism and sometimes goes for crazy dream logic. The movie version focuses a lot on the surreal dream logic, the Broadway version concentrates more on the realism.

[@LuxuryPossum]

We love to see an SF Sorrow shout out! I've always been a bigger fan of the Film Soundtrack, or the Live Versions included with some of the later Live at Leeds releases. That version of Amazing Journey/ Sparks is one of my favorites! I would watch a whole video about the Tommy movie if you were up to it. You didn't even mention the fantastic Oliver Reed performance (Probably the reason why his character lives in the movie)!

[@ThiagodMoraes]

See me feel me, live at woodstock is even better. It got me hooked on The Who forever, 23 years ago to be precise!!

[@johnapplegate1289]

You have to understand one thing about Tommy, it was not finished yet! John Entwistle said in a interview that they not allowed to finish their overdubs. The record was rush released before The Who could finish recording it.

[@evanscannell]

You’re such a breath of fresh air as far as music reviews go! I discovered you through your review of Live Through This and I love how in depth you are with the albums you choose to cover. It makes me feel less crazy about my own extensive music knowledge for sure 💕 Also side note: you should totally cover blind melons first album! It’s got that 70s kind of vibe as far as writing and instrumentation goes and I think it would be a really cool addition to your reviews

[@soulhealer20]

Excellent reaction/Review. Tommy was one of the most important records of my life both for the storyline and for the music. Your perception of the album and the production is great.

[@AzimuthTao]

Actually, Keith Moon sings Tommy's Holiday Camp. Pete is doing the harmonies.

[@hipstereagle6050]

The Polyphonic video comparing the Tommy character and Pink from The Wall is fascinating

[@chrisdelisle3954]

Agreed.

[@jazzzman8050]

Brilliant breakdown, props for taking this on again properly : ) Parts of this album can still move me to tears…it is imperfect, but it damn sure is art 👍

[@peterjetnikoff]

I have a history with this project. I say project rather than album as I first knew of it as a movie I was too young to see at the cinema (when it came out). I only heard about it. That Christmas I get a copy of the movie soundtrack as a present and got very happily lost in the drama and characters. The still active classical fan in me appreciated the theatrics and scheme. Also, I knew of the director Ken Russell as my older siblings waxed crazy about how surreal and anti-establishment he was (very positive currency in my home, then). I reached the age of the rating a few months after the movie left cinemas so until that time, I had to settle for looking at the stills in the album art (big collages in the gatefold and stills on the lyric inner sleeves) and imagine it. When I finally saw it at an arthouse cinema two years later the movie didn't quite come up to my daydream of it. After that, I bought an import copy of the original record which a let down after the proggy synth drenched movie score. After one complete listen, I'd only pick and choose tracks. Oddly enough, it was when I upgraded my home theatre (er... it had been a tv and vcr so that should read when I got a home theatre system) I bought the DVD-Audio of the original album in 5.1 and just left it on. It's since become essential to me.

[@deepermind4884]

I used the hell out of the turntable spindle in the 70s & 80s. I don't think it had any bad effects on the vinyl, most vinyl records had a slight bulge near the circumference & label thickness in the middle, which prevented the sound grooves area touching from disc to disc. (Didn't think that would sound as sexual as it did😮) A Tommy/The Wall movies episode doesn't sound like a good idea. The Wall was done especially well & they are from 2 different eras, it's not a fair comparison. Abby, bless your heart for having good words for Underture. I like it alot too; yes, it could've been trimmed of a minute or 2 of aural fat, but it's still just nice to hear the boys go there. On the other hand, the Overture too long??!? Naaaaahh, not in the least, girl. I remember reading that after the launch of Tommy on Broadway (the 1st time), Pete said the perfect version of Tommy is still in his head. I can't blame him for saying that, considering the unevenness & lack of narrative cohesion on the album. Thank you for this episode, job well done 😃👍🏻 P.S. I think the one really glaring omission from Tommy's story is Pete didn't write about Tommy gaining weight from emotional binge eating! He couldn't speak, see or hear, but he could still taste! Just think how enhanced an isolated sense of taste would be!

[@Mrvictorfernandes]

There's a wonderful story about Moonie checking out one of Philly Joe Jones' London drumming tutorials in the late '60's. Jones, of course, was the powerhouse drummer who played behind Miles, Coltrane, and Bill Evans. Keith visited Philly Joe, who asked Keith to show what he could do without knowing who Keith Moon was. Moonie sat behind Jones' small Gretsch kit and ran riot for about five minutes while he stood back, completely taken aback by Keith's lack of theoretical proficiency. After the rampage, Philly Joe asked Keith how much money he made a year. When Keith told him, Philly Joe whistled in admiration, nodded slowly, and simply said: "Well... I don't want to spoil it for you."

[@andyyouell5037]

Great video - so much detail and a great presentation. Thank you. You've gotta love Tommy - for all it's flaws and contradictions. It was a pivotal moment in rock history and it launched The Who into 1970s.

[@lefteyereport6354]

When are we getting the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway?

[@abigaildevoe]

its 50th anniversary is later this year...

[@wilhelmhagberg4897]

It’s a wonderful album and great storytelling. I especially love how it’s told from many different perspectives (the Sally Simpson song being the most unexpected example). I agree with Abigail though that many songs are a bit too long, and that the second half of the drama is a bit underdeveloped. It still one of the milestones of rock music.

[@Frank_42]

This was a fantastic iconic album and deserves every ounce of credit it can get inspite of it being better to hear a plot synopsis first. There are still a lot of great songs even if you don't understand the meaning for some reason. It absolutely does help to understand and be facinated by the subject matter.

[@leddygee1896]

Really loving the Hairstyle Ms. Devoe!! You are wise beyond your years...

[@vinylstockholm]

Fantastic work with this video, amazing research to decode this mess. Hats off! I'm a big Tommy fan, I love the music, but never got the narrative, haha. But I learned a lot by watching this. And I love how you describe the songs. Keep up the good work!

[@johnwilding4664]

Dear Abigail: You "hit it out of the park" with this analysis. The Who are one of my all-time favorite bands but this album has never completely hooked me: I agree the narrative is a bit confusing and i did wonder to where Townshend was going. The recording is incredible and stands up very well; and to your point: the band really rose to the occaision-I don't think many would have thought them capable prior to this release. A side note: The Magic Bus album was released in 1968 to keep interest in the band alive as Tommy was delayed. I saw the movie in spring 1979 at the Cinema V-a repertory house in Montreal. My first ken Russell film and although I found it pretty cool at the time-I was 15 then-the excess did elude me. Still Daltrey did a good job in his first acting role. Perhaps do an analysis of the film and Russel's next one: Lisztomania also staring Daltrey. Yours truly, john Wilding

[@yenlard6683]

The live performances of this album blow away the album versions easily. It was insane energy 🔥 Agree about Go to the Mirror 👍

[@jerrylev59]

I don't know if you can fully appreciate the pinball element of the story if you've never spent an evening in an arcade locked into one machine, tuning out all external stimuli, tripping intensely on a powerful dose of clean acid, turning over all the score counters and racking up countless free games until the manager boots you out at closing time. Playing on a game console or computer doesn't deliver the same experience as banging an old "body table" did.

[@stephensorensen4477]

Ahh: banging the machine with a downward fist, lifting and moving the table, just enough, so that it doesn’t tilt, then being able to handle it without the trickery, beat the electronic monstrosities by a mile! 🎯

[@jerrylev59]

@@stephensorensen4477 The strange thing is that I only did this once on a table I'd never seen before and never saw again. It was called something like "Cosmic Casino". I felt like I was an automated component completing the circuit, effortlessly milking the machine for all it was worth without very aggressive "body English". It was a surreal experience, I was probably not far from the Twilight Zone, or the Outer Limits. 🪐👽🙀

[@everytimeilookforu]

this is my first time watching a review from you and I’m currently in a massive taking back sunday phase and let me tell you I was not expecting no i in team to start playing at any point. impressive. subscribed

[@michaelshiflett4835]

Spot on! You’re brilliant, I’ve always felt that way about this album. You could teach rock history on a collegiate level.

[@scotttaylor7767]

Well done Abby not an easy album to get into to say the least ! Lol. Going down the Pete Townsend rabbit hole can be challenging!! But you have done a excellent job explaining this album. 😃👍

[@scotttaylor7767]

Would liked to have been a fly on the wall when Pete Townsend played this album to his parents. You can only imagine how they felt about it all. Especially the opening numbers not to mention “fiddle about “! It must have come as a real shock to them.

[@philmbridges]

What a fantastic review! Coming to the album in 1975 it was a major revelation!

[@Galiuros]

I saw The Who twice in concert. In 1975 at the Olympiahalle in Munich and in 1976 at the Charlton Athletic Football Club in London. The Who are definitely best as a live band. Great review.

[@ogam5]

.....Abby, it's SO hard (pun intended) to articulate just HOW completely Russell's cinematic (FULL album - rather than just ICONIC tracks such as "I'm Free", was LONG a cipher UNTIL then) vision ESPECIALLY contextualized a LOT of my OWN childhood for me, 'Dear Evan Hansen' having JUST served as something of a BOOKEND - upon viewing THAT 'on demand' earlier this week; Pete & Roger exquisitely ECHOING those VERY conflicted emotions - and even NOW in 'advancing years', I struggle to COMMUNICATE its FULL impact - Daltrey singing "See Me, Feel Me" against the backdrop of a rising sun, was INCREDIBLY powerful when watching a decade-plus later - FOREVER burned into my memory now, and as to EJ's version of "Pinball Wizard", LIKE "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" (READILY conceded by J.L. himself) he DEFINITELY tops Townshend's original (OK; for ME.....)

[@ThatSchmoGuy]

Great video as usual Abby! So... "Who's Next?" 😉 😉

[@abigaildevoe]

roger daltrey voice YEEEEEEEEEAH

[@alanclayton9277]

i respect artists who reach out for the thing that might exceed their grasp. something inside must have told pete townshend this could fail something inside told him to go for it. the musicality wins for me. a lot of reputations were built around that time on some pretty slim talent, where the stance was important. not saying that doesn't have value. with the who you've got articulacy musicianship ( i love the snap of the guitars in pinball wizard and john's horn playing throughout) 3 singers(?) songwriting: it's real meat on the bones. the journey from a constricted life to a liberated one is enough for me underscored by music of some depth and power. i think you did a fine job of seeing the failures and the way the whole hullabaloo might have been clarified. i still respect that video of two years ago. they were honest unintimidated thoughts. the redux though adds understanding to the discussion about tommy and your work can now stand up against any other critical take on this important work. personally i would love to see film reviews on this channel and next weeks choice suggests that your work ethic is generated by some kind of increasing force like the expanding matter of the universe. no kidding.

[@VictorRamirez-em4tv]

It’s amazing and wonderful that a young person like yourself (I’m probably close to 1/3rd your age), should speak about classic masterpieces with so much respect, insight and enthusiasm. I’ve been a classic rock fan since I was twelve (in those days we just called it “rock”), now I’m a huge Abigail Devoe fan.

[@roberthardin2133]

Tommy is my trouble spot in the Who's catalogue. when Pete was so prolific that half his songs didn't have albums to live on, the songs were brilliant and energetic-and Entwhistle occasionally had a Boris the Spider to keep things spicy. I have the most fondness for A Quick One, but I agree that Roger really came into his own on Tommy. I like the movie directed by Ken Russell but then it's not even close to being his best film. I've never had the courage to check out Lisztomania, starring Daltrey as Franz Liszt with a soundtrack composed by Rick Wakeman, but one day...

[@swipp9]

Thanks for review, history, etc. I got this as a young kid, tween I'm thinking, off the strength or and my love of Pinball Wizard. I sort of dolized rock music/musicians so I gave a fair amount of rapt listening but gotta say didn't really get into most of it. So much of it falling flat on my ears, but you've inspired me to give it another listen decades later. I do remember loving the Overture and Underture (I assumed that was a real term in my naivete ( my bro-in-law teaching me guitar clued me in otherwise)). Acid Queen, I'm Free, We're Not Going to Take It. I think it may have led me, along with many other subversives like Monty Python and Social Studies, to question my religion and ultimately opt out of it. I did appreciate the sense of community (and the community itself), the sense of belonging (although I felt less and less like I belonged there). Perhaps Music has became my religion

[@johnwelch5132]

Who carried off best the long fair curly hair, bared chest and tassled suede vest look, Daltrey or Plant? As for the hair Abbie wins that 😀

[@PartTimeBuddhist]

He plays by sense of SMELL. Come on people. For whatever reason, Tommy is my Who album. Every hook works for me. I think the second act unfolds with terrific momentum. My favorite Keith Moon drum sound is here. I feel like the narrative vagueness of songs like "1921" actually works in its favor. I wouldn't give up a single second of "Overture" (not so sure about "Underture" though). I love the acoustic guitar bits. I love the electric guitar bits. I love the transition in "Go to the Mirror" from "What is happening in his head?" to "Listen to you I get the music" (like, THAT'S what's happening in his head, man). I love the horns, the piano, the harmonies, and even "Tommy's Holiday Camp." I figured you were only doing a redux because the album had grown on you, and you were now going to explain how off-base you were and that it was the best album ever, but instead you're giving me the same "it's flawed" spiel. Well, I'm not gonna take it.

[@markcraven8386]

Discovered your channel today, Woodstock earlier now Tommy. I think you share as much information as energy and spirit. Your references to Almost Famous aside, you bare a striking resemblance to Penny Lane, at least right now. Your channel...I chose wisely.

[@ronhobbs463]

Great review. I bought the album a few years after it's release and was still quite young. The story is heartbreaking and the abuse depicted was disturbing, stuff we talk about today. Amazing Journey, Underture, I feel Free, Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard and the rapturous See Me, Feel Me.

[@scottall71]

Tommy is one of the greatest contributions to Rock music of all time!!! Now that you know where I stand on the issue 😁 I did watch your original video on it and well, I would just like to say THANK YOU for revisiting this one!! Love your channel, you really dig in deep into the album details 👍 After getting to the end... You really don't like/get The Who, I just get that sense 😅 It's ok. You did a good job with the research, and put your all into it. I saw SO many of your other vidz and they just flowed way smoother. I think you should have just talked about the songs in order, but you jumped around [a LOT] in this. Real Who fans really resonate with all the songs, and take the time to figure out the [although vague at 1st listen] deep narration and storyline. Christmas - that just may be my favorite track - back then Catholics were VERY concerned about their kids getting to heaven. But even putting all the lyrics to the side - WOW the massive layers of vocals, deep rhythms, Keith's super fills, high energy, and soaring opera arrangements - how can you not put that at the top of the list?! There were discussions about the mixing, yeah - John Entwistle's bass could have been more prominent and Moons drums louder, but even with that, you got the live shows and it came out a masterpiece. I like that you brought out the pinball story. Yeah the guy who was going to put up the $$$ for the project liked pinball!! The songs or concept had zero to do with pinball but Pete wasn't going to get the money so popped out what became kind of the centerpiece song - you CANNOT make $%^& in rock history like that up lolol Entire segments could be made separately on the movie, and the huge, separate production that went into that. Anne-Margaret and Oliver Reed did a SPECTACULAR job of performing this material! Don't forget: there's a rare album of Tommy with the London Symphony Orchestra. It has all different celebs doing the songs (Rod Stewart on Pinball Wizard, most notably) Anyway - love your channel/what you are doing was just providing some feedback. I actually have the LSO Tommy album. And I'm NOT even a collector. I feel like I should send it to you just so you'll have it 🙂

[@ianemery4355]

Well worth the wait Abi! I bought Tommy in 1972 aged 12 and I was confused by it it wasn't played much! However a few years later I went back to it and it was a new album to me! Fantastic! Love it and the Who great stuff Abi

[@paullynn473]

Oliver Reed and Keith Moon 😂🍺48 hour party people

[@konowd]

Oliver Reed said when he met Moon he knew his was to the bar, but he didn’t know his way to the bazaar

[@Pablo668]

Fantastic work once again Abby. I absolutely love the film, warts and all. I totally want you to do a film review of it. I haven't listened to this whole album, only parts. I have the Who Live at Leeds album, as you mentioned it delves into the Tommy material and it is awesome. My ears perked up a bit when you were talking about Pete's guitar playing. I think it should be remembered that he is perhaps the best rhythm guitar player there has ever been, or close to it. Rhythm guitar is often considered second fiddle or of lesser value that Lead guitar, but it's not true. Good rhythm guitar is foundational and can really help make a song what it is.

[@rodneygriffin7666]

I find that Tommy and The wall are very similar in that they both deal with issues of isolation, war, childhood trauma, fame, idolatry and redemption. I look at both interchangeably. I think both are great pieces of art.

[@gabriellefrancois5586]

The intro song where it plays small musical parts of somgs to come just blew my mind when i heard it for the first time. Feels like a theater piece.

[@alv4794]

The complete Tommy performance from " Live At Leeds" (probably not on vinyl and only CD) might be better than the original album (for me anyway). And there is that Tommy movie soundtrack album that some folks actually prefer to the original. Maybe a Tommy "Three-Dux" review? Another interesting double album about a young man on a spiritual journey is "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" by Genesis. The narrative is equally confusing as Tommy but the music is amazing. This is my fave YT music show now so thanks again.

[@neil993]

The Live At Leeds performance of Tommy is better than the original album, better than IOW and Woodstock versions of Tommy AND imo, better than the original Live At Leeds release...quite honestly it's my favourite live recording of all time.

[@ChromeDestiny]

Leeds for me has the best ever Amazing Journey/ Sparks. For overall run throughs of Tommy my go tos are Hull, Isle of Wight and Tanglewood, all from 1970.

[@williamlangan5902]

Older siblings had a copy. We had it on the Decca label 1st, then the MCA label. Side 1 and side 4 were one record, like you said and sides 2 and 3 were on the other record. Favorite moments are the Overture, Amazing Journey, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Sally Simpson and We’re Not Gonna Take It. Yes, it’s a little padded. The movie is pretentious. Ann Margaret is hot, Roger was the perfect choice for Tommy, Tina Turner was perfect as the creepy Acid Queen. Elton John, who I admit was the reason I begged my parents to let me see Tommy, was charming and goofy with his giant boots. Jack Nicholson played the doctor. Not what you hoped for but it all made sense on Broadway. So I give Tommy 9 pinball machines out of 10!

[@The_Eric_Burt]

Love your insight, and presentation on your videos. Would love to see you review some Rush.

[@scraller]

There's a song book 'A Decade of The Who - An Authorised History In Music, Paintings, Words and Photographs' (published in the UK 1977) which also features several Mike McInnerney's paintings (the cover too), illustrating other Tommy songs as well as earlier Who songs and up through Quadrophenia.

[@ChromeDestiny]

The same year also had The Story of Tommy book although mainly about the making of the movie version does have an opening chapter with a lot of insight into what went into creating the original Tommy.

[@scraller]

@@ChromeDestiny Yes, I have that too. It's good and seeing PT's notes and plot outline graph of the story is useful for understanding what he was aiming for!

[@scotttaylor7767]

My favourite story about Tommy occurred in 1975. When here in Australia they did a stage version of it with Billy Thorpe and a few of our local rock musicians. Someone had the bright idea to fly Keith Moon over to be in it !! Yes the same Keith Moon who was busted by our police in mid air back in the cluster f.. of the Who’s 1968 tour of Australia!! Anyway Keith arrived drunk and probably high on goodness knows what at the airport. Interviewing him was Norman Gunston who shoved a microphone in his face. Keith took his champagne bottle and poured it over his head !! Lol. You can see the video on you tube. But watching this as a young boy I was shocked!! I didn’t realise celebrities could act that way !

[@ChromeDestiny]

The clip of him doing that performance is here on KZbin. He tries to inhale the microphone and changed the intro to Holiday Camp to "Good Morning Wankers!"

[@scotttaylor7767]

@@ChromeDestiny Bloody Hell !! I’m amazed that even went to air on TV back in 1975 !! Moon was seriously wasted !! Lol

[@thetid8852]

The first full price album I ever bought! (School holiday job, 1969). It was a very mixed reaction when I first heard it - the first tracks that grabbed me were Overture and Underture, See Me Feel Me, and We're Not Gonna Take It (the first ever rock anthem? What an end to an album!) - Pinball Wizard had been a hit some months before, but also great. Then, in December, I was at the first night of the UK Tommy tour in Bristol, and what a night it was. Anarchists stopped the show with a smoke bomb, but the band played on... But you're right Abi - it's a very mixed album, a lot great but some less good. I should point out that the track title you questioned is and always was "1921", and I had an early pressing so I'm confident that's what it is.

[@jasonsenator6144]

I grew up on this and love it still.

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

When it was newer, and I was younger, I loved Tommy. More recently, I began to digitize my old albums (because they have a different equalization, compression, normalization than the "re-mastered" modern releases). With Tommy, although it does certainly have it's moments, after not hearing it for a couple of decades, I thought, "This really isn't all that good." Still love some passages, and there's a personal nostalgia, but give me "Live at Leeds" any day.

[@glennandadriansrocktalk]

I am with you, Abby - I have never particularly liked the studio recording of this album. I have it, but I never play it. On the other hand, The Who at Isle of Wight 1970 is one of my favorite live performances by anyone, and that's IMO the best "Tommy" there is. I agree it is best experienced live! On another note, I'd love to see that SF Sorrow album covered on your channel. Thanks for your work!

[@RabbiSteve1]

I may have already thanked you for this deep dive into TOMMY, but allow me to do it again. I already liked your previous take on it, but this one was even better. And I have to confess: I really enjoy your brief angry WTF takes. Both funny and for better or worse, I usually agree with them. Edit: oh, and I totally agree that “Sensation” is a hugely underrated track, and it blows me away that it was usually left out of live performances and either never or rarely performed. It’s such a kick-ass song for me.

[@markwilkinson2668]

This is a fantastic review of one of the greatest albums ever created. Very in depth and a strong opinion. I don't agree with your assessment of the story line but hey, it's all in eyes of the beholder

[@scotternst7803]

A joint Tommy/The Wall film review would be great! Your longer episodes are better.

[@RaptorStudios]

My copy of Tommy is so old that the gatefold is stuck together, you can’t even open it. My dad’s played it for me since I was a kid, especially the live Woodstock recordings

[@-R.Gray-]

It doesn't hurt to also know the parallel of the deaf, dumb and blind aspect of the story with events in Meher Baba's life. At 19, contact with an old Sufi mystic woman put Baba into a mental dimension, a semi comatose state, where he couldn't speak, or take care of himself for months. After interactions with other masters, he became able to deal with the world in a normal way, but he was a changed person, and started teaching. Later he took a vow of silence. I always thought that playing pinball while blind symbolized having intuitive knowledge of dimensions beyond the physical world, such as knowledge of the karmic results of an action (such as striking a pinball in a particular way).

[@Hecatecrossways]

I thought it was Mayor Baba. A politician buddy of Townsend

[@johnscott7089]

I saw the Broadway show earlier this year and it was fantastic

[@Large23collectibles]

Still one of my all time favorite album!!!

[@ChristopherElli-cc1ly]

I had both the The Who and soundtrack version as a kid. Also saw the movie when i was 11. (Jaws was sold out) I have a hard time pick a fav song. I like both version. But Tina's Acid Queen is a stand out. I always played the whole albums in one sitting. Tommy the movies is like the Monkees Head. It more like fever dreams not necessarily a plot driven film.

[@O_Draws]

Great video! I love Tommy, warts and all. I've always seen Pete Townsend as an impressionist (as opposed to Waters' clarity and directness). Also, if the story is the product of Tommy's incomplete perceptions, it would only make sense for the narrative to be both vague, and inreliable. A great rock opera to do a video on might be Frank Zappa's Joe's Garage. A lot of challenging subject matter, bleak humor, and some of Frank's best instrumental work ("Watermelon in Easter Hay" is top tier). Thanks for your great work!

[@konowd]

Hell yeah with Joe’s Garage, one of Frank’s finest

[@rnaismith4447]

I, for one, would love to see you do the film review, comparison you suggested.

[@bobholtzmann]

The original vinyl album has something unique that I found interesting. Somewhere in the tracks of the album, the drummer Keith Moon played some kind of bell sound that was really out of place, and for a psychedelic album like Tommy, it sounded kind of cool. I don't remember which song it was on, but it was absent on later reissues.

[@MJ1]

Best opening ever.

[@dabhidhm4093]

Good point about acoustic guitars on Tommy. I've long felt that one of the drawbacks of live Tommy (at least in the 60's - 70's) was that when it's all performed on a Gibson SG, the beauty and subtlety is somewhat obscured.

[@jamesfetherston1190]

The SG Special was an excellent choice for playing that stuff live at the time. Those P-90 pickups are extremely dynamic, and when the volume was backed off, you could approximate an acoustic guitar far better than any other electric at the time, but then get an intense full roar when you needed it.

[@johnstebbins24]

Who's Next: How Lifehouse paved the road Smile should've.

[@mrfroopy]

I honestly love this record, I grew up on it.. my parents had it and I think its a great record. I like the arrangements etc.

[@kenjohnston1257]

Talk about serendipity, a friend of mine (who is familiar with this channel) just bought a Harley so a couple days ago I gave her a small poster of Ann Margret riding a chopper in the Nevada desert. My friend didn't know who she was (!?) so I shocked her with a clip from Tommy, the one with AM rolling around in the cascades of beans and chocolate, and now I don't think she's likely to forget Ann Margret for a while :)

[@abigaildevoe]

you didn't start her off with any elvis clips??

[@kenjohnston1257]

@@abigaildevoe Nope, straight to the deep end!

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

Private Joker: "Sir....does that mean Ann Margret's NOT coming?!"

[@RaptorStudios]

In the second act, which I don’t blame anyone for being confused on, Tommy sees himself as something special. He tries to share his experience with others, inviting them to follow him and also have an awakening. Sally Simpson is a follower who has a crush on him, and her parents don’t want her to join a cult, but she goes to a sermon anyway and is thrown off the stage by security and then taken away by ambulance. Tommy invites the followers to his house, but there’s not enough room, so he starts a religious resort for them. He believes that if they also go deaf dumb and blind, they will have the same experience he does. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, since they’ve all lived with their senses in the past and cannot appreciate it. They tell him that they’re not going to take his religion, and they reject him. Tommy is at peace with himself, but his religion failed

[@GizmoBeach]

The Who were still seen as a singles band in ‘68 and their only singles that year were two songs from the vault and Dogs, which went no higher than 25. Tommy changed that perception quick, despite the uneven songwriting and thin-sounding production, due to demand for new material of any kind.

[@olivierlang6870]

I really enjoyed your review ! Tommy is my favourite album ever. It demonstrates so well why Pete Townshend is a fantastic story teller and Roger Daltrey the best rock singer of all times. It also teached me as a musician/composer that narrative has to be STRONG, not necessarily cohesive 🙂 My favourite track is We're not gonna Take it, despite the lame fade out...Bravo and greetings from France !