Tommy

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.

Twenty or so years ago, some friends made me watch the movie. I don't think I was on the right drugs to appreciate it. Pinball Wizard is a banger, though, and there are a few others. Doubt I'll seek out the whole album again.

¡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.

This album went from good to mediocre. It started off with high quality music that was fully instrumental, to the singing and less musically focused songs that I didn't like at much. This album felt like listening to a musical, which was pretty cool, but I don’t think I really prefer it to a regular album. It’s definitely interesting, though, and I can understand why people might like it.

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

I'm a fan of The Who, but the studio album of Tommy is actually quite disappointing. I like the live versions recorded in 1969/70 much better.

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

Mukavaa taas kerran Beatles meininkiä. Tietysti omalla who mausteella

3 stars

i prefer this over the last rock album i got (hot fuss), its got a very "sunny day road trip" vibe yk, like the saturation in the scene is put to a max, those typa scenes. its a bit too long and dragged out imo, but i can see this being a good road trip album, pretty mid still. 6/10

My favorite part is in Smash The Mirror at 1:19. Otherwise I just don't really have much to say about it. I think the Who should be on this list somewhere, I already had 'My Generation' previously and I think that is probably more appropriate. This album is more for big fans of The Who. I don't find it interesting as a concept album and the songs aren't really interesting standalone either.

I'm not a big fan of The Who, but I think this is one of their more solid efforts. It's very well produced and ambitious instrumentally as well as lyrically, and has some serious bangers (Christmas, Pinball Wizard). Still, they're not exactly a band I would listen to for 75 minutes straight and that remains the album's biggest flaw.

I appreciate and respect the attempt to do something different, but more often than not if the question is “should we expand this story over a 24 song rock opera” the answer is “no”

This is the first time I have struggled to finish my daily album (okay, I never finished Dagmar Crause - Tank Battles, but that was crap and only playable through youtube so it almost dorsn’t count). Not because it’s that bad, but it’s just too long and I’ve had a busy day. The music is a blend of classic rock and musical-style, which sometimes works pretty well, but it also get quite tedious. Especially when it goes on and on for too long. Pinball Wizard is a great classic, but it can’t save the rest of the album.

I feel like the album has a plot/tracklisting issue, you cant have fiddle about right next to Pinball Wizard.

Some interesting songs and I could imagine it would be a good movie...but doesn't really work as an album to me. Too much plot exposition etc.

A handful of good songs but it didn’t really blow me away. I think a lot of the appeal back then was the live performance of it. I still enjoyed it though.

I read once that this album was written during Townshend's mystical moments in life, and it's based on his own horrible abuse from his grandmother. This album follows a deaf, mute, and blind boy who suffers terrible abuse and transforms into a spiritual leader. Sometimes, the reason a song is written is almost as good as the sound.

Kein schlechtes Album, aber auch nicht sonderlich spannend. Kann man gut hören, aber holt mich auch nicht unbedingt ab

Grand, theatrical movements built from ringing guitars, pounding drums, sweeping acoustic passages, and declamatory, emotionally stretched vocals move this rock opera album like watching an elaborate stage musical from the balcony—the storytelling feels compelling, but without the visual movement (there's a movie to this) the music alone feels strangely empty and incomplete.

Shrugs. It's fine.

Boring

Kind weird :p

quite good but quite repetitive and boring at times

Really not my genre. I tried listening to this album as the day went by (70 tracks!) but it didn't strike me as something I would listen to again. Then again, I'm sure a lot of people from the previous generation would have loved this. 3 stars.

I remember being a bit mixed on this one, but let's see! Nope, still mixed. I can see why someone would love this, but I don't.

fun storytelling, i enjoyed it

Pinball wizard highlight Long album

Nice listening experience, lots of thought put into it and some great guitar writing. 6.5/10, Favorite Song: Underture

So good songs on the album, and a great concept all round.

not bad in the least but incredibly long

I think it's legacy has likely been saved by a decent Ken Russell film (which I am yet to watch and shall do so as part of 1001 movies). It does have a cult quality which I like, a handful of great tracks, but too many instances of nothing going on for too long.

Just okay but obviously i obviously didn’t listen to all 70 songs lol

eh wasn’t feeling it, too dad-like

I get why it's important and would have been groundbreaking at the time, but it's too long and there aren't actually that many good songs on there, if you take away pinball wizard there isn't realy anything worth listening to. Also the songs about him being bullied by his cousing and then sexually assaulted are a pretty tough listen

I like The Who as much as the next boomer dad, but this album always seems so silly.

fine, some highlights (pinball wizard). not something I'd listen to on my own 2.5

Pretty good

Não sei se os The Who influenciaram os Pink Floyd, mas este álbum faz-me lembrar muito do Dark Side Of The Moon e o The Wall. Sinto que este álbum é Pink Floyd antes de atingirem o seu auge (Animals, DSOTM, Wish You Were Here, The Wall). Tommy é um album "engraçado", mas é demasiado longo (24 músicas?!). Tem músicas longas mas boas, mas tem outras que são demasiado grandes e perco-me a meio de tão chatas que se tornam. Destaque para o baterista, Keith Moon, não é por acaso que é considerado um dos melhores de sempre e neste álbum prova isso mesmo. É um 3/5, mas nao é um forte 3, mas também não é fraquinho. É a definição de álbum mediano, para mim.

This is certainly a creative concept album. Tommy had a rough life! I feel like I should like this more since it’s so iconic. Musically, it didn't do a lot for me. Keeping up with the story distracted me from whatever else was going on with the music, and it seemed like keeping up with the story may have distracted the band too. Aside from Pinball Wizard, there weren't a lot of good hooks or anything that was terribly interesting to latch onto, and this felt like a slog to get through as it went on.

Ah yes, a rock opera from a very important pedophile who had something very important and creative to say. I tend to dislike rock operas because I feel they are overly bombastic, self-involved and haughty. Pete Townsend loves himself some rock operas because it seems his fans love to hear his rock operas. I understand the historical relevance of Tommy and this is one of the first rock operas. It's fine. There are quite a few Who albums I would put on prior to playing Tommy. I assumed this album would be in the book because The Who are a British band and Boomers will have fond memories hearing Tommy. For me, I struggle to get past the music getting lost in having to follow the narrative of the story.

Definitely one to return to. An epic.

I didn't think I was going to like it! I'm especially impressed by the melodic choices, which mostly follow my taste. Yeah, it's long and maybe lyrically childish, but I think it's a good rock album.

Not as interesting as I hoped.

7/10 I enjoyed this album & it is actually the only who album I have not listened to that is on this list. the songs themselves are mostly strong, and memorable, even when I wasn’t fully locked into the narrative. I also feel like I didn’t quite listen to it properly the first time, this isn’t a record you can half-absorb. That said, it feels like an album you don’t totally get on first listen. The concept is dark and intriguing, but I think it needs time (and probably a few relistens) to fully click. Definitely one of those records that makes you curious to go deeper- I kind of want to watch the film and come back to it with fresh ears. Favorite song: Pinball wizard Least favorite: Underture (literally an unnecessary extended version of “sparks”)

Eg klarar ikkje heilt bli kjempeglad The Who

Some classics, bit too long for a casual listen

"Super Deluxe" Disc 2 (Demos) not available on Spotify, only listened to Discs 1 & 3

i forgot ahhh, good tho

I didn't get into the story but it was alright

Pete Townshend is a nonce

Normally, I dont care for rock operas...but, in this case, I still don't really care for it.

A little long winded but more good than bad when it comes to the actual tunes/storytelling on this one.

5.5/10 I really hoped this would be better than it was. The story makes no sense. The uncle parts are a particular low point. Three stars for the ambition and for the top2000 tune. Highlights: Overture Pinball Wizars We're Not Gonna Take It Go to the Mirror!

Tommy es el cuarto álbum de la banda y es su primer álbum conceptual que nace en medio del inicio de los álbumes conceptuales con sgt pepper (gracias Beatles de nuevo). Es un disco de ópera rock, parece un gran medley. Musicalmente hay varias cosas interesantes que me llamaron la atención, el sonido de la batería es tremenda, tiene muy buenos fill el baterista, caja bien presente, platillos brillantes, tombs potentes. Lindo sonido de guitarras, me gustó como se mezclaba la guitarra acústica a un lado y la eléctrica al otro haciendo una rítmica interesante. Pero creo que lo importante está en lo siguiente. Este disco habla de Tommy, un niño que queda sordo, ciego y mudo por un estrés postraumático posterior a que su padre matara al amante de su mamá, leí que lo que buscaba Townsend (vocalista y compositor) era que las canciones representaran el sentir de Tommy y la forma de expresarse y sentir el mundo dado su discapacidad. En este cada cancion es un capítulo en la vida de Tommy, yo leí la reseña de wikipedia (ojalá la lean porque explica muy bien que onda cada cancion). Tommy pasa por episodios de violencia por parte de su primo y abuso de su tío quienes se aprovechan de su discapacidad y se vuelve un crack en el pinball viviéndolo a partir del único sentido que le quedaba, el tacto. En un momento y dado otro evento estresante Tommy recupera sus sentidos de forma casi divina lo que lo convierte en un gurú ( este es un resumen a la rápida, pero la historia tiene más detalles). Cuando caché todo esto empecé a escuchar el disco de otra forma y me parece un concepto terrible bueno pa un disco. La música en gran parte tiene tintes alegres si se puede encasillar en una sola emoción, pero tiene letras oscuras. a mi la música me hizo entender un poco el sentir de Tommy y es la representación del como townsend quería que viviéramos lo que él vivió. Quizás no son las mejores canciones de la época, pero la música y el concepto del álbum es buenisimo, muy original y simbólico. Por temas de tiempo y lo atrasado que estoy con los discos lo escuché una sola vez, pero definitivamente tengo ganas de escucharlo nuevamente con las letras y poniendo más atención a la música. Canciones favorita: quizás overture, christmas

Kinda fun, kinda depressing, someone musta been working through some shit.

Classic tunes. Pinball wizard

Pleasantly surprised by this album. I don't much about The Who with exception for their standout singles.

gak dengerin full, but okelah

Look. I like The Who. But Tommy all seems so rushed. Like they went into a studio in the morning with a story and no music, and they'd knocked out a double album by teatime. It's a bit like modern comedy sketches of West End/Broadway musicals where they just stick any old melody onto any old dialogue. There are a few great tunes on here. Pinball Wizard for one. And some really bad stuff. Underture, a 10 minute jam that sounds like it was recorded because they had a bit of studio time left. And Fiddle About? that's rather unsavoury and I don't particularly want to know where the idea came from. Most of the good stuff is unfortunately mixed up with a lot of chaff. The only time I saw The Who play live, they extracted chords from here and lines from there and just played those. I think they knew that the album as an opus didn't really work. The good stuff is very good.

Great concept.

Weird

Its honestly one of my least favorite Who albums. As far as rock operas go, its really not all that musically interesting as a whole. I'm not a huge fan of the ballad-y nature of many of the songs since its not Roger Dalton's strength. Outside a couple great songs like Pinball Wizard and Acid Queen, the rest of the album is forgettable.

When Tommy arrived in 1969, it announced itself as a rock opera with capital letters, a double album aiming for mythic scope and spiritual weight. More than half a century later, it still sounds ambitious and occasionally thrilling—but also a bit overcanonized. Pete Townshend’s narrative about a “deaf, dumb, and blind” messiah is dense and sometimes convoluted, and the album’s reputation can feel heavier than its actual emotional payoff. That said, the band’s sheer momentum carries the project through its weaker stretches. “Amazing Journey” and “Sensation” pair strummy acoustic guitars with oddly fey, almost pastoral vocals, offering moments of genuine lift amid the bombast, while “The Acid Queen” leans into sleazy theatrics with relish. And “Pinball Wizard” remains the undeniable hook—a pinched, propulsive anthem that distills Tommy’s big ideas into three perfect minutes. Tommy may not fully justify its untouchable status, but as a bold, uneven swing from a band at full power, it earns its place in the conversation.

Although I'm sure it's genius, it is simply too long

Interesting themes, will need to look deeper into the lyrics

I'll take their live albums over this, but you gotta give them credit for their ambition alone. Artists had done concept albums before, of course, but this one felt different, and was marketed as such. There's been plenty of concept albums since that have lapped Tommy, but maybe acts like Pink Floyd or Frank Zappa wouldn't have swung for the fences if the Who didn't first. I find Tommy to be a little self-indulgent and there are a lot of times where things don't seem to click for me. But when they do, there are some great nuggets of music to enjoy.

Has some really notable highs and I love the ambition of it but once it gets past Go to the Mirror!, the falling action of the plot really hampers the rest of the album. Nothing on here is bad but damn, they went really strong for like 42 minutes but then you've got another 20 minutes of a dismount. Sally Simpson's alright. But Pinball Wizard? Hell yeah. Movie's fun too! Favorite Tracks: Christmas, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror, Sally Simpson

I've always been told that The Who are one of the most improtant and influential bands, but I've never really understood it when listening to their music casually. I had to listen to Tommy quite a few times before I could really make a judgement - there are some outstanding songs on here (though I much prefer the Tina Turner psychotic take on Acid Queen) and the scale of grandiose is admirable, but I fear the music never quite lives up to it, and 24 songs really do blend into each other.

interesting

Wow! An hour and 45 minute album with maybe two good songs on it. Pure trash. I don’t care about the story. I care for good music. This isn’t that. Repetitive. Boring. Forgettable.

It's fine; good story

Supposed to be one of their best

I dunno, if I’m Zooey Deschanel in Almost Famous I just don’t think this is the album I would pick to show my brother that music is good

Quadrophenia is better.

Not as strong as Who’s Next or Quadrophenia. Pinball Wizard is still a bop though.

a little too long, solid album though. i like the pinball song

So i've been putting this off for a couple weeks now, this is #63 and I'm now at #95! It's double album, and even if I do not dislike The Who, I DO know what they sound like, so I wasn't that excited in a "I'm gonna discover this" kinda way. Eyesight [...] and Christmas were my favorites from disc 1. Pinball Wizard's the big one on disc2, like the album, I like it but I don't looove it!

First I want to say I absolutely love long concept albums. But I have to admit I have not heard this all the way through, or if I did, I listened to it once and it did not stick with me. I get what the Who accomplished with this classic album. But I dont know if today, it just sounds dated, or that I just completely lost interest. It felt like a slog until Pinball Wizard, and then I was just waiting for it to be over. Again I love concepts, but this one is just not for me. I will give them three stars for being one of the first bands to pull off this kind of presentation at this scale.

aunque tiene varios temas que quiero volver a escuchar, hay mucha repetición en los instrumentales y las melodías a veces son monótonas. la historia es entretenida pero no muy profunda. todo extremos, pocos grises. el album tambien sufre porque es muy largo. igual me gustó y tiene momentos muy buenos. canciones favoritas: 1921, Cousin Kevin

reminded me of being young at home, dad listened to lots of rock from this era. recognized a few songs, was a fun journey.

3 hours!!

Operatic as hell. This one is pretty good, though I find it hard to see the attraction of the Who. There's a couple on here I like, and the story is engaging, but not my favorite on the list.

Too long … some classics on there though …

I enjoy The WHO, old and new, but I'm not into drama rock and the theatrics of musical storytelling. This may be a masterpiece but the first 11 songs were all just average and incomplete I felt. It sounds folksy and dated. Song 12, "Pinball Wizard" is a rock and roll royalty track but we 'fiddled about' too long to get there. "Go To The Mirror" and "I'm Free" are really good songs and rock radio staples from when I was a little kid first getting into rock. The other 19 tracks are just filler. The story of Tommy is lost on this guy, I'm not willing to sift through all the blah songs to find out who he is and what makes him tick. It's 2.5 stars for me but I'll round up because there's likely a good reason for it being on this list, so the half star is for whatever influence or staying power this album has.

I can appreciate the ambition, but I think it's not that interesting to listen to, and goes on for a bit too long. Faves: Overture, It's A Boy, Pinball Wizard, Go To The Mirror

Habe ich nicht komplett gehört und ich habe immer Probleme damit, neue Musik zu hören. Aber es war ganz gut

Wel leuk beetje saai maar goed

Interesting concept, some quite challenging lyrics. I know it's a rock opera but I would have liked some difference in musical style here and there. Some good tunes dusted around though!

Realistically, I just don't understand this. I feel like it's probably good -- maybe even fantastic -- but the story went completely over my head, and none of the music is particularly enjoyable on its own. If I gave this a lot more time, energy, and relistens, maybe this would shoot up a lot for me. But that's just not happening. Fave track: - Pinball Wizard

This is a movie that really freaked me out when I saw it as a kid and have stayed away from it ever since. It’s still true after listening to it. Some really good songs in there but some really messed up stuff too, but it’s telling a story so I get it. Overall pretty ok. Sounds like The Who wanted to make an album that sounds like the Beatles made a musical at times.

The transitions to the next song is pretty cool, the acid queen was the best one.

By the halfway point, I had thought up a funny review to write which was the following: "Give me a second to savor this moment. I think this is the only time in my life I will ever hear a song about Pinball so I want to enjoy it while I can." Imagine the look of excitement on my face when I got to the end of the album

Trop long

While I generally like The Who, this is not my favorite album by a long shot. I also didn’t like the movie. Quadrophenia is a far superior concept album as is the abandoned and now reconstructed LifeHouse project. As for Tommy, it’s a pretty mellow Who record with only a few passable tracks worth playing again. Pinball Wizard is still a quality track both music and lyrics still hold up after 50 years. It is a bit of a struggle to take in the entire record in one sitting and most tracks are forgettable with one still regrettable. The regrettable track is Fiddle About which makes light of childhood molestation. I’m Free/We’re Not Going To Take It is another okay track. This is a worthwhile attempt by The Who to craft a thematicly linked album but there are just too many unanswered questions and gaps to be a complete work. A for effort C- for execution. 3/5

Nag

Love The Who, hate musicals. What's a guy to do?

I tried to go into this rock opera with an open mind--as a rock afficionado, I feel like I need to enjoy The Who more, and I'm a big fan of a well-done rock opera (Jesus Christ Superstar remains one of my favorite albums of all time). And there was a lot here that I enjoyed--but I guess I wanted most straight up rock. You've got the big hits like Pinball Wizard, but then there's a lot of really short little storytelling tracks that didn't really hook me with a forward-driving story the way JCS or Rent did, for example. I feel like a better rock fan now that I've listened to it, but I feel like unless I'm willing to dedicate some more listens to it, it may not get stuck in my head and heart the way the others do.

It's amazing that The Who ever convinced anyone they were a rock band. I haven't heard this in forever and man is it weird, even by rock-opera standards. But it's better than The Wall, I guess? (Can it be that Quadrophenia isn't on the list?)

Actually quite liked that

151/1001 The Who - Tommy Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❎ I have a friend who was obsessed with this album at college and tried it back then, but did nothing for me then and on re-listen, it hasn't done an awful lot more for me. I get why it's included, as it's one of the first rock operas, yes it tells an effective story, but it never engages me musically unfortunately. Pinball Wizard is the only real standout.

A difficult dated story - I'd have picked Quadrophenia over this...good but not great

But much

Very distinct sound that is uniquely "The Who". Enjoyed the listen but would not come back to it regularly.

Not a patch on Quadrophenia.

Some classic tunes.

Solid concept album. A bit overrated. Who's other records are better.

First Rock Opera on the list - I liked it

While I realize the historical significance of this album, I found it tedious. I felt I was listening to different versions of ‘Pinball Wizard’ even though they were completely different songs.

Kovaa yritystä mutta ei lennä ihan maaliin.

Oopperaa. Rokkioopperaa. Nyt on tääkin sit kuultu kokonaan. Pitäs varmaan nähä jossain jämsän kesäteatterissa tää niin aukeis enempi. Musassa ei sillai oo vikaa, mut parempii ne kuka:n normibiisit on. Eli taas särmätöntä arvosanaa.

Ihan menevää rokettirollia. Alkusoitolle aina peukku ylöspäin, ihan sama minkälaisesta taidepläjäyksestä onkaan kyse. Tästä ei itseasiassa entuudestaan ollut tuttu mikään muu kuin flipperivelho. Ehkä tätäkin pitäisi ihan ajatuksella kuunnella, että saisi vielä enemmän irti. Nyt jäi yhtenäisestä teemasta huolimatta vähän hajanaiseksi kokonaisuudeksi. Pidän edelleen Meat Loafin Bat Out of Helliä parhaana rock-oopperana, hyvänä kakkosena Green Dayn American Idiot. Tämä menee sitten ehkä kolmanneksi.

Stylistically incoherent

3.5/5 Nice, solid British rock album. One iconic song in here. You definitely hear influences from the Beatles / Led Zeppelin / Rolling Stones / Cream and many other related groups for the late 60s 70s. Solid era for music imo, I grew up listening to this type of stuff lots so I may be biased. The first bit of disc 1 which I assume was side A of the record, flowed together nicely. You can tell this was made during an era when people listened to albums not just disjointed singles. The backup vocals oscillating going “Ah ah ah ah” in Christmas is pretty fuckin rad. Some lyrics in We’re Not Gonna Take It were a bit gross, didn’t age well. Overall enjoyed listening to this album as background music, not sure I’d go back to any song tbh, maybe the pinball wizard one cause the hook goes hard and it’s kinda funny. The Who and this genre has a lot of influence in my music making.

Not the best Who album.

Rock opera is a really cool idea and this album seemed to start artists dipping their toes in it. The story telling is done well and easy to follow trough the album. But The Who are a bit rubbish and boring, don't excite me enough to want to listen to more of their stuff.

Until today I had never heard this album. It is great that The Who were able to conceive of something so grand even if it is not executed as well as some of their other albums. I think that the rock opera album is an interesting genre and this may not be the best one but is the first or among the first, and that coupled with the first half of this album is why I rate this as a 3.

I feel incredibly whelmed. I guess it's a start into concept albums.

I'm a big Who fan and play quite a few of their tracks in my covers band but had never actually listened to this album. I sort of enjoyed this but felt like a massive self indulgence punctuated by a few decent tracks. I've never worked out how they were such an amazing live band, possibly one of that best of all time, but they failed to get that raw brilliance down in much of their studio recordings.

Quite a dark, sobering story to tell. I wonder as a Who fan at the time how this would have been received to knock out a rock opera like this. Tackling abuse is always a hard battle, straddling crude and upsetting with thoughtful reflections, but that's kind of the point. Not much to refer to as a single. I felt like I needed to listen to it, and am glad to have seen it through. I didn't necessarily enjoy it as an experience all that much though.

Not a big rock opera guy

I've never listened to this entire album and I enjoyed it. It is unique as a "Rock Opera"/Concept album. This is definitely not the Who's best music, but listening to Tommy is not a terrible way to spend 75 minutes.

I spent a long time listening to this one to really let it sink it, as I found it to be quite a complex work. It's pretty cool, but didn't set me alight. Favourite tracks: 1921, Cousin Kevin, Pinball Wizard, I'm Free.

This was an audacious album that hit huge and established a whole new form for rock. I never liked it, the Who always had a couple of really weak songs on the early albums, songs that made them sound like a folk act instead of a swaggering heavy rock band. To my ears that's what this album was filled with, excepting Pinball Wizard and the "Listening to You" build at the very end, the rest nearly all seemed written only to fill in the plot and narration, produced to sound harmless. BUT they played nearly the whole album on the road for a couple of years which was supposed to be pretty amazing. After listening again to the whole album yesterday, I realized the Super Deluxe version had the whole live recording. And yeah, it's amazing, it actually sounds like the Who. I still don't like the material, but the performance difference from the studio version is incredible.

Very high concept. Quite a strange idea for an album but did enjoy it

Thought this album sounded terrible and wooden at first. It wasn't until listen 3 that i realized the equalizer settings were just weird and had washed out all the sparkle from the guitar and any edge from the voice. PSA for the Spotify listeners: make sure the equalizer is NOT set to 'rock'! >:(

I still like The Who alright, and this record wasn’t bad at all, but I found myself struggling to engage with the story they were trying to tell…and while Pinball Wizard is great, I guess I felt like there wasn’t much else on this record to get really excited about. 3/5

On paper, I should love this more. But even though it's a sprawling affair with tons of brilliant ideas (confession time: I have a knack for opulent and imperfect concept and double albums), it's hard to immerserve myself into the occasionally meandering execution. Also, the storyline… It feels undercooked.

it was okay

Not my cup of tea

6/10… Rock opera

It's fine, but a lot of unnecessary tracks. The concept is wonderful though. Especially "Pinball Wizard".

I've never heard the full album or seen the film before. I was expecting a lot more really, it was ok without being amazing. I can imagine it was groundbreaking at the time, so I'll go with 3 stars rather than 2.

Liked it a lot!

Of all the major concept albums/rock operas that came out in the late '60's and '70's I think this one is probably the weakest and my least favorite. The Who were way better at writing major one off hits than cohesive story telling albums. Pinball Wizard is a classic, but some of the filler tracks are just annoying. That said, you can start to hear sounds on this that they would later come to perfect on their hits from Who's Next and later albums.

Impressive and sometimes disturbing I’ve listened to this many times, but never this closely.

I already like a concept album and I like this one especially, having seen the musical revival bring the absolute batshit plot to life.

What an unhinged premise. I don’t know how to feel but Pinball Wizard is a great song.

as much as I want to love The Who, i still feel like you had to be there with most of their output.

I hear the beginnings of the 80s power ballads. could use a little more variety?

Just not a fan of concept albums. Some great songs but a lot of nonsense as well

I have a hot take on The Who, which is that they really only have one great album. I think Who’s Next is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and The Who have a handful of great songs, but Tommy and Quadrophenia have never captured my attention in many attempts. I will say this spin highlighted a few more interesting moments on Tommy, particularly Overture and Underture. Tommy the song is always fun, but overall a record that doesn’t hit in its classic status for me.

Such a strange band, the Who. In my opinion this album deserves its place in the list. And there are fantastic passages, riffs etc. But then sections that are creepy, outdated, too long.

So long, each song is a separate narrative which is fun

Tidlig rockopera, respekt og alt det der, fortjener helt sikkert en plads på listen. Vi ville helt sikker ikke have The Wall eller The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway uden den. Stadig kedelig i længden. Pinball Wizard er en banger

Ingen anelse om hvad den handlede om men jeg synese altså det var ret fed!

Enjoyable. Crisp vocals and enjoyable riffs. I also got a bit more into the lyrics of this and found a new Christmas song. I don't think I've ever listened to an album all the way through that it a story about a character - so an interesting first for me.

Little overstuffed, but obviously some classic tracks and they really paved the way for other rock operas that I just musically enjoy more.

On a preliminary listen, Tommy is about a nonverbal autistic kid who loves pinball who grows up to be a cult leader. It's some kind of story I guess, but I honestly think the album is overrated. I can't overstate it's importance to pop and rock, but I don't think it's an objectively amazing project. I'm bumping it up mainly for it's influence. Best Songs: Pinball Wizard Worst Songs: Tommy's Holiday Camp

Their first rock opera has some great songs like pinball wizard but does get dragged down by guitar *anking.

Ah yes, the "rock opera". Cute idea. Pretty good album

Good but blended together

Hey, another Who. It's been a good while since the last one - nearly two hundred albums since I listened to My Generation, which I gave a scandalous 1/5 rating to. Why? I've no clue. I musta been off my gourd when I listened to it, I guess. The title track of that album occasionally pops into my head, so it's probably not a 1/5 by my current standards. I'm curious to see what this middle point in their included discography will sound like. It's another hour-tenner. Right after Kanye's The College Dropout, no less. I need a break. Timeskip because we do those now. I am redefining the review medium through my exploration of abstract, avant-garde storytelling techniques. This truly holds a mirror to our own society or however the bloviating goes. Anyways, this was pretty alright. Maybe I shouldn't have sat out on this one yesterday. This style of pop rock is generally within my ballpark - the acoustic and electric guitars have a nice sound to 'em. Some pretty good percussion, too. Obviously, this thing is much too long and it kind of completely comes apart as it nears the end, though the avarice that this album has for my time and attention could lessen overtime as I come to appreciate this music more. I'm open to giving it a relisten sometime down the line. "Overture" is a solid opener - I love me a good instrumental track. The guitars go a long way in giving the track a satisfying sense of forward momentum, and the piano/horns are a nice touch. "Underture" is another good tune, no surprises there. I had to do a double take when I read the track name. Truth be told, none of the other songs really stuck out to me, though the album is an admirable kind of listenable from start to finish. I'm too laaaaazyyyy to check the book for this entry, so I'm gonna shirk my gatekeeping duties and let this one mosey on through. I cosign this inclusion.

Totally different vibe vs my generation

nuts

Liked the concept and cohesiveness, liked the music more than my generation, but it's still the who, who i am moderately lukewarm on, still

Having heard about the album, but not having heard the album, I was very enthusiastic about this album. I really like rock operas in general, and so I was looking forward to finally listening to it in its entirety. However, it was very underwhelming to me. It felt very samey throughout the entire album, and I found myself bored with it quite quickly. The music is still good, and the songs can be enjoyable separately. Therefore this album cannot score any higher for me than it does. Was expecting at least a 4/5, but it falls short of that. 3/5

I’ve never felt so much like I only skimmed through an album. I’m biased by the only two Who songs I really know (I’m Free and Pinball Wizard) which share that same riff reminding you it’s part of a concept. My single listen was clearly not enough to take it all in. I often get the awkward feeling that the music is just there to serve the lyrics, rather than the other way around, whereas what I usually love about The Who is their musical energy. It’s still fairly easy to listen to and must have been pretty revolutionary back in 69, but in 2025, I struggled to make it to the end but I could come back to it.

It's a cool album with a great concept, it's just too long. There are some great songs on here. From the standpoint of a whole album, it's a little challenging for me.

The closest my dad has ever come to disowning me was when I told him I prefer Elton John’s version of Pinball Wizard to the original. Sorry dad, but I’m now doubling down and saying that Tina Turner’s version of Acid Queen is better too. Essentially, my ideal version of Tommy would combine the best tracks from this album with the highlights from the soundtrack to the (completely bonkers) movie - and it would be a single disc.

Sparks est pas pire je déteste pas, mais cet album est victime du classique de la musique des années 60: il manque quelque chose

Hmm no big feelings, quite liked it

I didn’t know this is where pinball wizard originated- great song! Rest of the album was not my favorite

Couple of bangers but not their best

I was gifted the newly released Deluxe Edition version of Tommy for being a groomsman at my Dad's wedding when I was 14. I'd really gotten into The Who after listening to the early stuff (The Kids are Alright and I Can See For Miles being my favourite tunes). I thought they were just a jangly bluesy typical mod band until I properly listened to this record and realised they had been destined for different things outside of that mods/rockers bubble. There's been loads of records from the 60s labelled the 'first concept album', but this is the first mainstream release with a full 'rock opera' narrative and it builds on dribs and drabs you could hear on 'The Who Sell Out' (arguably another concept album, as the whole record plays out like a 40 minute radio show). The concept itself is a bit offit - a boy who becomes voluntarily deaf dumb and blind cos he walked in on his mam shagging someone after his dad didn't come back from the war. He goes through all sorts of fucking ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (proper American) and general abuse before he ends up looking in a mirror, sorting himself out and gaining a messianic complex before being brayed by everyone and finding peace. This isn't a record with standouts (I suppose Pinball Wizard remains a popular tune but it's just another piece of narrative in the context of Tommy). It's the use of motifs and musical plot devices throughout that inspired me as a teen. Through the frankly fucking weird narrative (battered by his cousin, fiddled by his uncle, drugged by a prossie) there are beautiful progressions and fun riffs built upon throughout the story (Overture, Christmas, Underture, Go To The Mirror and eventually into the 'Listening to You' ending to We're Not Gonna Take It). While not the Who's best work, it inspired a young Jay enough to learn the entire thing on guitar as a teenager which gave me a massive appreciation for rhythm guitar and chords progressions while everyone I knew was trying to bust out Slash shit in the music rooms in school. An important record for me and an important one for music. It became a weird Ken Russell film and also led to Quadrophenia (which mods love but it's about how fucking silly all that was). Take Cousin Kevin and Uncle Ernie out of this and you have one of the best records of the 60s. Without it, as Gilmour and Waters will tell you, you don't have Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall. A proper transition from the 60s into proper hard rock with spiritual brothers Led Zeppelin in the 70s. 4.3/5 JF -

eh

A big endeavor at the time. Unfortunately too long to keep anyone’s attention these days.

Such a long album for two hits. If you include "I'm Free". Pinball Wizard is a classic but doesn't hold the whole album up.

I really respect the ambition of this album and think its a really good effort, but man do I not vibe with most of the songs on here that much

3.1 To be honest, I in general strongly dislike rock operas. The wall was the downfall of Pink Floyd, despite all it's acclaim, I thought it was pretty shit. Maybe because of that I've had an aversion to them. Credit where it's due to what was arguably the first rock opera, but like all of them it suffers from lots of pointless, boring interludes, songs that are weak but there to continue the story, etc. A few good tracks on here, but used rather sparingly. If this wasn't the first/second it would be heading towards a 2*

Starts good, then it gets tiring. Worth it listening to it at least once

I think it would be better if there was some sort of visual media to accompany this. To help convey the story

This was decent. Interesting. I don't have much else to say.

I appreciate the ambition, I just don't think The Who are a versatile enough band to pull off something like this fully. Lots of bloat. Maybe if they stuck to making it a single lp?

I like that there are musical themes that come in and out. But aside from Pinball Wizard and a couple other tracks, it's a lot of filler that outstays its welcome. And some of the lyrics, yeesh. 3/5

I'll be honest, I don't really care about the story. At some point in my life, concept albums went from "ambitious work and test of creativity and endurance for a band" to "bloated exercise in masturbation". All of the songs were alright with some notable exceptions: - "Pinball Wizard" rules, of course. - "Cousin Kevin" is concerning and "Fiddle About" is FUCKED. I get they needed drama for the plot, but goddamn; Red flag for Pete Townsend. Otherwise, no real thoughts on the album. It's fine.

I want to say something about this album, but I have no idea what. It was better than my rating, but I also found it suffered from the overindulgences of 70s rock operas in general, despite being 4+ stars musically.

Not as Good as I remembered. Bit dark

Its odd, not my thing persnoally

top

It’s good. It’s the who. Not anything special.

Really disappointed. Very coherent but too long to be built around the one genuinely outstanding track

Considero que hay bastante trabajo en el desarrollo compositivo y la ejecución musical (aunque tampoco en un grado virtuoso), sin embargo a nivel estético-sonoro no puedo decir que me haya gustado. El álbum está bien grabado, aunque considero que las voces están demasiado al frente en la mezcla. En general las voces están bien ejecutadas, pero cuando cantan en falsetto suenan muy ridículas. En lo personal no me gustan los musicales ni las óperas. Este álbum no me pareció una experiencia horrible como me suele suceder con ese tipo de composiciones, pero aún así, no me gustó. El concepto del álbum podría llegar a considerarse interesante, pero no es suficiente como para ignorar los puntos mencionados anteriormente, y además tener que soportar durante 1 hora 15 minutos le quita valor a la experiencia.

We drank the blood of some pinball people and now I am wizaaard! They really wanted to sing about pinball and schoolyard days. 6/10

Marching band vibes. Pretty good doesn’t hook well but I don’t hate it. Good just not for me. Interesting instrumentals.it got better I’m liked super hooked now. It’s really interesting. Not going on my playlist tho. Ok I’m tired but this is good so far will finish and rate tomorrow.

Cousin Kevin was unpleasant to listen to. The harmony was not harmonizing. Vocals were not great. For 1969, I guess that's not surprising. They have some bangers though.

Bif bof

Compared to later rock operas, it is lacking in both narrative and musical complexity. And because it is trying to tell a cohesive story, it is musically lacking compared to other albums from The Who. Major respect for being one of the first rock operas and there are still good moments.

pinball wizard

Some cheesy tracks First half decent background music Got good at fiddler very funny Some cheesy songs after Pinball wizard best song on album

Visst imponeras man lite av ambitionen med ett sådant konceptalbum. Sådant görs inte längre? Och musiken är bra. Men det blir liksom FÖR mycket.

I respect the rock opera or whatever format you consider this album as much as the next guy. It's just not something I'd listen to every day. Pinball Wizard is a cool song, I'll listen to that, but not this whole album. 3 / 5 stars.

hay un par de canciones chulas pero aburrido, no me gusta la voz del cantante:/

Omg why is it so long. I got to Tommy’s holiday camp before deciding I’d had enough. But still 3 stars because the who is an objectively good band.

I don't think I would add most of these songs to my playlist, but I think they are well produced.

What I like about Tommy is the sound. The Who sound great, of course they do. What I don't like about Tommy is that it never settles. Overture, underture, minute long ditties trying to tell a story that I can't follow. Tommy needs more songs, more focus.

Temporary

A rock opera with a story I really couldn’t follow or get into, and not too many great tracks. Gains a point for the attempt and influence.

saight

Concept album

Tommy's holiday camp is a weird song. The whole rock opera is interesting. Go To The Mirror is excellent.

I know this is supposed to be concept album, which is cool. But jesus it's much too long. And fairly self-indulgent. I do enjoy it though! It's a rock opera. It's catchy and fun and theatrical at times. I like the harmonies and the singing. I like the journey of the story.

An interesting concept album. Very classic rock in stereo. All about about a deaf, dumb, blind kid named Tommy. It’s a really long record—overstayed its welcome, in my opinion. But the musical ideas throughout are varied and interesting. Timbre and tone of the record doesn’t change or have big swings in variance throughout the really long runtime, which make the experience remarkably linear, but on the whole a little bland(?). There are exceptions towards the end of the record where it gets a little weird. But getting there was a slog. I like the record but the “same-sy” sounds played with a bloated runtime keeps me from getting more from it. 5.5-6/10 Standout(s): Overture Pinball Wizard Sally Simpson I’m Free

This should have been a single record rather than a double set. The ambition is larger than the result. Exceeding borders doesn't necessarily to great music.

Almost a 4 for me.

Double albums must have been a popular gimmick back in the day. I’m not a big fan of them. I demoted a star based on that fact. This album is good, better than most of the drivel on this list but it still lacks something. I feel like that should have gone bigger with the guitars like they did in pinball wizard.

I think I’m just not a fan of the who… it was fine, rounding up to 3 but it was probably more of a 2.5 for me

Sounds good but yeah not very good. It's too long, I got bored tbh.

Tommy is an ambitious rock album with big musical gestures and classics like “Pinball Wizard” and “See Me, Feel Me.” The Who play tightly, and there’s no doubt it’s an important work in rock history. But for me, it leans too much toward musical theatre. I miss more raw energy and less drama. 3/5

Solid album. Classic tale of Tommy. The Who are a set apart from other bands.

John Surgery.

Idk fine

Enjoyed it, liked the sort of story it told throughout the album.

I never really got into The Who, they never really clicked with me. “Tommy” continues that theme. It has bright moments, and “Christmas” is an unexpected hit for me, but overall aside from the excellent “Pinball Wizard” it’s just not for me. 3 stars for the skill.

The concept never quite took off for me. It's at its best on tracks that don't depend on the album to work, the obvious peak being Pinball Wizard which is great. But then what the fuck was going in with Do You Think it's Alright and Fiddle About? I've never heard anyone get such a bang out of describing their childhood sexual abuse. By this point on the album, Tommy has already been struck dumb by earlier misfortunes - which I guess is preferable to the implication that Tommy got molested into becoming an all pro pinball player, but then why bother with this detour at all? It's weird in a way I don't think was totally intended and sours me on the whole idea of this record. The poorly recorded live stuff at the end of the 2013 Super Deluxe might be my favorite part of the whole thing. Tepid 3.

I liked this, but I can't finish the last 25 minutes of it. I mean, I had time, but it just wasn't calling me back after I needed to stop for work. ⭐⭐⭐

Great concept album but not as great as Meatloaf’s BAT OUT OF HELL concept album