Tommy

No doubt that at the time it was produced, this was an ambitious and epic undertaking, considered a milestone album in the history of rock music. That said, I don’t think it holds up as well as other Who albums on the list, and certain points felt like an endurance test. Was it worth listening? Absolutely. Did I enjoy it as much as I did decades ago? Not as much as I thought I would. 3.5⭐️

As a "rock opera" and a concept album, this is pretty amateurish stuff, with really on-the-nose lyrics and a rambling, puerile story. That said, I understand that the very concept of a rock opera was a pretty new thing when this was made, so I suppose you can cut them some slack for fumbling the execution. An ambitious attempt, but not one that's stood the test of time compared to some of the acts that made their own attempts at the format in the decades following, at least in my view. The music itself is a mixed bag, with some pretty good jams here and there, but it often feels like they're buried under swathes of mediocre, musically uninspired pieces that were only included on the album to fill out the story that Townshend wanted to tell. Honestly, I found myself enjoying the instrumental pieces more than anything, which I guess goes to show that their "rock opera" approach wasn't entirely without merit. Final verdict: A significant album, but not a particularly great one. Favourite tracks: Overture, Underture, Pinball Wizard, I'm Free

How did The Who get famous? How did people hear their music and think it was groundbreaking? Theres been 5 albums of theirs on this list so far and none of them have blown me away. I’m also a certified hater of the who but I really tried to have an open mind.

eba, rock opera famoso, eu não poderia ligar menos!!!

rock opera nunca me pega mto. tem que ter um tema bem interessante pra eu me interessar, igual aquele do Odair José. eh um rockzinho honesto, hein. hard rock melhorzinho que outros hard rock. bacaninha até, nada demais. deve ser outro rolê acompanhando a história e etc. mas 0 vontade.

Fantastic album

I was a bit surprised to find myself really liking tracks 6, 7 & 20. Most of the tracks just passed by without much interest, but there were some good songs so I’ll give this a nice 3.

I had been meaning to properly listen to the who for many years but never did, this was really enjoyable

I don’t THINK i built this one up too much in my head, or really at all, but in all honesty this was a bit more boring than i expected?? I might like the film better. I like a good rock opera and i really like The Who but this isn’t quite my tempo. And i know this absolutely isn’t The Whos fault but some of it sounded really close to AD/BC (the Christmas rock opera by Matt Berry) to me and it was a little corny.

I don’t like The Who I guess…..

The Who are in my Top 5 and this and Who’s Next are probably their best 2 albums. This is kind of a masterpiece when you consider the whole idea of it. Not just a bunch of singles but a true concept album. Anyway - good to hear it again all the way through.

Genuinely, why was this recorded in the studio? The live album was eons better.

I think Tommy is a tad overrated. In this era The Who's live sound was miles ahead of their studio sound. Furthermore, while all operas, including rock operas, have sections that are more for exposition than for enjoyment Tommy has more "exposition songs" than other albums of its ilk. Despite dedicating so much space to exposition there are still crucial details about the plot that are not clear from the music alone i.e. the death of captain walker. Still there are enough cool moments on this album i.e. "Go to the Mirror", "Pinball Wizard", "Christmas", and "Eyesight to the Blind" to bring the listener back in after the more plot heavy moments to make the album enjoyable overall. Tommy also deserves credit inspiring other artists to take creative risks and see albums as more than a collection of singles.

More rock albums should be rock operas. Give me a story, give me drama, give me a movie with Elton John as the Pinball Wizard. It was interesting to listen to this all the way through again for the first time since childhood. We can add Tommy to this list of movies that I probably watched way too young but still strongly imprinted on.

It’s pretty bad. Most of it sounds the same and most of it sounds a bit of

Despite being real tired of this list and it’s obsession with male bands from the 60s and 70s, I really like the who. And this album keeps the vibe up throughout.

Some real highs and lows on this album. The Who sell out is better I reckon

Good.

Daar heb ik van genoten. Wel heel lang 😅

Chaos Jonas vond het zo stom dat ik het moest afzetten

....Guys, this album is not good. Who's been pumping this shit up for 50 years?

Nee

This isn't the best who, but it is a solid outing. A little long and repetitive but all the ingredients are there.

Classic Who album, a lot of filler unfortunately, otherwise this would be really good

6/10

The thing about rock operas is that they’re the sum of all of their parts. By themselves the songs are often referenced to the overarching album. I mean you can say that for all albums on here too, but the intention behind this one, like concept albums, is more obvious. Tommy sprinkles some motifs throughout just like a musical. Since all songs stood for a bigger purpose, not much stood out to me. The instrumental tracks were a nice break from the “theatrical” vibe of it all.

3 times more than was needed

Fucking long

Most of the album is filler. Decidedly meh.

Two Who albums on the bounce! No complaints from me. Their classic rock opera album, I remember watching the film when I was very young and it made a big impression on me. I've got the super deluxe edition to listen to today so that'll keep me busy.

Best soundtrack album ever

another i don’t really need to listen to as i must’ve listened a couple hundred times already. it’s great. quad is still my favorite who, but tommy is another masterpiece

I will say it is a interesting mess, unfortunately it didn't hit with me 3/5

Was okay but too slow and too many instrumental moments for me.

Not necessarily the first ever but probably the first Rock Opera that most people heard at the time. Ultimately, over long, drawn out and not particularly interesting. A drop off of the excitement of their previous albums and what would come with Who's Next. Pinball Wizard is still a great tune but everything around it is uneven and uninteresting at times. Okay for a listen through not but engaging enough to keep coming back to.

The imagery of this movie is stuck in my brain. I don't know how I feel about the album as a stand alone without the movie, but with it, man the tracks cut.

I'm just over The Who. I don't think they sound particularly good. Sure, they're mega talented musicians, I just don't dig their sound. There are too many The Who albums on this list.

The year I turned 16 was the year I became "aware"—not just musically, but in other aspects of life, too. Bands like Pink Floyd, The Who, and Led Zeppelin all came into my life at once, and *Tommy* was part of the soundtrack to that era. So, I wondered, "What new things will I hear in this album today?" I went to the Android Play Store, downloaded a pinball game, and played it through almost the entire album. It was a damn boring game—though it’s probably perfect for someone who plays by "sense of smell." Anyway, I enjoyed the album just as much as I did ten years ago, back when I used to get stuck in traffic on my way to school... except now I have bills to pay and no pimples on my face. Score one for me. I’ve known "Pinball Wizard" since long before I first heard *Tommy*. I never get tired of that track. "Sally Simpson" still entertains the hell out of me, and I still feel a tear welling up when I hear "We're Not Gonna Take It." Nothing has changed; it’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. And they say it’s an incomplete work... well, funny how things go. Pete Townshend releases an incomplete work and gets called a genius; Brian Wilson releases an incomplete work and gets called crazy. That said, there goes another guitar smashed to pieces...

kinda pissed me off

there really is too much The Who on this list. they're really, at best, okay

Didn’t realize that The Who made pinball wizard. Decent album

After listeting to the second album I start hating who man. It fills like some kind of a glimmer of normal music, but then they start to scream and shout and act like a clowns. Hard to listen

I like the cohesion of the album, but it needs a few more bangers to really stand out! Lacks a bit of guitar fronted show of Townshend

Good

6.5 / 10

It needs more listens but like the concept of the rock opera. Pin Ball Wizard is obviously a classic.

As long as there's art made by humans, humans will continue to challenge the concept of what is and what is not art. Hence the conceit of the concept album...or rock opera. Multiple songs that propel the same story forward. It's just like a musical now... If Pete Townshend had been born thirty years later, this might have been competing with "Rent" on Broadway. There are some good songs on here, but overall the concept falls flat. However, given its enormous influence in terms of what and album and what rock music could be, it's certainly earned a place here.

Can it still be a brilliant technical achievement if 2/3rds of the songs suck?

cool beans nice intro ig, enjoyable for some reason nvm skipling it

Good music, cheesy concept and slightly odd choice of story. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that this was something that society needed telling at the time 2.4

If I have to listen to a rock opera, might as well be this one.

Aight

First listen. Fun concept album. There are some deeper themes being displayed as well.

Stand-out tracks: Overture, Eyesight To The Blind, Pinball Wizard, Smash The Mirror, I'm Free, Welcome, We're Not Gonna Take It As a concept album this works. It tells a bizarre at times messed up story that honestly doesn't make much sense, but it sort of fits for a band of this type. There were some memorable and pleasant tracks, but the majority of its 19 or so proper tracks (excluding the short interludes) are just ok. The album feels ambitious as an idea, but lacks in its execution.

Terrific!

The best way to experience Tommy is via the live versions from the expanded Live at Leeds album or Live at the Isle of Wight release. The studio version is "meh."

A few good songs, but an overall mess.

While this isn't The Who's best work, it was a great listen.

It's a fine album by a great band. I appreciate it for sure. I don't think I really care for the concept though. I'm excited to hear their other albums.

Super chill. Actually wouldn't mind putting this on if I was in the mood.

Nice many tries, short songs amazed me. I can feel the effort, who is tommy, I enjoyed this catchy album a lot

The music is very good, but the lyrics are a little simplistic. I mean the bully sings " I'm the bully"! Also, is tommy Jesus?

First time hearing this album although the movie soundtrack is permanently burned in my memory. The music is more fluid in this version but you lose the characters when it's performed by the band and not the individuals playing the parts. Overall still a great listen.

Underwhelming

every member of the who needs their ass eaten for this

Definitely enjoyed a decent number of the tracks! Especially Go To the Mirror. It's cool that it's a rock opera but I didn't find the storyline extremely compelling. Still an enjoyable listen.

I listened to the album and watched the Ken Russell film. It’s maybe Russell’s most alienating film, and yet it’s somehow his most commercially successful. As for the album, I appreciate the ambition, but I think the narrative is too loose to tell the story it wants to tell without the liner notes, but the songs are also too specific to stand on their own most of the time. I liked “Overture”, “1921”, “Underture”, “Pinball Wizard”, “Sally Simpson”, and “We’re Not Gonna Take It”

Uma das várias obras primas que tem o the who. Quem se diz um amante de músicas, não pode nunca deixar de ouvir esse aqui.

Yep. 5/5.

I didn't like it...

Basically unlistenable. There’s some musical elements and instrumental elements that could potentially bump this to a two but given how much interesting stuff at the time and how bad the lyrics and everything for this album is, cmon

What an amazing album in every way.

Made it halfway. Really not of interest to me. As an actual stage performance, sure, but as a headphones listening experience, nah.

TOMMY is the Pinball Wizard??? That was a plot twist for me.

Doing this on pros and cons: Pros: Ambitious. Nominally complete work. Interesting departure from standard Who rock-dom. Musically tight. Cons: Fails to live up to its ambition, musically; it's pretty flat. Also too long. For something that relies so heavily on the story, the story sucks. I first listened to this on speakers and it was Bad. Then I listened to it on headphones and it was better. But even being headphone music, it's just tiresome. It lasts way too long, is way too flat, and while there is variety between songs, each song taken as a whole has nothing going on besides keith moon drum fills. Just tepid.

Visst är det ett banbrytande album, men jag har svårt för både Daltreys och Townsends sång. Vilket gör att The Who trots den uppenbara musikaliska begåvningen, aldrig varit något jag lyssnat på. Det fanns helt klart starka låtar. Man kanske behöver se det live för att riktigt fatta. En stark trea.

So I get that this is supposed to be a concept album and tried to keep that in mind, but sadly it just didn't interest me much musically.

Tommy has just never grabbed me. I like the Who, just not so much Tommy.

I have absolutely nothing against the concept of a rock opera, the more grandiose the better, but I came away from this one underwhelmed. It felt a little clunky and literal, with an almost pantomime quality at times. I'm not the biggest fan of The Who anyway so I will give it a 3 and accept its not bad, just not for me.

The rock opera. Innovative, some good music, but seriously the Who performing Acid Queen? After hearing and seeing Tina Turner perform it, no, just no to anyone else. Other than that, a solid 4.

As rock opera/concept albums go, this is quite the daunting album. Although I enjoyed it, it could’ve been trimmed down.

Used to play this album on repeat in high school. Now I’m thinking it’s lopsided, way too creepy, and a smidge too long. First half is an ugly mess, but the whole second half of the album is near perfect.

Nobody is more up their own ass than those who make opera-rock.

The rock opera version of a late-period Tim Burton movie: horrific but not necessarily in a fun way. Imagine riding the bus, casually listening to "Cousin Kevin" and "Fiddle About" on your Beats...psychopathic behavior. Townshend, why are you fighting your god-given gifts? You're one of the great pop songwriters; this high-concept shit is smoke and mirrors! "Pinball Wizard" is so freaking good.

What in the rock opera? I like The Who, Tommy is alright

I'm aware that Tommy is pretty much the biggest rock opera to ever rock opera, and there's a pretty good reason for it. This is a very solid album with some good songs. Pinball Wizard is a pretty amazing classic (although it's weird no one ever talks about the later We're Not Gonna Take It where a bunch of people threaten to rape the pinball wizard, I wonder why.) Outside of that, I really enjoyed Christmas and Sally Simpson. That said, I also feel like I'd rather have watched Tommy as a movie or play. Still very worth it.

Is this a real musical. I would go see it. lol. I was trying to imagine it all. So wild.

Enjoyment: 5/10 Replayability: 4/10 Cohesion: 5/10 Flow/Pacing: 3/10 Artistic Merit: 4/10 Weighted Average: 4.4/10 Review: After listening twice through, this album left me wanting. It has the makeup of an album that I should completely enjoy: a concept with an interesting subject matter, progressive rock operatics, a HOF band... but it just... didn't click for me. The Overture sets up the album very nicely, but it slowly devolved with each new track and the out-of-place interludes. Maybe I'm just having a bad morning and I couldn't wrap my head around this one as much as I wanted to. There's a chance I'll re-review this in the future. But for now, I'll sit in disappointment. Liked Song(s): Overture, 1921, Pinball Wizard, Go To The Mirror!, Tommy's Holiday Camp Disliked Song(s): Fiddle About Recommend? Maybe Heard Before? Partly

soo boring

My least favorite The Who album, but it might be because I've heard it way too often

I did just say I liked Rock Operas, but found I needed more help with this one. I’d be interested to see the movie it inspired, but for the music itself Pinball Wizard was my only standout.

Never listened to this before. The overture does it's job very well. There are definitely some tracks that should have just been incorporated into others. "It's a boy" was just a waste. The ending to "Christmas" is a bit weird. "1921" is where the album really kicks off and it's ok, it's standard 60s rock. The drumming in "Amazing Journey" is really good and the rest of the band members are just left in the dust. This is a common theme throughout some of the rest of the record. I can definitely hear some future influences. "Sparks" sounds very like some that I've heard on Testimony by Neal Morse, same with "Underture". It took me a while to shift to realising that the lyrical content is what I need to focus on and the music is the lesser part in telling the story through most of the tracks. You do have the occasional contradiction to that. Pinball Wizard is the standout track and from there the singing improves as well but the guitars are quite stuck in 'bash out the chord' I listened to it through and it was alright No strong feels on this - ⭐⭐⭐

DNF. Not because it was bad - I preferred it to the last two - but I've been "stuck" on this one for a few days and I want to move on. Like the concept of this album.

I think this is a fine, although sonically uninteresting album. Doesn't help it has all the "up it's own ass"ness of the wall, while being not as good. They're so concerned with telling a story in album format that many of the songs are boring, without any real musical splash. And this is the who, a very talented, very splashy band. Underture is the clear highlight for me. Pinball wizard and I'm free are fun too.

WAY overrated, as is The Who. But drugs and music are always a good combo. Better than their other stuff. Total trip to listen to. Still overrated.

Pretty cool rock opera, enjoyed it more than The Who Sells Out. A bit daft in parts and a little self-indulgent but overall quite good with a quirky narrative throughout. 3.5/5.

If I never had to listen to The Who again, it would be too soon.

its ok

Some glimmers of greatness

Amazing band obviously

Cool rock opera om Tommy, som er døv, blind og stum og udsættes for lidt af det hele. Lidt on the nose en gang imellem. Fuck cousin Kevin.

Disappointingly unfun to listen to. But I guess it laid the groundwork for albums like Pink Floyd's The Wall, so at least it has this going for itself.

"Townshend came up with the concept of Tommy after being introduced to the work of Meher Baba, and attempted to translate Baba's teachings into music." Damn, we are already off to a bad start. The best rock and roll is a vehicle for simple and relatable human emotions expressed as directly as possibly (ideally under 3 minutes), but when it's used to drag out a paper-thin (and frankly pointless) story to double LP length, then it's completely lost the thread. There's a couple of decent musical bits here like "Pinball Wizard" and the final half of "We're Not Going To Take It", but trying to make it through this entire album is molasses-slow slog through a bunch of non-songs that don't up to anything in the whole.

again.. very long one…. didn’t love much of this honestly. i had higher hopes but i already don’t remember any of it

I am kind of a fan of the Who and I acknowledge the historical importance of this album but (compared to other stuff they wrote in the period) most of the songs are rather lame and the instrumental parts quite boring (I guess the "folk rock" bits do not help in this sense). The story is pretty ridiculous too. I still enjoy Pinball Wizard and I am Free because of the killer riffs, as well as Sally because it's pretty fun... That said, the most problematic aspect of the album is its legacy: I don't think the world really needed the pretentious and preposterous concept of Rock Opera...

It’s an interesting rock opera, good but not necessarily memorable songs besides pinball wizard of course

I can appreciate it's great but I'll probably not revisit it any time soon

Didn’t like it. None of the songs resonated with me

Rock, hard rock.

This probably deserves to be here for being a fairly unique, first of its kind rock opera, but being first doesn’t always mean being the best. There are a lot of good parts, some absolute classic songs, and a lot of ideas, but without some cheat-notes to accompany the story, I don’t feel like the mood music and interludes actually carry enough of the weight of the narrative. It’s overblown (which, in fairness operas should be) but ultimately a bit too self-indulgent and probably made absolute sense in Pete Townshend’s mind at the time.

3.5 it’s fine but nothing super memorable. Just stick to Pinball Wizard and call it a day day, this definitely overstays it’s welcome although I do appreciate the story it tries to tell

het is fine maar niet bijzonder en klinkt almeal beetje hetzelfde

ik ben geen fan van opera rock

Mag ich nicht.

There's a few great songs and a lot of crap. The concept is silly at best

3/10 What is the point of a double album if in my opinion you only have 1 really good song (pinball wizard) and maybe 2-3 other decent songs, I didn’t mind there’s a doctor. The who are starting to feel overrated

1.5/10 = honestly slop im sorry i just could not get into this at all and it felt like such a chore and the arrangements were all over the place to me and his voice was genuinely jarring i couldn't care less that it's a concept album at least make 2 or 3 good songs for me guys

Thought I would really enjoy this, but it just dragged on. I wanted to like it but very few songs spoke to me like I thought they would.One thing that has always stuck through me was my uncle calling the who the greatest band of all time, better than the beatles specifically, and everyone else. I respect the who, but they're just not for me.

It was quite good.

Basic

Very long, arguably very pretentious but very good. I'll always love The Who. Had a lot of fun listening to this. Pinball Wizard was my fav song of the album

its a decent listen, and an ambitious project, but I don't think I'd ever go out of my way to play this record.

The Who - Tommy Jeg liker The Who godt, men med unntak av Who’s Next, som er fantastisk fra start til slutt, har de vel egentlig ikke laget et eneste skikkelig godt album. Masse bra låter på (nesten) alle platen, men det mangler liksom alltid noe for å gjøre det hele til et godt album. Så også med Tommy. Hele Tommy i en jafs er litt i meste laget, selv om jeg kan sette pris på denne typen historiefortellerplater/konseptplater nå og da. Det er en sterk følelse av at her er historien om Tommy viktigere enn musikken, og at det dermed har blitt en del musikalske transportetapper som bare skal fortelle om noe som er viktig for historien. Er dette et album man bør høre før man dør? Ja, det synes jeg absolutt. Det er en ok representant for genren rockopera, som det kom ganske mange av på syttitallet. The Wall er foe min del det mest vellykkede innen sjengeren, men Tommy er helt ok det også, og nesten like kjent vil jeg påstå. 6,5/10

Proto-eksempel på verdensfjerne rockemusikere som går helt vill i egen rockearkitektur. De verste eksessene fra det påfølgende tiårets progressive labyrintmusikk får her i all hovedsak sin fødsel. Babyen er slimete, blodig og skriker etter oppmerksomhet. Akker meg her når jeg forestiller meg hvor geniale musikerne selv trodde dette var.

Kva var dette for idé? Om

Aldri hørt før. Mye fint og det flyter bra. Fulgte ikke hardt med på tekstene. Kul lyd men litt rar miks på noen låter. Bra trommis.

At det har blitt prosentvis færre rockeoperaer med årene må vel kunne sies å være helt greit. Enorme mengder fyllmasse for noen få gode låter. Men her vokser selv fyllmassen på runde to og tre. Positiv overraskelse dette her.

The Who - Tommy Eg har aldri klart å interessere meg for historia i denne konseptuelle mammuten. Og då ender den liksom litt opp som ei ALT for lang plate med fin musikk. Ja, det er nesten så kvaliteten blit noko utvatna av konteksten, på eit vis. Og det er litt rart. For når eg høyrer “Christmas”, “1921”, “Go To the Mirror” og “Pinball Wizard” er dei jo heilt nydelege. Men framleis… eg gir pokker i korleis det går med både Tommy, foreldra, fetteren og dei andre karikaturane i denne historia. Så konklusjonen er at musikken er mykje betre enn plata, om sånt gir meining å sei. 7/10

это слушаюельно, что смогла сохранила, но биляя

I am actually a fan of The Who and I think they have some really good stuff but this album just did not work for me. I don’t think is showcased The Who very well.

The Who sucks.

This is a complicated one to rate. As a story, it seems to go through a lot in its 75 minutes, and I needed to check the Wikipedia page to get the full drift. It's a big undertaking for a band to make something this complex and lengthy, but its still a lot. Musically, I found myself enjoying this the whole way through, but it never rose to a level of amazement. I only seemed to gravitate towards the well known songs/motifs (Pinball Wizard, the "feel me" motif, etc); I wanted to be able to enjoy some of the rest of the songs that way, but they felt more like propellants of the story rather than standalone songs. So WTF do I rate this? Its fine, but bloated. I guess I'll simplify this and just go on feel...and I think a 3.3 feels about right.

La obra magna del rock ópera no decepciona para nada. Creo que debería ver la película.

You’ve got to admire the ambition but as per most concept albums the music gets lost in the wider purpose of the story. Very underwhelmed.

We're Not Gonna Take It. My favorite Who song. Tommy obviously a masterpiece. 5

I enjoyed this more than the Sell Out album which I heard recently. A lot of stuff I like on this but also some stuff I didn’t like. Also Does it need to be an hour 15 minutes? Probably not. Pinball Wizard easily the best track in my opinion.

I don't think I'm that much into rock opera... Best: Pinball Wizard; Overture; Christmas; I'm Free; Go to the Mirror! Worst: Fiddle About; Tommy's Holiday Camp (both sound terrible like my ears hurt)

I don’t like the label “dad rock,” but this is it right here. It’s triggering my Oedipus complex.

An ode to a blind deaf and dumb boy, really strong storyline thread through the album proper good

Похоже на рок, но очень сильно странное, напоминает какой-то мюзикл.

While I certainly appreciate what a leap this was for rock music and pop culture, it's not my personal favorite Who material. An incredible record and a hell of an experience though. Any music nerd has to listen to this once.

I wanted to like the idea of a rock opera, and I was with it the first two songs. But once we got into being molested a few times I was out. The circus cult ending only made it worse. I will not be able to listen to Pinball Wizard again now.

While the entire story of Tommy is an interesting one, is it wrong of me to say that this album is kind of a mess? I mean, I appreciate the ambition, but how much of Tommy do I actually enjoy listening to? This is not a dig against rock operas in general, I can definitely enjoy them under the right circumstances, but listening to the entirety of this one often consists of "waiting for the good part". There was obviously a ton of attention given to the structure and the narrative is cleaner than one would expect, I'm not claiming otherwise. For whatever reason, though, I find myself just not caring. Even the weaker tracks, such as Cousin Kyle or Sally Simpson, are decent, but they get so annoying when they are followed by a seemingly endless stream of equally decent, yet entirely forgettable songs, which happens more than once. Every one of these tracks has something interesting going for it, at least. Underture, for example, is very skilfully played, even if its linear structure gets shockingly tedious halfway through. Most of these songs were created in a setting designed for something more than the sum of its parts, but Tommy is, in my opinion, a slight failure in that regard. What it does right, though, is give us a decent portion of great, downright timeless tracks, which I will continue to enjoy in isolation. Favourite track: Pinball Wizard

It's okay - not something I'd relisten to but the rock opera concept is interesting.

Sometimes The Who feels like a British pop band that swapped their drummer for Keith Moon. Making this album is honestly such a wild decision, and I don't think it really pans out for me. I spent the first half of the album waiting for Pinball Wizard and the second half of the album waiting for it to be over. The lyrics are almost comedic at times, but I'm not sure that's what they were going for. I can see why this is influential/essential though and I definitely didn't hate it.

i think the best thing a concept album can do is compel you to listen to the entire thing back to front because the whole cohesive experience is that good. i don't think this album quite gets there (insofar as the concept is a dumb deaf and blind man who leads a cult centered around his love of pinball and pedophilic uncle?)--it's hefty and there's a good bit of fluff i don't need to hear again--but there's definitely some sick ass songs. Eyesight To The Blind through The Acid Queen is a terrific run of music. favorite song is unfortunately Pinball Wizard. honorable mention to zoning out and just focusing on the drumming for any particular track. strong 4

Rating: 3/10 I'm gonna be honest, I hated this album. At no point was I really invested in the music being played (sure it was adequate at least) and it just became increasingly painful to get through this 75 minute affair, just got more irritating and tiring. Props for it being maybe the first big rock opera? I'm not sure but probably is, but I was not a fan of the actual story in any way. Hot take I do not even care for Pinball Wizard. I consider Tommy to be highly overrated, if you like it good on you and clearly there is something that is fundamentally not clicking for me here. I doubt I will ever sit through this again to see if I 'get it' the second time around

1. 3.5 2. 3 3. 3.5 4. 4 5. 3 6. 3.5 1. 2 2. 2.5 3. 3 4. 2.5 1. 2 2. 2 3. 4.5 4. 2.5 5. 3.5 6. 3 7. 2.5 8. 3 1. 2.5 2. 3 3. 3.5 4. 3.5 5. 3 6. 3

Christmas is where it really kicked in for me with the ping pong stereo effect of the backup vocals. The overture was good giving the operatic overview of what is to come. French horns got a chance to trumpet like elephants which I am positive they thoroughly enjoyed! Lot of filler on this album which if taken as a whole is OK for a concept album. Let's see about the payoff, talking about Underture. Mmm, Uncle Ernie into Fiddle being said payoff. Long game, slow burn. Ahhh, Pinball Wizard coming in cold not transitioned into. Interesting choice. Wow, for a track that stuck with me from childhood it sure is shorter than I remember. The rest of the album blew by after I read up on the story. Some nice bits here and there. I'm not certain I can place this historically. It's a rock opera, best I've heard? No. Was it life altering? I can see the subject matter being controversial. The arrangements are nifty and it sure involved a lot of artists from different genres in different iterations. So historically higher rated than musically for me. Maybe in 20 years. Just a 3 for me, for now.

Tommy walked so Queen could run

3+ stars for the songs, 4 stars out of respect for its influence

just another rock opera with an uninteresting story. its fine i just dont care

in 1997, my high school in Texas was one of the first in the nation to get the license to perform Tommy, the Broadway musical and it was a pretty incredible experience. My band served as the pit orchestra and I got to play a one-scene role when another student's grades prevented him from being in the show at the last minute (and I got to be shot and killed in that scene, which, awesome). I even got to play the acoustic guitar part in Pinball Wizard, which was an absolute thrill. The show used the original staging from the Broadway production and was staged by one of original cast members. They even had enough budget to fly Tommy. It was the hugest of deals and completely electrified all of the theater dorks, myself included. It was such an immersive and complete experience that I've really felt no need to revist this music in the 30 years since. I also never really explored the original album, crazily enough. Whenever I tried, the arrangements and aesthetics just felt so off (being so familiar with the broadway orchestrations), not to mention the incomplete storytelling (compared to the musical). Throughout my entire experience with the musical, I don't think I ever really tried to suss out what the show was trying to say. Listening now, I hear themes of generations coping with the war-trauma of their parents and the idea that mental illness is more complicated and fantastical then we can comprehend. Both very interesting subjects, but the story doesn’t come close to achieving anything insightful. Musically there only a few interesting ideas from Townsend and Daltry’s voice is not suited to the restrained theatricality. Overall, Tommy, musically and lyrically, is half-baked, but contains the revolutionary idea that rock music can be more than 3 minute singles. The concept itself is a huge success even if the execution is immature.

Hmm, I’ve never heard any of this before other than Pinball Wizard. It works as a musical, and I would be interested to see it, maybe I should give the film a try. Not sure it works as a stand alone listening experience. Some of the subject matter is a bit cringeworthy - was listening with my daughter and she was visibly amused/horrified by some of the lyrics, and I don’t think she even noticed the SA parts. Very much a product of its time

It's old but good as a rock opera prototype

Brits

Pinball Wizard, men inte mycket mer.

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-who/tommy/ Deserves credit (or blame?) for being the first rock opera and has some nice tunes, but is also overlong with either uninteresting songs, or annoying ones (Fiddle About, Tommy's Holiday Camp). Not the legendary album people make it out to be, but enjoyable enough.

Decent concept album (the album as a whole is alright and the movie is a trip), though there aren't many individual tracks that stand out or hold up on their own.

Groundbreaking, but didn't do much for me and felt like a drag. I just don't think The Who are for me since this and Who's Next were essentially snoozefests.

an album i unabashedly adore. i grew up on this and no, i won't be bothered to be rational about it. it's a great album. full of fun moments and great songwriting. if i could nitpick a favorite, i would say that it is a little bloated and definitely tails off in quality towards the end of the album (really, with the exception of 'i'm free' the entire 4th side of this album is the weakest side by a mile). but for 1969, it's a pretty huge swing for a band, especially pre-jesus christ superstar, to have such a crafted narrative through an entire album.

Bit of a strange album. I want to like it more than I do.

What really surprised me about this critically acclaimed rock opera was how mediocre it actually is 4 / 10

I didn't know Pinball Wizard was the core of a dark, weird rock opera. I respect the rock opera as a concept format, but I'm not sure I need to revisit this one anytime soon.

meh. didn't listen from the get go

I know that this isn't really a true album but a soundtrack for the film, but I don't know that it stands on its own particularly well. Mostly because it's too long. And I'm trying to listen while working and it's not a music style that lends itself to that very well. So I gave up, because it's way too long to keep listening to something distracting me from getting shit done.

The classic rock opera. There's just not enough great stuff here to make this more than three stars though.

Tommy is a bit of a weird project to talk about when it comes to The Who as it is usually split in terms of opinions due to the Rock Opera nature of the album. On one hand people may enjoy it for some of its' more artistic and progressive sounds it brings to the table, and on the other hand some people may hate it for those exact same reasons and finding little to no replay value in most of the tracks at hand. Personally I am somewhere in the middle when it comes to this project as I find it a very impressive feat to be pulled off in 1969 and also extremely impressive compositionally, but a bit lacking in any reason to want to hear this album again when breaking it up into individual tracks. I personally enjoy the "B-side" of this album after Undertune as it seems to trust the process a lot better than the exposition and frankly somewhat random first half of this album. I do not enjoy how there are more interludes thrown in, but I'd argue the songwriting really finds itself especially with tracks like Smash The Mirror, Pinball Wizard, and We're Not Gonna Take It. If there is something else I could complain about it would be the more shrill vocals that appear every now and then on the project that really make me wonder how much the group practiced the singing or if it was an intentional choice. Either way it makes the music feel more novice and a bit rough around the edges, which some may like, but for something as detailed and specifically structured as this I would have liked maybe a better take to have been used. As one final note about this project, holy shit have the lyrics on We're Not Gonna Take It aged like warm milk because you CANNOT BE SAYING THAT KIND OF STUFF IN YOUR MUSIC. I get 1969 was a different time but still holy shit y'all what the fuck. Other than that crazy ending to the album, I personally think Tommy stands the test of time as being a very iconic product of its' time that is still quite intriguing to look back on, but I also wouldn't call it a strong piece of 60s music or even all that strong of a concept album overall compared to some of the other projects it may be put up against from the same period of time.

eh

It overstays its welcome, but I still enjoyed it.

It was very theatrical, couple of good songs. Overall wouldn't put it on again.

not my taste

I can see that they were trying to create this cohesive, operatic album with a big, dramatic sound. Instead, every song sounds like filler music in between songs at a concert. Remarkably unremarkable, especially for a 1969 album that really sounds more like 1965 than 1975.

I think the only reason I enjoyed this thing is that I've seen the movie version of this album, which means I have visuals and prior exposure to the story. Otherwise, I can see how it would just be a chaotic mess of songs with a few too many sudden twists in the story.

The Who's Tommy is a brilliantly ambitious, grandly theatrical rock opera that showcases impressive production quality, seamless thematic interweaving, and a remarkably cohesive narrative structure, though its demanding runtime can easily lead to listener fatigue. It shines brightest during atmospheric and musically engaging moments like the groovy Eyesight to the Blind and the richly composed Christmas, while tracks like Amazing Journey and Pinball Wizard feel more like theatrical novelties than absolute essentials. Paired with baffling lyrical choices in tracks like Cousin Kevin and Fiddle About alongside several uneven melodies and forgettable stretches, the album ultimately succeeds much better as a monumental conceptual experiment than a collection of consistently great songs, comfortably landing at a solid 3/5.

Meh

Too long to enjoy fully

Nothing special

Phew- so so so so so innovative and important - and yet, the story takes way way bigger precedent over the songs. You also can’t make an argument against how important this album is.

Underwhelming but solid

First time listening to this album by The Who, but I am loving it. I wish I had listened sooner!

I’ve heard this before and I own it. It’s hard to properly rate this because the music is really great but the recording is very weak and lifeless. This is a problem with all of The Who’s studio albums up until Who’s Next. I have to assume this is a result of the labels meddling with the production and trying to sweeten everything up because the technology was there to record a heavy sound and all the live versions out there have a great sound and way more energy than this snoozefest. I have a “deluxe edition” or whatever of Live At Leeds that includes a second night of the show where they play Tommy as just a live band and it sounds amazing, and there is another live version on one of the expanded or deluxe editions of Isle Of Wight that is amazing. If you find yourself hating this and you’re listening on streaming, there’s a “remastered super deluxe edition” with a live version from a 1969 show in Canada on disc 3 (massive jerk off motion to all of this) that is really good and I would recommend skipping to that and listening to that instead, or if you have the patience, to listen to both and compare. It’s heavy and energetic and like the other two above, drops 2 or 3 songs that aren’t too great. For this album itself I would give a 2 and for the live versions I’d give a 5, so I’ll give them some credit and bump it up to 3.

not as bad as “The Who Sell Out” but damn it’s close

Det føltes litt som å se på en film æ ikke egentlig følg med i, æ tror det e en handling der, men æ vet ikke helt ka den e og store deler av det virke ulogisk (flipperspill???), men æ vet jo at folk like det, så det e sikkert nokka fornuftig inni der. Og musikken va ikke så verst.

I think it's a story? It's very good, but kind of drags.

Outstanding album. Good writing and instrumentation

This feels like the longest album I've ever heard in my life. It refuses to end. There is nothing I like about anything here.

O que a banda fez com esse álbum é espetacular! Grandioso! Opera rock estupenda. QoA Adonis New.

More Opera than Rock, Tommy leans heavily on storytelling, painting an expressive mental image for listeners to follow along a young boy's tragic tale. Each song is very intentionally crafted to give you a small vignette of the story while not sacrificing musical performance. Sprawling rock ballads, cut and dry singles, and theatrical elements blend together over the 75 minute runtime. An astute listener will pick out various repeated motifs that reinforce the themes and ideas of the album, though there are plenty of singles here for casual listening. The main story is fabricated, but there's a lot of reflection over faith, human nature, religion, etc. If you've only heard Pinball Wizard, you are missing out on one hell of an album.

Pretty dark concept album, not something I’d listen to again most likely.

Раніше їх нормально не слухав, але дуже сумніваюсь, що сподобається. Ні, це точно не моє. Ще й вокал досить дратуючий. Навіть не буду дослуховувати.

entretenido

I like the album Tommy!

kind of a chore if i'm being honest. musicianship can only take me so far to not want to turn off a rock opera

I miss being excited by music sometimes. 😔

Interesting concept album. I enjoyed the music, but very few of the tracks stand alone and it’s not an album I’d really want to listen to very often due to the length and subject matter.

Got bored of this

STELLAR. I absolutely love stories told through music and this does that perfectly. 5/5, 10/10, 100/100. Perfect.

Not the who’s best in my opinion. The vocals tend to drone on at times.

Wow, insane vocals. I can see how they influenced many acts that followed in their rock opera steps. That being said, the album is way too long to hold my interest. Everything started to sound the same towards the end of Disc 1.

Interesting album, a few good hits and the rest tells an okay story.

Super creative, sounds great, has a narrative, and critical of religion? Say less

Interesting that Keith Moon claimed Led Zeppelin, one of the best bands of all time, would go down like a "lead balloon" when his own band was this awful

Classic!

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.

I really want to like this album more then I do.

I just don’t like the who. This is like the Wall but shit. A couple of good songs wrapped in massive self-indulgence with a sinister dollop of paedophilia on top.

I love The Who but I wasn’t sure about this at first. It definitely grew on me. I appreciate how ambitious this is and I’m pretty impressed by the execution.

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…

I love The Who, but not for 3h30m

Anyone watch the cartoon "Home Movies" by Brendan Small? While listening to this album I kept thinking about the "Timmy" rock opera parody they did in the season 4 episode "Temporary Blindness" lol. I always enjoy Brendan Small's 60s/70s rock and musical theater parodies. I found this to be a bit...underwhelming. I definitely see how this was influential in 1969. It seems a little simplistic now. I read on Wikipedia that critic Dave Marsh thought that there was not enough transitional material between songs to make the narrative clear, and I agree with that take. If I didn't read the synopsis before listening I think I'd be pretty confused, especially with a song like 1921.

Y'a des petits bouttes pas pire et des longs bouttes plates. Gros effort pour rien de vraiment spécial. Écoute pénible. 2.49 étoiles

It's Tommy. It's incredible of course, definitely feels dated. High concept masterpiece.

Solid album. Not my favorite Who but enjoyable.

Yeah their choice of inspiration was questionable

Has some good instrumentals but other than that Nothing special about this album 3/10

Tommy The Who 1969 Genres: Rock Styles: Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Art Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock, Rock Opera 1. Overture (★★★★⯨) - Contexto: Obertura instrumental que presenta los principales motivos musicales que reaparecerán durante toda la historia. 2. It's a Boy (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Nace Tommy. La familia celebra la llegada del niño. 3. 1921 (★★★★☆) - Contexto: El padre regresa de la guerra, mata al amante de su esposa y Tommy presencia el crimen. Sus padres le ordenan olvidar lo ocurrido. 4. Amazing Journey (★★★★★) - Contexto: Aunque está aislado del mundo, Tommy desarrolla una intensa vida espiritual e imaginaria. - Fav 5. Sparks (★★★★★) - Contexto: Instrumental que representa ese viaje interior y el despertar de una energía especial. 6. Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) (★★★★⯨) - Contexto: Sus padres lo llevan con un curandero religioso esperando un milagro. 7. Christmas (★★★★★) - Contexto: Sus padres se preguntan qué significado puede tener la Navidad para un niño incapaz de ver, oír o hablar. -Fav 8. Cousin Kevin (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Su primo Kevin aprovecha la indefensión de Tommy para maltratarlo. 9. The Acid Queen (★★★★★) - Contexto: Una prostituta y traficante intenta curarlo mediante drogas, sexo y experiencias psicodélicas, sin éxito. 10. Underture (★★★★⯨) - Contexto: Largo instrumental que representa el caos psicológico y los efectos de esas experiencias. 11. Do You Think It's Alright? (★★☆☆☆) - Contexto: Los padres dejan a Tommy al cuidado de un tío. 12. Fiddle About (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: El tío Ernie abusa sexualmente de Tommy aprovechando su aparente incapacidad. 13. Pinball Wizard (★★★★★) - Contexto: Tommy descubre un talento sobrenatural para jugar al pinball y se convierte en una leyenda. -Fav 14. There's a Doctor (★★☆☆☆) - Contexto: La familia encuentra un médico que cree haber descubierto el origen del problema. 15. Go to the Mirror! (★★★★★) - Contexto: El médico observa que Tommy reacciona ante su propio reflejo y sugiere que el bloqueo es psicológico. 16. Tommy, Can You Hear Me? (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Sus padres intentan comunicarse con él, sin saber si realmente puede percibir algo. 17. Smash the Mirror (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: El espejo que simboliza su prisión mental es destruido y Tommy recupera sus sentidos. 18. Sensation (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: El mundo queda fascinado por Tommy, que pasa de víctima a celebridad. 19. Miracle Cure (★★☆☆☆) - Contexto: La noticia de su recuperación se difunde como si fuera un milagro. 20. Sally Simpson (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Una fan llamada Sally resulta herida intentando acercarse a Tommy durante un acto público, mostrando el fanatismo que despierta. 21. I'm Free (★★★★★) - Contexto: Tommy proclama que por fin es libre y comparte su nueva visión espiritual. -Fav 22. Welcome (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Invita a nuevos seguidores a unirse a su movimiento. 23. Tommy's Holiday Camp (★⯨☆☆☆) - Contexto: Se organiza un campamento para sus discípulos, donde sus enseñanzas empiezan a institucionalizarse. 24. We're Not Gonna Take It (★★★★☆) - Contexto: Los seguidores se rebelan contra las reglas absurdas que Tommy intenta imponer. El movimiento se derrumba y el álbum concluye con el himno "See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You", que deja un mensaje sobre encontrar la iluminación por uno mismo y no mediante falsos mesías. -TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,75)

It's so long that I did not even bother to finish. It feels like The Wall, but without the generational songwriting and the immense talent of David Gilmour and Roger Waters.

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.

I was torn on this one. Definitely a 3, flirting with a 4 for a few reasons: there are some really good classic Who songs on here, I like the idea of a rock opera - something different and unique, and the musicianship is at a high level. On the flip side, there are some not so great songs on here and the execution of the rock opera concept isn’t always easy to follow. Unless you know the story, it can be hard to appreciate what’s going on. I actually listened to this one twice yesterday and after the second listen I’ve decided to round up to a 4.

A rock opera that hits on all the levels. The music on any given track is really good, but more than that you can envision the storyline progressing as you transition from song to song. There is a continuity across the album that helps bring the bigger picture into focus. The real Rock songs like “Pinball Wizard” are what truly draw you into the album and make this fun and exciting to listen to.

This was really underwhelming

Love me a concept album. Crazy story, bit dark in spots but it's a fun ride. The Who are rocking on this album, legendary players absolution killing it. Epic songs that blow you away and some quirky fun songs that carry the story line. Absolutely stands the test of time, enjoyed the listen, a pleasant break between having my heart broken twice (Portugal and USA).

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.

Another member of the raided my parents record collection club. Started as "hey that's the one with pinball wizard on it", and ended up on quite a different adventure. Its a shameless 5 for personal nostalgia, but it's admittedly a pretty out there venture by The Who to include discovering context around the story that I had previously missed when I was younger.

Fuck off The Who, ya boring. 1hr14 long and 24 songs and you can’t do one good one!? Only consolation, it was better than The Who Sell Out

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

Its a solid ambitious concept, but if you dont know the concept or story behind it then it sounds disjointed and a bit all over the place. I like the idea and the scale of it rather then most of the songs on it. Although I do like a lot of them. Definitely needs a few listens to fully appreciate too. If getting into the who this isn't the best place to start 3.5!

Needs a 2nd listen, with the knowledge its a concept album I like that the songs run into one another. Makes it sound cohesive. I mean its ok. But Dont think its as memorable as I thought it would be. Last part of the album is best, Pinball Wizard is obvs stand out. Bit Self indulgent and tryhard to be funny.

Shit

amazing

3 hours of this?? Why?? Give me LTJ Bukem any day over this. Yuck!

An experimental masterpiece - as an album it’s not necessarily one you’d return to regularly, but truly impressive

i just dont really like the who

Haven’t seen the movie but I think I’d like it. Surprisingly playful! But shouldn’t it be “The Whom”

The Who gives a fuck amirite

Movie for my ears! What a fun time. The Who always puts me in a good mood.

I like it, but its not exactly for me

8/10

I liked - interesting - long

This is an album I don't even need to listen to anymore, as all of the melodies are imprinted in my mind. I first bought this album at 15, and I couldn't stop listening to it. The story is silly and often dumb, but there's a lot of profound lyrical moments. However, it was the guitar work that really grabbed me. Townsend doesn't get enough credit as a acoustic guitar player, let alone a composer. Here, he managed to write maybe 5 or 6 melodies and chord transitions, and beautifully embellish them throughout the whole piece. Similar to classical music or jazz, these slight variations are what get me, especially when they suddenly return throughout the piece. As someone with synesthesia, I constantly associate musical pieces with shapes and sometimes colors. This album for me is played in the void, with notes and melodies making up lines searching for light. The fact that Tommy is completely devoid of senses, other than tactile ones, made a big influence on me on how we need to "feel" music, or art in general, from a primal point of view, to tap into new emotions. Maybe none of this makes sense, but it's one of the only albums that I can think about and immediately get goosebumps. It's so massive, so melodic, and cohesive. I don't even care if it fails as a concept. I would have loved to have seen this live. The best album the Who ever made, hands down. No rock opera has come close, not even Born to Run or The Wall (both albums that I LOVE, by the way). By the way, for those shocked with the content, such as "Uncle Ernie" - Townsend has said that he was sexually abused as a child. I feel that this album was a way for him to work with his emotions as well as give a voice to those that cannot express themselves when dealing with trauma and horror. It's bleak content but so is the world. Finding beauty and restoring justice in it is the solution.

Masterpiece

The Who!! Now we are talking..

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.

yeah this sucks

I did not know this, I did n't expect this. Obviously know who The Who are, but I didn't know about the Tommy opera storyline. Very intense listen, with alot going on, but I do enjoy a storyline line album. Made me think of pinball wizard so differently

Too long

Conceptual and fascinating, but I couldn't get into it. Seems to demand the listener's undivided attention while not doing enough to capture it.

this is the male equivalent of 'she's so quirky!' to me except this has somehow been validated by critical acclaim and it's worth nothing of the sort.

i can't imagine putting so much effort into making an album and still having it come out so incredibly boring... 7 tracks in right now and i've felt absolutely nothing and you're telling me there's still 17 more to go was debating between 1 or 2 stars but fiddle about helped me make up my mind genuinely who listened to this and thought this is fire let's include it never felt so relieved as i did when it finally ended i think this is the worst out of all my 1 star albums

I know this band is talented but not a fan

I want to like Tommy. I really do. The Who is great and God knows I love a concept album. It just isn't the sum of its parts for me.

Good concept some stand-out songs but somewhat overblown and pretentious.

There are some good songs on this but they are massively diluted in Tommy's story. The type of albums that's hard to find the mood for... Pinball Wizzard

Pretty cool as a story. Could relisten to it but doubt I will

3.33 out of 5 stars for Tommy. I like it on the whole as a rock opera. Some of the themes are a bit over the top and disturbing, but the story flows well through the music and Keith Moon is a superstar on the drums for this album. An interesting tale for sure, and definitely needs to be heard by everyone at least once.

3.5 stars There are clearly great things going on on this album. Keith Moon is a beast. And it’s an impressive feat. But does it achieve what it was set out to do? The story is murky. The songs are repetitive to an unnecessary degree. It’s really long and doesn’t hold up all the way through. But parts of it are great. Just not all of it.

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.

I feel the urge to dump on this album, and it's definitely not for me. It's like a childhood trauma songs from "Always Sunny". I think it falls flat in effectively every way, but I can't deny that it's influential and an honest attempt at doing something. I can't bring myself to rate it a three, but I recognize that I may be being mean here.

Une sacrée expérience ! Honnêtement j’aurais bien aimé que Tommy se suicide comme ça l’album aurait été plus court. Hormis la durée, j’ai bien aimé l’album mes chansons préférées sont : chrismas, amazing journey, do you think it’s alright et pinball wizard. J’ai vraiment bien aimé pinball wizard. Undertune est bien aussi. J’avoue qu’a la fin j’étais moins concentré et intéressé.

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 ...

1. Overture: le son est ridicule, il a laché une phrase et j'ai juste l'impression d'écouter la BO d'un film random américain. 2. Je sais pas quoi dire le son est comparable à la taille de mon engin 3. Je rentre un peu dedans mais franchement oubliable 4. Pas dingue, on dirait juste que je pars tuer des indiens à dos de cheval armé d'un revolver 6 coups (me suis endormi un peu) 5. La prod la plus mid que j'ai pu entendre 6. Absolute Garbage 7. Tommy n'a pas l'air de t'entendre frérot (à chier le son) 8. Rincé 9. A ce niveau de l'album je sens que je vais rien aimer 10. C'est terrifiant à quel point y a pas d'âme dans la musique, c'est vide 11. Nul 12. Insupportable, Fiddle fiddle fiddle fiddle fiddle, vous voulez que je retrouve vos tombes et que je déterre vos ossements de saletés de fils de pute d'américain de merde ou pas les gars ? Parce que là j'en ai très envie 13. Seul son écoutable pour l'instant 14. Sympa sans plus 15. Ils ont quoi avec Tommy sérieux il doit leur devoir un sacré pactole le salopiaud (son à chier 2x) 16. Nul 17. Nul 18. Nul 20. J'ai encore entendu un nom que j'ai bcp trop entendu en seulement quelques heures. Faut lacher sa veste vraiment (son OK) 21. Ok sans plus, je pense que globalement ça manque de folie créative, c'est trop vu et revu les prods et les voix sont aussi banales, les paroles aussi sont claquées 22. C'est bad long et nul en plus 23. C'est extremement vilain, en fait je retire ce que j'ai dis sur la folie créative, faut juste arreter la musique là. 24. Tommy me rends DINGUE + Tellement lonnnnggggg

I feel like this would be better as an actual opera/stage play, rather than listening to it as an album. The standout song is Pinball Wizard, probably why this is the song that is most popular.

I love the album, I named the project "Becoming wise in simplicity" after this very album and the first thing I'm recommended is freaking Tommy. Also I am gay Don't share your personal link, anyone can get in Yeah, its not a great idea I don't think I'm supposed to be here Hey everybody, have a nice day! Oh nice, we're doing this now? Hey guys!

I don't really have a strong opinion of The Who coming into this album. I think of them as being a "jam band" but I have no idea if that is even accurate. I am a real sucker for albums that contain a narrative but this style of music doesn't do it for me. Christmas is an interesting track, I really like "how can men who have never seen light be enlightened" and ruminating on the idea of "how can he be saved? The subject matter here is just weird for me, it is a weird story. A disabled person getting abused by various people in his life.. like why??? It's dark and disturbing. What a bunch of weirdos

I've seen the movie multiple times, but never listened to the album alone. Hearing the music and lyrics detached form the visuals revealed whole new layers of meaning that I never picked up on. As a whole, it is so incredibly well assembled. Setup in the second track gets paid off in Side C. The overture is a true Overture. The leitmotifs that carry through different songs, calling back to earlier moments. Yes, it' a terribly sad story. But, musically? It is so well done. Would I listen again: Almost certainly: Favorite song: The album is an inseparable whole. There is no one "best" song, because it's so hard to take any one out of the context of the album as a who- Ok, ok, yeah it's Pinball Wizard, obviously. Overall: 8/10 (4 stars)

A massive dichotomy. Fun music, deeply disturbing themes. I like the instrumental tracks the best, and Pinball Wizard is a classic. But overall not a fun time due to the themes dealt with.

Pre-Listening thoughts: I mean… It's Tommy. It's the proto-Rock Opera. It was a major movie, and had Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, of course I know about the album. It's iconic, but I don't think I've actually sat down and listened to the whole original album, only the movie soundtrack. This should be an amazing experience, as I know almost all the music, and love most of the songs. Most I've heard already anyway. The singles Pinball Wizard, See Me Feel Me, and I'm Free are very well known, as is Tommy Can You Hear Me? So yeah, ready for a rock experience! Fair warning the movie was a report that I did in college. I was a musical Theatre major and this was a VERY big deal for musicals. Let's go! Overture: Chords!! A good tone setting every musical or rock opera needs this kind of opener track, right exactly from the playbook. So exactly what is expected. The flugelhorn is a great sound though! The harmonies are so good. It goes through several themes and leitmotifs that will be used later in the album. A good actual overture that would be perfect for playing before the show or between acts in a Broadway musical. And then it gets into the introduction song, just a few lines of vocals. And ready to dive into the plot of this album. It's A Boy: Following up on the bit in Overture, the windowed Mrs Walker has a baby boy, after her husband died in WW1. Very broadway interstitial song. 1921: Here we go, a real "song" talking about 1921, and optimism for the upcoming year. Tommy witnesses his mom sleeping with a new lover, and insists he didn't see, hear, or will say anything about it. The captain comes home, after being assumed dead, and is killed by the lover. And the mom and lover cover it up and convince Tommy nothing happened. Amazing Journey: Tommy diassociates, and actually becomes deaf, dumb, and blind. And now relies on touch and imagination, musically this is so good, but lyrically it's sad, as Tommy falls into his fantasy life and truly loses his senses. The ending of this is so amazing and psychedelic! So good! Sparks: Continuing the internal world Tommy has developed, this instrumental piece just continues the previous song and just is so much fun audibly. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker): Hey the quack shows up, a doctor claims Tommy can be cured, it's bullshit. Musically it's aggressive and angry, and it is the start of the spiritual occult theming of the album. Christmas: Well, now Tommy's parents are getting upset about his conditions, and they lament that he isn't experiencing Christmas like other kids, and that he won't find Christmas stuck in his head like he is. The music is also aggressive, but feeling… fake. The first of the "Tommy, can you hear me?" phrases repeated is in this one. And also the See me, Feel me, touch me, heal me lines. Man this is VERY much a musical. Cousin Kevin: And now shit goes completely sideways, the parents start to neglect him, and leave Tommy with his cousin Kevin, who abuses the hell out of him. This is sad and a real low point in Tommy's life, but things get worse… The music is so off-putting and discordant it really illustrates how fucked up Kevin is. The Acid Queen: Hey the doctor's wife is back, and now she's giving Tommy drugs! More abuse of the poor kid as the lady drugs him and rapes him. Musically this is proclaiming and proud, which matches how the lady is completely delusional. A fun track to listen to, if you ignore the story happening. Underture: Tommy's acid trip! Another instrumental. Starting airy before getting more deep and aggressive, as the trip goes deeper. This is a great end to album one, as this is absolutely a entr'acte piece musically, and storywise it is a great drug trip, you can *see* the intended visuals as the song plays out. Do You Think It's Alright?: And back to more abuse of Tommy, the parents debate if it's okay to leave Tommy with Uncle Ernie, who's drunk. They decide to do it anyway… quick interlude leading into…. Fiddle About: Tommy gets raped *again*... Ernie takes advantage of Tommy, and yeah… it's as bad as you think it is. Musically it's repetitive and just uncomfortable, which is exactly what the goal is. Pinball Wizard: Here we GO!!! Great track. The champion Pinball player talks about how amazing Tommy is at playing pinball, without being able to see. Unlike what the song said, he's playing by vibration, not smell. In the song Tommy defeats the Wizard, becoming the best player. There's A Doctor: With success, the parents take him to a REAL doctor… Interlude. Go To The Mirror: The doctor runs lots of tests, and "see me, feel me" returns. The doctor determines that the problems are psychosomatic, and directs him to look into a mirror. A great rock track, and just optimistic sounding. Tommy Can You Hear Me?: A variant of what we've heard before, this phrase is a theme. Mom is now wanting him to come out of his head… to respond, to be normal. Smash The Mirror: And the lack of response gets to her, Tommy has been staring at his reflection for hours. And as she gets more angry… she smashes the mirror that he's been staring at. Sensation: And…. Tommy comes out of it! The smashed mirror breaks Tommy's mental walls and he begins to to have his senses again, and now he realize he can be a cult leader. People will respect and worship him! Something musically about this feels kinda Beach Boys. Miracle Cure: He's been cured of being deaf, dumb, and blind, and now is news! Interlude. Sally Simpson: One of Tommy's new followers is obsessed with him. She's not alone in this, others are similar, but this is from Sally's perspective, and how she wants to be with Tommy. I'm Free: Tommy's point of view as the cult leader, wanting others to join him, and experience what he's experiencing. The freedom of his new life I adore the guitar in this one. Welcome: And now Tommy as the cult leader is inviting people to join him, come into his home, into his cult. Spreading his word, increasing his flock. More and more, more than they can handle… expanding to fit them all. Tommy's Holilday Camp: The cult is at its peak now… Ernie working for Tommy, and it's… just wrong. It's a circus, not faith. The negativity won. We're Not Gonna Take It: Tommy tries to take back control, encouraging people to be clean and emulate him. The followers start whispering they aren't gonna follow, and then get louder… Tommy keeps preaching the idea of being internal ignoring your external senses, When Ernie is included to bring them to pinball machines, more cultists turn, and the rejection grows louder. Saying that Tommy is gonna be raped here is a bit a metaphor, that people are taking advantage of him. This then leads Tommy to reject the outside world again with See Me, Feel me coming back. As the musical wraps up, he has retreated back to his inner world and the remaining cultists sing his praises still. Overall Thoughts: Gosh… um… yeah, this is a broadway musical like Hamilton. No dialog, only music. It's *amazing*. I really didn't talk much about the actual *music* I noticed, I was caught up in the story, I suppose the other The Who albums that aren't quite so story focused will get more of a musical review from me. But yeah, this is one of my favorites to date. It's amazing that this was being recorded while The Beatles were breaking up. But it is absolutely a contemporary with Abby Road. Favorite Song: Pinball Wizard Least Favorite Song: Fiddle About Album rating: 9/10 Familiarity: 10/10 Would I listen to again: Yup. It's a great album! The story is interesting, and I just really enjoy the whole damn vibe. Its great.

My first time hearing ‘Pinball Wizard’ was Elton John in a pair of giant Doc Marten stilt boots, playing a piano that was built into a pinball machine. Just to get that out in front of anything else. My first encounter with *Tommy* was, weirdly enough, someone’s t-shirt while standing in line at Disney World. Not that I had any idea what I was looking at, or what Tommy was, it was just a very striking shirt advertising the Broadway musical. I don’t know why that stuck in my head. Sticks in my head still. Blame my autism or something. The next time I encountered it was a couple of years later. I had a day where I was home from school or something, I know for sure that there weren’t any family members around with me, and I was flipping channels, and caught Encore just as they were about to start playing the film, “Tommy”. The t-shirt flashed into my mind, and I decided to leave it there and watch. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I hadn’t seen anything quite like it before, and that’s leaving aside the whole Acid Queen sequence. My only real exposure to Elton John before that had been seeing his episode of The Muppet Show, but even so, he ended up being the one face I actually recognized in the whole thing. And all of those images I was unprepared for lodged in my head. So that’s where I’m coming from on this. I’ve seen the film a number of times, I’ve become more of a fan of The Who, but somehow I just never came around to actually listen to the album itself. I think this is the first rock album I’ve ever listened to that had a proper overture. That was a surprise, hearing the whole album in miniature within the first few minutes, similar to what I knew but also different. That same thing applies to the whole album, in fact; all these songs that are *like* what I’m familiar with, and yet different. So how do you rate something that occupies a position like that? This album has existed at a weird disconnect from my experience for over three decades. I can’t disconnect it from the images that have been lodged in my head since my youth. The Who sings Acid Queen and I see Tina Turner and that bizarro mirrored sarcophagus box with the syringes, even though I know it’s not actually there, that it’s from one of the film’s most fever-dream sequences. The Who sings Pinball Wizard and Elton John tromps around in meter-high stilt boots. It’s impossible to untangle. I can’t judge this on its own merits simply because I’m too familiar with the alternate version of it I encountered in my youth. 9/10, rounded up to 5/5 stars. I’m absolutely going to listen to this again, even if I can’t take it as its own separate document from my previous experience with the songs. It’s not quite as virtuosic as I would want from a 10/10… I’ll need to listen to a live version, though, since I’ve heard that those are where the album really shines. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to play some pinball.

Rockopera? Antar det? Asså är rätt bra, men blandar och ger lite va? Pinball wizard är alltid mycket lustig! Det värsta är egentligen att the who alltid har så risigt jävla ljud

så tråkigt!!!!!!!

Ambitiöst. Min lyssning inte lika ambitiös. Inte mycket som sticker ut. Tråkigt nog Pinball wizard som topp

A complete blind listen. what a cool cover. —— I like Sparks a lot. saved. such good music. —— I get that it’s a story, and while I usually appreciate a story narrated in song across a complete album, this one seems so direct and straight to the point. It’s not hidden within the music. The songs don’t stand out on their own. It feels like a musical. Reminded me of wicked, even, not musically but story wise. — The Acid Queen was kind of disappoint for such a cool title. people in the 60s were definitely weird man! I enjoyed the outro a lot tho. Underture, saved. The music is great. it’s the lyrics that are bothering me i think. —— I cringed at Miracle Cure. I'm free may be the only song with singing that's actually good and that may stand as a song on its own. ________________ I really wanted to like it but realllllly did not get the appeal. Surely there are better albums that could've made the list. This (Tommy's Holiday Camp) is genuinely horrible. Glad it's about to end! 7 more minutes... _______________ So happy it's over. Can't believe the generator gave me this after brian wilson presents smile. two messy albums trying to tell a lame story in a row. oh god. __________________ poem: Tommy Tommy Toe me To me Two me Two of me Two over me Two owl are me Two owls air me Two owls oar me Two owls soar me Two owls sore me Two owls sour mean

An interesting 24 track album. I felt it fell flat for a majority of the time. Pinball wizard, underture brought this up from a 2 to a 3 I felt they were by far the most complete and interesting tracks of the album. The rest all had some sort of issue I did not enjoy, whether it was the annoying high pitched vocals or uninteresting instrumentals.

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.

Déjà écouté avant. Tommy est un album en équilibre instable. D'un côté, les ambitions musicales mégalomanes de Pete Townshend, et la structure inspirée de l'opéra qui en découle (à base d'ouvertures instrumentales, de variations autour de thèmes musicaux récurrents et d'un arc narratif tragicomique pas forcément très facile à suivre). De l'autre, le soin du groupe dans son ensemble de ne pas trop s'éloigner, contrairement à certains de leurs contemporains, d'une instrumentation reproductible en live... avec les moyens techniques de 1969. Le résultat, c'est une œuvre fondamentalement bancale, fondatrice et foireuse, tenue à bout de bras, comme souvent chez les Who, par les fulgurances mélodiques à la basse de John Entwistle et l'exubérance déglinguée de Keith Moon derrière les fûts. Top : Pinball Wizard Flop : Fiddle About

Exceptional album. Peak creativity for Mr Townshend (imo). The live version at Woodstock is phenomenal! Watch it right now!

Love a classic rock opera!

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?

Bummer. This one has not aged particularly well.

Rock opera, FFS. This was a struggle to get through. Pinball wizard and the last track served it from a one star review.

Look, it's too on the nose to be a good concept album and too batshit to be a good musical, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for a leitmotif. And every time "listening to you" or "see me, feel me" starts playing I clap. A couple of great standout songs like Acid Queen, I'm Free and Pinball Wizard, but really its all about the flow of song into song. I like it, probably more than I should.

Man, how long has it been since I got a real concept album? It feels like its been forever since I got to mention an album's plot as a part of the album review. Here we have the Who's 1969 album Tommy. All things considered, it is a very interesting album. This album is seen by many as one of the earliest examples of a rock opera, so that's pretty cool! The story is certainly unique, with it being about a boy named Tommy who loses and regains his senses before eventually becoming a cult leader. The plot has its twists and turns, though I did find the plot a little hard to follow at times, especially around the middle of the album. But how is the music of the album? It's pretty good! The Who were starting to really kick things in to high gear musically, and this album has some great songs. "Pinball Wizard" is easily the highlight of the album for me, which is kinda funny since it doesn't really have anything to do with the overarching narrative of the album. Awesome song. "Overture" is a nice opener. Songs like "1921," "Amazing Journey," and "Go the the Mirror!" are pretty cool as well. But, there are also a bunch of songs that don't really do much for me outside of the album context. This album's kinda like Pink Floyd's The Wall in that regard, except none of the songs are as good as "Comfortably Numb" so the album's just kinda worse overall. But of course, Tommy is not a bad album by any means. The album is still quite enjoyable. The emotional high points are great, the use of recurring motifs and lyrics is commendable, and the full album experience is pretty cool throughout. I like the album. It's not my favorite Who album, but it's still pretty good. Decent 4/5.

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

Well, this introduced the concept of the rock opera to the public imagination so it certainly belongs on here. And while some of the songs on here are undeniably fantastic, I don't think this particularly plays to the strengths of The Who, at least as I see them. It's bloated, uneven, narratively weak, and doesn't have enough ideas to carry the full 74 minutes. But it's a big ol' swing that influenced the course of popular music in the 20th century and cracked open the possibilities of what rock music could do. I guess this is a lot of words to say... it's aiight

A bit of a sprawling mess of a concept album, doesn't hang together too well for me though. Were it not for the Wiki page the concept might have passed me by.

I know Tommy is considered a classic, but it wasn’t for me. The story felt bizarre, none of the songs stood out on their own, and much of the album sounded outdated and goofy.

I just do not get this band. I've tried and tried, I just don't understand the appeal. They have a few songs I like (doesn't every really famous band that's considered classic rock?) but by and large I can't do it. I reviewed one of their albums earlier...and I said something along the lines of...If I'm gonna listen 60s and 70s classic rock, why not just listen to Zeppelin instead? Or the Beatles? Or Sabbath? Or The Rolling Stones? This starts with Overture and...the horns? Come on. It's so cheesy. Then Daltrey's voice comes in....and why am I listening to this dude when I could be listening to Robert Plant? I don't even think his singing is that good here. I've heard him be a really powerful singer on other songs (We Won't Get Fooled Again) but he doesn't sound like a commanding lead singer with a huge voice here. He sounds like he's narrating a stupid play. Why am I listening to Townshend when I could be listening to Jimmy Page? I'm also not opposed to a concept album or a story...but I don't give a shit about this one. A kid who is deaf and blind...and he turns into a pinball wizard? Good for the kid but I hate having to listen to this shit. I understand the ambition. I understand that this is an important record and I get that The Who have a lot of diehard fans. And I'm not saying that they're bad musicians because that's not true...they're great musicians. But this is just overblown, theatrical and exhausting wrapped up in a big ball of cheese. I'd rather just listen to Led Zeppelin. That's the whole problem. The Who have the reputation for being one of the giants in rock history but they don't win any categories for me. Zeppelin’s effortless experimental bombast beats this. Sabbath's heaviness over The Who. Beatles imagination over The Who's concept. Pink Floyd's imagination and atmosphere, too. Mick Taylor Era Rolling Stones had more swagger and groove. I also just don't know when anyone listens to this album, either. Is this music to drive to? Cook dinner to? Work out to? Listen to it while working? Mowing the lawn? Where does this music sit? There's barely any riffs, there's barely any hooks. The vibe is, like, half assed opera. But leave that to Freddie and Queen, cause they'll do it right. What are these guys doing? For some reason, I thought this came out in 1972 or 1973...but no, it came out in 1969 which is in the blast radius of Sgt. Peppers. Seemed like everyone was trying to make a big statement album...oh, so rock albums can be art now, too? Let's make it a whole thing. And The Who just landed on a kid that's been traumatized and pinball. But with Sgt. Pepper's, you don't need to buy into a plot...is there a plot? It's something like a fictional band putting on a weird show. And that's enough, you can just enjoy the songs individually without having to care about someone completing a journey to the center of the earth. Tommy, the story keeps getting shoved back in your face at all times for 75 minutes. If I had to pick one thing here, the second half of Amazing Journey (which is in Almost Famous) is pretty cool. But come on, I just heard about a kid picking his nose. Tommy can you hear me? Who cares? Touch me, feel me, what the fuck?

I know this was a very influential album but I don't want to listen to a whole rock opera with a plot based on the torture of a child.

Não escutei inteiro

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

An opus for sure... With some real bright spots, but much of it was just ok and maybe could have been cut from the final product. I'm free!

Not a fan of this album although I think The Who are amongst the greatest bands ever. Doesn’t need the live repeat.

Ну хто ж не знає цей альбом?

One of the earliest examples of the Rock Opera. This is a classic album that has been adapted into many formats and there is a reason it has had a lasting cultural impact and is probably the most closely associated work with The Who.