Tommy

Довольно жизнерадостное начало и даже воодушевляющее. Как будто тебя готовят к большому путешествию, но потом начинается облом по тексту и повергают в пучины экзестенциальности человека и как на него влияет общество. Главный вопрос, который я хочу задать альбому и людям, добавившим его в список 1001 альбома: как вообще думаете, альбом стал великим из-за посыла или из-за музыки? Лично я склоняюсь к первому, так как история сильная и важная, безусловно, но музыкально он не настолько крут, как те же Пинк Флойд того времени

Увертюра прикольно, этот ход мне особо нравится в пластинках, когда есть что-то "для настройки" и задания вайба. К тому же, это рок-опера вроде как, судя по описанию. Даже с сюжетом типа...) Забавно в общем, на Sparks я понял, что получаю примерно те же самые эмоции, что и от Pet Sounds за авторством The Beach Boys: я хочу погрузиться в сюжет, но вот музыка не везде мне кажется гипер-интересной и разнообразной. Плюс в описании так пафосно сказано, что это "рок-опера", мне как-то пока разнообразия не хватает, прежде всего в инструментальном плане: отличия между звучанием песен есть, но они минимальны. Underture: вот это конечно дикая вещь. Натурально симфония, с несколькими действиями, тональностями. Абсолютно без текста, что позволяет сфокусироваться на музыке, всех-всех деталях и интструментах. Мне в какой-то момент чем-то напомнило "Время вперёд" Свиридова. Возможно, из-за темпа произведения. Но мне прям нравится, тяжело такую музыку конечно слушать на постоянной основе, но раз в месяц кайфануть — ха-ра-шо. Pinball Wizard: да, я потом прогуглил, что это было коммерчески успешный сингл, но подумал об этом ровно во время прослушивания. Хороший поп-хит, для ознакомления с творчеством The Who вполне сойдёт. Sally Simpson: тут я услышал кантри, возможно, я не один такой. Но прикольно, пожалуй себе добавлю. Клавишные очень хороши. Tommy's Holiday Camp: ахахах, чёрт, какой шикарный орган-синт, ну или что это вообще. Похоже на хоккейный орган чем-то. В общем звук прикольный, ещё и стерео наложилось хорошо. We're not gonna take it: снова как будто симфония, ну и такой светлый финальный трек. Завершающий, финальный, итоговый. Как гимн всего хорошего (в музкальном плане) в этом альбоме. В целом, надо переслушивать ещё раз и внимательно читать текст. В нём наверняка скрываются объяснения тех или иных ходов в аранжировках песен. И судя по синопсису, история глубокая и неоднозначная. По музыке — однообразно, но качественно. Чувствуется, что запись была сделана давно: местами присутствуют довольно всратые стереоэффекты, которые в блюпуп (уж простите) наушниках звучат непривычно странно. И баса что-то маловато. Кстати, до этого, я кажется не слушал The Who, пару песен добавил себе и может быть даже послушаю ещё какой-то альбом. Мне звходит их темп что ли... как будто боевик какой-то немного, всё время погоня за чем-то. Но нужен ремастер. 4 звезды за плотность звука, но однообразность и недостаточную вариативность аранжировок. Сюжет — ну такое, на грани реальности и фантастики, с мешаниной всего (это я перечитал краткое содержание и чёт обалдел слегка от количества мыслей, которые до нас хотят донести). P.s. first review done, получается. Посмотрим, как надо будет оценки ставить...

Музыка: 4/5, кайф, но надоедает Текст/концептуальность/что-либо ещё: 5/5, чистый кайф Удержание: 3/5, слишком много ненужных выебонов Неочев факт: левое ухо прям болит

Ballsy and brilliant.

This album was much stranger than I remember. I think if it were released today, many would consider it 'experimental'. I did enjoy it. But some of the songs were a little disjointed from the general vibe of the album.

it's good. story is whatever, but I like when songs have a very apparent meaning, so at least it helps with that. Christmas, The Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, We're Not Gonna Take It, and particularly Go to the Mirror (it took me way too long to recognize how good this song was, ngl) are highlights. I like the vocal harmonies and the use of drums to emphasize certain sections.

I liked it after I figured out the real meaning of the lyrics. Interesting concept for the time

This is epic and so broad in musical scope…I think I prefer the soundtrack version more, but certainly admire this undertaking!

No lo terminé esta largo, después lo voy a terminar, por ahora esa nota creería que va a ser

All in all it's pretty ridiculous, but the original ambition and really solidly launching the idea of a Rock Opera had so much impact on rock music. I love when bands take big swings like this, and overall it really works.

Rock operas and other mega-ambitious pop music projects often fail for reasons having to do with basic incoherence but Townsend knew what he was doing and built this to work narratively and musically. The silliness and creativity of The Who Sell Out is put to better and more focused effect. It's sort of mid-tempo throughout (as if to keep things under control) and some songs are too quickly done, but generally everything works on its own terms, which aren't necessarily transcendent, though there are moments – "Christmas" is the highlight, but "Overture" and "It's a Boy" and "Acid Queen" and "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" are all strong and almost moving. One admires the concept and, for the most part, the execution. It is quite strong which is impressive enough, considering just how much worse it could’ve – and probably should’ve – been.

A high school favorite album here. I appreciate the effort of this rock opera more than the actualization. Always though Quadrophenia was a better album and story. But when those trumpets hit on the first song and lead into It’s a boy, I’m reminded how important this album was to me and how much I still love this album , story, and these songs

A classic album but one that probably has not lasted the test of time and does sound a bit dated now. Not quiet a masterpiece but worth a listen none the less.

"So it's like an opera, but it rocks!" Ugh. I like the Who, and they undeniably have some classic bangers under their belts. This album has some classics: Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!, I'm Free but it's also saddled with some tracks that might be better if they weren't shoehorned into a narrative. Smash the Mirror has good riffs, but could it have been better if didn't have to be about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid's therapy session? I get why this was mind-blowing in 1969, but let's be honest: the story the album is built around is kind of dumb. I think Townshend's operatic narrative tendencies are better served with longer individual songs broken into different parts - think A Quick One While He's Away or Rael from The Who Sell Out. There's no idea being beaten to death over 90 minutes, you can tell a more detailed story with only three singers (which is harder with something like this where rivals Tommy and the Pinball Wizard are both sung by the same guy), and you aren't forcing ideas to fit into a framework they might not be best served by. A bad album? Not by any stretch. An overrated album? Probably more accurate.

Ok

I like the concept of these opera rock albums, but I must say that I rarely listen to them, paying much attention or following the correct order. So it was a lovely surprise to get this album today. It allowed me to pursue an opera rock album as it should be: Listen to the songs and follow the history behind them, paying attention to the details. It is astonishing how much "The Who" changed their style and lyrics from their previous albums to this one. It looks like a whole new band. It was a good experience; I enjoyed listening to opera rock in the way I should have heard, and "The Who" is not such an influential band without reason.

It's one of the first (or maybe THE first) concept albums so that in itself is notable. I enjoyed the storytelling here, I did have to look up a synopsis of the record but I thought it was told as well as it could've been given the medium. The tragic beginning of the story drew me in, but it admittedly lost me a bit when Tommy gained pinball powers and became a cult leader. That said, it was also at that point that the music became a lot more interesting so I'm not too mad. Overall, it's just a sight (or a sound?) to behold that The Who created awesome music that followed a concept this well. You have to give props to that. I certainly do, more so when you have amazing songs like Pinball Wizard, Go To the Mirror, Tommy Can You Hear Me, and Smash the Mirror.

I was aware of this album's significance and it does deserve a lot of credit (blame?) for being the first "rock opera", however, I didn't actually like very many of the songs. The story itself was kind of hard to follow as well, so I don't think I got much out of the "opera" part either. I'd probably give this 3 stars for enjoyment, but I'll add a star due to its place in history.

Classic. End of.

Good album, definitely a masterpiece worth more listens

Very nice, softer rock

I'm nostalgic for this album bc my dad used to always play it and the who were his favorite. The good parts are really really good but there doesn't need to be so many instrumental sections. Also the ending is weird.

There will be 5 star who albums for me, but this wasn’t one of them. Too much what feels like filler to listen as an album.

The quintessential rock opera. Outside of the hits, you really have to be in the mood for Tommy. But Moon's drumming is amazing on this album (not to mention Townshend's compositions) and I was happy it came up because otherwise it's not an album I'm going to think to play from start to finish.

Never was a huge fan of The Who... but can't deny how great many of the songs on this album are.

It’s kind of funny, I think it’s this album where The Who start to match, if not better their live performances, but I just don’t like the concept behind the album. And unfortunately, most of the songs don’t work without recognizing the story at large. There’s some gold here, and some all-time best performances from the band, but I much prefer Who’s Next and Quadrophenia. B

This will be a very strange review because I don’t think that there is anything wrong with the album. It’s remarkably solid for a concept album. Unlike most, it flows well and the repeated musical motifs make it feel like a cohesive unit. As someone that loves progressive music and high-concept albums, I thought I’d love it. However, it is not what I want from the Who. I associate them with hard-nosed British rock, jump up and jam songs, anthemic pieces like Baba O’Riley. This, for all of its polish, isn’t that. Still, despite not being what I want, it’s quite good. Standout songs are Pinball Wizard and Christmas.

What?

Some good songs, I love the Who but some these songs were weird.

Beaucoup trop de The Who dans cette liste. L’Angleterre n’est pas le centre de l’univers. Il y a de bonnes choses sur cet album.

This album review is more about a cat, instead of music. My girlfriend, now my wife, got a cat while we were in college. The cat had live with me and my roommate, a big Who fan. The cat was given a name I can't remember. Anyway, every time we took him out, he played in this tall grass area where we couldn't see him. My roommate would look for him by singing, Tommy can you hear me. Much to Mindy's objection, we called him Tommy so much, he didn't respond to whatever name he was originally given and became Tommy! Album was a blast from the past. Good tunes all the way through. Tommy can you hear me will always be a favorite. Just seeing this album made me smile. Not their best, but good. 3.5 for me. Will make it 4 for the cat, Tommy

4.5 Alright, confession time... I'm a fan of The Who, but I've never listened to this album all the way through. Holy shit I was missing out - pretty sure this album was the first true rock opera to ever exist, and it clearly set the standard for every attempt that followed. Tommy kicks ass out right out the gate with Overture, which I thought was an amazing introduction and taste of what's to come, and then proceeds to never stop kicking ass until it concludes. The end result really feels like the product of a band firing on all cylinders. The only real criticism I had is that I felt it could have benefitted from a little more diversity in sound - it does some really cool things, but I feel like I would describe the overall sound as pretty consistent. Not necessarily a bad thing, but some bigger shifts in tone would have been an interesting dynamic. Then again, I didn't care for the album's hardest shift in Tommy's Holiday Camp, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Favorite songs: Overture, 1921, Christmas, The Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, Sally Simpson

Some bonkers tracks but overall very enjoyable

"Very sad that the yearly Dutch tradition of 'top 2000 songs of all time' radio event uses the repeating motif of this album as their jingle, because I now associate it with old white men wanking over their music knowledge 🤮 All in all still good album though, but at times quite boring, still an absolute banger when Pinball Wizard hits, and with the absurd historical significance it has, I rate it 4.0/5" - Bliss

Well I’ve herd the most popular stuff from this band but never a full on album… Overture opens the album with a banging instrumental it drags a little bit for me but it’s still fairly pleasing. It’s a boy is only very short and is really just setting it he atmosphere for the album. 1921 is the first “proper” song on the album it’s a great track very theatre. There’s a sound that goes all throughout amazing journey that really bugs me but it’s a nice enough tune. Sparks works perfectly next to amazing journey ( it’s a good instrumental). Eyesight to the blind (The hawker) is an amazing tune to end side one so dramatic! I really like the way that the verses are sung in Christmas and the ending of the song is nice and theatrical. Cousin Kevin seems mean but it’s a good song. I really like the instrumentation in the acid queen such a solid tune. Underture (like overture) is a very long instrumental this one is twice as long but twice as good. Do you think it’s alright and fiddle about are both about Tommy’s pedophile uncle Ernie and yeah they’re both creepy. But then there’s pinball wizard a bridge hit single to have even if the band hate it! There’s a doctor is a short little piano ditty I guess it’s okay. Go to the mirror is a very solid rocker with great crunchy guitars. Tommy can you hear me is short and folky it’s eh. Smash the mirror is another shortie, good but not amazing. Sensation ends side 3 on a fairly upbeat note and it’s good but there’s something about the vocals on here that I don’t love. Miracle cure is well… short. Sally Simpson is a nice acoustic tune. I’m free feels really “lush” I don’t know how to explain it but I like it. Welcome is just happy I know it’s the whole creepy cult thing but still a decent fluffy tune. Tommy’s holiday camp is alright but why did uncle Ernie have to be hosting it…yuck. The album ends with we’re not gonna take it and it works really,really well as a closer to a solid album. The album is great as a whole bunch was hard going track by track as the album is more of an “experience” than a standard issue album.

Great album: Overture- literally one of the greatest songs to summarize the experience to come; trombone solo ringing, great harmonies, guitar ringing, need to learn on guitar Its a boy- straight lead in, great way to point out that the birth is a start to the story 1921- gritty harmonies

Can't fully get behind the rock opera concept

Fantastic album. Fave tracks would probably be "Overture," "The Acid Queen," "Amazing Journey," and "Go To The Mirror!"

Love the The Who. Very interesting and ambitious album for the time. I just rarely listen to the whole album often anymore.

I would like concept albums more if the songs could all stand on their own. And these just don't. But a couple of really good one on here, and the overall album is pretty great.

Beatles rip off for the most part. But there’s bangers

It was a good concept album, that I feel upon additional listens it will grow even more on me. The melodic hard rock provides a journey of Tommy's story, but also provides a way to allow listeners to listen to their favourites without needing to be consumed or drawn in by the full operatic piece. Best: Pinball Wizard Worst: Welcome 3.5 stars

Musically, this is a truly enjoyable album. Contextually, the theme of the album is weird, even as a rock opera. Artistic merits alone, this album is great. Through the lens of current social lenses (2022), it is a wonder whether or not history will view The Who without the controversy of Pete Townshend. This album does not help the case, as the subject matter does offer conjecture of how much those allegations/affiliations could lead back to this album. Quick digression, the album is well-produced, and the songs flow well, very well. The runtime was an initial concern but the album maintained good momentum throughout to the very end.

Into it, can’t say I follow the plot or metaphor, but enjoy a good overture.

What an interesting album. The first true rock opera, in the sense that the songs are unconventional and follow a storyline. While it is hard by the lyrics to alone know what is being told, and the length a tad long, musically, from beginning to end, the album is so engaging and entertaining, with top production for the 60s, great performances by all members of the band. Not quite what they achieve on Who’s Next, but a great album!

Nice rock opera but a bit long, no songs really standing out and a story that's interesting but hard to follow

75 minutes of very good music! Incredible. Overture and Underture are my favorites (besides Pinball of course)

A definite classic. 4/5

The Rock Opera! Never got around to listening to this one in full, so I’m excited. The Overture, which foreshadows the music to come, boasts a mix of blues, country, rock, and classical music. We’re introduced to Tommy Walker, whose father went missing before he was born. 1921 is a pretty song, introducing the fact that Tommy is unable to hear, see, or speak. Amazing Journey has an interesting rhythm, reflecting Tommy’s vibration land. Tommy’s 10 years of age at this point. I’m confused as to whether the point of view is constantly shifting — does Tommy see the bearded man in a silver gown or does the narrator? I suppose the point is that Tommy has the capacity to create his own experience of the world around him. Story aside, The Who’s sound is so rich and full. They have such a profound control of dynamics. The songs blend pretty seamlessly together, though there are a couple that are able to stand out enough on their own. In this way, this concept album is the epitome of concept albums. It simulates the experience of a band playing continuously without any stopping for one hour (as an album tries to simulate anyway but not all of them do effectively). “Eyesight to the Blind” comes in with a vengeance — reminiscent of Pink Floyd. This song is about a woman with the power to revitalize senses. At this point, while listening to “Christmas,” which singles Tommy out as a child unable to experience Christmas in the way intended (Tommy doesn’t know what day it is), im wondering why The Who resonated with a story about a disabled child. Having taken classes on disability theory and rights, I’m a bit put off by the portrayal of a disabled child as simultaneously needing to be saved and being extraordinary. By “Cousin Kevin,” I’m feeling a little bored. Granted, I was forced to stop and restart again a few days later. Because of their classic sound and the ambitiousness of this project, I’m going to rate this album a 4. Some of the songs are a bit samey, which I guess is expected of concept albums or musical theatre-esque stuff. This makes it a bit boring after a while, though I plan on doing another listen.

Great story telling album throughout. Weird at times which I believe is good because it makes it authentic and true to what they wanted to accomplish. I appreciated the flow of the album and thought the instrumentals pieced in were great and fit perfectly. Not too many stand alone stand out songs too me, besides the obvious "Pinball Wizard", which I think is fine in a story telling album like this. It seems like the goal from start to finish was story first, and that was accomplished. Very good album. Favorite Songs: "Pinball Wizard", "Go To The Mirror!"

Solid revisit. Only listened to the original album but enjoyed the continuity and nostalgia.

I've never actually listened to Tommy. Maybe I needed to listen to it while staring into a candle (a la Almost Famous). Great album, though...

4.5

I need to give this about 10 more listens to really understand what's going on, but it's far more interesting than I've previously given The Who credit for

Here's the thing-- the narrative behind Tommy is weird and perverted. But, damn, do they commit to telling a story, and it's pretty entertaining to listen to. Definitely a unique piece in the canon of classic rock but I can't help but think it's the concept album that launched a thousand other concept albums.

Brilliant. Quite inspired. 7/10 Fave: Pinball Wizard

Should probably like Tommy more than I do. Like Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror and Tommy can you hear me. Feel like I should watch the movie to get it.

Really like this.

This was cutting edge for its time. Rekindled an interest in seeing the movie. 40 years later has lost an edge....

I think this album is fantastic. It's not one I often listen to all the way through, but I should. Tommy is such a great mix of the straightforward rocking with the theatrical and occasionally trippy. And it's at heart just a great Who album, creative and engaging and powerful from beginning to end. There's really nothing else like this in music. Most of the songs are great to listen to on their own, without even engaging with the somewhat hazy plot. A couple of the best songs the Who ever recorded are on this album ("I'm Free," "Pinball Wizard"), as well as some stellar deep tracks ("Christmas," "The Hawker"). The flow from song to song is seamless and the album never drags. It's over an hour long and you don't really feel it. Fave Songs: I'm Free, Pinball Wizard, Christmas, The Hawker, Tommy Can You Hear Me, Welcome, Go to the Mirror, The Acid Queen

Muito bom.

My first true introduction to the Who was through Tommy. When they were doing their first comeback tour back in 1989, I remember watching the concert downstairs in the basement of my college freshman dorm. There were a number of us watching it, too young to have seen them when they were first touring but now experiencing them live on TV. I remember watching them play Tommy with special guest stars Phil Collins and Billy Idol... Then I heard the studio album, and it did not sound like that concert. It sounded... tinnier. My biggest problem with Tommy is how the development of the lead is through all these different characters that float in and out of the opera. In the story, it's not through his own internal development that Tommy as a character grows. Townshend's writing for character development really hit its peak in the next rock opera, Quadrophenia. The songs themselves do a lot of variation, and Moon pounds the HELL out of the drums. So yeah, as much as I appreciate this album for what it is, it only has a few great songs on it. I mean, you cannot deny the greatness of "Pinball Wizard" or "See Me, Feel Me." But besides that, a lot of the other songs are to beholden to the opera itself. So if Quadrophenia is a 5-star (which in my mind it is) this is definitely a 4-star album.

Another solid rock opera. But I don't know, I think I might like Bat out of Hell more. There's some good stuff and then there's some throwaways. Sometimes the songs don't seem to flow into each other as well as they should or could (e.g., Christmas to Cousin Kevin). Maybe that's also because some songs weren't initially conceived of for the album (e.g., Sally Simpson) and were trying to be fit in somewhere. And I'm not sure if there are any absolute show stoppers besides Pinball Wizard (what a great tune). Still, I really enjoyed both the Overture and Underture (orchestral feel without the orchestra), and the also-instrumental Sparks. Christmas was solid but felt like a Beatles knock-off. Fiddle About is just disturbing but I appreciate it.

24 трека с очень интересной игрой на гитаре и вокалом, из которых примерно 8 песен длятся больше или около 5 минут (это так, к сведению). Если честно, сначала навевали сомнения о идеальности и гениальности альбома, что его аж прям нужно до смерти обязательно прослушать. Но по итогу прослушал и мне понравилось. На самом деле очень хороший альбом, могу сказать, что это какой-то ранний The Beatles, имхо. Несколько треков сохранил себе, а это уже показатель, хх. Но есть также и несколько слабых песен, без которых альбом бы ничего не потерял, кроме общей продолжительности и количеству песен.

Love coming back to any record from the 60s, this one does an excellent job of storytelling, super captivating while still managing to experiment with instrument and vocal performances. I appreciate the harmonies used throughout the album, and the mastering of the left/right channel recordings of guitar/drums simulates the experience of standing right in the middle of this band. Underture was my favourite track this session.

Holy cannoli, now that is a rock opera. The Super Deluxe release is almost 3.5hrs long. It’s like the LOTR Extended Editions of rock opera. I enjoyed what I got to, but this album requires some dedicated time to actually get through and chew on. Cousin Kevin and Pinball Wizard stood out to me. 4/5 for now, could very well be 5/5 given more time. Was this conceptual album about a dumb, deaf and blind kid somehow inspirational for the premise of the movie Tommy Boy?

Sometimes an album just click after a second or third listen. This was one of them. I have owned the album for quite a while and might've listened to it once or twice. Never got into it, I thought The Who had made much better. Now years later re-listening it on a 3rd and 4th listen and it fully clicked. It's an amazing album.

Me resultó un poco largo. 4.

I know I am alone in this, but Quadrophenia is a much better album.

A lot of bands have tried to rock opera thing, but I think tThe Who probably did it best (twice). A couple of great songs and the rest is really good. My favorite memory about this album was when my brother in law, Peter, gave me a copy to hold for our first-born child - Thomas. He said “make sure he knows this was a gift from his uncle Pete!” That’s when I asked him if he was sending a hidden warning for our little Tommy in the lyrics to “Fiddle About”? He took the album back.

Great Rock Opera! I'm sure 4 is probably low given the influence of this classic, but listening through it is awesome, just not a feeling a full 5.

Super

If there's a better rock opera about child abuse I don't wanna hear about it! 🙃 Fave track - "Pinball Wizard" - kinda has to be, right!?

Yeah yeah yeah

Rock Opera. I think that says everything you need to know about the album style. It smoothly moves from one song to another with seamless transition. While I feel Quadrophenia may be their opus, the album has left a long impression on many music fans through the generations.

Really nice listen

Hearing it right now. I like The Who, this album seems to be a masterpiece, but I just didn't have the time to dive deep into it today. Maybe I'll listen to it again in the future, in a less busy moment.

Pretentious, overblown, and up its own bottom. I still rather enjoyed it.

I wasn't sure I'd heard it in one sitting before, but I'd heard all the tracks before. It was good but I think I'll try the live version that came as bonus with my cd of 'Live In Leeds'. I love the sound on it, and if Tommy live has that same, beefed up, sound. I imagine it'll be the version I spin.

Kooky.

Certainly an ambitious project but Tommy really is all over the place. I only saw the musical about two months back thanks to NetflixUK and my reaction to that was 'what did I just watch', the album by itself feels even more abstract and disconnected without the imagery. That's not to say it isn't enjoyable, in parts it's almost so bad it's brilliant and it's still a pivotal album regardless.

7/10

Noted for delisted but this is a groundbreaking album

A classic

Not all the music here is tip top, but I'm giving points for sheer ambition, and for spinning a rather peculiar yarn in the process. Incidentally, when the music clicks, it's fantastic. Stuff like 'Sensation', 'Pinball Wizard', and the Overture/Underture passages are top tier Who

Ogħġobni. Twil istja.

I actually liked this MUCH better than I thought I would. My pre-judgements coming in...too long, stupid premise, hokey songs. The premis still strikes me as stupid but the songs are so strong - what a drummer Keith Moon was - that I did not feel the album was bloated at all. very little filler and some truly transcendent musical moments. 4.5 stars

La primera gran òpera-rock de la història. He fet l'experiment d'escoltar-lo en shuffle i s'ha demostrat un gran error: sona totalment desllavassat i inconnexe. Tal com s'ha de sentir, però, reforça el seu posi històric. Malgrat que a mí sempre em va semblar més complet i disfrutable 'Quadrophenia', 'Tommy' va ser el primer i amb el qual van aconseguir arribar a l'estratosfera com a banda. I això sense gaire singles roents, més enllà de les increïbles 'I'm Free'. 'We're Not Gonna Take It' o 'Pinball Wizard', però amb un tot molt difícil d'igualar, tant en història com en composició

Maybe a bit over-blown in places, but it's well-crafted & will reward multiple listens.

This story of "deaf, dumb and blind" Tommy couldn't have been written in any other time than '69, but that's when this kind of art would be heralded as game-changing. Thus, even though the taste is questionable and the music not particularly mind-blowing, the adventurous attitude at the root of this record still reels me in.

Rock Operas are usually a by-word for naff. But this one is ace

This is an epic - in the sense that it is really long. Plenty of bangers are included, but can get a bit lost in the length of the album. It does take the listener of an engaging and enjoyable journey, though. That this is a rock opera is very apparent. The ebb and flow, big choruses, and narrative of musical theatre are clear, so the length gets a pass in this case and it is judged as something different (more?) than just an album of songs. 3.5/5 (for the bangers, narrative journey and a bonus half point for ambition).

Es un disco muy ridículo pero funciona muy bien como ópera.

Over-inflated, ludicrous storyline - but brilliant

Some classics

Weird story but love the music

Another great one I actually have on vinyl. Never saw the play or the film, but I have loved the album. I think that's pretty incredible for a rock opera in that it really stands alone and it stands the test of time. Daltery and Townsend are a legendary duo. I went through a Who phase. They have a ton a of great songs, but when it comes to an album, I come back to Tommy every time. Who's Next and Quadrophenia are crazy good though.

Me ha resultado un poco largo

My second favorite The Who album, the one that firmly established the rock opera genre (although SF Sorrow came first). I argue it is also the second best rock opera after The Wall. Production is among the best of the era. Lyrics are clear and spread out enough for people to understand what's going on. The short interludes help with the synopses, while the songs may be short or long but covers some central theme in Tommy's story. The music, often hard, psychedelic, or orchestral, perfectly reflects the subject. Tracks blend in really well, and it truly does feel like listening to a movie. There's a lot of diversity in these tracks, but besides "Pinball Wizard," I'm not hearing any hits. (Oh fun fact, pinballs were illegal at the time of this album release, so the song showed Tommy as a social rebel.) They could all just fly by if you're not paying attention. It doesn't help that the album's double in length, so a bunch of not-so impressive songs with lyrics you need to pay attention to can be an unappealing experience. The psychedelic instrumentals help keep things interesting for the most part. The opening track was a great choice, but the closing track felt a little rough. These weaknesses would normally justify a 3 star rating, but the fourth star comes from the storytelling, innovation, and diversity in tracks. Favorite Tracks: Sparks, Eyesight to the Blind, Christmas, Underture, Pinball Wizard

Haven't listened to this in quite awhile. I was never a massive Who fan back in the day but I thought this held up really well and was very interesting to listen to all the way through and follow the story. A lot of it I never really picked up on before. Cool shit.

The real OG rock opera. It has that classic Who sound, but unfortunately I think the narrative is muddy to say the least; unfortunate, considering what I was hoping for out of a rock opera. The music itself was pretty consistently fun, however. Even more interesting is knowing how this project almost acted as a vehicle for Townshend to explore his own traumas and spirituality; that honestly is the most interesting part of it all for me.

I really love it this far, it's a long album though. That's a four for some reason :))

It’s good. It’s really good. But it does drag in some spots- some of the instrumental interludes kinda drag, even within the lyrical focused songs. Most of the time it’s awesome, but when it drags-it DRAGS. Still, some amazing song writing and performances from The Who. On the flip, the good stuff is REALLY good. Definitely would recommend, just pack your patience for some dull parts.

Wow! Een Engelse vertaling van "Di-rect doet Tommy". Vandaag luister ik beiden naast elkaar om goed te vergelijken. Ik hoor bij The Who veel Supertramp, maar ook Beatles en Queen. Zang is net als bij Di-rect soms een beetje vals, maar de muziek is echt geniaal. Favorieten zijn nummers als "Pinball Wizard / Flipper Koning" en "I am free / Were vrij" maar ook vele anderen zijn prachtig gecomponeerd. Zeer melodieus en met gevoel. Naar het einde wordt het album alleen maar beter. Met als hoogtepunt het nummer "We are not gonna take it / Niemand van ons pikt dit" waarin het hele album samenkomt. Na afloop van deze twee albums ook nog effe de film gekeken. Nu valt alles op zijn plaats. Wat is dit een fijne verrassing op een volledig vrije dag. ****

Watched the film a long time ago, it was nice to revisit the music

Saw this play as a kid. Listening took me back. Very clear that it was for a play, lots of consistency in some of the melodies that appear through the album. A classic.

Have heard many times. Some great songs, some not so much. Weird story makes me worry about Pete Townsend.

Excellent album. Had not listened to all the way thru but knew some of the songs.

Loved the opening journey of this one!

Erstmals am Stück gehört! Tolles Album! Nicht nur wegen Pinball Wizzard!

Bei The Who gibt es noch was für mich zu entdecken eher 4-5

The Who is definitely a band I’ve listened to before and tried to get into at some point in my life; their music never really stuck, but this album is great nonetheless. I see why it’s highly praised. Honorable mentions: Cousin Kevin and Acid Queen.

Veel beter einde dan begin. Het concept van een rock opera is heel tof. Werkt wel beter als je het verhaal eens leest.

pretty good rock n roll

Great

Not really my style, but good music!

Didn't finish because it was toooo long. But I enjoyed very much. I thought The Who were harder, this was like too soft. Really good, though!

As a double album, it's tough to listen to all the time, but it is dramatic and playful all at once. It's nice to be able to listen to one song (the intro), and really get the feel of the whole album.

Enjoyed it but i felt like it dragged on a little bit.

Siempre he sido demasiado fan del pinball; si tuviera suficiente dinero una larguísima fila de máquinas sería uno de los proyectos sin sentido que seguramente realizaría de inmediato. En algún momento entre los 13-14 años estando en las maquinitas vi una máquina que tocaba una y otra vez el inicio de una canción y eventualmente se quedó embebida en mí "Ever since I was a young boy I've played the silver ball From Soho down to Brighton I must have played 'em all But I ain't seen nothing like him In any amusement hall That deaf, dumb and blind kid Sure plays a mean pinbaaaaaall DU-DU DU-DUN DU-DUUUUUUUN" Y básicamente, eso fue lo que me llevó a conocer a The Who, no había escuchado Teenage Wasteland, quizá conocía My Generation pero no los relacionaba, no sabía nada y me dediqué a buscar una ópera rock de la nada por un pinball. En su momento se me hizo el disco revelación de mi vida, quizá no me interesaba aún realmente por el mensaje en la música (que de hecho la "historia" y letras creo desde ese entonces se me hacía medio vagas y ahora las compararía con un viaje espiritual tipo canción Led Zeppelin sin sentido pero que dura una hora y media) pero musicalmente se sentía el contar una historia, la variación de canciones pero manteniendo siempre el sentido del album, esas partes que ahora entiendo como leit motifs. En su momento a mis 13 se me hizo una cosa brillante de genios. Hoy en día me sigue gustando, quizá no a ese nivel. Lo que tengo que admitir, tanto para bien como para mal es que es la VERDADERA Opera Rock (no, ni The Wall ni Quadraphenia y nada... es este) tiene overtura, interludios, una historia que se sigue por tejido narrativo y no solo por ideas conceptuales, es ambicioso, es un musical entero es... operático. Lo malo es que también siento que esa ambición hoy, analizada con calma, trabaja un poco en su detrimento en cuanto a que no se puede realmente apreciar como disco e historia, musicalmente escucharlo termina con pedazos que se sienten sobran, ese dramatismo de sentirse tal cual como si fuera un musical hace que solo pienses que estas escuchando algo incompleto (que por ejemplo no pasa ni con Quadraphenia ni con The Wall). Disco super ambicioso, grande, muy muy bueno pero quizá "too big for it's own good" lo detiene de llegar a la cima.

Probably a classic

Epic and nostalgic

La música que hicieron para este disco es sin duda excelente: arreglos de voces, solos de guitarra, hasta el uso de motivos que se repiten en toda la obra al estilo de la música clásica. Además, romper con la base de los sencillos comerciales de tres minutos era todavía algo novedoso en aquel entonces. No más por eso se lleva, facilito, una buena calificación. Por el lado personal, sin embargo, aunque los discos conceptuales me gustan, este a veces es muy largo y muy rebuscado dentro de su mismo concepto… Quizá la película podría ser más interesante, pues lo que me falta es ver las imágenes.

Some great songs. Some very forgettable ones. Album was a very long for my liking but pretty solid.

beautiful but quite a long album

Apparently, I like concept albums. I'm typically not a huge fan of The Who, but this one is an easy 4 stars for me.

One of the founders of hard rock, at this moment the album isn't that special to listen to, but this was unheard of at the time.

Epic, and the ones that aren’t overplayed are great

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.

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.

Yeah their choice of inspiration was questionable

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.

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

I liked - interesting - 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Não escutei inteiro

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

The who have always been meh to me

Pleasant but not stand out

6/10 No es malo pero no me termino de convencer, muy largo además

This is definitely a record with a lot of ideas, a lot of moving parts, and a lot of messiness. I've always kinda loved this record but with a fresh listen and a fresh take - this is so long and such a disaster. I still love it and I still enjoy the hits but as a whole there's a lot of meh here.

The first mainstream rock opera that still holds up today. The at times very dark subject matter might put people off, but Tommy is well worth hearing, if only for its influence on later efforts.

This requires more listens. That said, I think I prefer “The Old Who”. Cool that they felt compelled enough to do a rock opera but overall it was a bit theatrical and not in a “where has this Who been” kinda way…

Alright, interesting rock opera. Version I listened to include live and I was too lazy to turn it off. I appreciated the clarity of the live better; or maybe it was just hearing it a 2nd time more stuck out

Obvious comparisons to be made to Pink Floyd’s The Wall (a better album). I was dreading this one. Not a rock opera fan in general, and I’d never listened to this album front to back before. I was surprised though by how listenable it was. Nothing very impressive musically. A handful of minor hits. 3/5 because of it’s ‘significance’.

That Deaf, Dumb, Blind Kid Sure Plays A Mean Pinball 1001 Albums Generator 303 (6/1/2026) Tommy is notable as the first major, popular rock opera ever. This fact alone is impressive and what Pete Townsend did here should be applauded. Unfortunately, as the first example of the genre, it falls into the same traps as a lot of rock operas, namely that the story often takes precedence over the music itself, and it is too long. It also has 8 songs that are less than 2 minutes long, which I understand are related to the story of the album, but they are often much too silly for my taste (akin to the previous album by The Who that I listened to, The Who Sell Out). However, there are genuine moments of genius. Overture introduces the musical themes of the album in a genius way. Amazing Journey is really psychedelic and kind of sounds like a lost Beatles song. Underture is a great instrumental that acts as a centerpiece for the album. We're Not Gonna Take It closes the album strong and is a suite split into 2 or 3 parts that is just solid prog-adjacent rock. Although there is way too much filler on Tommy, there is also a lot of solid music here. Feels like a 3.5/5, rounded down to a 3. Favs: Amazing Journey Pinball Wizard We're Not Gonna Take It Least Fav: Tommy's Holiday Camp

Genuinely the most bizarre concept for an album, like most albums by the Who, Entwhistle and Moon carry it whilst the other two are annoying throughout. Pinball Wizard - great. Amazing Journey - ok. Fiddle about - mental.

It really needs the movie

Eh, not my favourite. I guess it's interesting artistically but musically I just found it pretty underwhelming. Not bad, but didn't really do anything for me.

not bad but also not crazy good

Not sure I understand the whole concept album thing, do we need a whole album dedicated to this?

When I was younger and lost — trying to find my way towards something I could only vaguely articulate — I listened to enough of The Who to develop opinions about Tommy vs. Quadrophenia with regard to what's their best rock opera. But in truth, I wanted to like The Who more than I actually did. I could never shake that Live at Leeds was my favorite record of theirs (always because: faster, louder, more aggressive). I couldn't really get on board with their rock operas and just about every early album had some song whose references or particularly English humor didn't land. What I appreciate though is that for all its grand ambition, and despite its stumbles, it's a relatively consistent 1 hour and 15 minutes. Here's a band working through how sounds operate at the level of their composition while addressing how they fit together at the level of album. A stronger editorial ear would trim some of the weaker moments and less necessary thematic call-backs but there's so much territory often unthinkingly ceded to a producer and to sequencing decisions generally that I appreciate they stuck to their concept. Tommy, the rock opera, demands you have a structure greater than the songs that The Who must honor (for better or worse). I'll give that level of ambition a measure of grace in listening to it over a recorded document of "songs we had on hand or managed to write" even if I can't deny the power of a less-connected collection of bops. Three stars always reaching but failing to grasp the fourth.

Не мое

I've heard worse concept albums

Is Tommy deaf dumb and blind? Is the whole album a setup to let us know that he plays a mean pinball? Who is Tommy in real life? This isn’t the who that the world came to know, but you can see flashes of it, Pinball Wizard is obviously the centerpiece. One of those albums that really tells a story, makes me curious of the inspiration.

it's the one with pinball wizard on it

uuuuugh another rock opera. this could be better than i think it'll be, but i dunno... Overture - 3/5 It's a Boy - 4/5 1921 - 4/5 Amazing Journey - 4/5 Sparks - 4/5 Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) - 4/5 Christmas - 4/5 Cousin Kevin - 4/5 The Acid Queen - 4/5 Underture - 3/5 Do You Think It's Alright? - no rating Fiddle About - 3/5 Pinball Wizard - 5/5 There's a Doctor - no rating Go to the Mirror! - 4/5 Tommy Can You Hear Me? - 3/5 Smash the Mirror - 3/5 Sensation - 3/5 Miracle Cure - no rating Sally Simpson - 4/5 I'm Free - 4/5 Welcome - 3/5 Tommy's Holiday Camp - no rating We're Not Gonna Take It - 5/5 Average score: 3.7/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ oh, apparently this is THE rock album. as in, the first of its kind. just as i suspected, i feel the same way about this as i did with The Wall: it has it's highlights, but boy does it overstay it's welcome it's hard for me to say whether or not this is better than The Wall or not. both stories are kinda wild, and just plain confusing if you don't closely follow along with the lyrics. i personally had to analyze the lyrics in some parts of this album to really grasp what was going on, and i came away from it having a bit more appreciation for the story after that on the bright side, the musical arrangements were interesting (in a good way). Keith Moon absolutely carried the entire performance on his back with his drumming. i dunno, maybe rock operas are just lost on me

Grand sounding album, a bit long

Though it's often overlooked these days in favour of other rock operas of its time (Sgt. Pepper's, Future Passed) and it's since overshadowed by the reappraisal of the Who's own Quadrophenia, this is still a seminal album in not just the Who's own catalogue, but of rock and roll in general. Despite its status as a rock opera, it only really "rocks" in a few select places(the end of "Christmas," "Pinball Wizard" and "Go to the Mirror!" for instance) so its sound is really built around the narrative the album's songs tell. Let's not forget this was one of the first albums to really have theatre-style leitmotifs appear and reappear in a rock album. This is a lot folkier and more progressive pop than I remember it being when I bought it as a Christmas gift for my dad some years ago. With all that hindsight, I would have to say this album is vital as a document for understanding how rock music progressed as an art form, but, as a standalone piece, this album is very much a product of its time and, in modern contexts, can only be considered more influential than good. Key Tracks: 1921, Cousin Kevin, Christmas, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror! We're Not Gonna Take It

This is seriously dark and a bit creepy in places. I liked it but not that much.

Somehow doesn't sound quite as dated as a lot of other stuff from that time. Also, i appreciate the silliness.

Not great, not bad, I just don't have a lot of opinions about The Who. A few cool songs, but the whole concept album thing did not quite click for me.

I can tell this is a classic but It just wasn’t really my sound

Proto-Queen. Like it!

An album I've heard of, at least. I think I'm kind of over "concept albums" as a concept thanks to this project. But as an album, I guess it was fine. Highlight: 'Sensation'

La primer ópera Rock, no? Me es difícil en un día tomarle la vuelta a todo. Debiera sentarme, ver las letras, dejarme llevar por el album y es dificil. Aún así, ya al oído, 2 o 3 temas son geniales. Pero claramente es una experiencia para darle bola y no escuchar así nomás y solo una vez. Crédito parcial. 6/10

I didn’t like it, but I didn’t…not…like it. It was definitely very long (due to the track list) but I did enjoy songs such as Christmas, I’m free, sparks, and overture. But it isn’t an album that I will listen to ever again, probably in another year or sometime in the distant future when I forget about it but it has nothing that made me feel anything, and that’s a big part of how I enjoy and consume a great album. Overall score: Light 5

Wow this cover is.. prety bad.. The more I look at it the more I hate it. Apparently its the first opera rock album, idk if its a good thing or not. Its also a concept album. Holy fucking 1h14. The songs themself are borderline fine but the story telling is prety mediocre. How much does Tommy has to suffer god damn leave him allone. Oh and he suddenly become the pinball king, ofc. Yeah it gets boring after a few songs, you know where they are going. Some are just annoying. Overall, its a really dated album that aged prety badly with maybe 2-3 standouts. Poor Tommy/5

While a rock album it's very melodic and heavy in the instrumental parts. To me that makes it even better though. I read that this was a rock opera album with a story flowing through the songs. I can hear it in the lyrics but I would like the album better if they had skipped the short interlude songs. I could listen to a lot of these songs many times over and today I might, listening through the whole album again I wouldn't really do again.

I don't love the Who, but this is a good Who album.

Ok

3 HORAS

ну, во-первых, обложка супер классная во-вторых, на этом можно и остановиться, так как музыка скучная по крайней мере конкретно в этом альбоме у них просто есть какой-то вайб битлов, но несколько посредственных

I'd never actually listened to this; I know I saw the movie once, but not in an environment that allowed me to appreciate the music. I think it did prove that they were more than a singles rock band.

Decent

I give it a 5.2/10 It's not really for me personally but I see why people would like it.

Best Poo album [low bar]

Better than expected. More down to earth and chill than their other albums. Sounds similar to the Beatles (same weirdness and uniqueness) but packed with more rock n roll. Maybe even CCR adjacent too! A smidge long in my opinion but pretty solid album overall Favorite 2: Pinball Wizard, Tommy Can You Hear Me?

Started out kinda eh but I really enjoyed the vibes in the later half.

30 minutes too long. Cut the fat.

What is there to say that hasn't been said about this album? I enjoy The Who and recognize that they are an important thread in the progression from the 60s vibe to the hard rock of the 70s, with their solid musicianship and pop sensibilities. This album is a significant departure from all that, but not as entirely disappointing as some reviewers here have written. Certainly, it has disturbing elements, characters and themes, but it tells a cohesive story. I had never gotten the backstory of Pinball Wizard until now, but once is enough for this one. I will add that Entwistle's bass is solid throughout the album.

***an ok album

The first time I listened to this was in high school and it was one of the first times I tripped on acid. I was vibing to it until I read in the liner notes that Pete Townsend actually wrote it as a criticism of the counter culture’s psychedelic drug use! Listening to it now I still appreciate the grandeur of the idea and think a lot of the compositional elements are impressive with a few decent tunes. “Christmas” for instance is kind of a banger.

Couple of hits, I bet they were great live, but not my favorite album.

Decent album, but it's heavily carried by Pinball Wizard. All time classic. Fave track: Pinball Wizard

24 tracks long whyyyyyyyyy. 2.5/5

Quién?

First listen

There were times when this was a chore to get through, but also some points where it was really good. I remember seeing the film a few times, but some songs I remembered sounded very different this time round. Three stars seems fair.

pinball wizard man........ otherwise meh

first time all the way through

i think the concept album is interesting! i liked following the story, but musically not very good

okay

I could say a lot of words to sum up how I feel. Instead, I choose to state: "Quadrophenia is the superior Townshend opera and it not being here is a crime" (7/10, 3/5 on this scale)

The concept is neat and there is fun to be had and enjoyable moments, but a lot of the songs aren't that memorable and it doesn't half go on a bit

I wish the album was just pinball wizard

Not bad, but not that good either

Hello I'm bored this album is way too long

It's an ambitious project. There are a lot of songs that are essentially scores and they are okay. Not as many great songs. Appreciate the effort of this, but it does drag on a little. 3.5/5 Probably won't listen again

Honestly, this one was kind of disappointing. I love a lot of the other, whose albums, especially their later stuff, I can see this as their first album, leaning into the concept, albums, but it was just fine. Reasonable, but way too long, the instrumentation was not great three stars.

I didn't mind listening to this, however it just felt too long.

Ok guys I know this isn’t the best who album but Jesus you guys are some negative Nancys fr 😭 Overture - instantly recognisable trumpets. Awesome harmonies. Gnarly drums. Love how occasionally the guitar echoes parts later on in the album eg. 3:26 echoes Pinball Wizard It’s a boy - Mrs walker it’s a boy frrr not much to say because it’s only 40 seconds long 1921 - 21 was not in fact gonna be a good year poor Tommy 😔 Amazing Journey - Tommy character properly introduced and tells us the essential part. That he’s deaf, dumb, and blind Sparks - can really hear the bass in the beginning which I love. Not sure what else to say because it’s an instrumental Eyesight to the blind - LOVE this one SO MUCH Christmas - AH AHA AHAH poor Tommy doesn’t even know it’s Christmas 😔 guys Tommy can’t hear you or see you I promise Cousin Kevin - bro poor Tommy leave him alone tf The Acid Queen - breaking news guys disabled people are actually alive Underture - BASS YES JOHN if there’s one thing I absolutely LOVE about the who it’s the AWESOME bass. Lwk tempted to learn this as a bassist myself. GAH DAMN this is a long song I never realised how long it actually is Do You Think It’s Alright - NO ITS NOT ALRIGJT KEEP UNCLE ERNIE AWAY FROM HIM Fiddle About - makes me SO uncomfortable although I guess that’s the point justice for Tommy wtf guys Pinball Wizard - guys this deaf dumb and blind kid can sure play some MEAN PINBALL. The concept of Roger Daltrey completely DESTROYING Elton John in a game of pinball. A belter for SURE There’s a Doctor - can this doctor cure Tommy? Who knows? Go To The Mirror? - kept forgetting to pay attention to the lyrics I love the guitar and the melody Tommy Can You Hear Me? - ok well what if he doesn’t want to 🤨 he probably hates all of you goddamn. So annoying. Smash The Mirror - I mean yeah I wouldn’t blame him for only looking at himself if I were him I wouldn’t want to look at any of you. Great you broke the mirror cool. Sensation - yes lad use your fans for good Miracle cure - not much to say literally 12 seconds long Sally Simpson - it’s alright Sally better luck next time 😔 I’m Free - let’s go bro so close to the end !! end links back to pinball wizard Welcome - preach Tommy fr Tommys Holiday Camp - goofy ass tune fr 😭 like pop off I guess guys We’re Not Gonna Take It - YES AMAZING FINAL SONG I LOVE THIS ONE. Defo one of my favs on this album. I love how it echoes the Overture trumpets. I’m gonna give it 3 stars I love it but I just think that the Who have better albums (my favourite being Quadrophenia). Felt slightly illegal to listen to the album without the film (the film is lwk super goofy but I still love it 😭)

Interesting at points but felt a little lost and repetitive sometimes

Quite fun

A couple of good songs, but meh. 3, maybe even a 2.5.

6.0/10 Didn’t hate it.. would probably need a few more listens to really appreciate it and follow the story

Me parece muy interesante el concepto porque amo los álbumes con historia, pero no me parece increíble. Capaz no le presté mucha atención y en un futuro lo volvería a escuchar pero de todas formas no me impresionó.

When I was in high school I had this album. My parents bought me a pair of tickets to the local production as well. However, due to the pedophilia, I was uncomfortable asking any of my friends to come so I went with my sister. I'm pretty sure I came home with a See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me shirt. I don't think I ever wore it...if someone at my high school could pull that shirt off that person was definitely not me. Anyway, I think Uncle Ernie, Cousin Kevin, the Acid Queen and the more cringe aspects of this album were what stuck with me through the intervening 25 years. Re-listening I am struck by just how good most of the music is. I think the narrative nature of the project puts a pretty low ceiling on how good the collection of songs can possibly be. Given the constraints, these guys did about as well as you could have hoped for.

It's certainly an ambitious album, I found the concept and lyrics hard to get into for most of it. I've never seen the film, it would maybe benefit from that, I'm sometimes more of a visual person. Instrumentally it's good, especially the drums, but nothing blew me away it was all fairly tame. Acid Queen was fun and very 60s. Christmas was evocative and where I kinda got back into the story. Fiddle About made me want to throw up. Pinball Wizard was a happy relief. I'm Free was another favourite. Will I ever listen to this again? Likely never.

Very ambitious And they kind of pull it off Still… fiddle about…

i got a lot of respect for pete townshend and the who as a whole for going thru with creating a 75 minute long concept album, it's a full dick and balls on the table move and they pulled it off. even if the little interludes they included to explicitly move the story along kinda took me out of it a bit i can't say it's not well constructed. but the story the album tells is fuckin wack dude. like, the album covers a lot of really heavy topics, which isn't necessarily a problem but it does kinda put me off listening to it again if i'm not in the right mood for it. and did they really need to give the nonce character a second song? yeesh, regardless, the performances are great throughout, and i enjoyed the variety. i'm having trouble picking out favourites this time but "eyesight to the blind (the hawker)", "underture", "i'm free" and "welcome" stood out in particular. to my surprise, "pinball wizard" didn't really strike me as being substantially better than the rest of the album, but maybe i'm just overexposed...? and i guess "cousin kevin" and "the acid queen" both deserve honourable mentions too but i find it hard to get my head around the lyrics of either, especially the latter. you can't be saying that, dude.... i think overall i enjoyed it, more or less. but being about what it's about, it's been a struggle even to flick back through it for this review, so i don't think i'll be listening again any time soon. it's not bad, and i respect what they were going for, but it's the kind of thing that really requires me to be in the right moodset, and with things being as they are it's one that's rare for me these days.

6/10

Interesting idea for a musical, but it was so long and they don't sing a lot of the times and then my brain just tunes it out and I forget that I'm listening to it. Its ok.

Is this the first rock opera? I really do not know, but i can confirm that it is probably the best known one. This is a big, ambitious album for a young band, and it rewards at least one repeat listen. The music has so many foreshadowed themes and callback themes... the overture does the classic Musical feat of cycling through a bunch of important themes (giving us some Entwistle trumpet in the process). The Underture is a really solid propelling piece of music. And then, we get to the lyrics. See, many a rock opera fails to stick the landing when it comes to telling the story. Tommy is little different. We get some character sketches here... obviously Tommy himself, the three major abusive figures in Tommy's life, a girl who devotes herself to Tommy. But the actual thread is jumbled. The whole backstory to the "deaf dumb and blind" Tommy featured in 1921 is only really clear when you've read about the intended story. The messianic final act is just bizarre. The Pinball thing is left field. The abuse feels gratuitous. The brief interstitial tracks are all faff. This wouldnt be a classic if we were rating the story, is the point. But there is some serious music in here, too. We can start with probably the most famous song here... when that electric guitar slide comes in over the speed angle of Pinball Wizard, it always feels a little exciting. It's a weird subject and weird plot point, but it's a pretty solid piece of music. But we also have those drums on Eyesight to the Blind. The uncomfortable trio of kevin/queen/ernie all have musically interesting songs, even as they all have their own cringe factor lyrically. Go To the Mirror gives us a lot of great Who. Tommy Can You Hear Me is possibly one of the most iconic simple minutes and a half in music. Heck, even the goofy stupidity of Tommy's Holiday Camp brings me a little joy. The good bits are very good, but they also kinda make you wish they weren't just a theme here and there. It's rarely a whole song, is the thing. 3.5* I think, against all odds, Christmas is the best song here. That chorus melody is one of the strongest things on the album, and it features the classic, frantic "Tommy can you hear me" refrain as well as the first "see me, feel me" theme. It is arguably as coherent a track on the album when it comes to actually telling a piece of the story.

¡Gran historia! ¡Grandes canciones!

Clasico!

Initially I really enjoyed the sounds on this album, but I think I ended up being annoyed with the overall length of the project. It felt bloated... or at least as if it dragged on at the end. I am feeling a 3.5 for this one, but I don't feel comfortable with a 4.

Pretty good album. The early 70s vibe was really there and it felt like a "classic". Just a clean album all around. Not my favorite but it was enjoyable. Tommy's story throghout was the best part. Otherwise the vocals were nice and the same can be said about the instrumental. Unfortunately the "WOW" factor wasn't there for me. Rating : 7.0 Favorite track : We're Not Gonna Take It

Consistent throughout with enjoyable and instantly recognizable tracks, the jammy rock energy produces a thoroughly fun ride

Kinda sounded like the beatles

A early rock opera. Others like bat out of hell and the wall are better but pinball wizard is such a good song.

With the exception of Pinball Wizard and I’m Free nothing particularly stands out. The other tracks are generally ok, but not worth the hype which followed this album.

Apart from the obvious classics that this album contains, I've never been a fan of the other tracks on this album. Because of the album's length I've never listened to it all the way through and this project has forced me to do just that. I found that I enjoyed parts of the album and its concept and , due to its length, got bored. Overall because of the classic tracks, although there are some weak tracks and the very fine musicianship, this album was better than I expected. It's not great, but it is not a complete dud.

Good for a rock opera but too long for regular enjoyment.

Good

Good album, perfect eclectic while working.

Pretty good but didn't grab me except, for some reason, 1921. Pinball is of course a banger though. Torn.

un poil long

6/10 It feels like the album just serves as a backstory for it's obvious highlight - Pinball Wizard. It's not a bad album by any means. I quite liked '1921', 'Sparks', 'Go To The Mirror!', and 'Sally Simpson'. There's just not much more substance there. I also wish 'Fiddle About' didn't exist, but here we are. Best track: Pinball Wizard Will I revisit? Probably not

While I enjoyed listening to Tommy, I couldn't help wanting to listen to other albums like My Generation, Sells Out or Who's Next. The rock opera thing can be grandiose or at times too ethereal for this album.

I have a big soft spot for these mad conceptual swings that bands from the 60s started making. There's some really good stuff on here but also come on it doesn't need to be an hour and a half long lads!!

el otro dia me compre una remera vintage de the who así que estoy contenta de que haya salido este album hoy

Transmite vibras de una nueva etapa, dejar cosas atrás y avanzar sintiendo calidez, tiene buen ímpetu para mandarle para adelante, te saca de la pesadez del cansancio, entre en un modo de atención y concentración al detalle durante la realización de una actividad con este álbum.

Album #58: Tommy - The Who Genre (W): Rock, hard rock Singles: Pinball Wizard, I’m Free / We’re Not Gonna Take It, See Me, Feel Me / Overture from Tommy I have listened to this album twice before. Thoughts?: I love the story of this rock opera. This is the first time I’ll be listening to the songs as songs and rating an album based on the music. The story is pretty convoluted, but the musicianship is great! I can see how this album inspired a bunch of concept albums in the future. Favorite songs: Overture/It’s a Boy, 1921, Amazing Journey/Sparks, Cousin Kevin, The Acid Queen, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!, Smash the Mirror, Sally Simpson, I’m Free, Welcome, We’re Not Gonna Take It

It was fun to hear the context around Pinball Wizard but wow this was way too much. It felt like a dragging broadway musical after a while

Really don't understand why Quadrophenia is not on the list but this is, when it's largely a dry-run of the "rock opera"/broadway-esque sound they continued to pursue on that record. Its successor has an easier to follow story, better lyrics, instrumental parts, and more memorable motifs throughout. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of big swings here and some aspects are done quite well, but it does not fully earn its length and was surpassed by a record largely of the same vein and style so I don't consider it essential Who.

ambitious and ground breaking - pinball wizzard is the standout

I see why this was so huge when it came out, but I have mixed feelings. It works way better as an album than a musical. I respect how much it pioneered the concept album, but the “story” is not very exciting for me. That said, it has some great standalone songs and a lot of filler. But it’s a fun listen overall. Top Songs: Christmas, Pinball Wizard, I’m Free

Album #94 The Who: Tommy Being a kid and listening to “Pinball Wizard”, I always just assumed the track was a one-off joke. Despite being a very good song, I always found it strange that the band who made “Who’s Next” would have a song about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who played pinball via sense of smell. I will admit to not being the most hardcore fan of The Who despite loving “Who’s Next” and many of their hits. I never felt too compelled to listen to their other albums since I was aware that they were very ambitious and long concept albums. So going into this, I knew to expect a concept album, and I knew that there was a track which focused on the Helen Keller of pinball, yet somehow I didn’t piece it together that the entire album would be about that very pinball wizard. You have to respect The Who, one of the biggest bands in the world at the time, could essentially go into the studio and create anything, and it would sell, and they decided to make an hour-plus rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind person's entire life. I don’t know whether it is genius or insane, but knowing The Who’s lifestyle, it is likely both. As far as musicianship goes, The Who were amongst the best of their class, John Entwiste on bass, Pete Townshend on guitar, and Keith Moon on drugs, I mean, Keith Moon on drums, is one of the most stacked lineups of the 60s. The issues with Tommy will likely come with whether or not you can stomach a concept album this inherently silly, and if the answer is that you can look past tracks about cousin Kevin torturing his disabled relative, and Uncle Ernie ‘fiddling’ him, then you will be met with a rather compelling narrative that actually has a lot to say about the treatment of outcasts and how it feels to not fit in amongst society. Tommy is an album which can be tedious to listen to in it’s entirety, but it is absolutely necessary that it is consumed that way; if you are engaged with the story being told, it is almost like watching a movie, but if you are barely following along, it is like watching paint dry. Personally, I find it to be quite an easy and pleasant listen, though not one that I would look to experience too much. Best Songs: Pinball Wizard, Overture, We’re Not Gonna Take It Worst Song: Fiddle About Score out of 10: 7.5

I like The Who but I'm not a fan of Musicals. Having the storyline when listening did make the listening experience better but it is a very long story (and kinda horrible story). My favourite concept album/song is 2112 by Rush and I feel this did not capture me in the same way. Pinball wizard is a Classic but the rest don't really resonate with me. I feel this has a place on this list because it paved the way for other similar albums like the wall and 2112... But it's not that great of an album to be honest.

A complete soup of an album, all over the shop and a poorly paced story. But occasionally brilliant. And obviously basically created (or at least popularised) the rock opera.

6/10

Done - Overtorture, It's a Boy, 1921, Amazing Journey, Sparks,

Good album, some tracks drag it but the highs are high with this, solid 7/10 album First listen tracklist ranking: 1. We’re Not Gonna Take It 2. I’m Free 3. Amazing Journey 4. Pinball Wizard 5. Sparks 6. The Acid Queen 7. Sally Simpson 8. Christmas 9. Welcome 10. Go To The Mirror! 11. Overture 12. Underture 13. Cousin Kevin 14. Sensation 15. Tommy Can You Hear Me? 16. Eyesight to the Blind 17. Smash the Mirror 18. Fiddle About 19. 1921 20. Do You Think It’s Alright? 21. It’s A Boy 22. There’s A Doctor 23. Tommy’s Holiday Camp 24. Miracle Cure

曲は楽しいけど歌詞の内容が好みではない。

pinball wizard is so important to me tbh another album that i know is excellent but i was not in the mood for when it came to me this time 😔 feels bad to rate a 3 but this is the truth of this most recent listening session

Hmm didn't enjoy that as much as I'd hoped - it felt a little unfocused - maybe with the visuals I'd have enjoyed it more

I was really up for this, but actually I think it doesn't hold up as well outside of the movie. It's good, but you could cut a ton and make it great.

My grandad’s favourite band, excited to hear more of them! The album has such an interesting story, I really wanna see the film !! Fav song is ‘Pinball Wizard’.

Álbuns duplos vão sempre significar um desafio nessa lista. A história que esse projeto conta é muito curiosa: é quase um pastiche sobre os lideres religiosos milenaristas; porém poderia muito bem ser uma história sobre neurodivergência e as consequências dos pais do Tommy tentando "curá-lo" desesperadamente. Diria que a instrumentação é mais legal que a história, que não é exatamente muito clara sem o uso de materiais suplementares.

Like a play. I like pinball wizard

Put it on and did something else. Faded into the background.

Unsure between a 3 and a 3.5 so going to round down. It's enjoyable, but they have better albums than this.

Plodding

Good album, it sound like a musical rhapsody sometimes. Song I like: 1921, we’re not gonna take it

Pretty cool

Heyyyyy not bad!

Okay. So. I grew up a huge devotee of the Who. They were a awkward little part of my even more awkward preteen identity (and beyond). I love(d) them. I listened to this record obsessively for a year or so. I remained a Who fan many many years, still am. Here is the thing: Tommy just isn't great. It's ambitious, urgent, unsettling and there are some great songs, some amazing playing (thanks, Keith!), and moments of pop genius. But it is pretty goofy, thematically inchoate, loaded with crappy filler, excessive, and its aims exceed its grasp. This is Pete's tragic flaw: dreaming up wild conceptual shit that is never brought to fruition. This is a failure to which I am sympathetic: I feel for Pete and with Pete in ways that I never could or would for or with John Lennon or Mick Jagger/Keith Richards or Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Nicks or Bob Dylan or Lucinda Williams or anyone. My sympathetic connection to Pete's failures makes the music, when it is good, even better. But Tommy. Still not great.

There are high highlights, to be sure, but as a rock opera, it doesn’t sustain itself fully.

I liked this one! Some songs better than others, some felt kind of like filler. But overall I enjoyed it.

Very long, got bored 'album' should just probably be disc 1, 3.5 hours unneeded

Listening to this divorced from the film is a bizarre experience. It feels so random and strange, it's hard to follow the story from the sonic cues alone. While that problem is endemic to rock operas in general, Tommy suffers from the fact that only a few songs are good as standalone songs. The majority of these compositions make sense primarily as part of a soundtrack, resulting in a goofy and cheesy listening experience more often than not. Impressive? Sure. Enjoyable? Not so much.

Yooo ik ken n nummer hiervan Nicee

I first have to give The Who credit for somehow making a rock opera about a mute pinball wizard and not making it feel like a pretentious mess. I admire their ambition, even if I'm unsure how often I will return to this as a full album. I am curious to check out the movie after spending time with this today. They pull the concept off well and I didn't feel like this double album dragged at all during its 74 minute runtime. There's a lot of dark themes to be found here, with the protagonist getting abused throughout the story. 'Cousin Kevin' is a song sung from the perspective of a particularly mean school bully and it handles the premise well. On the other hand, you have 'Fiddle About', which is a song about sexual abuse and it is tackled so clumsily that it almost feels like a joke. 'Tommy's Holiday Camp' is another song that is too damn goofy for its own good. Whilst we do get some good tracks like 'Pinball Wizard', this record made me realise that I much prefer The Who when they are putting out simplistic rockers instead of grandiose concept records like this.

Yeah I still really am not a fan of big concept albums. This had some good songs I enjoyed and I respect it for what it is, but overall it wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for the overall story and that was a big draw back as well.

Good songs mixed with some not so good; the first three or four were my favorites, the rest felt repetitive. Anyway, it's a band I like.

I actually felt like this was a bit mid

Cute

Great album. Liked the mix of soft rock and some songs being a bit heavier. Didn’t like get the “story” on the album. The little I’ve heard of The Who (Qaudrophenia) was more riff heavy. This was less show and I few songs did sound rather similar

I did'n like this as much as I thought I would. The album felt too long and I didn't really get in to the albums concept. There was good stuff in the album and parts/songs I enjoyed but the experience in whole was... well a little meh. Would rate this 2.5/5 but I think it deserves 3 more than 2 when there is no half star option. Best song was Pinball Wizard.

This is such a weird album to review because at times it's great and at times it's a dud. It's catchy in a way it shouldn't have the chance to be. They're at 10/10 band doing a lot of 10 and a lot of 3 but it's unique and creative. Go on. Listen. I'm glad bands make weird crap like this when they could just make an album, but make sure not to just do this.

The Who have such strong songs compositions and I've always liked the storytelling aspect of many of their songs. This was an interesting listen but maybe not the strongest album.

About three songs in I realized it was a rock opera - that's on me the first song is literally called Overture. The writing is way better than the music imo, but I do really love the world building. What I can say about this album is that each instrument has a purpose and connection to the albums overall allegory which I thought was really cool: Highlights: Acid Queen, Sally Simpson, We're Not Gonna Take It

Good enough. Rock Opera doesn't usually excite me when I'm not also watching it. Saw the show put on several years ago and had a blast. But just sitting here listening to it makes me feel like I'm missing 'the rest'.

Я ожидал большего от любимой The Who. Впрочем, не отменяет культовости пластинки. Не очень мелодично.

Nope don't get the hype

I liked this. I need to listen again I think 3.5

OK

The soundtrack of my childhood, my parents worked on a Tommy production when they first met. Not my favorite Who album but I respect the concept and generally enjoyed.

Anyone expecting traditional 3-4 minute, stand alone tunes is probably going to be disappointed by Tommy. However, they are also missing the point. This is an album that must be heard as a cohesive unit to be appreciated, it is, after all, a rock opera. This album was damn innovative when it was released, people were blown away for the same reason that seems to turn people off today. Listening to the album for this review was a mixed bag. I think there was some good songwriting. The musicianship was also impressive with classic rock riffs that I enjoyed. This is an album that I feel needs to be listened to intently, several times to appreciate. This is usually fine. I like giving albums several listens before reviewing. However, this is a crazy long album. Tough to get through.

You shouldn't miss out on this tribute: https://youtu.be/G4wlLFM0Ps8?si=wjfnPxmyS7jV9EJy 😉

6.5/10

I like the movie soundtrack better.

I was surprised at how long this album was for a concept album is one's for about an hour and 14 minutes and I think 24 songs there are common themes throughout the album and it's actually very laid back and easy going for the most part but of course pinball Wizard being the outstandard outstanding track in the on the whole album I really enjoyed it but I still think there's a lot of filler and not the 23 tracks could have been 10 quite easily and for that reason I'm giving it to three