Tommy

This album is mind-bending, mostly in a good way. It's fun to follow the storyline along until you realise that it's a little devoid of substance, but even after that it's goofy enough that I could see myself being entertained upon repeat listens. Townshend must've had a right time of it explaining the album's meaning to the press. A boy becomes psychosomatically deaf, dumb, and blind after childhood trauma? Sure. He's prescribed psychedelics by an alt-doctor and picks up the pinball machine? Of course. He develops a cult following and dislikes it so much that his character development goes out the window? Superb. I'm not sure that it's particularly relatable, but it's certainly one of the plots of all time. (To give Tommy some credit: it's a ballsy idea for a 60s album, and it turned the world of music – particularly rock artistry – on its head.) A heavily acoustic and vocally-harmonised atmosphere is presented in the Overture, and this sound remains more or less consistent throughout the album. There isn't much electric guitar compared to some of the Who's earlier and later works. The drumming is perhaps a little tamer than fans might have expected, but I enjoy it. The melodies are a little difficult to follow, and they're by no means simple, but that does provide plenty of room for relistening and working out what the heck is going on melodically and harmonically. And the main single, Pinball Wizard, is excellent. 4/5 Key tracks: Pinball Wizard, Go To The Mirror!, I'm Free

Very long but good album

It’s a little long, it doesn’t always work, but I love it.

Enjoyed that a lot, way more proggier than I tought they were. Ill try and find a copy one of these days.

That's a damn good theme album. I know it's rock opera, but it's very good. The guitar play is exceptional.

It’s a classic, it’s probably been decades since I listed to the whole thing. Excellent

General impression: pretty awesome for being the “first rock opera”…but needs trimming Detailed review: I was pretty excited to listen to this, and was a little surprised upon research that this came out before Who’s Next. I thought it would’ve been later in their discography. But whatever. Anyway, I wanted to take it seriously so I read up on its general storyline and then read lyrics along with listening. I think it’s a pretty great and clever story, to be honest, and doesn’t rest on cliches like it could’ve as a “hero’s journey.” I definitely felt like there were a lot of unnecessary filler tracks to move the story along, and I would personally cut 8 of the 23 tracks. I’m going to do that in my music library and listen again, and I bet I’ll love it more as a 15-track album. That doesn’t count for rating it though, so I’ll just give it a 4. Side note: the casual fun of “Fiddle Around” and the “We forsake you / Gonna rape you” bit of the last song is truly horrifying. Maybe I’m a pearl clutcher but dayum! Deeper thoughts (context): Apparently there are 5 Who albums on this list, so I guess I’ll have a good sense of their discog by the end of this. Score: 4 Number of albums left to review: 953 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 28 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 20

Better than Goldfrapp

Great but The Wall did it better

I had heard this album many man years ago- I remember my older brother playing it when I was a kid. Going in with fresh ears, I found myself being really impressed by the tone and scope of thr album. The story Pete Townshend tells is simple yet effective, and draws you into the life of this detached boy turned realized man. The songs are varied in tone and emotion. The instrumentation keeps the pace moving and drives the story, especially the drums. The only weak point I see is the ending- Tommy is built up as a messanic figure only the end the album on a sillier note. I would have liked a more grand conclusion to a rock opera. Overall- I really enjoyed the album and could see myself listening again. Id give it a 4.5/5, but not quite a 5

The more albums I get, the more I get the feeling that the year 1969 must've been fucking amazing. The Velvet Underground, Abbey Road, Songs from a Room, Nashville Skyline, Hot Rats, In the Court of the fucking Crimson King... And yes, also this one. I have never listened this one entirely. And to be honest, if you take the songs separately, okay, then it's not that awesome. But holy shit, this surely was a ride. This is like The Wall, but from the Who. And yes, then you have Pinball Wizard, which is just mindblowingly amazing. I'm giving this one a 3.8. You may think I'd give this a 5 after giving that review, but this is a good album as a whole, but the songs apart aren't always very amazing.

This is a big album, in concept, in ambition and in length and for the most part it works. It's tough to wade in to an album knowing you'll be listening to it for nearly 80 minutes, but hearing Keith Moon's drumming right off the bat puts you in familiar territory. This album has some hits and is generally a lot of fun. It's a classic for a reason.

I wish all the songs were as good as Pinball Wizard. 3.5.

he sure plays a mean pinball Decent album to make me feel slightly more alive the day after a party and horrendous amount of sleep!

It’s one of those albums that you just knew had to be on this list. It’s probably the greatest conventional rock opera to most (not me: I rate American Idiot by Green Day higher). That said, it was revolutionary and still (mostly) stands the test of time. It needs to be heard (and probably seen) to fully understand - I appreciate the nebulous feel of the individual music pieces as I think they provide stepping stones for a dramatist to insert a fully-realised script. I’m more of a fan of the entire album than I am of any individual tracks save for Pinball Wizard. That song is a banger.

I really love the film adaptation of this album, and I gotta say I think the film soundtrack with the full cast is better. No offense, Townshend, but you're no Ann Margaret. Tina Turner's "Gypsy the Acid Queen" is so high-energy and camp compared to this one, it's not even a competition. The music in this is great though. I love the instrumentals in the different -tures, and the overall concept/story is wild but fun.

I read the Wikipedia synopsis of this album as I listened, it was nice!

This is much better than I ever thought it would be. I needed wikipedia to make sense of the whole story, but it's well done and perfectly cohesive. Thoroughly enjoyed.

What a ride… absolutely loved the music but wow is the story dark. I enjoyed the sonic journey but could have done without quite a lot of the story (is Uncle Ernie bully Cousin Kevin’s Dad!?) Hopefully Sally Simpson had a lovely life with her rock musician in California.

One of best conceptual albums from 60s

A classic rock opera for a reason. Some tracks land more than others for me personally, but it does a great job telling its story and cements its place as an iconic album.

Sometimes I ponder reusing melodies. Is it lazy? In the end it doesn't matter if it's lazy or not if it has a function. I feel here it pulls the soundtrack together and applies different moods. It works.

Enjoyed this. I saw the play way back when. The song pinball wizard is something I will throw on to get hyped.

The idea of a rock opera is pretty cool. I liked most the music on this one.

Rock Opera. Rocky and slightly experimental. Interesting, somewhat pleasant. Varied.

Concept album or whole album conveys a story... anyone under the age of 30 will never see this happen.

Movie was wild. The album just as so.

It's hard to rate this since I didn't get the whole story on my listen. There are some great tracks and I think the album flows pretty well. It's a big undertaking and obviously inventive for its time. I'm going to revisit this at some point and try to listen more closely and follow the story.

I hate saying that you have to listen to something in a certain way to really get it but this is one of those cases where it’s true. You have to listen to the whole goddamn thing in order. It’s a performance of a play, it doesn’t really make any sense any other way, and honestly there are no real standout tracks other than pinball wizard that you’d want to revisit in a vacuum. As a whole though, it’s a masterwork. There is a whole range of feelings in here that just aren’t present on so many other great albums. Sadness, depression, joy, anger, hope, etc. Songs rarely make me mad but boy do I want to beat the shit out of Cousin Kevin and Uncle Ernie (“Fiddle About”). I love the double meaning of “Amazing Journey” and the very literal interpretation of “Acid Queen”. “Underture” is a top 10 rock instrumental easily and it serves as a great pause in the middle of the album. Starting with “Sally Simpson” the album and the story get more grandiose as Tommy becomes this messiah and then a cult leader, and the emotions become more hopeful and confusing. In any case the whole thing has such a wide range, it’s quite a journey. I don’t know if it’s the remaster that did this but the audio mix is brilliant. Moon’s drums constantly shift between left right and center in the channels with different parts of the kit in different ears. The production in general is sky high. All of that is to say that I really enjoyed this, but if you have to listen to something in a certain way it’s not really something i can refer to as the best of anything. It’s a 4.5.

I enjoy concept albums. This one is hit or miss, but mostly hit.

Ciego, sordo y desocupado, POR QUÉ NOS HAS ABANDONADO

Han pasado décadas desde que escuché por primera vez la banda sonora en el cine y esta ópera rock sobre un chico sordo, mudo y ciego convertido en una superestrella con tientes religiosos sigue siendo especial para mí. Me sigue erizando el cabello "I'm Free", extreapolable a cualquier situación en la que uno necesita sentirse libre de ataduras. Y por supuesto los grandes temas que en la película interpretan Elton John y Tina Turner, "Pinball Wizard" y "The Acid Queen" (aunque, eso sí, me gustan más la versiones de la BSO). Excelentes son también "Sensation" y, sobre todo para mí, "We're Not Gonna Take It". Como concepto, el álbum me parece excelente, y en cuanto a la música, el empleo de ganchos pop sólidos junto al rock contundente propio de la banda, empapan el disco de un atractivo innegable.

good

Classic. Bit long though

Legendary album. Not my favorite by The Who, but enjoyed it.

Amazing album, a true pioneer in the Rock Opera format. The plot is actually not that hard to follow, as far as rock operas are concerned. And despite having a lot of tracks that don't stand on their own at all outside the context of the album, there are still plenty of great and memorable songs here. Key tracks: 1921 Christmas Cousin Kevin Pinball Wizard Go to the Mirror!

Love the Who and this was an ambitious undertaking for them. Enjoyed it but it was quite long especially since I listened to the Super Deluxe version

Album #200! Here it is, the first real big rock opera. Not so much a popular concept for albums nowadays, but The Who's "Tommy" is probably the first album many think of when it comes to the classic rock opera format. It's grandiose in concept, but also authentic to its rock roots ("Underture" comes to mind, as it's a solo like many are accustomed to hearing from The Who). It's fun and also a little disturbing at points in its content. You would think that a work like this would spawn from a well-seasoned and experienced group, but realizing that the members of The Who were largely in their mid-20's during this album's recording was pretty surprising. Rockstars from the 60's certainly grew up fast (maybe the drugs helped with that). Anyway, hopefully this inspires you to drop some acid and play some pinball or something.

„Tommy“ ist ein musikalisches Kunstwerk, das die Geschichte von Tommy Walker erzählt, einem taubblinden Jungen, der mit seinen Herausforderungen kämpft. Die abwechslungsreiche musikalische Umsetzung reicht von energiegeladenen Rocknummern bis zu berührenden Balladen. Ein kraftvoller Gesang bringt die Emotionen gekonnt rüber. Allerdings ist „Tommy“ oft eine Herausforderung. Die dichte Erzählweise und die vielen Themen wirken überwältigend, was gleichzeitig die Stärke des Albums ist, da es den Zuhörer zur intensiven Auseinandersetzung anregt. Auf ein baldiges Wiederhören – ein zeitloses Kunstwerk im Rockgenre.

One of the few themed / rock opera albums that works. People forget just how good The Who were, and this is a great introduction for the newbies. Yes, Pinball Wizard gets the prior recognition plaudits,but the whole suite of songs / experiences just work.

a sprawling rock opera that tells a cool story. was a little hard to follow at times though, but a very good album overall

Tommy is something special. Concept albums were new then, and to compose a whole Rock Opera was a daring idea by Townshend, especially as he had kept it to a level so that they could play Tommy live and that's what they did. The story is interesting with its twists and turns and doesn't shy away from difficult themes. And as you cannot keep up the pace over such a period, there must be breaks and slower parts. I think they did pretty well.

8/10 This was pretty excellent. Rock Opera that was both backward and forward looking. Amazing that this was released in 1969, a few years ahead of its time it is described as hard rock, but this contains some of the less hard Who stuff that I have heard. There are even harmonic & musical influences from the Beatles and Beach Boys here Musically pretty interesting and very well put together. Love the restraint in keeping it a tight band album with only occasional stabs of horn Didn’t all hit perfectly, and can’t honestly say that the storyline was easy to follow. Best: Underture

Imagine the overture for this album playing while this midwestern dad drove to pick up bagels. Wonderful. As someone who has appeared in more than two productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, the era of the rock musical still blows my mind. This one, while not my favorite, still has some pretty great moments. Hard not to like this one.

This fuckin' rocks. It's so good. There's a ton of goofy moments in it that isn't the best to listen to, but Tommy is iconic for a reason. So many good tunes throughout, including the overture and the underture. If this had gone the route of Life House > Who's Next it might be a better album. But you know what, I'm glad that stuff like Fiddle About made the final cut and I get to sing that at random times throughout the rest of my life for no reason at all.

Beautifully theatrical without being obvious.

Classic. Think their live version of Tommy is incredible.

I always enjoyed this album

Tommy is a landmark album that clearly demonstrates the band's ambition and scope and is a significant milestone that helped establish The Who’s reputation. While I’m more inclined towards Quadrophenia and The Who Sell Out, I can't overlook the impact Tommy had on the band's career and its impressive craftsmanship. The recording quality is excellent, reflecting the era's technological advancements and The Who’s dedication to their craft. There are certainly standout tracks that highlight Pete Townshend’s remarkable songwriting and Roger Daltrey’s compelling vocals. Keith Moon’s drumming, despite his reputation as the "wild man" of rock, is surprisingly disciplined and fitting for the album's highly focused concept. However, I do feel that the album includes a fair amount of filler, which slightly detracts from its overall coherence. Despite this, the concept and the way the story unfolds is quite impressive, showcasing Townshend’s ambition and creative vision. My recent, more focused listen has deepened my appreciation for Tommy, though I still prefer the energy and innovation of Quadrophenia and The Who Sell Out. Overall, Tommy is a bold and influential work that deserves recognition for its artistic achievement and its role in shaping The Who’s legacy.

A great group of musicians here. I just let this one play in the background, but a few songs stood out: Sparks, Christmas, and Pinball Wizard. It seemed like run of the mill hippy music, but way tighter and more professional. Real clean and solid playing. There were some goofy elements in some of the songs, which was fun and pleasing to my senses. I enjoyed the album overall.

I caught Athens' own Five Eight and Big Fish Ensemble at the Star Bar many years ago. One of the best local shows I've seen. For an encore, members of both groups came out and played "Christmas" and "Baba O'Riley". What a night! ********************** Here it is. The legendary Who. Their legendary album. This is the first I've listened to this album, having only heard (the aforementioned cover version of) "Christmas" and "Pinball Wizard", which I first heard as an instrumental marching band arrangement for the halftime field show in high school. I can always appreciate a good "Overture" in a thematic work, and even an "Underture" I suppose. It took some time to kick in, but there are some good tunes here. Aside from the original two I heard, "Go To The Mirror!", "Tommy Can You Hear Me?", "Sally Sampson", and "I'm Free" stood out. I hear why Keith Moon was a highly regarded drummer. My band in high school had a bassist who thought John Entwistle was the greatest of all time, and I can hear talent there. But for the life of me, I kept waiting to hear Pete Townshend play a mind-blowing guitar solo, and the moment never came. I find out now that he's the main songwriter for most of The Who's material. At least he's more than a signature windmill guitar move. There's a fine line between experimental and inaccessible. The Who have plenty of catchy and well-written songs, but it seems on Tommy they went a bit too avant-garde and forgot to be more memorable.

Listening to this is a big undertaking for me. It's hard for me to muster up the length of time and amount of attention it requires to give it a fair evaluation. I had to break up listening into several sessions. I guess the main lasting impact of this album is that it was a double album built around a single narrative, using contemporary hard rock music to tell a story--all innovative and ambitious for its era. On that basis, it's kind of hard for me to evaluate it, because I don't know if I was able to really get the intricacies of the "plot" by just listening to the music. I can get the main points, of course. Because the album is so long, I would be inclined to say that The Who could have trimmed some fat here and tightened up the offerings. But since all of the songs are telling part of the story, I guess they might all be needed. If you set aside the whole rock opera aspect, and just listen to it as any other collection of songs, there are clearly songs that are more listenable than others. But I don't guess you can really look at this album that way. The sound quality is great, and The Who display all the elements that they are loved for, so all in all, it is still a solid entry on this list.

Solide chillings

Tommy the goat fr. Even though this was a bit of chore to listen to with the long runtime I'd still say that this was a pretty good listen. When it comes to concept albums in general I'll always have soft spot for them since some of my favorite albums are concept albums, plus it takes some balls to actually execute one solidly. This album definitely had some misses but the majority of the album was great. Best - 1921, Amazing Journey, Pinball Wizard, Go To The Mirror!, Welcome, and We're Not Gonna Take It Worst - Fiddle About, Sensation, I'm Free, and Tommy's Holiday Camp 3.50-3.75/5

OG concept album (as donned by Finley)... definitely encapsulated in the fiddle song. Really loved the fist half, especially the long instrumental numbers and Pinball Wizard, of course. Does get quite into its conceptuality towards the end though I suppose I ought to assess it on this meter. 4.

there were many sounds and songs I enjoyed! I can see why it is a classic

Really good. 4

Despite my excellent Dad-Rock credentials and being a long term fan of other Who albums, never really got into this or Quadraphenia. It's like the Kinks do The Wall. It's OK it is full of breezy songs and the story is a bit crazy but enjoyable. Very pioneering but always feels a little unfinished to me. Already The Who's second concept album though, incredible really.

I have enjoyed it a lot

This album is really great.

Had the vinyl in the early 70s and listened frequently, especially sides 3 and 4. The analysis and dissection of the album was also an assignment in 9th grade music listening class. (Yes, it was the 70s and yes, you got credits for listening to Tommy.) Haven’t listened to this in its entirety in about 30 years, but it held up well! Good story, great imagery, great music, and a couple of big hits made for an amazing hour and quarter journey. Still like it enough to do a start to finish listen again in another 20 years or so… Listening to you I get the music. (4.4*s)

Really fun listen.

Excellent concept album. PINBALL WIZARD!

Prior to 1969, The Who were seen as the mod band to end all mod bands. Their short, snappy, all-killer no-filler, bombastic approach to music had seen all kinds of destruction lain in its wake. But they were beginning to stray. A Quick One While He's Away was a teaser, The Who Sells Out was a warning and Tommy was the atom bomb. This incredulous, unbelievable story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy who becomes a pinball machine savant and a messiah to the masses after undergoing the kind of trauma that would drive most people crazed hit an indelible nerve that is still felt to this day. It freed the band from the corner in which they were painted in and allowed them to approach their finest form. As groundbreaking as this was, it is best that it should be listened to as a live document. Their live performance of this album is one of the many prime examples of The Who at their absolute best as the greatest live band of their generation. Without Tommy, there is no certainty that The Who would've survived the 60s and we wouldn't have heard them at their most powerful. This is where the story truly begins. Favorites: Overture, 1921, Amazing Journey, Sparks, The Acid Queen, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!, Sensation, Sally Simpson, I'm Free, We're Not Gonna Take It.

A classic - good, though not my typical listen

A lot of great songs on here and love the concept of the album but between a 3 and a 4 realistically. I’ll bump it to a 4 for the story/rock opera.

First time listening all the way through. I’m not sure how much I’ll go back to it but I did enjoy it

This felt like classic rock. In its purest form and I'm here for it

Due to the length of this album and my stubbornness at not feeling able to rate an album unless I've had at least one clean uninterrupted full listen, it took several goes at listening to this album. It definitely grew and grew on me, and in the end I really enjoyed it. Interesting concept album and one which definitely felt like a journey.

Truly a rock classic.

Wasn't really digging it at the start, but once Pinball Wizard showed up, it really picked up in the latter half. I'd give 5, but that slow start bumps it down to a 4 for me.

Really nice progression. Need to listen to album in entirety

Great album, especially the story it tells. I like what they're doing there musically as well, but it's missing that little something to elevate it to five stars. I just don't think that individual tracks had as much of an impact on me as the album as a whole. 4 - 4.5 stars

Tommy is a difficult one to score for me, I’m not likely to return to it but it’s a creative piece of dark theatre. The story of a deaf, blind kid who kicks ass at pinball but also gets tortured by his cousin oh and sexually abused by his uncle… what the fuck guys. Maybe I need to watch the production to get a better grasp of the story but I’m not likely going to do that. Tommy is an unsettling listen with some good music scattered in, I don’t really care for Daltreys vocals in general but they do work for this album. I really did enjoy the 10 minute trip of Underture. This may be the highest score I give an album I won’t return to, 4 stars for doing something weird and different

80/100

For such a "Classic" album, the Spotify listens are surprisingly low. As I listen, I can kinda see why - this is a rock opera, and a good one at that. It's not _really_ full of single-like material. Makes for a good single-run-through listen. In fact, this seems to be the album that popularised the term. There are definitely better examples (Ziggy Stardust) but I am giving it a bump for the sheer audacity only the Who could pull off.

Great album, definitely a journey.

How did The Who go from amphetamine fuelled 3 minute mod rock bangers to writing a double album rock opera, complete with overtures, undertures, a symphony orchestra, sex, drugs, pinball and a comedy pervert Uncle? This is quite a piece of work - overblown and rambling, but with some genuinely thrilling moments. I think that I prefer the songs as part of the film, which at least puts them in some sort of context so you can follow the story (such as it is).

A bit long, a bit overblown, but hey, isn't it a rock opera? Shouldn't it be too much by definition?

Rough around the edges (Fiddle About), but still a great and inspired album that continues from what The Pretty Things offered with “S.F. Sorrow”. Some weaker songs, many classic songs

A good album, I liked Sparks, Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) and Pinball Wizard.

Wow. I know of The Who but this was certainly not what I was expecting. I heard I was in for a story and damn. I was in for a story. I am all for fun albums and this was certainly no disappointment.

Very groovy

Happy to see The Who here again. As I wrote in my notes on “Who’s Next,” I went through different musical phases in high school. I was that kid who thought all popular music was garbage and that stuff from 25 years back and before was the only good music that ever existed. I now have a wider view of the musical world, thank goodness, but I went through phases with bands. The Who came right after my Beatles phase. And I was obsessed. But what’s funny is, this isn’t the first version of Tommy I ever heard. My dad introduced me to the extended version of “Live at Leeds,” which includes a full live performance of Tommy, save a few tracks. This live version is absolutely spectacular and in my opinion, is the definitive version. It takes out the filler (of which there is a lot) and lets the bands unleash their incredible live energy into this album. I’m not here to review Live at Leeds (though I think it’s on this list and I’ll review it eventually), but I just needed to give some context. “Tommy” is an achievement. It’s complex, it tells a story, and it’s a very well produced double album. Its highs (see below) are very high. And I love it. There’s just too much damn filler. It doesn’t need to be an hour and 15 minutes. You can tell Tommy’s story by omitting a decent amount of the tracks. I think the band, specifically Townshend, had too much for a single album but not enough for a double and stretched it to make it a double. It’s interesting to hear about Sally Simpson, but we didn’t REALLY need to. Do we really need both “Cousin Kevin” and a song about Uncle Ernie? Does “Sensation” need to be here? Did we actually need an “Underture”? I love the band. I love this album. I love the music. I love what the album tries to say about cult followings and blindly following someone who says they can fix all your problems. But it’s overly long and has too much filler. And this is coming from someone who listened this for probably the hundredth time today. They really perfected the rock opera genre with “Quadrophenia,” which really should be on this list if it isn’t. 4 stars. Standout tracks: Overture, Amazing Journey, Sparks, Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker), Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!

Deserved multiple listens, to catch all of the detail.

Easily an 8/10 album! Was very interesting from beginning to end and the Overtures and Undertures were epic (albeit the underture being long). Too bad about the child porn thing.

This has always been for me the ultimate example of how strict adherence to the concept album form harms the work. There’s some incredible songwriting here and a compelling story that is well-told, weighed down by a lot of filler songs that stop it short of perfection.

This album really taught me the importance of reading the wiki. Upon first listen I thought it was a Beatles-inspired double album, but it is actually a rock opera! Really made me appreciate the album more. 4/5

Classic album. Not my fave album, but it was an inspiration for me to seek out other rock opera albums

Inventive, Groovy, and upsetting at points. I applaud Townsend for The bold ideas …

Would’ve been a 5 if they changed one letter in the album name

I’m naturally skeptical of anything “rock opera” but this was fun

“Tommy’s Holiday Camp” awakened a deep memory when I was at camp and one of the scoutmasters woke us up 30 mins early with a big “GOOD MORNING CAMPERS”

It had been years since I listened to this in its entirety. Has some bumps and bruises...but some classics that will be played til the end of time. See me Feel me Touch me Heal me Another example of how something on paper can look so simple, yet be delivered in grand scale!

Pretty cool journey! I went into this album knowing a few songs but hadn’t experienced the album beginning to end.

Full of nuggets ! The standard of rock operas. Fully inspired AND inspiring

Classic.

Disco solido, algunos temas medio pajosos pero se balancea con varios temaikenes. 7/10 TF: 1921/Christmas

So pretentious…. But still a great album.

Finally an older rock album where the music has stood the rest of time. Still very listenable, cool it was a concept album

Pretty enjoyable, but at the same time, the plot is convoluted, doesn’t really come to a satisfying conclusion, and kind of jumps from point to point. It’s like he does a thing, his parents are concerned about this aspect of his life, it introduces a random family member that’s basically just evil and then leaves for the remainder of the story, he’s really good at pinball (very random but hey it makes for the best song on the album), he regains his senses, then he becomes a leader who immediately gets rejected. It just feels lacking in the progression department. Still very influential, though.

Good but lyrics were weird must’ve been on drugs

Overtures, Undertures, themes and motifs.... Nerdy theatre kids would eat this up. Most gravitate towards "Pinball Wizard" obviously, it's the showstopper, but the ending sequence of "We're Not Going To Take It" with the extended "See Me, Feel Me" & "Listening To You" motifs repeated from "Go To The Mirror!" is just superb. Doesn't feel as long as it is, and honestly, it's only 74 minutes...

Lots of townsend singing. Lots of the rolling-hill-sounding who : orchestral guitar chords - driving bass, and those eternally rolling toms. Anyone who gets on Keith Moon cause he didn't really do beats just doesn't get it. Some songs a little twee or uncomfortable, but hey, points for the chutzpah. I see the millions.

Oooh. Saw this movie when it was released wayyyy back in the day. Weird! Generally, I'm on the fence about The Who. I like some of their songs, but many have never really clicked for me. Upon listening, I really enjoyed this one. May need to give The Who another try.

So great, but always have to skip the Uncle Ernie part.

I mostly enjoyed this, I’ve definitely listened to a lot of music either directly or indirectly influenced by this. I did NOT like Cousin Kevin, Fiddle About, or Tommy’s Holiday Camp

Clearly stands as a legendary rock opera album and breakthrough for The Who. Continuous theme and interesting story throughout. Nearly a 5 but It doesn't make it for me personally

It may not be a magnum opus, but I still find this really engaging and well-made. Great use of motifs, and while the story isn’t especially coherent I also don’t think it’s a complete mess. Really love the mix of softness and hardness in their sound. Deserves its classic status. Best song: Go to the Mirror

I do enjoy an album that’s one whole story. Musicianship is just amazing.

Pretty long and meandering and not always in the best way. It's ambitious, and it's also the Who. Pinball Wizard is definitely the star of the show here. Underture is pretty cool too. I'm actually not a big fan of \"Rock Operas\". I like the idea of them more than I actually like them, I think. But overall it's a 4/5.

This one is a lot to think about. I like the Who quite a bit, but I never reach for this one when I want to listen to the Who. The good songs on here are some all time classics. The shorter/lesser songs that are used to progress the story are a bit samey. The whole album is a bit samey. It's a big undertaking and they pulled it off...basically.

Bisher längstes Album in der Super Deluxe Edition. Herausragendes Rock-Oper-Werk.

Overly long with a plot that would be impossible to understand without the Wikipedia page, this was still way more enjoyable than I expected. Pinball Wizard also has one of my favorite guitar intros in all of rock history. Have to give credit to what The Who was able to pull off here, warts and all.

This was pretty cool, I liked the narrative thread through the album. I tell you what though, imma whoop cousin Kevin, nobody hurts my boy Tommy like that.

Favorite Tracks: Pinball Wizard Underture We’re Not Gonna Take It

Super weird storyline. Some great songs and Moon’s drumming is amazing.

A classic

Well yes the Who certainly know how to pull off a cheeky rock opera.

slightly to long but so fun

(I am reviewing just the original album, the 12 songs) The og rock opera. Really felt like a musical instead of a traditional album because of the way it tells the story. most of the songs I can really picture being sung on stage. Holy fucking fuck that pinball wizard of yours is insane.

There's a reason its one of the most famous and mainstream rock operas, would've been great to see it live, it's such a nice cohesive story. One year in marching band we played an arrangement of a couple musicals and this was one of them and the most fun. Pinball Wizard is a childhood favorite and it was nice to really listen to the rest of the album. Favorite Song: Pinball Wizard 8/10

Great rock album. Pinball Wizard is one of my all time favorite songs. I have many memories of my dad putting this album on and jamming out.

Love this album! One of the first albums I can remember being obsessed with! I was in a production of Tommy back in 11th grade and I basically ate, drank, and slept The Who for like 3 months straight. I have so many great memories of relistening to this album over and over and over. Fundamental to me!

"Tommy" by The Who was the first album considered a rock opera. Far from being politically correct by today's standards, this album tells the story of a fictional, "deaf, dumb, and blind" boy named Tommy Walker. In a bizarre tale, Tommy is abused by his relatives, is found to be a pinball savant, and then blossoms into a cult leader. The listener's full and undivided attention is required to fully appreciate the storytelling and recurrent themes in this musical marvel.

already listened to this one Tempted to give it a 5 but its a bit generic It has some plot holes but some parts are surprisingly subtle Not bad for the first successful rock opera ever About 3.8 imma give it a 4

It's ambitious and impressive, but it doesn't hold that level the whole way through. The movie improves on the tightness of the storytelling to get a better picture of what's going on.

I've never heard this full through and I'm glad that this is the album on a Friday because it's a commitment. I know this is super influential and was a revelation when it was released, but I can't help but feel like seeing the movie would help tell the story a bit easier. I'm often finding myself questioning the lyrics sometimes and thinking "is that really the words?" I'll plan to watch it at some point soon to get the experience. The downsides for this album come kind of early. "I have a feeling 21 is gonna be a good year" -- it doesn't really sound like The Who to me. It's daring to do this kind of record, but I'm someone who can be sometimes pretty easily be turned off by the music in musicals. They can feel kind of devoid of personal attachment, they can easily sound fake, over-acted, and inauthentic to me. Not saying that this sounds fake, but unfortunately I get a little bit of this feeling at times while I'm listening, like this is a stadium rock band that are practicing their diction to get everything perfect and precise and clean. When I hear "Sparks", I really start to get to wanting some kind of visual aid. To me this is like an action scene or a dance number. But because it's in this musical performance style, the walk down riffs with the orchestral percussion sounds phony. It sounds like a hired band pit band that is trying to make rock music by staring at sheet music and not once looking at each other. Oh and they are taping down the gain on their overdrive pedals to "3" so that they don't get "too crazy" with distortion. Rock bands don't have to always be rock, but when rock bands try to make rock it should rock, ya know? I do think there are times where the lyrics are straightforward and I can easily follow, which is appreciated, but it's not consistent throughout. I think this may be more because the concept is kind of out there though. It's ambitious, and I have to give extra credit for that. I feel like there are many musicians out there who want to make some kind of big operatic concept album at some point in their lives. I'm sure some don't, but I think there's something magical about a concept album where you can put on track 1 and get lost for an hour or two. Despite all of my reviewing, I found this an incredible listen.

A strange album in hindsight, but a risk taking rock opera that just isn't made anymore. Includes several classics like Pinball Wizard. Not sure if it's something I'd keep on rotation since it's material gets super heavy at times, but the singles are all catchy and musically it's very well done.

Tommy is a classic. The quintessential rock opera. It really is fantastic, with great use of themes and motifs in the instrumental parts, plus a few big hits as well. It's a really great listen all the way through. Highlights for me are Amazing Journey/Sparks, Pinball Wizard, and Go to the Mirror. The live version on the expanded Live At Leeds is great as well.

Tommy doesn't know what day it is

So far I've only heard of the rock opera, but never listened to it myself. I tried it once, but couldn't get to grips with it. So now I'm doing it again. Admittedly, I wasn't really gripped this time either. But I did get the impression that this opera was something bigger. It brought back memories of Roger Waters (it was his project, even though Pink Floyd is written on it) The Wall. But Tommy seems to be bigger. I'll have to listen to it again. Very interesting. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Me resultó un poco largo.

Really cool rock story album following a deaf, dumb, blind kid named Tommy. Sound is similar to Jesus Christ Superstar. He’s first bullied and outcasted, then treated like a saint for his ability to play pinball. Cool leitmotif throughout the album. One thing I found really interesting was that there was an overture and an “Underture”. Underture is about 10 mins long, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t quite get the album for the first 6 songs, but then Christmas came on, and I started to understand what the album was. The last 8 or so tracks of the album do not standout, but they do wrap up the story nicely. Standouts: Amazing Journey, Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker), Christmas, Cousin Kevin, Pinball Wizard, and Go to the Mirror!

interesting rock opera.

Cheeky little album. Enjoyed the instrumental bits. Easy listen while I cooked dinner.

Concept and story throughout. underture moved me

Album 351 of 1001 The Who - Tommy Rating : 4 / 5 I've always liked this album. A couple of decades went by between listens but was good to hear again. Resulted in a couple of awesome pinball machines as well, but I digress.

It was an okay rock opera.

Solid well done concept and execution by some of the great musicians of any generation

Album Nr. 63 Mal wieder guter 60's Sound. Auch wenn ich nicht die "Super-Deluxe"-Fassung des Albums gehört habe,sondern die normale.

Concept albums can be good albums but rarely have good songs. I think this is one of the best concept albums ever, but still doesn’t have enough strong songs for anything above a 4.

I’m sorry but I can’t get over the fact that this album goes from a song about the main character being sexually assaulted by their uncle to a song about the main character being good at pinball with nothing in-between! That tonal shift just really stood out to me for some reason Album still good though

Not something I would listen to all of the time but was a fun.

Great concept album

I liked it a lot actually. Need to listen to more of The Who.

Quite overlong but I can’t help liking this one - quite an epic concept album - and the Who at some of their most grandiose.

This is not The Who’s best album. There area few really good songs and a bunch of filler 3.9.

Required listening for rock literacy.

Entenc el que intenten fer però no m'acaba de convèncer del tot la música. Òbviament Pinball Wizard és un clàssic i temazo, i és molt original la idea del disc. M'agrada molt l'execució però no li dono 5 estrelles perquè hi ha cosetes que no m'acaben d'agradar.

An undeniable piece of rock history. It did to modern music what L'Orfeo did for the Baroque period. Its' legacy has spawned everything from Ziggy Stardust and the Wall to American Idiot and the Archandroid. Though I have mixed feelings about the ending with the camp aspect reaching into the absurd, the opera covers such a wide range of emotions with a gripping story that it deserves its' praise. Highly suggest reading a synopsis first to make it easier to follow

Ambitious, mostly successful, enjoyable

What a roller coaster, I saw it was a double and got ready to dislike it for being too long, but of course they had the answer. I guess I really dig rock operas, wow. Fun story-driven album that still manages a banger like Pinball Wizard.

I'm not sure what I expected going into this album, but it certainly wasn't this. And I love it. Amazing riffs, vocals, everything really. Even the longer instumental moments managed to keep my attention and remain interesting. I love the concept too, albums that tell the story of someone's life are always my thing, and this being one of if not the earliest rock operas is really cool. I get that the interludes are important to the story, but they definitely felt like they interrupted the album sometimes, just as I was getting into the flow of it. But those aside, loved this album.

After years of listening to the album, I’m still not finding most tunes

Damn good stuff

I love the songs on this album, but most of them felt like they were missing an extra push, like they weren’t strong enough. “Acid Queen” needed way more energy in particular. I thought the entire album was put together very well, and even though I like the Broadway musical based on it better than the actual album, I still really enjoyed it.

 it's still a good concept album, and I really enjoy a concept album

Back in 1973, I ordered this album from Columbia as one of my 10 or 12 free albums. I ordered it on the urging of a friend and immediately disliked it when it arrived. But today I was able to sit down and actually listen to the music and I have changed my mind. The guitars were awesome. I probably won't listen to it again, but today I enjoyed it.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Great concept album. The movie has some great cameos and some better versions of these songs.

Un peu acide mais kiffant.

I can't knock it too much. I get why it's a classic! It was just hard to take entirely seriously. Lyrics certainly weren't subtle. But the music itself is godly. Wincing my way through tracks like Fiddle About where made easier by the insane brilliance that is Keith Moon. Without the drums, I might have given this a three to be honest! But I'll try to relisten at some point. I reckon I'll appreciate it more over time.

Bonus credit for truly being a single entity album

Great album! Open a lot of ways of doing music

I could listen to this over and over again.

Interesting album. A great piece of art if you consider the age of Pete Townshend when composing it. But still it does not grab me as much as I thought. Probably one should have heard the first time in the 70s.

A couple of good hits. A classic rock opera story telling wise.

Brilliant. The stories and quality instrumentals are unforgettable. That said, the set is way too long for me to listen to! Great for some, not for me.

Uncle Ernie needs to be in prison

4/5. A concept album about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy. This shouldn't work for a lot of reasons but can Keith Moon hit those drums. The melodies are pretty and heavy while still being silly and fun. Sometimes, it can be a little too silly which prevents it from being a 5. I enjoy some comedy in music but it can just not sound good like Do You Think It's Alright, Welcome and Tommy's holiday camp. Those can be a little cringe and annoying. It's an overall good album but not perfect, mainly due to the instrumentation and passionate singing from Daltrey. Also Underture is an unnecessary track, too long and just the same riffs, plus a few, from Overture.

Liked how the early songs blended together. Tommy mentioned throughout, pinball also. Curious if real person. Pinball wizard probably the big hit from this album? Enjoyed it

was really into this weird album

I like this album alot I love the swings it takes I love the vibe and the fact it's a concept album However it's just far far too long I think there's a 5 star album in here But for me this scrapes a 4

Heel coole plaat, goeie songs ook. Ik kende 'm niet echt, behalve Pinball Wizard natuurlijk, maar 't staat vol goeie 60's tracks, 1921, Christmas, Sally Simpson,... Mssch had het hier en daar wat gebalder gekund, maar zelfs de psychedelische Underture trip vind ik heel goed. Very nice.

This is like The Wall if The Wall was actually a good concept album. Not every song is perfect but interesting concept and lots of good tunes to boot.

Am Supposed to listen to the Super Deluxe version? Overture: what are those horns? The trombone is not doing it for me. It sounds comical. but i could come around I think. Pretty well produced so far. High production value. I take it these guys are british? I honestly don't know much about them. the horn near the end has defintley been manipultaed. damn that gong went on for a long time. He's being born? It's a boy: weird to cut this in half? seems like an extension of the last song. 1921: this is a origin story. gasslighting a little boy? Amazing Journey: wow nice vibe change. I kind of like this. Can't quite understand the concept just yet but I don't hate. Sparks: i love the unhinged guitar. cool. a little bit experimental. Eyesight to the blind: smh omg. daddy what? of course we have to leave the concept to objectify a woman. oh she can heal you too? le sigh gotta have that one guaranteed hit i guess. Christmas: a christmas song in the middle of the album. Whut... i guess it could go with the concept of youth. tommy? I like this. this is good shit. heaven's generousity a dream. damnn Cousin Kevin: the key changes are weird. Damn this is dark. kids are bitches sometimes i'll give them. this is straight fire. that chorus was fireeeeee... this might go on my favorites. this is good. The Acid Queen: another evil woman right? kind of weird to sing from the woman's perspective: a little transversive you might even say. but it's still another song about an evil woman. so fucking boring. just give me one night? what the fuck. I really don't like this song, this is fucked up and not in the good way. Underture: like overture but under? alright... something better justify this 10 minute long track. other than just vibes. yeah this is def the end of this side of the LP. but also this is going on way too long. smh. Do you think it's alright?: so he's a teenager now? okay I get it. I'm not sure when it happened but it's def happened. Fiddle About: what the fuck??????? excuse me???? what the fuck??? omg what the fuck??????? damnnn okay... jesus christ Pinball Wizard: omg I cannot imagine where it will go next. this is the most listened to song on spotify from this album. this is very chilling after the last one. I don't know what to think about this? why do people like this? it doesn't really stand out to me. okay... seems random as all hell. There's a Doctor: okay so he needs fixing now? Go to the Mirror!: so now he's adopting the deaf dumb and blind persona? the doctor doesn't know what to do either. wait so is he the deaf dumb and blind person in the pinball story. He feels completely isolated from the world around him? wait so he's cured now? there is a perspective change in this one? Tommy can you hear me?: damm this is one long album. sooo he's not cured. ooo i like the ending. that's cool. Smash the mirror: I don't understand the relationship between the narrator and tommy? are they the same person? this is a good track though. Sensation: wait is this about drugs? it's probably drugs, this makes sense. drugs awaken him.. got it. def drugs. Miracle cure: he's cured got it. Sally Simpson: destiny intense. so sally is trying to seduce tommy? this says america too though. damn that's rough for sally. Tommy is a preacher now? he's in a uniform now too. This is a great song too by the way. I'm rivited. no not drugs: God? damn that mom is harsh. whoof... straight fire song though. I'm Free: so is he the messiah or not? I'm not sure I'm completely following the plot. but this is still fire. Welcome: so now he's inviting people into his world? I'm not sure. I like the switch up in the middle. he's spreading the gospel that's for sure Tommy's holiday camp: this is camp. We're not Gonna Take It: so def god and not drugs. take what? damnnn. this is real dark. this is great stuff. def god. I'm going to have to listen to this again. I didn't get all of it for sure. the instrumentals are not the most interesting but they definitely still add something. Not perfect but still great. Worst track: eyesight to the blind best track: Sally Simpson

It's a rock opera, so you would think it would sound dated. But for me, these tracks are still fresh.

I can see why it's a monumental album, but it's not for me.

The Who is a great band and 'Tommy' certainly shaped the subgenre of the rock opera. Not so sure that it works though because I find many tracks to similar. Great is that the band really works very well together. You don't hear it as a Pete Townsend composition but as an collective effort to tell a story.

Very quirky and interesting story. At times it feels like it leaves you hanging a bit, like there are missing parts to the script. But it also creates intrigue. Good stuff.

Cool

very groovy, liked it a lot

I really enjoyed this one! I love any album that tries to tell a story, so I was very excited when I saw that this is one of the first ever rock operas. I wasn’t totally amazed by it, but most albums don't on first listen. It’ll probably take a couple more to really appreciate this album as much as I should. And I have to mention the album cover, I don’t know if I’ve even seen it before but it’s beautiful. Love it. What a dark story though, in contrast to the album cover. My top 5 may very well change in the future, too. They’re all quite good. 8/10 Top 5: 1. Pinball Wizard 2. 1921 3. Christmas 4. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) 5. Go To The Mirror!

nice

A good album, but very pretentious. For every excellent Christmas there's an indulgent Underture, but on the whole it's a strong work. One thing though - where's the book, Pete?

Love Pinball Wizard. Fun concept, decent execution.

As a lover of musicals I’m prone to like this. Which I do! While none of the individual songs outside of “Overture” and “Pinball Wizard” I have a desire to listen to on their own I can’t deny being swept up in the rock opera when listening to the full thing. The movie is wild too. 4/5

Can imagine this was amazing to experience in person, still a fun listen regardless.

You have to be in the right mood to listen to a rock opera and it was good that I was. A very lush and complex album, The Who paint a great story. Pinball Wizard is still the stand out track but a very enjoyable listen all round

I loved this film and album when I was a teenager, good to listen again. 'i'm free' reminds me of running along newqay beach feeling free of my gcses. Pinball wizard is a banger. Forgot just how dark the story is, it's also batshit in some ways but I like that, yeah enjoyed it.

better in total, but kind of passed me in it's meaning

I don’t think I ever realized exactly how dark the first half is-yikes!! A pretty brilliantly executed project with recurring themes in the lyrics and music-some songs are great and some aren’t; there’s an unevenness to how much I like it that keeps it from 5 stars.

A classic concept album, and for what it was it did it well.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: 1921, Christmas, I’m free, We’re not gonna take it

Pinball Wizard

The first “rock opera” with an overture and everything. Ambitious and each member of The Who is at at the top of their game. Docked a star for a fair amount of songs which seem like filler.

Favorites: Its a Boy 1921 Cousin Kevin The Acid Queen I was listening on a loud ass plane, but I liked it! I was stressed as hell so I couldn't fully enjoy, so I'll be listening again because I think I would really like it.

The random album generator gave me two Who album in 4 days, and, unfortunately, the first one it gave me was "Live at Leeds", which I unfortunately felt was an unremarkable live album. I thought at the time that I was looking forward to listen to a proper Who album, but I was still rather unmotivated to listen to yet another Who album when I saw "Tommy" pop up three days later. Thankfully, Tommy was way better. It's an ambitious concept album, and while I heard some people consider it to be a bit pretentious nowadays, it was still a quite enjoyable experience. This album does a way better job showcasing why the Who is held in such high regards.

Good concept album, manages to stay interesting despite the double album length.

Really enjoyed this. Super weird, as a rock opera, and not sure if I think it works in that respect, but purely as a theme album, it was compelling.

Pinball wizard

Struggling to describe my feelings on this that don't just sound like backhanded compliments, but I think this is the album that's made The Who kind of click properly for me, and the thing that did that was hitting the books on the making of this one and realizing that: - a.) Pete Townshend's kinda... his reach exceeds his grasp, and he has a very very long reach, is how I'd maybe put it; but - b.) that’s the band's secret weapon. Leads to them taking big swings and having interesting results fall out of the effort. Their good songs don't happen without that

I think it has some great moments

As a concept it works really well, however some individual songs do not work as stand-alone. An appetiser for Quadrophenia which is the better album.

Overall not a very catchy album. None of the songs were memorably bad or unlistenable, but I didn't find myself really loving the songs. I thought that the songs were slightly sparce but there were some good parts. Go to the mirror was pretty good, and so was Sally Simpson. The harmonization in the vocals felt natural and I found myself liking it more than not, but it's not really anything to write home about. Overall I would consider this album to be better than average but not truly worth of a four star rating. I would give it a 3.6 star, but I will have to round up. It's also really really long, I skipped through some of these songs the the underture. Just didn't want to hear it for that long.

I’m fascinated that this is characterised as Psychedelic Rock on here. I guess the plot is pretty psychedelic, but musically it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the psych scene from the late 60’s. This isn’t my favourite Who album. Not by a long shot. If you think about it as an actual opera, where the music is the most important part, and the libretto is secondary, then this album is a masterpiece. The combination of Townsend, Entwhistle and Moon plus orchestra is a winning one. And I love Daltrey’s voice. But, although Pete Townsend is a brilliant composer, and often a good lyricist, the lyrics when it comes to Tommy are often too weird for their own good. It may just be that it’s the entirely opposite sort of story to the one that I as a writer would write. I’m a realist, I try to deal with ordinary people in ordinary situations. The idea of a damaged, but brilliant man becoming a messiah and then losing his religious following is interesting. But, it’s not anything I’d want to write. Quadrophenia is a better album, both musically and storywise. But, Quadrophenia is pretty much perfect and as great as Tommy is, the nonsensical plot really does let it down. From what I’ve read, the plot to Lifehouse was even more nonsensical, and that completely fell through, which lead to Who’s Next, which IS a perfect album. Maybe, The Who just needed a few missteps to produce their masterpiece Rock Opera. But, as it is, Tommy is still a great album. Most authors first novel’s are worse than this, and they weren’t pioneering a new art form. All in all, it could have been worse. Which really is underselling it, because this is a really really good album

Classic 4.3

Overture - Grappig begin van de plaat, en loopt mooi over in de volgende Its A Boy - Aa Sonnn 1921 - Prima Amazing Journey - Het geluidje op de achtergrond klinkt alsof het achterstevoren is afgespeeld. En loopt weer over in het volgende nummer Sparks - Instrumentaal tussen stukje, wel een beetje chaotisch Eyesight To The Blind - … Christmas - Wel grappig nummer Cousin Kevin - Niet geweldig The Acid Queen - … Underture - Vrij lang instrumentaal stukje Do You Think It’s Alright? - Tussen stukje Fiddle About - Fidddddllle Pinball Wizard - Wel leuk nummer There’s A Doctor - Tussen stukje Go To The Mirror - … Tommy Can You Hear Me? - Mweh Smash The Mirror - … Sensation - … Miracle Cure - Tussen stukje met pinball wizard Sally Simpson - Prima I’m Free - Niet Bijzonder Welcome - Prima Tommy’s Holiday Camp - Bijzonder We’re Not Gonna Take It - … 3.5

Really enjoyed the story this album told and the music throughout; I've never been so relieved to hear Pinball Wizard in my entire life though. Whew.

I mean Tommy can be meandering but I do like it a lot

This being a rock opera, the sum of the whole is better than any one part (except for PINBALL WIZARD, babyyyyy); it makes for an interesting listen, but unfortunately nothing is incredibly memorable. However, it's genuinly a great and unique album.

Classic. Standouts: Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror, Tommy Can You Hear Me? See Me Feel Me, 1921, Overture, It's a Boy

Classic. A bit long and better enjoyed as a “highlight reel” than a rock opera (there’s not much story here.)

Called Forest Hills Apartments to schedule a tour.

I like story telling.

Never heard it before except one song. For me it’s quite different to what I’m used to listening, because of the rock opera style. Personal Top3 in no order: Pinball Wizard Sally Simpson I‘m Free

Enjoyed it, this is my speed in general.

I can see why it's respected. I just wasn't excited by it.

Can a concept album be too concepty?? The only way to truly tell is to lock yourself in a pitch black room listen to Tommy in its entirety, then see if you have the strength to do it again.

Probably my favorite time ever listening to Tommy - quiet, deliberately, really neat to give it the tom of day

👍🏼

Classic for sure

pauvre tommy

I think I need to do myself a favor and re-listen to Who's Next, because I can't tell if I like this one better, or if I like them equally. This is credited as one of the first real rock operas. And because of that, this album tries to tell a story. A story that, if you look into it, is actually kind of interesting and slightly dark. But due to this sort of concept album feeling, there are a lot of much shorter songs, that aren't really all that interesting musically, but are there for the purpose of telling the story, (Tommy's Holiday Camp comes to mind). The Wall did the same thing. And it is the reason why I am not super into that album. There is just a lot of padding and bloat in both of these records. This album has 24 songs, but is only an hour and 16 minutes long. This album also feels scaled back compared to its successor. The energy and power isn't really there, and Keith Moon, who is still an excellent drummer here, feels held back considerably, compared to the way he soars over the kit on songs like Bargain. This album just doesn't have those specific moments everyone remembers that makes Who's Next so memorable. Roger's scream at the end of Won't Get Fooled Again might be one of the greatest career highlights of any 70's band ever. But I think in terms of pulling together a large scale concept, this album does a good job. They try a lot of different ideas here, and it makes for an ambitious, at some points overwhelming, album. Again, not 100% sure which one I like more, but I think for now, I will give it to this record. Rating: 7/10

Some lovely songs in here, I loved that the beat from pinball wizard shows up in different versions throughout the album, kind of ties it all together.

This record feels like watching a play that's equally disturbing as it is fascinating - there are times when you want to look away but you feel so mesmerized that you just can't.

Great vibes from the '60s and '70s. I kind of thought this had an American sound to it for an English band, as weird of an idea that might be... Perhaps it's just a sound of the time rather than sound of a nation but influence could come into it. Lots of interesting instrumentation and arrangements across the whole album. Lyrics are often gentle and abstract which is nice... There are a couple of songs, especially the last one where lyrics get a bit direct and heavy (like Closer by Nine Inch Nails) so I wouldn't be surprised if there's weirder stuff made abstract in other lyrics. A very long album at ~24 tracks (some are short though).

Epic.

Pretty catchy. Love the trombone and trumpet parts of the intro song, Overture.

This album was formative for me when I started branching out into art rock. The album sets up its musical themes well in the overtures and features several musical and lyrical motifs throughout. It is arranged and produced very thoughtfully. The story itself is strange at best. However, this album was one of the first full rock operas and certainly took a lot of risk.

Better than who's next in my opinion

“Overture” is a very strong start Story arc and structure work pretty well and there is cohesion across songs, though songs are sonically diverse – Townsend knew what he was doing, putting this thing together. Top cuts: "Christmas" "Overture" "It's a Boy" "Acid Queen" "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" Maybe the best of the rock operas. Ambition and execution are well aligned and balanced.

The Who are kinda considered to be the og classic rock band, which makes listening to a full The Who album a strange experience. This album is really diverse. From the almost religious chanting in "It's a Boy" to the Beach Boys-like harmonizing on "Tommy Can You Hear Me?". It tells a story a bit more straight forward than most other rock concept albums. The music definitely holds up, it's packed with power and has plenty of variety to keep you interested. Absolutely worth a listen.

As I get older, the messages in Tommy pretentious and less true in my esteem. In many ways, its similar to how I look at some of the more "long form" that The Youth are calling profound and I cringe. Like, the abused kid leading a cult via his pinball playing is so goofy it could only come out of the (near) 70s. That being said, I do appreciate the labor Pete Townshend put into making the Rock Opera a thing. The existence of narrative albums has made the world a better place, and I guess by merging Rock and Opera, you were due to get some silliness. Either way, I'd definitely listen to this again (unlike their live album that was recommended).

classic

4/5. Awesome concept album. I loved the fact that everything related to each other, similar to a Pink Floyd album. I liked the song, “We’re not Gonna Take It.”

The rock opera concept, while creative, did not age well in this album. The radio hits are still solid, but the connecting songs were contrived and did little to make the cohesive story any more enjoyable. I probably would not listen to this end-to-end again, even though the hits are in steady rotation in my various playlists. 5 stars for the hit songs. 3 stars for the execution and concept. 4 stars overall.

This album is a clear concept rock opera album that's quite strong. The album includes Pinball Wizard.

So, on this one, I'm kind of torn in terms of a rating. I think I have to approach it a little differently than I might otherwise, precisely because A) I'm intimately familiar with this record B) I think it's actually a somewhat important record, in terms of being ambitious C) I have a soft spot for the band. I wouldn't argue with someone who gave it a three strictly based on the quality of the tunes and the musicianship, but that said, in context, this is a pretty great record, though I like earlier Who more, and for a big grandiose mess, I strongly prefer Quadrophenia. The "rock opera" and "concept album" would never have gotten real momentum without this record and how successful it was.

Pretty great, but I think the songs get a little thinner in the last third of the album.

Not quite go the power, passion and absolute intensity of Quadrophenia, but still fantastic. Also can't unhear the soundtrack versions of songs by the Acid Queen and Elton.

Veldig gid stemning, men jeg kom meg aldri gjennom

It's not perfect. Like many double albums Tommy would have made a killer single album. Put Christmas at the end of side one. Then side two is The Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, I'm Free and See Me Feel Me/Listening To You, finishing with Underture. Shame to leave out Cousin Kevin but there we go. It's still a great album though and I love it.

interesting concept album with cool music i guess it will stay relevant just out of its sheer odd story

The ambition of this record is fairly astonishing. A double album telling the story of an abused deaf, dumb and blind kid. It could only happen in the sixties. Here you’ll find some of The WHO’s finest moments. The album that started to secure their legendary status. It’s a record that should be heard. Even if rock ain’t your thing, listening to the whole thing from start to finish is a must for anyone who appreciates the LP format.

Gotta love The Who, this album is ground breaking in it's approach to story telling though the medium of an album. The best part of this album might actually be the humor that they employ with songs like Tommy's Holiday Camp and pinball wizard. I also enjoy the tones of this instruments, but that is more a product of the 1960's. Idk if this is The Who's most impressive album, but there is a lot of dynamics that makes it belong on this list

Strong 4, based rock opera

The Who's magnum opus still rocks nearly 60 years later. Well worth a listen.

Wow, never really been a fan of themed albums or ‘rock opera’ but had to give this a second spin and will be diving into more of the stuff from The Who I haven’t delved into.

I hadn't heard this album in my entire life outside of "Pinball Wizard" here and there on the radio or at someone's house. I knew that the album was a rock opera, but I didn't know it was billed as the first of its kind. Having the full picture of Tommy's life before and after "Pinball Wizard" has changed how I experience the song. Tommy was a wild ride with some shocking and unexpected moments throughout. Overall, the composition and performances are extremely solid and I enjoyed the musical aspect completely. The concept and story was a little unclear at times if I hadn't read the Wikipedia article on it, I probably would have missed the flow of the story.

I go in and out of appreciating and understanding the Who. In particular, I never really got Tommy before, but this time it clicked for me. Overture lays out all the musical themes to come, the songs then build up through Tommy’s back story. A highlight is definitely Keith Moon’s drumming, he’s like an artist painting a picture of movement and time. One instance that stuck out to me was on Fiddle About, the drumming speed and sound accentuate the terrifying action of the song. Pinball Wizard might be the most overplayed Who song, but hearing it in the context of the album breathes new life and meaning into it. The second half of the album in general is pretty awesome. Go to the Mirror is probably the next closest thing to a single and it’s great. Not sure I’d casually listen to a 75 minute rock opera, but when in the mood it is definitely one of the best.

Classic!!! Rock opera was born. Musicality of this album is masterful. Love it now and loved it then.

Influential and visionary. This is one of the most celebrated albums in rock history, no doubt about it. If I find it boring or not is irrelevant.

Good rock album. Would need to give it another listen. Not into long albums!

The first true rock opera, you can't help but admire the ambition behind this album. Pete Townshend was only 23 when he put it together, so it's hard to be tough on him if a few sections of this are a little clunky. Awkward, exposition-laden lyrics are a fixture of musical theatre, and that's basically what we're doing here, right? There aren't many hits here, or even many songs that could stand on their own. But despite all of this damning praise, I really do think that this album is a feat worthy of celebrating.

Underture was awesome. Pete Townshend and Keith Moon are awesome. Lots of classics that just keep bringing up Mr. P. Wizard. Never realized how fucked up the story of this album was until reading about it. Great listen.

Interesting but it did drag on a little.

While Tommy himself can't talk, his album speaks for itself. Favorite tracks: 'Christmas' and 'Cousin Kevin'

Dette er den typen album hvor man faktisk må følge med, og det har man jo dessverre sjelden tid til. Men konseptet med en "historie" er stilig.

The term "rock opera" is slightly embarrassing these days but this one must have been exciting back in 1969. It's impressive and definitely one to be experienced as a whole (and ideally live). Most songs wouldn't work on their own though and you really need to be in the mood for a full length concept album to appreciate it. But it's definitely an important album in the history of rock.

Om alla skrev rockoperor hade det inte varit så många krig. De hade inte haft tid.

Great Album. A Classic!

Hieno bändi ja upeita biisejä, mutta tää on ehkä vähän liian rokkiooppera. Reilusti kuitenkin plussan puolelle! 4/5

Huffing the incense fumes a little too hard, Townshend writes a spiritual journey that goes…somewhere? Hard to say. Some of the instrumental journeys get a touch lost. But the playing is great, the riffs rock, and unlike many of his contemporaries Daltrey obviously doesn’t believe he’s actually the character he’s portraying. That’s worth something.

Such a good album! One of the earlier ones I have on vinyl. So good!

This album is extremely famous for how much of a true concept album it was so long ago. Judging it now, a lot of these songs have some filler aspects to them. I think when you compare the music on this album to the Who's other music it's actually fairly simplistic and not overly impressive. It would probably be my choice for only third best Who album. That being said, there are some absolute gems on this album. The See Mee Feel Me recurring theme is hauntingly beautiful. Pinball Wizard is of course an all time classic, and a standard for aspiring acoustic guitar players to do some proper damage to their guitar bodies trying to play. It's kind of a shame you have to listen to Fiddle About right before it, which isn't a bad song musically but is just hard to not cringe when hearing. This album is certainly greater than the sum of its parts. The story is kind of cool and the use of recurring musical motifs to enhance the storytelling of the lyrics is great. In the end though, this album feels to me like just baby steps towards the masterpiece that is Quadrophenia.

The first ever rock opera is a great album. It was made during the best period in The Who's history, in the late 1969 and overall the end result was very good. The album is long since it is a double album, and this might explain why it has some songs that aren't that consistent. So I don't give it a 5, but it is a stronger 4 record.

At first, I was disappointed. Truly disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high. They were based on a couple of songs I knew, and this album seemed um... nothing special. The only song I truly liked was (obviously) Pinball Wizard. Everything changed when the fire nation attacked. No, wait. That's not what happened. This album was a massive surprise after reading its description. Wow, one of the first rock operas? An album that tells one whole story? I'm impressed! I admit, it's not one of the best albums ever, but pioneers usually aren't perfect.

Classic album.

Great album. Fully enjoyed it

This is a conundrum. It comes in the middle of some classic Who releases, all of which I consider much better than this. However, Tommy is a classic because it popularized (but did not create) the rock opera - for better or for worse. Its extended life as a stage show and movie in an of itself probably secures it a slot on the list. There is some great music here, along with some that is merely good. It probably says more about the band's quality of work during the period that among The Who Sell Out, Who's Next and Quadrophenia, I place Tommy fourth.

Good.

Great, but somehow I feel it's lacking just a little something

Really enjoyed this concept album. Want to check out more from The Who.

PREFS : Overture, 1921, Amazing Journey, Christmas, Cousin Kevin, The Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, Go To the Mirror!, Sally Simpson, I'm Free, We're Not Gonna Take It MOINS PREF : Underture

Me gustó bastante,un poco largo lo único, me gusta el instrumental y la historia

Long and kind of interesting, especially the really long bit with the molestation. Sloppier in timing and pitch than I expected. An achievement though.

Ok so this was a really interesting and weird album, and I celebrate creativity as punchy as this. But 75 mins for an album is a pisstake

Banging, but I think i still prefer Oliver Reed and the tunes from the movie, which introduced me to the material. Thoroughly bizarre as a concept, but with some insanely evocative musical moments

I liked it way more than I thought I would; once I learned that the album is a detailed story I could start to pick up on certain motifs in either lyrics or musical repetitions. Its fascinating how they made the lyrics work with the music and just how clean it all came out.

For a long time pretty much my only exposure to the Who was a cassette of that greatest hits album with the Union Jack shirt on the cover. And I don't know why I didn't branch out more because I loved that tape and listened to it a lot. Later my brother gave me a couple LPs and I bought Sell Out on CD. But I'm still a fairly shallow fan - I don't believe I ever listened to Tommy start to finish before, for example. Pretty interesting. It mostly skates the Rock Opera dilemma with its opposing pitfalls - overly wordy, unpoetic songs to drive exposition on one side, versus managing the vaguest narrative that can only generously be labeled a "concept" album on the other. To the degree this errs it's more to the latter side, which is good - the music being the main point however lofty the concept aspirations. Without outside interpretations supported by years of amateur analysis plus a couple of filmed/staged interpretations, I don't know I'd have extracted a very coherent story out of it. But there is a lot of good music and the themes running throughout are strong, and it was certainly an audacious move for its time, particularly from a band whose star (by all reports) seemed like it might be waning. Well worth the time.

Rockopera van The Who, dat het verhaal verteld van de blinde, dove en stomme Tommy. Album is veel meer dan alleen "Pinball Wizard" en zit muzikaal en vertellend goed in elkaar. leukste nummer: Amazing Journey Het album is gebaseerd op de wijsheden van Meher Baba, naar wie later het nummer Baba O'Riley is genoemd.

Pretty fantastic.

Everybody knows Pinball Wizard. What a track. What a video. The rest of the album is a typical Townshend rock-opera affair, some great, some passable. You'll probably enjoy the music from this album much more if you watch the Ken Russell film of the same name (featuring the band and the album's music).

I mean, it's Tommy. 🎶🔥

This is a very interesting full length rock opera. I feel as if it is too long, but it does share a cohesive story throughout and the transition between songs is very cool.

A little worse than the wall But the wall is pretty good I just wish this album was a bit shorter

Such a great album. Been a very long time since I've sat down and listened to it.

Super fun album, it definitely feels an hour and fourteen minutes long, but it’s not long for no reason. I need more listens to dive into the story of Tommy and dissect the lyrics, which I’m sure will just deepen my enjoyment of the project. Really energizing instrumentation, these songs have a timeless quality to them by not feeling forced into a specific box. Just a bunch of songs collected together to fulfill a bigger theme. Faves: 1921, Eyesight To The Blind, Christmas

прекрасный альбом, музыкально дико кайфанул, лирика тоже отличная; Sally Simpson и I'm Free очень сбили вайб альбома (в один момент я будто оказался на диком западе) барабаны слева даже на мониторах в какой-то момент утомили в идеале поставил бы 4.5 чувствуется, что прожил некоторую историю

Never realized this was the first rock opera. Love the format and the album.

I'm a little surprised that I've never listened to this whole album in my life. I struggle to rate it because I compare it to the Wall and it doesn't even come close. So if the Wall is a 5 this is a three. But if I'm rating it in a vacuum then I suppose it's a near a 4. There are some good songs on it, no question. But in general doesn't hold up in my opinion.

Heel vet! Mooi conceptalbum, gave nummers, maar misschien toch een beetje preachy.

Good

Interesting album to listen to from beginning to end. So good that I listened to it twice (2nd time the live version)

Listens: 2 Enjoyed: yeah This would be around a 4.5. probably my first rock opera and I fel it works pretty solid as both an album and it holds some legendary singular tracks. My only issues were some of the song transitions were a bit rough/ blunt. And the final quarter of the track dived a little

It was ok, not my favorite album but I didn’t dislike it

Собственно несколько вещей, которые нужно знать об этом альбоме: 1) ровесник моей мамы 2) в рок-альбоме есть ВАЛТОРНА 3) 75, мать его, минут, я надеюсь гуру, в честь которого альбом написан, хотя бы разок его послушал... 4) Грэмми за лучшую упаковку (что блин, за это дают Грэмми?...) Стоит послушать: Christmas (текст выше всяких похвал) , The acid queen, Cousin Kevin, Underture, Smash the mirror.

Enjoyed listening, nice album