The Who - Tommy Review. Controversial In The Court of The Wenton King

[@robbieclark7828]

This was a huge album for me in highschool, when me and the other kids in guitar club were in a race to learn all the guitar parts on the album. I realized it was a patchy album back then, and it does suffer from a sort of monochromaticism throughout the whole thing, but I still think it’s a got great moments and songs, and importantly it’s a really impressive use of different guitar textures (see: Overture). It’s the classic case of disc one being way more consistent than disc two, but it’s important for introducing a lot of new ideas to rock music that set the stage for prog rock as much as anything that came out in the same era. And I don’t think I’m wrong to say that the story is actually way more coherent and profound than The Lamb. Overture, Amazing Journey, Eyesight to the Blind, Christmas, Cousin Kevin, Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, Smash the Mirror, Sensation, I’m Free, and We’re Not Gonna Take It are standouts for me, and it’s pretty telling that the band would usually abbreviate the album for their live sets and keep a lot of those songs in. Anyway, 2/10, could use more saxophone.

[@LuKc1206]

The story does have to do with Pete Townshend to a certain extent. He had some childhood experiences which influenced him subconsciously (parental neglect, his abusive grandmother) altough he said he only realized this in retrospect many years later.

[@7648DEAN]

Hey you're back! I missed you guys

[@deanjonasson6776]

Welcome back! You've been missed. "Controversial" indeed but a fine, rambling deconstruction of a sacred classic. Just a few clarifications (as if any are needed): Moon does let loose a few times on TOMMY, mostly during the instrumentals, but even he admitted that this was the band's "quietest" album. Faces drummer Kenny Jones drummed for The Who after Moon died. I've read somewhere that TOMMY isn't actually an opera but "Rock Oratorio" doesn't have the same ring to it. As a youngster, I loved this album as it has a story to get lost in. Although that story gets a little muddled at the end, it was engaging and synth-free! (I avoided the Ken Russell movie until last year, during lockdown. Ugh! Lou Reizner's all star stage recording from 1972 is a fun listen. It's where Rod Stewart's version of "Pinball Wizard" comes from. Rod got talked out of appearing in the Russell flick but an ambitious Elton John.) TOMMY wasn't totally unique as The Kinks (VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY) and Pretty Things (P.F. SORROW) were also putting together character driven albums with loose stories attached around the same time. The Who toured the crap out of TOMMY which put it to the top of the heap. It, in turn, moved the band to the elite level and set them up for their classic 'Seventies run. Enjoyed the discussion around TOMMY-WALL-LAMB, the three famous song cycles involving a young man's quest. I have to be in the mood to listen to any of them now but I would say that TOMMY is the least cluttered of the trio. Looking forward to more content. Cheers!

[@kevinlewis1017]

"It's good to have the both of you back"!!!

[@MrEzio455]

Glad to see you're back guys! Personally, I haven't heard Tommy yet, but as for The Who, they always fail to hold my interest for a longer period of time. There are just so many more interesting bands in the 60's for me.

[@MrLtia1234]

Same here.

[@timbrennan8925]

Have you watched the doc on drumming on Netflix called 'Count Me In' ? They explain why Moon is a great drummer. Interested to hear yor thoughts on that. Perhaps review the documentary?

[@MrLtia1234]

yeah, I've seen bits but not the whole thing. Haven't seen the Moon bit- I'll have to watch!

[@timbrennan8925]

@@MrLtia1234 The Moon section is the last bit of the doc. It's a bit over the top in terms of eulogising him but...they do go into why they think he was technically extremely good. Watched the Tommy review, thanks. More reviews please even if it feels like a public service ;)

[@Crimsonphilosophy]

Where have you guys been?

[@MrLtia1234]

It kind of just ground to a halt as I didn't have the time to do any editing - that's why all the videos you're going to see are from the first half of the year. Then other real life stuff happened. Not sure what's going to happen next, but there's a whole load of videos still to come.

[@dantaylor98dt]

I agree completely, Quadrophenia on the other hand, Is a masterpiece.

[@kianbeatty2473]

I have to disagree, especially with calling it ‘mush’. As said the arrangements and thematic development are just superb. Sure the story is a bit silly but I honestly think there’s a lot of musical substance completely unique to anything else they ever released.

[@AZ-xm2oq]

I think Townshend is on record as saying Moon's drums were poorly recorded on Tommy - 'like a load of biscuit tins being kicked down the stairs'. The songs took on a certain grandeur live, at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight festivals etc. The beginnings of Tommy and The Wall seem very similar thematically - growing up in post-war England, Waters then goes in a 'political' direction, Townshend a 'spiritual' one. For me it's kinda like Sgt Pepper's - you really had to be there to know what all the fuss is about...

[@JosephFrancisBurton]

I agree with nearly every word of this review, as in this is a case of ‘you had to be there’ to really appreciate. This was a band you had to see live if you want the crazy drumming - live, the band sounds like they are a runaway train constantly on the brink of flying off the cliff, which is exciting as hell but never reflected in the tame studio albums. Listen to Live at Leeds if you want to hear explosive Who playing Tommy. If you are looking for something to compare this to, Townsend did a ‘Rock Opera’ before this called ‘A Quick One’, which is musically fun, but really silly.

[@frankieboy8414]

Can't agree with you here. Beautiful lyrics, arrangements, melodies, story (once you accept how far fetched it is). A true classic. Quadrophenia's even better, though.

[@CMI2017]

It isn't an opera, more a cantata. Even so, when it was released it was groundbreaking in concept and achievement. It was recorded to be played live, hence the lack of complex parts and dubbing. Listen to the band do this live in 1969/70 and it works. Townsend's guru, Meher Baba, is a key inspiration to the whole piece, and to the musical structures, so it is about leading the person into the moment. Complexity for its own sake is eschewed. The minor songs that carry the story are weaker on the studio than when done live. The narrative form was done better on Quadrophenia, which is a high production and was never done well live on release, owing to its complexity. By comparison The Wall is a dreadful dirge, apart from about 3 tracks.

[@stephenlegg262]

Why don’t you review albums you may like. Why compare with the lamb and the wall. They were nearly ten years later.

[@kevinlewis1017]

Still like tommy but as the years go by its not as impressive as listening to it first time ever in 1981, dare I say may like the tommy soundtrack '75 better. Controversial also.

[@johnoldcastle789]

Agree. Self indulgent, whiny, corny, dull.

[@alanboyance9119]

I haven't heard the album yet. Apparently it's so boring you decided to review The Wall instead and talk about The Lamb. F it, I'll take it.

[@bishma97]

Fiddle About is a bit too disturbing for me, otherwise decent album

[@dan-h2g]

Review Amy Shaffer.

[@MrLtia1234]

I'd rather review William Shatner.

[@johndonut4087]

I always liked Tommy more for it's flaws than for it's qualities. This is my way to truly like this album. Still, Tommy is the worst out of the group of The Lamb, The Wall and Quadrophenia

[@amasvodka]

I neither like Tommy nor The Wall. Controversial enough?

[@richardparks5609]

Ahh the old over 40’s syndrome where rock music as such is not as exciting as when you were young .Everything is just a big mush as you get older as you have heard all this kind of music in whatever style before there’s really not much else to excite you anymore ho-hum it’s all boring

[@MrLtia1234]

Must definitely be part of it. We're both dead inside 🙂. I'm very aware of this (certainly from those around me) and try to fight against it. Although I still get excited by 'new' discoveries (whether they be really new or just new to me). I think as you get older you need less simple brush strokes, maybe.