Tommy [2 LP] [VINYL]

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Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for AudiophileReview.com, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.) Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (2011). 1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die. Hachette UK. p.455. ISBN 978-1-84403-714-8. 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. In 1998, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant value". [48] In 2000 it was voted number 52 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. [66] In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Tommy number 96 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, [67] it maintained the rating in a 2012 revised list, [68] and was re-ranked at number 190 on the 2020 list. [69] The album is one of several by the Who to appear in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. [70] According to Acclaimed Music, it is the 132nd most ranked record on critics' all-time lists. [71]

a b Tommy (Media notes). The Who. Polydor. 531–043–2. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Interview with Pete Townshend at Manchester Arena, England, 12 December 1996, by Stephen Gallagher (British Youth & Popular Culture Editor, Ubu). 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.Eder, Bruce. "Tommy – As Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra". AllMusic . Retrieved 18 August 2014. 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. 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] Tommy (Media notes). The Who. MCA. MCAD-10801. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)

In 2013, Townshend and Daltrey participated in a documentary about the making of the album Tommy. The documentary is titled Sensation: The Story of the Who's Tommy and features in-depth interviews with them. [75] Editions and cover art [ edit ] Even more curious — and probably for the best for the sake of integrity — is the powers that be didn’t fix the quasi-typos from the original production. Meaning, certain titles there don’t quite match up with the original label. “Pin Ball Wizard,” for example, is the most obvious one, as it should be “Pinball Wizard.” They did, however, seem to update “Eyesight To The Blind” on the disc label to read, “Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker),” and also credit writer Sonny Boy Williamson in the process, whereas my U.S. pressing just says, “Eyesight To The Blind.” If you are a collector on the fence trying to figure out whether to splurge for a copy of this new reissue, little details like these may make a difference.Released in 1967, The Who Sell Out was the third album released by the band and is revered for being one of the first concept albums, celebrating the short-lived pirate radio stations of the late 60s with its groundbreaking use of fake adverts and jingles between songs. a b c Drozdowski, Ted (3 May 2012). "Pinball Wizard: Pete Townshend Finds His Signature Guitar Sound". Gibson Guitars. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012 . Retrieved 9 June 2012.

Christgau, Robert (25 January 1983). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York . Retrieved 3 July 2013. 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. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrateded.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.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) As beautifully done and artistically excellent as this album is, this is still nothing more than pornography, yet another exploration into the “Story Of O,” where the truly helpless come out on the other side pleased that the lessons they have learned at the hands of others have valued their lives and made them the successes they are. Unfortunate that’s just not true, and the life of Pete Townshend proves that ultimately with a great deal of sadness. This album is super bold including a subplot that only lasts one song. It’s about the story of Sally Simpson who is a fan of Tommy’s and accidentally got slashed in the face being at the front of the stage, and then moved on and got married to someone else and forgot about him. It’s not completely relevant to the entire story but it’s such an interesting, short story that connects some of the themes and plays off the main narrative. This is one of the earliest examples of postmodern storytelling that I could think of in music. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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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. Neill, Andy; Kent, Matt (2002). Anywhere Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1217-3. Kisselgoff, Anna (9 February 1981). "Dance: Ballets Canadiens". The New York Times . Retrieved 16 October 2014.