Reviews (page 10 of 13)
It is musical feat that I appreciated more when I was in college.
Decent, but not their best
Not their best album, not even their best double album (Quadrophenia is more consistent), but completely with the zeitgeist in the late sixties, hence it's the one Who album everyone has head of.
The Who's: Tommy stands apart from other Who material for me. This sorta album was not being done at the time and though they can make better music, looking at what was created with this rock opera, the legendary status of it can not be denied. I just have to compartmentalize this from the rest of The Who discography. For me personally, I'd give it a 3. For the impact it made on culture and what have you, at least 4 stars.
This album coined the term Rock Opera. Regardless of what I think about the music, I have to at least appreciate it for the courageous step out of the norm that it is.
Great album
I wonder if it is possible to submit reviews for others
Pinball wizard rb2 memories
I've had to sit through several tragic high school productions of the stage musical inspired by this album. I'm not sure I'll ever really be able to appreciate it properly. I went into this with an open mind but it gave me unpleasant flashbacks.
It is a fairly bloated album. Fair play for trying to pull this off but they have better albums - the subject matter of pinball, pop-culture messiah and paedos is probably not for everyone. Where's the book Pete? Best Tracks: 1921; Pinball Wizard; We're Not Gonna Take It
Pinball Wizard was great. The rest was just okay. Interesting concept, but not for me!
3.5
Pretty great album. Never really listened to the whole thing before. 3/5
I preferred the film version.
Catchy rock, elguitar riffs, fængende
lots of tracks that have no words so I zone out. i liked pinball wizard and tommy's holiday camp. they were funky.
some classics on here but pretty long...
This is definitely one of the first cohesive concept albums/rock operas ever released by a band which means it definitely earns a spot on this list; however, I feel that it was a bit pretentious and overly long for what it was. Don't get me wrong: I had a fun time listening to the whole album and thought there was plenty of variety and great instrumentation here, but I can't help but feel that it came across as a bit generic and repetitive at times. While the concept was carried throughout the whole album, the overall story was not very clear to me upon my first listen. Maybe this is something that becomes more apparent in subsequent listens, but typically an album of this sorts makes its characters and plot clear from the start and has story beats that carry this all the way to the end. With 'Tommy', I did not feel a strong connection to this concept which just left me listening to it as a random collection of songs. When looking at it through this lens, I don't think it's their best work from a songwriting and arrangement perspective (although I have not heard a ton of Who material). This one has the potential for me to truly understand and respect it more, but I am not sure that there was enough here even in its long length to make me want to come back for sure. Overall, I enjoyed this one and understand its spot on this list, but it wasn't as great as some people might think it is. 3/5.
I have a difficult time with concept albums, especially with linear story lines. I don't feel there is enough for me to grab on to and follow through in the music. The guitar work ranges from great to mediocre, but i think this would be worth another spin. Undertone is a good self contained groove. Pinball Wizard kicks ass. Sally Simpson is a cool groove. We're not Gonna Take It/See Me, Feel Me doesn't feel powerful enough musically to match the lyrical content cap of the album.
how to disguise halfassed songwriting by telling people it's on purpose pinball wizard is sick
An interesting attempt at a rock opera concept album, but I think it wears out its welcome and got very repetitive fast and could have been shortened to just one album. I look forward to hearing their later efforts which are much better eg Quadrophenia
weird
I don't like rock operas and this album didn't change that, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. 2.5/5
I don't believe I'd ever listened to this whole album before. It does feel rather unfair to write a review after one listen of something that's, if memory serves, 487 songs long. But my gut instinct tells me I'll reach for Who's Next over this every single time. I do like all things pinball though, so...
Ambitious but overly long and overblown. Quite dark at times with songs like Cousin Kevin and Fiddle About is literally about Tommy getting molested by his uncle, wtf? Anyway, there are some good tunes on here, Pinball Wizard being the highlight but overall it does drag on a bit and I think would benefit from some visuals on stage or film.
I liked I’m Free
Quite good
I love a concept album. This is great in scope, I just need more listens to get the lyrics down. Likely to grow on me further
wasalt sa nofsu
Pinball Wizard is the best song and naturally the most well known. There are some weird songs on this album. I have seen bits and pieces of the motion picture before but I did not watch it for this listening. I am not sure I will watch it or listen to this album again.
Don’t listen to a ton of The Who but I thought this was good
A lot of short little tracks, I think I'd enjoy this more if I had watched the show beforehand or read up on the plot synopsis. As it is, it's an okay listen but I didn't connect very well to the music. Favourites: Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror
Quite strange and confusing, in almost an interesting way. Lots of potential here
Es como una ópera rock. Se me ha hecho bastante bola.
Not a huge fan of the softer, high pitched voices used in this album. For a hard rock album, it's decidedly soft. Rock Opera is a cool concept, but some real strange tracks exist to hold the confusing narrative together. Highlight Tracks: 4, 8, 13, 21
No songs I had heard before, and unfortunately none that stood out.
Si lo curtiese más seguro me gustaría más.
No me emocionó tanto como lo otro que ha salido acá de los The Who. 7/10
Ooof, this was a little darker than I was expecting. I guess you can’t drag out pinball wizardry for a full 75mins but that didn’t prepare me for the torture of for poor inert Tommy to be his uncle’s fuckmeat. Musically it’s not doing much for me, I thought The Who were supposed to Rock, this is all jangly folk acoustic guitars. A bit forced and lame. Fun fact: how does Tommy play such a mean pinball? Answer: he’s not blind at all, it’s psychosomatic so his eyes are perfectly fine.
Pinball wizard is good. The rest of it is kind of a slog.
Plenty of good musicians in the band. Why moot them? I didn’t mind it, and know it’s a concept album, but it’s probably more up Helen Keller’s alley.
Goes on a bit, some great tracks and a lot of filler IMO, doesnt change my mind on rock operas
Mostly good - better than I was expecting, but too many off tracks for me
A very cohesive rock opera record that at times can test your endurance with long instrumental parts, without much textual substance. It has a greatly unique quality however, and I admit it deserves its status as a classic. Just not in classic territory for me personally.
I'm conflicted about The 'Oo. Daltrey must be the worst singer ever to become a rock Gos after Dylan. Townsend lurches from writing absolute classics to ridiculous nonsense. Most of this album falls into the latter. Sometimes I love them, but other times (like this) I just wonder what they were thinking.. Rock opera? Well if you must, Pete, but I'd prefer Who's Next instead, please.
Liked though couldn't listened to the end.
I loved Tommy the first time I heard it. But then I heard Quadrophenia and realised everything the band did better. Tommy has aged much worse in my book, with a story which hangs together by a thread with an awkward mix of molestation and whimsy. The amount of short \"filler\" tracks wears thin, as does the long \"Underture\" jam to fill out time. I also much prefer the energy that \"Listening to You\" has in concert or in the 1975 film. At its best, Tommy showcases the Who as an ensemble of peerless musicians and must have been powerful live. Christmas, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror... all classics. I have to appreciate the scope and ambition behind it as well, so this gets 3* from me.
словом, мы все больны пинболом... ну что сказать, 69 год. По прослушивании метался немного, делать ли скидку на время выхода, и по итогу решил немного сделать. С другой стороны этот альбом - буквально отец того ебучего рака, который уничтчожает нормальную музыку, и имя ему - КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНОСТЬ. Да, это прородитель всех этих сюжетных альбомов и рок-опер, самого душного и графоманского говна. И это слышно, лол! По сути оценивать это как музыкальное произведение вообще смысла не имеет - музыки тут хуй да нихуя. Все инструменталы блеклые и одинаковые, хотя в начале вроде был задел на музло с какими-то дудочками, там, синтами. Но почему-то всё это очень быстро испарилось, и остался только унылый гитар плакинг (а здесь 24 песни, на секунду!) Но, конечно, не музыкой единой, у нас же тут ИСТОРИЯ, а значит надо слушать тексты, читать справочные материалы и смотреть (естественно!) фильм, снятый по альбому. Последнее, естественно, я делать не буду, а вот первыми пунктами озаботился. Про историю я уже упоминал как-то у себя на канале - она на самом деле довольно рофляная. Вкратце: пиздюк видит, как батя-мореход убивает любовника его матери и слепнет/глохнет от охуения. Потом его травят, ебут и всё такое, а потом он становится всемирно известным игроком в пинбол (лол), потом мессией и в конце его вроде как опять ебут прихожане (но это не точно). Ну типа история-то не самая унылая, это вам не горгород! Но всё-таки понять её можно исключительно из пересказа на википедии - собрать самому разрозненные тексты песен в цельную истори решительно невозможно. Даже учитывая, что там ОЧЕНЬ много тупо прямолинейного сторителлинга, типа "Я кузин Томми, я хулиган, сейчас я буду его пиздить и пытать, ахаха какой я злой!". Ну в итоге и получается, что единственный адекватный вариант получить от этого продукта удовольствие - это прочитать сначала сюжет, потом с гениусом сидеть читать тексты, ну и всё, собственно. А, фильм ещё, да! Надеюсь ни по одному альбому больше никогда не снимут фильм. В итоге что имеем? Ну, есть пара в целом слушабельных треков: The Acid Queen (наверное самый приятный), Eyesight to the Blind (это шестой трек, и только на нём начинается хоть какая-то музыка на альбоме), Christmas (самое близкое к песне, которую можно понять без контекста сюжета), Pinball Wizard (куплеты бодрые, припев хуйня какая-то), ну и мульяшная Tommy's Holiday Camp (напоминает музыку из губки боба или типа того). Вообще плюс-минус ровный пробег нормальных песен начинается только под конец - последние три трека немного напряжения дают. Но всё равно в целом это унылейший экспириенс, интересный лишь как историческая справка и какая-никакая веха в развитии музыки. Впрочем, в отличие от многих других альбомов, к которым у меня в этом списке претензия из разряда "как это вообще сюда попало", здесь могу сказать, что попало не зря. Ну важный альбом, в целом. Жалко, что не интересный. 6/10
Top album!
// Favs: – Score: Light 3
Opera rock
It's kind of a shame that this album developed a reputation as the great early rock opera, since The Pretty Things did it first (and better) with S.F. Sorrow. It's not great, not terrible - just like everything else The Who has ever done. Best track: Pinball Wizard
Gave it a listen, have always been aware of this but never listened to anything other than pinball wizard until now. Really cool concept and can see how it would have been awesome in it's time and context. Doesn't really do it for me listening to it today.
Better story than it is music. Famous concept album But for me not all the songs are that great. It’s definitely better as a whole but only a few songs are enjoyable as standalone pieces. 7.3/10
Slow, relaxing and airy rock. Lots of instrumentals so far. Album seems like it needs to be felt as an experience and in the right setting.
Some very good music here. Unfortunately, the concept it is so famous for brings some quite underwhelming filler tracks.
I find it an interesting overlap between stuff like the Beatles and darker/heavier/more psychedelic 70s rock. The vocals occasionally get awful. Especially on cousin kevin. Overall, I like their later albums better. But still enjoy Pinball Wizard
not as turd as i remember it being last time i listened to it. its a huge self indulgent ego stroking project from townsend but the less said about townsends stroking habits the better. speaking of nonces, not a big fan of listening to any song about noncing. only a nonce thinks a noncey uncle is an integral part to a rock opera. reading the synopsis on wiki did make listening to it more understandable, though it is a plotline that holds up about as well as something from Hollyoaks.
Not impressed, not quadrophenia. May work better as a live/stage preformance
It has some nice songs but it drags on too much. By the second hour it was really hard to find this enjoyable. By the end, I no longer cared about the overall story, so I guess rock operas are not my thing.
Liked this album
Good album although didn't finish it but would listen again.
That feels sacrilegious, tbh, but I’m writing this as a review hearing it now, not as a product of its times, primarily. It is of course a genre-busting revelation. But wow, the politics of this record do not hold up at all. Disability as metaphor is so tired, and the way sexual violence is portrayed is um, problematic, to say the least. That said, I enjoy the storytelling, and musicianship, and the vision of it all, and also too, I found a fair number of songs to just be boring? And, there are some great lines, harmonies, and sweet memories of singing along to it with my dad as a kid. (edited)
Boring/meh
Speciaal album. Sommige nummers zijn best oké, andere vind ik helemaal niets
Groundbreaking for its time with some fine tracks but overall an underwhelming experience
Some good musicianship. Hit and miss with the songs but some strong ones in there to make up for the weaker ones. Pinball Wizard is a worldie. Album makes more sense as a soundtrack.
Mmmm I was a massive Pearl Jam Fan in High School, so had an understanding that The Who was a good band, but just never really got into it. Never listened to this album, but know the story, which is super wierd and interesting. After the first listen...not for me. Sorry Eddie! 24 tracks! For such a long album, I don't think they needed to repeat the chorus so many times in so many songs... Really like the drama of Overture and Underture and Pinball Wizard is the standout track
Not bad for the first choice.
Álbum triple (en Spotify solo 2), con disco en estudio y otro en directo donde se puede apreciar el tipo de rock de principios de los 70. En ocasiones guitarrero, algún tema que ha llegado hasta hoy y buenas sensaciones, aunque no me ha llegado a llenar del todo
Remembered this from the musical. Still like it
A classic
Prior to this I’d only probably heard the singles/famous songs off this album, so it was cool to finally listen to the whole album. Overall, the album was good, but nothing really grabbed me (other than the songs I already knew). Also the story of this concept album is a bit odd at times and not super compelling. However, it’s iconic and I’m glad I listened to it.
Interesting narrative weaved throughout, recognized the pinball song but otherwise unfamiliar with The Who. Felt like relatively standard rock stuff, some cool sounds sprinkled throughout though.
Meh
You can definitely give props for the rock opera attempt... it is interesting, and something that i amazingly love when it comes to quadrophenia. this album doesn't have any great songs (i'm free and pinball wizard are probably my least "favorite" popular who tracks). still originality and style shine through.
Great
Interesting to know this is a concept album. Some good songs here and there, but I am having the same experience I have had previously with The Who, which is to say I just can't really get into them.
I used to love this when I was a nipper and I think it mostly held up til around the middle where it gets a bit boring. Also, why is there so much rape/molestation craic on this album? Like a concept album about a wee fella playing pinball doesn’t seem like the right venue?
got bored
This was a trip down to Wikipedia. I can admire the idea of the rock opera, but in some ways this one feels a bit self-indulgent. It feels somewhat exploitive of the idea of a "deaf, dumb, blind kid" as well as abusive situations of said character. I doubt that was their intention, but it's a peculiar choice. I suppose it's "edgy" of those times, now it just feels kind of try-hard. I can definitely respect The Who going for it though, and I think it has artistic significance. No tracks I really dislike, but nothing really speaks out either, which I suppose is potentially good as a cohesive album. There are other rock operas I would rather listen to, but I can respect it.
Pretty formative for me, this one. It was when I first realised that rock music can tell stories (and as a nerdy kid that loved books but wanted to be cool this was transformative). Yes it's pretentious and pompous at points, but so am I.
Need to listen again for the concept of it, nothing special from a surface listen
Points for being one of the first Rock Operas and reoccurring motifs and cool songs like "Pinball Wizard" and "I'm Free".
idk man, not that entertaining. Just....bland
I appreciate that this album has an actual narrative compared to other concept albums of the time that were more about themes. The probably with this album is that it is boring and not good. It’s influence and benefit to the concept album is important but there is no diversity and no pieces to hold on too.
Not sure what to think about it. Not really my style
Decided to look up the story this time and cool no one knows what the hell its about either. The music and ideas are still fun tho
Never been big on the Who, but I did enjoy this one. More of a 3.5ish. Love the idea of a rock opera, it just stretches a bit long. Keith Moon and John Entwistle steal the show on quite a few tracks, but then again, they always did. Favorite tracks: "Eyesight to the Blind", "Go to the Mirror!"
More rock operas and especially prog projects need to take cues from this album. The story is small scale, and the 75 minutes drags less than many ambitious 60-minute projects. Fine pop writing, but ultimately the instrumentation doesn't hold up the structure of the thing. A very enjoyable 3.5, but the critical acclaim baffles.
A weaker The Who album, imo. Mostly a bunch of musically faffing about. Movie was better, but even then it didn't blow me away. Tina Turner was fun in it. Couple decent tracks, like "Pinball Wizard", but mostly forgettable.
So I have pretty mixed opinions about this album. For instance, I was ready to drag this album through the mud because I’m already getting sick of The Who and how much they come up on the list when I honestly think they are not great at creating albums where I care about the whole “picture”. My take away is always that they write a handful of great all time rock songs but them bury them under other filler tracks creating underwhelming after underwhelming album. And don’t get me wrong I can understand and appreciate a concept album and the attempt that was made but so much of this album really is just stuff you have to get through to get to the great stuff. I found the vast majority of this album to be mediocre rock. OK before I get carried away with my criticism, I really have to say I like their compositions. The first time I was ever curious and interested with the who was when one of my favorite musical artists played a medley of their songs live. It really won me over and it really made me interested in their music and career but every time I’ve ever spent with their actual material I’m always so underwhelmed with the delivery so to speak. I don’t think it’s very good when other artists playing your music make your music sound better. I will say it does make me appreciate the music itself more. Like if you were describing this album as a house you’d say “it has good bones but it needs some work”. All that being said the 3 song section of the album that goes from “pinball wizard”, “there’s a doctor”, to “go to the mirror” is the greatest thing they have ever written. Honestly they could’ve combined them into one long song but then there would only be one song on the album that I saved…
Y'a des petits bouttes pas pire et des longs bouttes plates. Gros effort pour rien de vraiment spécial. Écoute pénible. 2.49 étoiles
Has some good instrumentals but other than that Nothing special about this album 3/10
It’s not my bag. Gave it an honest try.
This process has really cemented my dislike of concept albums. And i've had a number if who albums and been disappointed by them all. it is saved from one star by the obvious talent in their musicianship and their ambition.
This was really underwhelming
overrated. 2.21
When I think about it as broadening my knowledge of an extremely influential British band, I kind of enjoy it. When I think about it as a collection of songs about weird guys, I don't feel the same.
I cant stand up their own arse who. I like their early 60s stuff ( A quick one is miles better concept album type who) but as soon as he started swinging his microphone around giving it the rock star big ones i lose interest
Shit
i just dont really like the who
I like it, but its not exactly for me
Nope. Not my thing. I like The Who, but this is not my cup of tea.
A rock opera original but never really warmed to it (I think it’s the recitatives) preferring the who classics unfortunately - won’t get fooled again, baba, who are you….
I love musicals. I love big, operatic, over the top pop and rock songs. I do not like this album.
Too long
Pretentious
I genuinely thought I'd like this album more than I did. I've always loved Pinball Wizard as a standalone track, but unfortunately the rest of the album fell flat for me. Whilst there's some decent tunes littered across the record, the majority of the songs feel quite samey and bland, and the ‘storyline’ throughout got slightly confusing.
Un album qui donne envie d'élever des boeufs au Texas, cigare en bouche et chapeau de cowboy sur le crâne. Malheureusement les paralysies du sommeil provoquées par quelques sons font baisser drastiquement la note global du projet. Dommage ...
så tråkigt!!!!!!!
I like the toms on “eyesight to the blind”. Damn, some of these songs are so dark. I’ve heard of Tommy for years but never listened. Whoa, the AI commentary on “Tommy’s holiday camp” is interesting. Prob won’t listen to this album again. I recognize it’s genius but it’s not for me.
My first The Who album on the list and the first I've listened to in my life. It's basically just chords and drum fills?
Rock opera, FFS. This was a struggle to get through. Pinball wizard and the last track served it from a one star review.
The rock operas I've heard have never done too much for me, and this one is (kind of) included in that. I definitely liked many songs from this, but it felt almost cumbersome to listen to all at once. I felt like there was some filler in here that made this pretty inconsistent track to track. But the great songs are still in there, and I see why this has influenced many other bands. Favorites: Amazing Journey, Cousin Kevin, Pinball Wizard, We're Not Gonna Take It
i expected more from this having liked the who in the past but this album is so boring the concept is interesting but it doesnt keep me interested 4/10 Favourite: 1921 Least Favourite: Fiddle About
Not a fan
Que cosa más larga
Sooo long, the few high points don’t justify it.
The thing with concept albums is you need to buy into the concept. For me; this story is fucking stupid and dragging it out to a double LP just sort of angered me.
As someone who was never a big Who fan and only really liked the greatest hits, I had never listened to this album start-to-finish. Let's see how it goes... The plot is weird and creepy, just like Pete Townshend. The music is OK. I get that this was "ambitious," but it just seems ridiculous to me. I am sure I would love it if I were a Who fan. I never knew the title of that song was "Go to the Mirror!" I would have guessed it was "See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me." (Edit: Oh, the song I was thinking of is actually the end of "We're Not Gonna Take It." Which I also didn't know.) Some good songs here, but also a whole lot of filler. For reference on my Who opinions, here's relevant excerpts of my review of My Generation: "My previous review of Who's Next holds true for this album as well: 'Obviously a classic, but I was never able to get into The Who like other people. I had the greatest hits and that was more than enough for me. This album was well-represented on there. The hits on this album are of course great, but the rest does nothing for me. I wouldn't use ANY of them for CSI theme songs.' ... This is fine. I don't dislike The Who. I just don't see what the big deal about them is. And Townshend is a weirdo."
Whilst this was a super important album and hugely influential, most of the songs are shite.
Bloated, egotistical and pretentious
Favorite songs: Overture, Amazing Journey, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!, Tommy, Can You Hear Me?, I’m Free Some creepy, weird shit with Uncle Ernie
I appreciated the sillyness and fun spirit throughout the album. Personally, storytelling albums like this are difficult for me to get behind since I tend to not listen closely to the lyrics in general. While this album was entertaining, it never really sparked an interest for me. Nothing stood out. Maybe this was because of it's length or the fact that I was multi-tasking while listening. I don't think I would return to listening to this again.
feels very brit rock? pretty strange though so far
Man, this album is long. And I don't think I love it. But it's fine. I can see why people like it; I do actually enjoy the piano and other instrumentals. But nothing about it stands out or gets me excited.
The Two
It just kept going. And going. And going. I think there is an alright album in there is you strip out about 30 minutes. I actually like "Pinball Wizard" less after having listened to the whole album.
Could do without most of this album tbh. A rock opera? Ok then. At least make it a bit more exciting. Highlights were Pinball Wizard and 1921. The rest felt tired, over repetitive motifs. Underture can fuck off n all. 2.0/5.0 Best Song: Pinball Wizard
Ain't so bad, there is something to it, but still lacks.
Was alright but it’s too long so I only listened to the first 10 songs
It's been a long time since I've listened to this album start-to-finish. I used to like it quite a lot, but I think I just got tired of it eventually. We'll see what happens to my opinion of it after such a long break. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten how many of the songs on this album just aren't that good. I understand why I got tired of it. It's a long album, and just not really worth it.
Almost a 3 but too long and boring
Was interested in this, kinda looking forward to it to. Not the biggest The Who fan, but like some of their stuff, and never listened to an album in its entirety. I appreciate this is a 'rock opera' of sorts, but genuinely, this was the most boring album I've heard in a while. Every song seemed to just be setting up for Pinball Wizard, then coming down from that song. There was nothing else on this album. Just listen to that song alone and you've had a better listening experience. Not really a must listen to in my opinion, but I can get why others feel it is.
Super rough vocals. "Christmas" was especially rough in places.
Truthfully only songs I really like on here are the instrumental ones. I get that this gets props for being her first rock opera but the story and most of lyrics are terrible. It’s musically solid but kind of insufferable to sit through the entirety of this plot.
I'm starting to question this list. Pinball wizard alone doesn't qualify this album as one of the greats.
Boo boo
Nah. And that fiddle around song makes me uncomfortable.
I was so prepared to give this a 1. This is already in a genre I historically dislike, and I figured I could up sum up the album by saying "There are two different songs on Tommy where the titular character gets molested by a family member. No thank you." But here's the thing. I listened to the first half while driving to go on a first date. And it went really well. (Future Rylee, what is it with you and girls named Lily?) On the drive back, I found myself enjoying Tommy significantly more. It's not just the fact that the second half contains Pinball Wizard, the only truly fantastic song on the album. But it's a little louder, a little more rockin'. A little happier. Or maybe that was just the butterflies in my stomach talking. While I'm still not a big fan of this genre of prog rock, and I do not like the innate exaggerated performances that come with it, I have at least a tiny bit of affection for Tommy. Maybe if it was shorter, and had one less song about molestation, or more songs like Pinball Wizard or Go to the Mirror, or if I liked Billy Joel more, who obviously took a lot of inspiration from the song Sally Simpson. Tommy could've been a lot of things for me. I don't think it ever could have been a fantastic listen, but it could've been a lot worse if that date didn't go well.
while i can recognize and appreciate the who as important figures in rock music history, i'm coming to terms with the fact that 60s rock is not my personal favorite. i feel like i can only take it in doses and i'm okay with that for now lol. giving this a 2 cause i was kinda bored, no shade--i think i'd need visuals to appreciate it. i also didn't finish it
There is a lot of mediocre songs with Pinball Wizard shining in between.
i like the who, but i cant stand these rock operas.
I don’t get it.
Variety: 2 Adequacy: 2 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 2 = 2.4 rounded down to 2 "Nothing to say, and nothing to hear and nothing to see" I like The Who. Quite a bit in fact. I have always bounced hard off of this album though. And I've tried more than a few times. There are things to admire for sure - several songs are good to great, the concept and ambition are highly influential... It mainly just bores me as I don't find the story all that interesting, nor do I find the characters to be more than hollow ciphers that are hard to care about. I find the movie to be even more of a chore. I have probably not given this a try in about 20 years or more, so maybe my stance on Tommy has softened. This also has a very weirdly stuffy sounding production that males the whole thing feel claustrophobic and small, when it should be big. Maybe I just found a poor copy, but this gels with my memory of past listens as well. THE TRACKS "Overture" - The farty trumpet on this is just as grating as it's always been, and the slightly catchy motifs we get a preview of are not enough to overcome the disappointing salad-like nature of this thing. \ "It's a Boy" - Thank goodness some of these are so brief. This barely holds together as even an interlude. "1921" - Well, we're not off to a great start having already scraped the bottom of the barrel. Full schmaltz Who are the worst Who usually. There's none of the power or dynamism on display here, and I get that we've got a LOT to get through, so why not have variety? Right? Generally Townshend gets called in to do stuff like this and it's for the better as he can actually pull off vulnerability that Daltrey just is not capable of. I just don't care for it here. "Amazing Journey" - I was starting to feel repetitive but we're finally to something interesting. This one actually feels like a real song. We get some actual rock instrumentation with a showy bit of drumming from Mr. Moon, and some nice self-harmonizing from Daltrey. The song goes through a few big changes along the way and yet it pulls off the trick of not feeling like a cobbled together medley. Decent stuff (If you want to see this trick pulled off a hell of a lot better check out "A Quick One, While He's Away" from The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus film). "Sparks" - This one did feel like an interlude. A long but somewhat interesting interlude. "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" - The closer to side one rightfully feels the most developed of any of the tracks on this side, but it just ends up feeling sort of mundane and rambling. Side two "Christmas" - The first thing on this album that I was half-tempted to tap my toe to. Then the "Tommy can you hear me!" refrain came in and took a big ole shit in the punch bowl. Yeah, I know I better strap in, cause there's a lot more of that. "Cousin Kevin" - I recall this being a pretty disturbing part of the movie, and the song by itself is just as dark. It's also the catchiest thing yet, and heads above anything we've heard yet. Quality. "The Acid Queen" - Another middling number that never seems to be able to climb out of the quagmire of what's come before. Even the build near the end seems to want to rise but in fact never gets loud or bombastic enough and the song ends in a wet fart ( that's two flatulence references for anyone counting - not a good sign). "Underture" - It's far more interesting than "Overture" is the best I can say about this? It does build towards something, but is about 8 minutes too long. This should have been titled "Intermission". Side three "Do You Think It's Alright?"/ "Fiddle About" - Another deeply disturbing one. This one doesn't have the musical lightness to contrast with the content that "Cousin Kevin" did. Just work to get through this. "Pinball Wizard" - Took us long enough but we finally come to the album's centerpiece, and I think the only great song on here. Very dumb lyrics aside, this one feels like classic Who to me and while not their most epic, it certainly rocks out in parts. Hooks aplenty, and easily hummable. Danged good, if still in the bottom third of their best material. "Go to the Mirror!" - Half of this is quite the catchy number, and the other half of "Touch me...." is like a hair floating in the delicious soup that just arrived. Could you eat around it? Should you? I think I will scoop it up and just hide it in a napkin. Out of sight out of mind. The rest of this is just too good. "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" - The worst acoustic campfire singalong drags us towards the end of side three. I can't wait to make it to that last disc. "Smash the Mirror" - The most soulful track on the album so far. Daltrey puts some stank on it here, and it largely works just due to him. The gimmicky "Rise,, rise, rise..." and the sound effects kills it stone dead though. "Sensation" - This was pretty decent, unoffensive stuff. Nothing too memorable, but no shitting the bed. Side four "Sally Simpson" - The piano adds a welcome bit of variety here. Another fine, but not especially great track. "I'm Free" - This was only 2:41 long if you can believe it. Felt like a loooooong 6:00. "Welcome" - Great melody and I dig the harpsichord and harmonized background vocals. Things get wild a third of the way in. Man, I wish there had been more of this throughout. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" - As short and purposefully annoying as it was, I actually dug the evil carnival vibes. Not really much of a song, but this albums needs all the highlights it cobble together. "We're Not Gonna Take It" - What a dud. "See Me, Feel Me" - Separating this out into its own track as it's the one time on the album where a build happens and feels like it reaches the peak it aims for ( also I think some editions do this already anyway). Despite the fade out, it still feels pretty epic. HIGHLIGHTS - "Cousin Kevin" - "Pinball Wizard" - "Go to the Mirror!" - "Welcome" - "Tommy's Holiday Camp" - "See Me, Feel Me" MIDLIGHTS - "Amazing Journey" - "Sparks" - "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" - "The Acid Queen" - "Underture" - "Sensation" - "Sally Simpson" LOWLIGHTS - "Overture" - "It's a Boy" - "1921" - "Christmas" - "Do You Think It's Alright?"/ "Fiddle About" - "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" - "Smash the Mirror" - "I'm Free" FINAL THOUGHTS I'm definitely not opposed to the idea of a "Rock Opera" in theory or in practice. I would lump this in with any number of entries that followed in its wake, along with some stuff that is probably more properly well into straight musical territory. But almost all those other ones I find I enjoy more than this. I think what it mainly comes down to is the band just reached too high, far beyond their capability. They just were not built for this in my opinion. Quadrophenia at least, while just as thin on narrative, is light years more advanced musically, and would be a much better choice in this slot. I'm sure it's probably on here as well, but I think it trumps Tommy in that regard, even though I guess Tommy was the codifier of the idea ( if not the first to do it). I have to note here that my favorite version of this is a full on full rock cover version by The Smithereens where they distilled what works best about the material, removing a lot of the schmaltzier stuff, and even putting life and energy into tracks that I just don't like the original version of. Check it out if the original disappointed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IETIbUiK8mY&list=OLAK5uy_l_dF6TKOnEsoGt9_fYRePl11Q5Xos6ToM PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - I think this can be nicely boiled down to those highlights. FURTHER LISTENING - The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Original soundtrack written by Richard O'Brien and performed by various - Jesus Christ Superstar written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber - "A Quick One, While He's Away" by The Who ( serves as a MUCH shorter, and better realized version of what they were trying to accomplish here) - Schoolboys in Disgrace by The Kinks - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust.. by David Bowie - Quadrophenia by The Who - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis
At least some of the songs were short.
Wow I hated this so much. The vocals are droning, the music is just not my jam and what’s the deal with this going on and on and on. I could barely stomach listening to more than a few seconds of each track. I’m only giving it a (2) for the concept (even though I generally dislike musicals, it’s something different to have an album tell a story) and Pinball Wizard is alright.
the who is mid! brit pop rock sucks. please, i've had enough Would I listen again? Nope Deserves to be on this list: Nope 2.1
Logre limpiar todo mi cuarto con la instrumental de fondo
Een dubbelalbum, neeeeeeee... Nou moet ik wel toegeven dat ik The Who meestal best ok trek, behalve dan hun Sell-out album, maar ik word meestal niet enthousiast van een dubbelalbum. Tenzij je Stevie Wonder heet, maar zelfs toen was ik er ook wel klaar mee na bijna 2 uur. Maar goed; the Who heeft me al 2 keer verrast, 1 keer positief en 1 keer negatief. Gaan ze de streak volmaken? Uh ja nou ja. Overture en, vooral, Underture zijn hele vette nummers, maar ik kijk ook naar de queue en denk wel jezus tering. We zijn nog niet eens op de helft van het album... Gelukkig vind ik de zanger van The Who niet vervelend, duren sommige nummers nog geen minuut en klinkt het instrumentaal vaak gewoon echt prima. Ik krijg een beetje rockopera vibes van dit album. Eerlijk? Ik ben geen fan van rockopera. En dus ook niet van dit album. Rockopera kan nog een beetje fun zijn als je volledig de foute kant op gaat. Maar nu klinkt het grotendeels als een soort matige musical. EN als je mijn liefde voor musical een beetje kent, dan weet je dat dat erg slecht nieuws is. Dit was een ontzettend ambitieus project, en ik geloof meteen dat dit van ongelooflijk veel invloed/waarde is geweest voor de rock muziek. De ambitie spat er zeg maar vanaf. Maar het is niet een album wat ik ooit nog een keer wilt luisteren. 1 keer was genoeg, en dat er dan ook een superdeluxe versie van is die ruim 3 uur duurt? Ik snap dat niet zo goed, maar he, more power to you he. Ik doe liever 3 uur lang iets anders. FAVO: Underture,
Pinball Wizard is cool but otherwise this was uneventful and plagued with ditties. As someone that considers themselves a bit of a mod, it hurts me to say that I don’t think The Who have aged all that well. I’m willing to give them another chance if another album of theirs comes up, but this one wasn’t for me.
mas largo que el padrino no me jodas version super deluxe: ni idea version normal: yea
njaee, det här hade för mig inget super mycket som stack ut. hade säkert hittat något jag uppskattade vid flertalet lyssningar :p
Too long and overwrought and not that interesting. As usual with the who the arrangements are head turning but the vocals and some of the lyrics are head shaking.
não tenho tempo e nem disposição pra ouvir 24 músicas, vai ser muito enjoativo principalmente pq o rock do the who n me desce, é mto estadunidense sla, tipo u2 2/5 / 4/10 por esse motivo
Pretty weird and way too long. Not a fan of the rock opera style tbh
Pinball Wizard carries the entire operation on its back, not for me
Hmmm
what the actual fuck were some of those lyrics? Fiddle About felt like I was reading Pete Townshend's personal diary. rotten. 1 star for the drumming and an extra for pinball wizard
lame
Yeah idk I guess it was alright. Whatever. I found out that I owe the IRS 9k in taxes so really the last thing I wanted to hear along with that is a The Who album.
I listened to the whole first discus I'd feel bad quitting on an album again, but this was so unenjoyable for me. Not a fan really at all.
fav songs: smash the mirror theatrical, repetitive, detached 30/100
Alright, very proggy and probably just not quite to my tastes. Appreciate what it did in terms of being a rock opera
idk
i’m sure this is someone’s favorite album of all time but it is not mine
# Album Name: Tommy # Artist: The Who # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: A grand opening. The first 12 tracks is an absolute grind. Honestly, i wanted to pull my eyes out. God this is such shite. Shame. Expected big things outta this lot. Theres only one good song on this record and its a banger, but its still couldnt save this steaming turd. # Top Tunes: Pinball wizard # Would I listen to it again? No
Did not enjoy it much, but nice to hear what The Who sound like.
Tommy's Holiday Camp actually hurt my ears pretty mid but not the vibe Freakin Tommy, man.
Så filmen med HP da jeg var yngre. 4/10
Uhhh not my favourite
2.5/5
I really like Pinball Wizard ofc!!1 I found the rest of the album hard to follow bc i was multitaskin.
I suppose I’m in the perplexed camp on this one. Like other people, I enjoy some parts of it musically, but find the attempt at a coherent story pretty burdensome. I also keep thinking about how the story steals oxygen from actual people who are “deaf dumb and blind” psychosomatically or otherwise. I want to respect the attempt at a theatrical work, even a failed attempt, but in the end I just can’t.
Chiant
Pass
who as in who the fuck listens to this
This album is sorta cool in theory. For what it is, it's diverse enough and pretty thought out. It's absolutely too long though. Even the standard release is 74 minutes long. They could have easily cut 20 minutes and it would still be long for a rock album. The ratio of great songs to mid songs is pretty bad. It has as many great songs as I would expect out of an average 10 song record, and then there are 14 more songs to get through. The great moments can't possibly make up for all that extra time. I like The Who but I can't honestly say that this album in its totality is anything special. 2.4/5
As far as concept albums go this one is low on the list
⭐ ⭐ All the ambition is there, but it’s a deeply flawed end product. Handful of standouts - Pinball, We’re Not Gonna Take It etc, and I love the opening bars of Sparks even if it goes on too long - but there’s far too much mediocre-to-crap stuff thrown in to try to carry the rather dubious (in more ways than one) “plot”, and you just want to skip to the odd decent tune.
This isn’t good. This album is so bland, and was annoying to listen to. I don’t even know why this has an average of three. Overrated rock album.
Way too much filler for what just ends up being some of their most middling songs.
Funny, I've known about this album all my life, but never listened to it, besides the obvious singles. I always figured it would be much like The Wall: bloated and masturbatory, sure, but also packed with weird little nuggets of creativity, some interesting deep cuts, lots of tonal changes, perspective shifts, etc. But...nope. It's not. The musical palette doesn't change much, the lyrics are bland and cringy, there were no surprisingly engaging moments...it's just watery, pompous rock from The Who. Bummer.
Didn't enjoy this, slow and long
Kinda oversteps as a concept album. Maybe I just don't get it, or maybe it's my tendency to dislike musicals and over-emotive songs/albums. Couple good tracks, but I'll listen to those when they pop up on the radio.
No.
It's fine, just not for me.
The problem with including several albums from the same band is that eventually I just feel like they are hyping the band not the album.
It’s a bit thin at times and as with anything by The Who, stuck within the limited toolkit of their sound. I admire what Pete tried to accomplish here and with Quadrophenia, but the music theatre result is something less than Andrew Lloyd Webber and downplays the Maximum R&B strengths (fans probably think I have this 100% backwards). Anyhow, good intentions, some nice melodies, but...
If I'm being honest, I am so very not in the mood for this challenge rn. However, I'm already super behind like crazy, so i need to keep working on catching up. Hopefully my sour mood won't ruin my first impressions of the albums, but it might. I'm not gonna do a song by song for this since it is so long, I'll only mention songs that stand out to me for one reason or another. The overture was really nice sounding tho 5 songs in a i'm already wishing this was over... This is probably the worst album to be introduced to this band with. I'm really torn between giving this 2 or 3 stars. I like the sound a lot, but holy fuck it's so long and i'm just not vibing with the story/lyrics overall. If I could do 2.5 I would.
Not really invested in it, The Who walked so Elton John could fly
I am not too keen on the idea of a rock opera. With a concept album, the songs can usually stand on their own. On Tommy very few of the songs are something I want to hear outside of the album context. So a bunch of random ideas revisited over 75 minutes is not a fun listen. We're Not Gonna Take It is still my favorite here, despite hearing the main parts of the song over and over throughout the album.
It was alright I guess. I knew Pinball Wizard and would have been fine never hearing it again. The sound of these old albums has a hard time making any impact on me.
I don’t think the concept worked well for me, perhaps went over my head or just felt too long and clunky. I listen to ‘Sparks’ frequently as part of the ‘Almost Famous’ soundtrack (although, rather tellingly, it’s probably my least favourite song on there). I (perhaps obviously) had heard ‘Pinball Wizard’ quite a lot so it felt refreshing to hear it in the midst of the other songs - it brought me back into the album. Maybe I’ll find myself listening to it again with a change of heart, or I would be interested to hear more surrounding the context and why people admire the album so much, but for now I’m not particularly a fan. Rating: 2.
Maybe this would've been good if I watched the movie, but, with just the album it wasn't great.
di novo the who mds FAVS (top 3): 1921, go to the mirror!, im free mençoes hornrosas: the acid queen, pinball wizard desnecessariamente grande, mt sem gracinha gente sorry mas nao é ruim nota final: 2/5
Look, I recognize that this was basically *the* rock opera until the release of The Wall. But the problem is, I don't care for rock operas! And like, "here's a blind kid who plays pinball and starts a cult" isn't the most coherent basis for one anyway? Worst of all, though, is how seriously they take it. Like with The Who Sell Out, that was all a big joke, and it was absolutely perfect. But I don't hear much of that here. I'll just stick to hearing "Pinball Wizard" twice a day on the classic rock station, thank you very much.
This came up in the offering today, at first I was keen because everyone knows pinball wizard right? Sadly for me anyway that was the only hilight, I'm not a huge fan of rock operas and this one was both long and largely boring, so long that I didn't even finish the album. If it wasn't for Pinball Wizard I'd probably have given it as single star, but because of pinball wizard (and the fact that I quite like pinball) i'll give it 2 stars.
I've been known to like the occasional musical, but this just isn't my thing. Bloated, out of tune and boring.
The reason I very much dislike musicals is that the storytelling takes precedence to the music, and the music suffers because of that. If the story needs to be told then you can write a book rather than try to shoehorn some notes to go with it. It's not to say there's nothing good here, hearing Keith Moon play is always a pleasure, but a lot of times he seems rather bored which is justified. Great band, great effort, misses the mark completely.
NOT FOR ME
Don’t like The Who but I’ve always been intrigued by Tommy. I’ve heard so much about this album, but felt underwhelmed. Too long. Didn’t hit the right notes for me. Started skipping through tracks to find redeeming features. 2/5
Bicho, que disco chatinho KKKKKK. Só curti o instrumental (Underture) e a música “We're Not Gonna Take You”
aburrido
13/02/2026 1. overture - got the world's worst cold rn so not looking forward to an hour and 15 minute long rock opera. reallly nice around 1:40. guitar is really nice in this one, especially after the vocals. 2. it's a boy - okay.... getting the story now. vocals sound a bit strained. only 40 seconds so not much to say lol. 3. 1921 - trying to piece together what is happening.... is his mum having an affair or something? alright, but not many thoughts about it so far.... 4. amazing journey - bass is nice. prog/kinda psychadelic vibes. is this about god??? liked it most towards the end, but most of it was unremarkable. doesn't sound bad, but just doesn't do anything for me :) *5. sparks - bass at the start is nice again. nice little instrumental! *6. eyesight to the blind (the hawker) - the drums in this are great! so tommy?/the boy was deaf, dumb and blind and now isn't.... *7. christmas - love the backing vocals. all the instruments are really nice on this one.... going on the christmas playlist. drums are crazy!!! i know this album has something to do with pinball so is that lyric setting it up? 8. cousin kevin - immediately lyrics seem a bit sinister.... headache has just started..... drums are realllll nice in this album. song is a bit repetitive for me.... 9. the acid queen - is she a prostitute? liking the more lively songs. still too repetitive. feel so ill right now :( how am i not even close to halfway..... 10. underture - ten minutes..... jesus. no lyrics are showing up so i'm guessing it's instrumental as well. doing my portfolio whilst listening to this because it's due tomorrow. sorry! liking the stopping and starting, psychedelic vibes. bass is really nice. not sure how well i'd cope if it wasn't just in the background though. 11. do you think it's alright? - what 12. fiddle about - halfway mark! oh my god he's a pedophile???? jesus christ. what is this fucking album about!!!! why is his uncle noncing him! *13. pinball wizard - know this song, but after the last song it puts it in a different context. wasn't massive on it before, but certainly am not anymore. instruments are nice. getting the lyrics more now i know what the album is about lol. why is it about pinball though?? was it big in the 60s/70s?? holds up better than the others to listen to by itself though! 14. there's a doctor - feel like i'm goint to be violently sick. cannot deal with this song right now. only 25 seconds though. *15. go to the mirror! - uuhfg. lyrical motif. bass and drums are fantastic in this one :) 16. tommy can you hear me? - more acoustic, bit bluesy/old school rock and roll... shorter one! *17. smash the mirror - liking the beginnning... again more bluesy and old school rock. bass and guitar are really nice together. like the sound effects at the end. 18. sensation - also liking this one. lots of the reviews on here i've read are saying it falls off towards the end, but i'm getting into it more lol. 19. miracle cure - literally like ten seconds long. 20. sally simpson - so close to freedom.... kindof lost track of the story. tommy becomes a god at pinball and also an actual god? feel like sometimes the story overtakes the lyrics/music? 21. i'm free - not much to say. alright, not bad to listen to, but wouldn't choose to listen to it again. 22. welcome - kindof folksy at the start? tommy is building a cult? can't lie, i do not have the brainpower for this right now. liked the ending. *23. tommy's holiday camp - funky start? is this not the nonce uncle??? really liking the weird carnival theme in the background.... 24. we're not gonna take it - thank god this is almost over!!!!! bass is really nice. had to take a break to submit my portfolio (*.*) what is happening in this song!!!! what even happened in this!!!! not the biggest fan of this, although it has made me want to watch the movie (if it's anything like quadrophenia, i like the film a lot more than the album lol). if this is already this mental, how mental is the ken russell(!!!!!) movie??? none of these songs were bad, but i wouldn't really listen to any outside of the album and have no plans to relisten anytime soon. what album needs to be 24(!!!!) tracks long. too stadium-rock for me!
Videl som aj muzikál, okrem 3. piesní ma to nikdy nebavilo. Čo sa mňa týka, v podstate sa mi páčia len ich najväčšie hity, či už zo 60.rokov alebo aj 70.
What is it that I'm not getting? Why so much love for The Who?
Not for me, but not the worst ever so it gets a 2
A lot of self indulgence.
112/1001 First listen. A song surrounded by an hour of shit. 3/10
Hmm... truthfully didn't enjoy this one much. This is the sort of prog-adjacent stuff that has never done much for me. Not quite musically interesting enough for me to be excited about the instrumentals, and the songwriting doesn't really grab me. I love a concept record but this one just doesn't do much for me.
I know these guys are very renowned but I found this boring. Too much ‘dead, dumb and blind’
Hasn’t aged well, some decent songs but the rest has dated.
vabbè non è un voto valido perché l’ho ascoltato pochissimo
Just can't do 70s musicals
Actually difficult to listen to. I think the only song I might listen to is Pinball Wizard but only the Glee version. Overall confusing and weird and I get its supposed to be a musical or somethinb but I think you should only attempt that kind of thing if it's going t o be really good and not corny.
Ehh. I don’t like the musical or The Who. Soooooo
음... 취향에 안 맞네요
Not for me, fiddle about is the most disturbing song I have ever heard
Sounds like a musical (derogatory). I liked the songs where they shut up.
Didn’t enjoy this. I found it boring, meandering and pretentious. By the time I got to the “Tommy Can You Hear Me” part I confirmed to myself that it was bollocks. It is played well and is obviously is a part of rock history, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
It’s fine but I don’t think I’d listen again?
Goes on a bit. Only a couple of songs really stick out. Quite like the Who, but listening to this in full was honestly disappointing.
Not a big fan of this album. I like the Who and I know what they were trying to do, but this album didn't land for me. Kudos to the attempt, it was original but the music didn't grab me. I do love that this album is part of them. This album didn't hold my attention very wel.
I didn't enjoy this at all. I've liked other albums by The Who but this "rock opera" was not good. I think the idea in theory, but there's something about when rock bands try it where the songs are a very awkward mix between their rock sound and a stage musical. Stage musicals can be great, but it's a completely different genre from album rock (obviously). This story was so weird. Like what are they trying to say? A few weeks ago I had Jeff Buckley's album. I was familiar with his cover of Hallelujah, and hearing it context of the album brought it to new heights, and it was a beautiful experience. Fast forward to today... I was familiar with Pinball Wizard and hearing it in context made me like it much less than I did going in. It raises so many questions. Anyway, this was not for me.
I love Pinball Wizard but it really came out of nowhere on this album. It just felt like they knew they should throw in something that could be played on the radio because the rest of it is just random. Reading about this and the acclaim slightly shocked me. It makes perfect sense that it was turned into a play, because it sounds like broadway music that is just too literal and too the point. I didn't read all the information until after so I kept hoping it wasn't that straight forward and the subtle symbolism would creep in (which is bad because I typically hate symbolism) but it never came. It just kept being straight forward and not great. I am sure at the time it was different and revolutionary but now its just blah and meh
This sucks. It goes on too long and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Can we get Bonnie Raitt back?
I find The Who to be incredibly boring. Concept record, prog, album rock blah blah blah… I like all of that, just not in this variation. Their songs feel claustrophobic and made up on the spot. Almost Famous told me that if I lit a candle and put this album on that I’d see my entire future. All I saw was an hour and fifteen minutes of my life that I’ll never get back. Believe me, I’ve put in time and tried to like this HIGHLY overrated album over the years. It’s clear that it’s not gonna stick for me. Next!
I can only listen to so many songs about all the ways this kid's childhood was terrible
I am very surprised the legendary Tommy is so uninteresting. Or at least i expected so much more than a run-of-the-mill largely forgettable rock opera. I feel like this album didn't have any noteworthy songs or individual performances, when The Who are some of the most talented musicians I've ever heard on other recordings. Felt surprisingly milquetoast and bloated with an uninteresting vocal plot. Top tracks: Overture, Amazing Journey
like the vocal harmonies, definitely hear it in the 50 years of music that came after it but none of the tracks really hit me
Very long, very mid (except maybe 2 songs)
I did not like this album. It was too dimensionally flat. Except for the overture and pinball wizard, it did not resinate with me at all. Rate 2
4/10
Перші пісні починалися якоюсь оперою далі вона десь поступово зникає ,у цієї групи є альбоми і краще за цей
concept seemed cool but the story and songs are so washed i cant believe i spent 1.5 hrs listening to these wankera fav tracks : overture, sparks, im free album art : nice and noticeable but idk what it has to do w lil tommy
Missing the raw power and instrumental virtuosity that makes The Who great. You have an incredible vocalist in Daltry, but then give half the songs to Pete Townsend to sing? Absolutely baffling. The songs don’t work on their own, and as a whole, the “rock opera” is pretty bad and nonsensical.
for a rock opera, this was fine, though i prefer pink floyd’s the wall to this. i feel like the who is all about big hits and being mainstrea,. and this is a nice breath of fresh air; more art for art’s sake. but at a certain point, i could only picture charlie day from its always sunny, singing the tommy songs. and then when it got all raspy, i realized that ‘the night man cometh’ must have been a parody of the who’s tommy
just a bit boring unfortunately, didn't care for the concept much
I appreciate that this is a landmark concept album, but it's not for me. Favorite song: Pinball Wizard
eh
Yeah I guess bro
also did not like this one 4/10
Kinda boring
aspects i liked, but still just not for me. too many men boooo
dura tres fucking horas
Cool concept, but I don't think it was executed nicely. I came in only knowing "Pinball Wizard", but definitely had some other positive takeaways like "I'm Free". Overall I think the album starts and ends on strong notes, but the middle just wanders aimlessly, which when you're doing a double album is a big letdown.
sucks
One of the most overated albums ever
interesting…
This album isn’t for me. It’s too long and a little boring. I have come to realize that the who is just not for me. Pinball wizard is fine
Some good songs but I kind of find it to drag on. Enjoyed more in the beginning half. A little on the creepy side too
kinda boring, good melodies tho
meh wasnt anything mind blowing + found it pretty boring after a while just dragged on for too long so its getting a 2
A bit surprised by how little i liked this one. I've liked most of The Who's singles, and I've always heard this was one of the greatest rock operas out there. Some of the songs were good, and the transitions on the first side worked well. After that, though, there were so many disjointed short bits with quick fade outs and abrupt changes, it just didn't hold together for me. On top of that, a double concept album about a guy who's really good at pinball didn't get me to care at all. I was seriously looking forward to this one. So disappointed.
It's repetitive with a lot of filler songs. There are places when it is shining, pinball wizzard for exemple is a fun song, but overall, entirely too long and unnecessary. I dont need those half baked songs of 1 minutes, and the concept is ok but not mind melting
I bought this on vinyl several years back from a car boot sale for 2€, listened to it a couple of times and I don't think I've been back to it since. Listening today reminds me why. I don't know what this is like as a soundtrack, having never seen the film, but as an album, this just doesn't really work. A collection of half ideas that don't work as full songs. Even the one great song on here _Pinball Wizard_ has some ropey transitions and a bit of a rubbish ending.
“Overture” had me so excited, hearing the Pinball Wizard melody in there. But as time went on, I grew less and less interested. By the time “Undurture” came around, I was altogether disinterested. Minutes of acoustic guitar passages going nowhere. I felt like I was missing a visual accompaniment or something along those lines. The musical equivalent to eating unseasoned chicken. Surely this album’s novel concept, which it really didn’t dig into at all, carries its reputation as something noteworthy or iconic. Because there just isn’t substance to this thing. What can I hear on Tommy that The Who didn’t do better at another time? Sadly 2/5
the only thing preventing the whole album from falling flat is the concept, yet it doesn't manage to make me forget about the fact that it's a snoozefest
That was a lot filler to get to Pinball Wizard
Great as a concept and some good songs on the album but listening to it now I was a little bored after the first 20 mins or so. All sounds a little too samey after a bit.
Probably about time to modernize this class with an album called Jimmy and a song called “Super Mario Bros. 3 Wizard” about that kid from the Fred Savage/Jenny Lewis movie.
Let’s just say that I feel differently about this album than Ben.
This album has me very conflicted, I really want to like it but I just can’t. Don’t get me wrong, the story-telling about Tommy’s life is good but it can wear a bit thin after 74 minutes. I do give the album credit as one of the first instances of the genre of opera rock, but most of these songs can come across as a muddled stream of consciousness to be completely honest. Songs such as ‘Fiddle About’ definitely do not age well and was a slightly uncomfortable listen. Although, there are some highlights in this album, especially ’Pinball Wizard’ (a banger) and ‘Smash the Mirror’ but these highlights can get lost in the other 22 songs. Overall, this album is a historical album in terms of genre experimentation however its long run-time and dated concept certainly lets this album down in my opinion. Favourite tracks: Pinball Wizard and Smash the Mirror My rating: 2/5
Can you believe that people used to read books in the past?? Well, I can, if this was the alternative
you dont wanna know
why is it so long? 2/5
Got to the cheery song about being molested by your uncle and saw that there were like 65 more minutes to go and that was enough for me. The Who are a good band, and I can understand why people would like this album but it is just not for me. 2/5
Not sure if I'm into The Who after this. It's so...bland to my ears.
5/10 - waaaaay too long of an album, kind of just melds into one song after another; luckily I didn't listen to the extended version, 3+hrs!
I understand why it’s considered a great album but it didn’t grab my attention other than the songs I already knew. I prefer Quadrophenia or Who’s Next
Pretty sure they have The Who's entire discography here with how many albums they recommended it to me, stop doing that, I still think their sound is ass and listening to more of it won't make me think otherwise
the who gets my vote for the most overrated band in rock history. and daltry's vocals are painful to listen to
Let’s face it the Who’s best album is The Singles! Desperate to catch up with the Beatles and The Stones and The Kinks, they seem to have gathered together some songs about abuse in various forms and written a half assed story to bind them all together and called it a rock opera. I never realised Pinball Wizzard wasn’t about Pinball until I heard it in this context. It’s dimminshed as a result. Frankly the best track is a 10 minute instrumental Underture. Overall though grim.
Way too much torture and SA content. Made me angry. Keith moon and the instrumentation are the saving graces. 2!
This was a hard one to rate, the songs were all over the place. Starts out poorly, Overture was a long and dull instrumental. 1921 was ok, would have felt better about it if it wasn't after the previous two tracks. Amazing Journey was fairly decnet. Then the album really started to drag, for the next 8 tracks. And then Pinball Wizard shows up. That one was a lot of fun, it sounds familiar, might have heard it before but not sure. After that, the album finds its groove, with the next several tracks moving along nicely. There are enough good songs on this album to make a solid 3 if you cut out the rest. But the album is too long and filled with junk. Best song: Pinball Wizard
got bored and didnt finish it
Spotify tried to serve me up three and a half hours of this. No ta. I pressed on with the original release. The storyline is BONKERS. I tried to ignore this and focus on the music instead. Rock and opera should never appear in the same sentence. It's a mess of an album that lectures you. YOU MUST LISTEN! I'd rather buzz off me tits with some drum 'n' bass tbh.
This might get me some hate. This is a terrible album.
Ooh - one good song and a lot of pantomine nonsense. I was traumatised as a child when I watched the movie version. Listening back now doesn't improve things.
Mielikuva bändistä oli semmosta 70-luku rokkia ja alkuun olikin ihan menevää meininkiä. Puolessa välissä tuntui muuttuvan 60-lukurokiksi vähän semmosta biitleskopiojuttua ja tulikin tarkastettua julkaisuvuosi ja sehän oli -69 *tirsk*. Ei oikein loppulevy napostellut ja meni vähän fiiliskin siinä samalla sitten. 2,5 voisi olla totuus, mutta känkkäränköissä heti aamussa annetaan kakkonen
Not a big who fan.
My experience of Quadrophenia colours this quite badly. I don't think this comes anywhere close to that. Some good tracks, a lot of pomp and bombast and some frankly weird stuff.
Bit of a long winded way to get people to listen to Pinball Wizard
Generic rock album.
I guess it's an opera because there aren't any songs in it. Well... one. I don't understand music enough to know how to appreciate this.
There is too much of this.
I know it’s a musical but it’s soooooo looooongggg
After reading about the concept of this album and the fact that it's a rock opera, I knew I was in for a strange listen. It's cool that they undertook such an ambitious project and had a vision, but it feels like they missed the mark. Musically, it is completely adequate. The vocals and overall story are where they lost me. The lyrics are way too on the nose. It reminds me of a bad movie or TV show where the characters are essentially narrating everything they are thinking and feeling because the creators don't know how to communicate any of that symbolically through music, set, lighting, body language, etc. Each track on the album sounds pretty musically similar and the lyrics are just saying exactly what happened to Tommy. This album would be much cooler if the lyrics were a bit more symbolic instead of literal and if some emotional context was communicated through the harmony, tempo, dynamics, instrumentation, etc. A lot of the songs are so literal that they come across as incredibly corny and some of them actually make me cringe. The story of Tommy is also whack and doesn't make any sense. I can still appreciate that the concept is creative and respect the fact that they tried something different. This is one of the first rock operas ever created, so at least they were trying to innovate and expand the genre. I do like a few of the songs: Overture, Pinball Wizard, Go To The Mirror!, and Smash The Mirror. 4.5/10.
Not a fan
Some good songs here and there but the rest was a tough listen. The uncle songs *shudder*
if you write a rock opera you get your virginity back
I’ve come to learn I really can’t stand The Who from doing this list. They’re a decent singles band, but Jesus this album fucking sucks. I love a long overwrought concept album but this was bloody awful. I can’t believe it’s held in such high regard.
A camp counselor of mine was obsessed with this album when I was 9 and I remember really wanting to like it then, but I never really got it...and still don't get it (or really care to...oops!). Too long, too all over the place. Sort of became like background music after the first hour.
I am really sorry to say this but I just didn’t enjoy it too much and found myself wanting it to be over. There are some cool tracks and I really like ‘pinball wizard’, but stuff like ‘fiddle about’ and ‘there’s a doctor’ just help to fill out the rest of the album with fodder. There is literally zero need to have 24 tracks on one album.
If you're going to have a Who rock opera on this list it needs to be Quadrophenia which is light years ahead of Tommy. I know this is a concept album, but there are really only 3 good songs: - Acid Queen, I'm Free and Pinball Wizard, which is still a belter. A poor album, a poor movie and an average stage show.
This might be the biggest swing in opinion from expectation to reality. I used to really like this album, but it's just really weird and creepy as I listen now. Just not really something I would want to hear again - Used to like this one, but do I still? - More annoying than I remember. I think the whole 'concept album' thing used to really wow me... - Music is fine, but the content is weird and creepy now. Maybe that's on purpose but it doesn't make me want to listen again
2/5
Really did not like this. Frustrating having never properly listened to The Who before. Felt like music you'd hear at the theatre.