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).

In 1970 Ferdinand Nault of the Montreal ballet group Les Grands Ballets Canadiens created the first dance-based adaptation of Tommy. [105] The ballet performance toured New York in April 1971, which included a light show and accompanying films by the Quebec Film Bureau. [106] [107] 1971 Seattle Opera production [ edit ] Dave Marsh thought the problem with the album's narrative is that there isn't enough transitional material provided by the lyrics. There are no stage directions, no cast, and narration is restricted to key phrases (such as "Tommy can you hear me?") [49] Key problems included an unclear explanation of what Tommy didn't hear or see in "1921", how or why he plays pinball, why "Smash the Mirror" leads into "I overwhelm as I approach you" (the opening line in "Sensation"), why Tommy tells his followers in "We're Not Gonna Take It" they cannot drink or smoke but can play pinball, and what the "you" is in "Listening to you, I get the music". [74] Washburne, Christopher; Derno, Maiken, eds. (2013). Bad Music: The Music We Love to Hate. Routledge. p.314. ISBN 978-1-135-38547-7. 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 An EP of selections from the album was planned to be released in the UK in November 1970 but was withdrawn.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]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. Also, something I didn’t see until now is a serial number printed on the booklet — 3345. Curiously, I never noticed if the U.S. edition indeed includes the wording “limited edition number” in the same spot, but there is no number printed there — at least not in mine, nor every copy I’ve ever seen and/or owned. I’ll be looking into the reasoning behind the serial-replication of the number 3345 in this new edition when I get a chance, of course — but please feel free to respond in the Comments section below if you know of the reasoning why it was used.

Now, I realize some fans who came onboard after the band’s heyday may wonder why Tommy doesn’t sound as massive as, say, August 1971’s Who’s Next or October 1973’s Quadrophenia — well, that difference simply comes down to time passing, technology improving, and the band achieving a level of financial success that allowed them to spend more on their productions than they previously could afford. From everything I’ve read, The Who were on the cusp of bankruptcy, and had Tommy not been a mega-hit, they might well have imploded and disappeared from the scene. So, it is important to go into this listening experience with open ears and open minds to best appreciate these magnificent, groundbreaking recordings from 1968-69. Bargreen, Melinda (22 July 2005). "Glynn Ross, 90, turned Seattle into opera destination". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. 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.

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a b Segretto, Mike (2014). The Who FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Fifty Years of Maximum R&B. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-480-39253-3 . Retrieved 6 October 2019. Release 4638030 (Circled/Rim text on label facing outwards to runout, also "Deutsche Grammophon" mentioned) Tommy (Media notes). The Who. MCA. MCAD-10801. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)

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. Offiziellecharts.de – The Who – Tommy" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 December 2022. Another common theme throughout the album is glass and mirrors, which is representative of reflections of identity and the concept of smashing and releasing. The song “I’m Free” is extremely cathartic and wonderful feeling as Tommy can finally sense and a lot of this symbolism goes along with smashing a mirror. This is all about destroying what people expect of you and why you’re supposed to see. It’s a liberation. Italian album certifications – The Who – Tommy" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Tommy" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione". 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]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 ]

With this strategy in mind, you’ll at least have Polydor/UMC’s fine new 180g 2LP edition of Tommy in hand, and eventually can pair it with an “OG” copy for your collection, if you so desire. That’s my plan, at least! 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.) 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. Today, 7 July, sees the release of the third and fourth in a series of half-speed mastered studio albums from The Who: The Who Sell Out and Tommy. Macek III, J.C. (24 April 2014). " 'Sensation: The Story of the Who's Tommy' Lives Up to Its Name". Pop Matters . Retrieved 12 January 2023. All of these remarkable observations are made through brand new interviews with lead guitarist, singer, lead songwriter and Tommy creator Pete Townshend, as well as the dynamic lead singer (who portrayed Tommy Walker himself in the original opera and the 1975 motion picture) Roger Daltrey (who still looks about 20 years younger than he is). In that these are some of the first interviews that truly delve into the somewhat recently unearthed facts about Townshend's childhood sexual abuse, this is an exceptionally noteworthy documentary.

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Cousin Kevin” sounds incredible here, with Moon’s manic, circular orchestral-flavored tom-tom rolls on the choruses almost stealing the show. John Entwistle’s midrange harmony on the choruses is haunting and much more apparent than on other versions I’ve heard. Indeed, the level of detailing apparent now on “Underture” is truly magnificent — just listen for those cymbal splashes and the depth of ambient space surrounding the tympani and tambourine. Tommy ranked 190th greatest album by Rolling Stone magazine". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2 March 2022. Rather then the music, I am speaking to the concept of the album here, where for me, the notion of the story of Tommy is akin to the notion of a rape fantasy, where the girl has been awakened to her sexuality, even though by rape, and has now blossomed into a raving beauty, strong and secure, perhaps even glad that she had been deflowered in such a violent manner ... no longer young, deaf, dumb or blind. But this work is far more insidious and dark, and perhaps true on a subconscious level for Mr. Townshend.