Tommy

listened to this album many times before although i dont really listen to the who its a masterpiece concept album that i go back to on special occasions

Gets good at cousin kevin.

This isn't just a rock opera, this is THE rock opera. A true classic with incredible storytelling, catchy melodies, great riffs and vocal performances (all other instruments are incredible too, it's The Who). It's mindblowing that a 20-something young man wrote all of this. It's a film in your mind, if you close your eyes. Just incredible! 5/5

What even is this? I thought this was going to rock, but it was so sing-songy. No offense to people who like it, but this was stupid. It wasn’t unlistenable, so no dreaded one star, but I didn’t enjoy my time here at all.

Good stuff.

Not the strongest concept album but sure does have a pretty dark and harrowing story of Tommy Walker. Poor dude watched his assumed dad get clapped, copes and develops psychosymatic symptoms. Then gets dosed early in life, then molested. Tries to heal a nation the best he can and is rejected, yet doesn't give up. Just sings his song. 4 star album on precedent. Great album and allowed the who to transcend mod pop songs and create a cohesive universe.

bit weird but the guitar music was good

See my Who Sell Out review! Go to the mirror boy, and see what an overrated piece of shit you are. Okay, Pinball Wizard isn’t bad. But then again…pinball? Was this something that people were super into in ‘69? Really? Blech.

Never studied this album in depth like I have the other rock operas, I dunno, something about The Who that just never fully clicked on for me.

What a load of rubbish. Soundtracks shouldn’t be allowed on this list.

there was some bits and pieces i liked about this album but the run time was just a bit too long for me (between 2.5 and 3)

Some good, some not so good.

I respect that this is the first if it’s kind so is pretty important, but it kinda sounds like they wrote the song pinball wizard (fucking brilliant song btw) and then for some reason decided to write an entire 75 minute rock opera around it

I dont get these prog rock albums, a dreary 70+ minutes sandwiching a solid single

Are rock operas overblown? Admittedly it's a small sample size, but they were all the rage in the late 60s, along with the concept album and the growth of prog rock. And the answer is yes; they're supposed to be overblown, pompous, and ridiculous. Why else would you even try to make one? This one is one of the better ones, you'll find much to like here.

The Who is just massively overrated. I know its very unpopular opinion. As a big fan of rock, metal and everything alternative that came after that I appreciate their place in history. I can hear that they are great musicians. If I was born in the 50-s I would love the shit out of them. But I am born in the 80-s, grew up with Tool, Radiohead, Mars Volta and all the other stuff so I just don't hear what is so special about The Who.

Like nothing I've listened to before, so unique and high energy

Awesome

Would say this is like 7.5 7.8 out of 10 some of the drum overtures are great.

I lied it

I do quite like Christmas and there were quite a few other enjoyable songs in this album. Good background music for sure, and nowhere near as dated as I thought it would be. 3/5 stars.

Tommy is a very ambitious rock opera. Quite unique for the time and still has some freshness to it. It’s really an album’s album rather than song focused - it has repeating lyrical and musical themes, short songs and long instrumentals that progress the story and set the stage…it really needs to be taken as a whole. The songs are better in context than standing alone. There are sections that are quite gripping, but other sections where I lose some focus. As an album it’s a bit softer than most of The Who’s other music, and showcases some of their range and writing ability. Overall, good music on an ambitious album - something I’ll think of here and there but not go back to all the time.

Epic. The first true peek into Pete's genius. Immortalized not by the movie or play, but by the spoof, 'Happy Jack' by Spinal Tap. Not my personal fave Who album, but so many bangers, so much influence on later bands, and such a precursor to what would become one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Worth a spin once a month or so, fer sher.

Meh… few good songs but can really tell it’s a double album, drags

Have only listened to popular singles by The Who before this. Like the concept of rock operas with a theme.. Favorite track: Pinball wizard other picks: amazing journey, go to the mirror, sally simpson

From my understanding, Pete Townshend believes he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse. That’s terrible, and I’m sorry he experienced that. I think that explains the why behind the upsetting themes on Tommy. But, the way it’s handled on this album… not good. Maybe it works in the context of the movie. I don’t need to find out.

I’m not exaggerating. This might be the worst album I’ve ever heard. I never want to experience it again. And I will never watch the movie. I actually think all copies of it should be burned. And the google data centre floating in the middle of the ocean that holds the digital version of this abomination should be allowed to sink to the bottom of the sea as a mercy killing. I can't fucking believe this album is on the list of 1001 albums you need to listen to before you die. The only possible reason I can think of is that it’s the last album in the book and it’s accompanied by the following disclaimer: Save this album for the day of your demise. Once you have finished listening, you will no longer fear death. In comparison to the 74 minutes of Tommy (AKA the 7 circles of hell), death will be a breeze. You will look forward to it, because it will mean no longer living on the same plain of existence as this abhorrent piece of “music.” You’re welcome. It goes without saying that this is a strong 0 out 5 for me. I don’t think this system allows you to give a 0. I believe a 1 is the lowest you can give, which is total bullshit. Before this album, if someone asked me if I was a fan of The Who, I’d have said “sure, I like the big songs.” And now my answer is hell fucking no. I can’t support any artist willing to put their fanbase through an atrocity like this (and make a movie of it). It’s boring, self indulgent, offensive, never-ending, gaudy, unmemorable, pathetic, pretentious and more. I’m torn between continuing to rant about what I hate about this thing or just ending the review now because it doesn’t deserve another millisecond of my time. I think I could write a thesis on how awful this thing is. This album deserves to be the star on the Christmas tree of reasons why we shouldn’t worship 20 year old boys like they’re gods just for making a few catchy songs. 20 year old boys who are treated like gods may start to believe they are in fact gods. And when people believe they are gods, they start to think that every stupid little idea that pops into their under-developed brains is brilliant and worth being invested in financially and shared with the world. Or in the case of Tommy unleashed on this world like a plague that has humanity questioning whether or not we should allow humans to make art at all if there’s a chance of something like this being created. Things I hate about it: 
I was driving while listening to it. It made the idea of sitting in silence for 2 hours in stand still traffic on the 401 seem alluring, heavenly even. “Tommy can you hear me” in Christmas made me laugh out loud in a bad way. So fucking stupid. Underture being 10 minutes long??? At first I was like, “o, without the lyrics, maybe this album is tolerable.” And then it went on and on and on and on. Holy shit. I thought it would never end. I felt physical relief when it was over. Cheesy/shit songs: It’s a boy, 1921, Cousin Kevin, The Acid Queen, Sally Simpson, Tommy’s Holiday Camp. The rest are either disturbing or dull or some combination of the two. The theatrical delivery of some of the lyrics on this album was goofy and awful. I want to un-hear it. So many short, unsatisfying songs that probably make more sense when accompanied by the film but also… fuck that. The sequence of Do you think it’s alright?, Fiddle about and Pinball Wizard might be the worst 3 song run in the history of music. The first 2 are about Tommy being molested by his Uncle Ernie and then it’s a hard cut to a song about how great Tommy is at Pinball. I guess they cut the song where Tommy deals with the trauma of this very upsetting experience. Probably for the best. I don’t think I could have endured a 25th track. I used to think Pinball Wizard was “fine.” Of the big Who songs, it was not my favourite, but it was inoffensive to me. Now hearing it in the context of the album, it’s horrific. I think that radio stations should have to play the other two songs first before playing Pinball Wizard to give the audience the true Tommy experience. I don’t think it’d be the classic rock radio staple it is today and that would be a gift to society. I can’t unhear this now. I will dodge Pinball Wizard like the plague from now on. Using the phrase “deaf, dumb and blind kid” as a refrain throughout the album just feels offensive the more I hear it. Just because Tommy is the first rock opera, doesn’t automatically make it good. Lots of things that were “first” were bad. Would you want to use the first cell phone or computer? Watch the first movie? I doubt it. I’d even argue rock operas in general aren’t great. There are definitely more bad ones than good ones. 74 minutes is long for any album. For Tommy, it felt more like 5 hours. Musical purgatory if you will. The final song on this album brings back lyrics and musical elements from several songs in the tracklist as if this is a stage musical. But on Tommy it feels a bit like someone vomited, ate the vomit and then threw it up again. What specifically bothered me was a refrain that references the molestation sequence on the record. The refrain was: We foresake you, gonna rape you. I will not explain why I was bothered by this. I think the quote speaks for itself. I don’t think they wrote lyrics for this album. Instead they just wrote a long rambling story and put it to music. They didn’t tweak that story so it fit that music or feel like song lyrics, they just left it as is, first draft. I kept waiting for a song on this album to be good. It has 24 tracks. They can’t all be bad right? It’s statistically unlikely. And yet… they did it. It’s an accomplishment really. The closest thing to a “good” track was probably Pinball Wizard but again due to sequencing it is now unforgivable. There is not a single track on this album that stuck with me in a good way. Normally when I encounter a double album, I come up with a single album track list that cuts the filler, but that’s not really possible here. I guess my cutdown would just be Overture. It’s an instrumental, so none of the nonsense bullshit, cheesy lyrics. And since it’s the first song on the album, you aren’t yet bored or disturbed by the musical motifs being introduced. Things I like about it:

It’s over and I never have to experience it again 
I guess John Entwistle’s bass playing was solid. That’s all I got.

Not their top album

𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 is ambitious, theatrical, and undeniably groundbreaking — but also, let’s be honest, a bit too long. Still, when it hits (like 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘞𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥 or 𝘐’𝘮 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦), it delivers pure rock opera magic. A flawed epic, but an epic nonetheless.

This isn't an album; it's a story. One I thoroughly enjoyed, and one I recommend listening to if you're wondering how Tommy turned out. Favorite Track: "Pinball Wizard".

Klassisk rockopera/musikal. Men är det så jävla bra egentligen?

As some have said, the concept is interesting, but I just can't get behind it. It's a rock west end musical that I don't want to go and see. Pinball Wizard is a colossal track, the rest is just uneventful. It's very 60s/70s and as such isn't for me, it just doesn't stand the test of time. Couldn't listen to it all, I'm not a fan of The Who anyway.

It’s really good and really bad at the same time in the same songs

Pinball Wizard Go to the mirror

Ah, a beautiful album by The Who. Not only that but one of the first rock opera albums. Fittingly, Tommy is a truly beautiful journey, a delight on every musical front from start to end. It's an album you can get emotionally invested in.

Very diverse and long album.

A classic I've heard many times over the years, happy to return to now and then

some good songs, not my favorite The Who Songs though. For me the Album would be better without these short "songs" in between

Wasn't sure how I was going to feel, but I enjoyed it overall. Also, didn't realize Pinball Wizard came from this.

it’s good, but i don’t really have an opinion of it. felt very long and pretty repetitive

As a musical, it's not good. As an album, it's really bad.

I remember the first time I heard Tommy I was expecting Baba O’Riley or My Generation. I was confused because I got neither. Though there is some debate about who wrote the first Rock Opera. Tommy was in the Top Five originates, and the first successful one. Period. It is a concept album like no other, which makes to hard to find singles when taken out of context. It really was the Who proving their musical chops (hear the break about 3 min I to Amazing Journey, which it was). Knowing the size of those four personalities I am surprised this album exists at all. Once you get to Pinball Wizard there is a powerful climax to the album. But some other songs I appreciated more were Go to The Mirror! and Tommy, Can You Hear Me! Overall, this was a masterpiece! However, it does run into the problem of accessibility.

Random thoughts: * I own this on CD and have watched the movie at least once. * I vaguely remember this being a slog to get through but on this listening I realized it is way more catchy than I realized. The instrumental tracks are super solid. * Pinball Wizard might be one of my top 10 all-time tracks! I absolutely love this song. I can't get enough. * I'm Free and Overture are great tracks and really caught my ear. * I'm not sure I really understand what Pete Townsend is trying to say through this art. But it is a fun time capsule. * This inspired one of my all-time favorite pinball machines. Seriously, drop some quarters in if you ever encounter it. Such a cool machine.

Few good songs but bloody weird.

Pinball Wizard and I’m Free

Rigtig fin rock opera omkring en dreng som ser sin mor blive dræbt og så bliver han blind. Der er en masse metafor og symbolik som jeg ikke helt fanger, men lyder er rigtig godt og minder mig om tenacious D nogle gange.

A lame attempt at a grandiose, inventive record.

This album doesn't really have any musical issues but it's so long and frankly overwrought and boring. I tried but I knew in my heart- The Who stinks

Considering when it was released, it was somewhat groundbreaking as a rock opera. While there are some good songs, the storyline is a little weak and some of the songs to support the storyline feel campy and silly…particularly considering later albums like The Wall.

ive listened to this album while i was studying and, overall, it was a good album. the funny thing is that while there were some ABSOLUTE bangers (The Acid Queen, Go To The Mirror!, We're Not Gonna Take It...), there were others that i had to force myself to listen to the whole thing because either they were super annoying or super boring. also, at some points i felt like they were trying to "copy" Queen??? i dont know, man, but i was like, "damn, this is a rhythm Queen would use". to summarize, i liked it and could see myself listening to it again. ps: thank god this website heard me and didnt give me YET ANOTHER country-ass album :D !!

fine I DONT KNOW

Not really a fan of the story on this one, especially repeatedly using the word "rape" at the end of the album.

I didn’t really dig this one.

I enjoyed Keith Moon's drumming throughout, and quite enjoyed Pete Townshend's acoustic guitar. Overall though a little long and self-indulgent for me, but I feel that way about musicals in general. Pinball Wizard is still one of the all-time great rock songs.

The idea of a rock opera is interesting, but it just resulted in a lot of random songs on the album, like some that were less than a minute long just to describe something like a plot point. I love The Who as a band and Pinball Wizard is a classic, but this album just lacks good songs to jam out to.

Great album

I never cared for The Who.

Ok

pretty weird, not gonna lie

Not my favorite "the Who" album.

To be honest, I have always found The Who to be quite average. This didn’t exactly change my mind on that front, but I do appreciate them a bit more. Pinball Wizard was no doubt the best song on the album. I appreciated the theming of the album, all centered around the character of Tommy. Rock opera just really isn’t my thing.

A little rough around the edges sometimes. Otherwise pretty neat, I guess...

Very long like my penits

i found this hugely disappointing. oh well!

Very unique and interesting concept album

3.5* 85%

Crisp and clean. I loved the movie and I love this album. I could listen to Keith Moon for hours.

was ok, then it started to annoy me, and it just kept going. 2.5

Influential concept album.

I expected to like this more, as I liked the film when I saw it years ago and am generally a fan of concept albums and rock operas. It is just so notable that Pinball Wizard is the standout track here, with most of the rest being quite musically forgettable. Maybe not a popular opinion, but for my money the original Jesus Christ Superstar album with Ian Gillan and Murray Head, which came out around the same time as Tommy, is so much more interesting and sophisticated as far as rock operas go.

I have never taken drugs but were I to take drugs I would want to take the drugs that Pete Townsend was on when he came up with this one.

not for me

"Tommy" by The Who... i was a very young boy, when i heard the strains of "Pinball Wizard" on WLCY here in Tampa... it was a few years later, when a friend who was older than me, had a brother who was even older... and we were Beatles fanatics, but the guy's brother told us... The Beatles were good, but they could never touch The Who... and he loaned me his copy of this Album... in another lifetime, i was a tennis coach... and on a few different occasions... my students, in a rain delay or something, would listen, mouths agape, at thier coach singing every word of every song, in order to this album... at first they would laugh... then they would listen... then they would ask me, Derek what is that you are singing? and i would say... "Tommy' by The Who... something you need to hear in your lifetime... They made a movie out of it... and the Soundtrack, while pretty decent, is nothing like the original record... Pete Townshend... card carrying GENIUS songwriter, performer.... The Ox, John Entwistle playing like the virtuoso he is... Roger Daltrey... in peak mode... and Keith Moon... the driving force... listen to it beginning to end... straight through... and the scale only goes up to five stars.... but if any record deserves six... this is the one... listening to YOU, i get the music... gazing at YOU, i get the heat... Following YOU, i climb the mountain... i get excitement at YOUR feet... Amen brother, Pete

First off, I am not a big fan of the Who. I find a lot of their work pretty boring as Pete Townsend was not much for guitar solos or really anything other than chords. This album does not sway my opinion. I'm sure it was grand for it's time. Now it's just a lot of jangly, directionless guitars with an occasional hook from Roger Daltry. I could not make it through "Underture", so boring. I don't think this rock "opera" would even be much more interesting if it was actually performed on broadway. The premise of the tale of a dumb, deaf, and blind boy's life is just not interesting, at least to me.

An album with an interesting concept, but not that musically engaging of a listen for me. I appreciate the unique idea, though

Holds up after all these years. Epic end to the album as well

Pinball

I remember going to see a very community theater rendition of Tommy the musical with the whole family in maybe Merriam or Roeland Park. I think it was for your birthday, Dad? I didn’t really know what to expect but enjoyed it! This isn’t my favorite Who album, but definitely a solid 4.

Only my 4th favorite Who album after Who’s Next, Quadrophenia, and The Who Sell Out, but still a great album. Probably didn’t get into it when it first came out, but certainly a couple of years later. A true rock opera, and even if the whole concept and story is arguably a bit hokey, the songs are bangers from start to finish. Amazing what the band can do with just 3 musicians and a singer. Fave track is Underture, an instrumental showcase that’s 10 minutes long, but wish it had been 20 or 30. A masterpiece.

For the entire first half, I was debating how long I’d have to listen to give this a fair shake. I decided I’d go through “pinball wizard,” the one song I knew I knew. I did that. Then, I had to run a quick errand and while doing that, I got through “go to the mirror,” which I actually liked. That was one of those “I’ve heard this song before but didn’t know it” songs. From there, it felt like I was pretty close to the end, so I decided to finish it. Oof. What a mistake. Each of the final three songs had me itching for the stop button. But I did it. Bravery. A 1.5 rounded up.

Second time listening to this and can’t believe how many decent tracks I missed the first time I listened. Don’t have anything new to add, fantastic concept. Christmas is probably my favorite. Rating: 4.5

J’ai quasiment donné un 5 étoile sans l’avoir réécouter depuis 2 ans, démontrant mon indéniable passion concernant cet album phare du band… qui déjà? Pour être fair avec les autres albums, je lui ai redonné une go, pis ça ne fait que confirmer le statut de Banger éternel de Tommy. J’ai même head bang sur Pinball Wizard, c’est peu dire

I am not a fan of prog rock. I can hear why it's good, sonically, but it does nothing for me. There are some good tracks, definitely.

This is genre defining Rock Opera. And it is more or less probably in the top group of all time at that. The Who is amaze. This album... Amaze. The Who, whom I often simply "forget to mention" are literally right up there with the best of the best and I am not sure why I often forget to bring them into those conversations, I remember the music well enough! maybe because I kind of put them in the "classic rock" genre and honestly, I more often than not do overlook that style. But I am glad I was reminded of this!

Never seen the movie. This is definitely a soundtrack, the moods and stories are there. You can see the picture unfolding. Need to watch that movie.

A perfect Concept album..

Rock opera! Nobody does rock operas anymore. Cowards! Umber never seen it performed; it would hold up today as a tale of abuse, cults, pseudoscience and so on. It’s a comprehensive tale told through great music and probably could only have been made in the 60s. Listen for more than “Pinball Wizard”. It’s a masterpiece.

Good Album. 3.8/5

This album (and the Who in general) are a major blind spot for me. They've sort of gotten grouped (maybe incorrectly) with the Rolling Stones in my mind and I just don't care for the Stones. So I was happy to get this album to be "forced" to listen to it. And it was more enjoyable than I would have expected. Don't see myself listening to it again any time soon, but it was a pleasant experience.

Dull

Ég elska mörg lögin í þessari rokkóperu en ég hef aldrei gert heiðarlega tilraun til þess að hlusta og pæla í henni og söguþræðinum. Ég verð að segja að það eiginlega stútaði plötunni. Mér fannst ekki það spunnið í söguna sem er sorglegt en samt sem tónlistarafrek toga ég hana úr 3.5 upp í 4

Concept album about a severely abused child shutting down his senses to cope, regaining his composure by becoming a pinball god, gets a cult following, and then has his cult kill him. Sort of art pop sort of rock (vaguely alt-rockish). It lacks much relistenability (albeit a few songs like 1921, Pinball Wizard, and Sally Simpson are great tracks on their own). Honestly, I very much suggest giving this one a listen if you enjoy concept albums as it is a fun listen in the musical sort of sense.

Interesting concept album with some solid tracks. I liked this one.

Not for me.

This album certainly has some creative stuff, but for some reason, not enough punch. A lot of the songs feel like they're constantly building up towards something, and then just nothing happens. The hard rock tracks here have significantly more energy, but most of this album is not hard rock. These some very fun songs here (Overture, Christmas, The Acid Queen, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!), but others are just fine. Still enjoyed this album, but it definitely could've been better. 7/10

Solid concept album. Tina Turner's version of The Acid Queen from the movie is so much better than Roger Daltry's. Also, who can't love Elton John in massive Doc Martin's as the Pinball Wizard who Tommy beats! Favorite songs: Pinball Wizard, Overture, Christmas, Go to the Mirror! Least favorite songs: Underture 4/5

The sheer magnitude of what Townshend is trying for here is quite amazing. This could be one of the greatest achievements of all time--without this album, do we have JCS? The Wall? The album is a surprisingly good listen and I remember Pinball Wizard as a kid who loved arcades being my Who introduction. The movie and musical are not bad either.

Brilliant.

Genial!

No interest whatsoever.

Inessential

Tommy walked so that The Wall could soar, an experience, 4.5 stars

okay cool vibes - nothing more

I saw Roger Daltrey perform the whole of Tommy live when I was 16. Pinball Wizard is still very much the highlight.

Rock opera

Tommy can you hear me?!👂🏻🪞🇬🇧

Outstanding. Loved it.

An interesting story with cool instrumentals

This album flows from song to song very well. A strong album. This album is worth a listen, even if you aren't a big Who fan.

Most concept albums share the traits of dragging in moments and playing too long, and this one does check those boxes to some degree. I did enjoy it playing in the background working around the house. There are a few tracks that have stood the test of time and stand on their own. Couple that with Pete’s age at the time of writing and this is a unique and impactful work. While I think arguably their strongest album shows up “Next” in their timeline, I give this one the round up. 3.5/5

350 albums in and we finally get our first Who record. And on the same day they announce their farewell tour. Hmmm. I’ve always dug the Who. And what I do like about Tommy was it was written and recorded to be played live. Other mammoth amazing records around that time like Sgt Pepper’s or Pet Sounds stand out for other obvious reasons. But Tommy stands out for its live performance factor. And while forming a storyline centered around a deaf mute and blind man playing championship pinball seems thinly plausible and pretty silly, the quality of many of the songs survives due to the unique ability to stand out on their own while always serving as a connecting thread into the main storyline.

I love the Who, but not Tommy. I think this is a good example of a band getting over their skis with an idea and not pulling it off at all. Pinball Wizard is maybe the only song reminiscent of the band, the rest does very little to take advantage of the bands vast skill set. Like most concept albums, this one is forced and too long.

I like the ambition of this. And I like the concept. But not sure I loved this. Pinball Wizard is great…such a weird idea…but it works. The rest is very meh. 2.75 Now I’m gonna go smoke some Mother Nature.

Seen the musical once or twice...not sure if it has impacted my thoughts on the album in a positive or negative way. Either way, this is a decent album, not great. Tough for me to get over the silliness factor TBH. 3.25/5

Rock operas have never been a good idea. Never will.

Even at a distance of over 50 years Tommy is such a progression from The Who’s great but largely singles-centric output thus far, it must have blown minds in 1969. It’s an incredible achievement - a concept album but more, a ‘rock opera’ which really works, in which the songs really do carry the storyline. Yet so many of the songs stand alone, many of them comfortably sitting with the band’s greatest singles. “Pinball Wizard”, “Acid Queen”, “I’m Free”, “Amazing Journey”. I have always told myself I preferred Quadrophenia, and I consider Who’s Next one of the best albums of all time but listening to Tommy again with fresh ears, and good earphones, is incredible. I’m astonished not only by the genius of Pete Townsend’s composition and arrangements, by the production and clarity of the mix, but by the amount of acoustic guitar throughout. In the era of Hendrix, Clapton and Beck Townsend may have been forgotten to some extent. He was a different sort of player but astounding in his own right, an incredible rhythm guitarist. The other thing I realised on this listening is what a complete piece of music “Overture” is. It really does serve the same purpose as the great introductions to operas by Verdi or Puccini or Wagner, and deserves to stand alongside them. I have owned this for years but in truth have listened to live performances or the orchestral version more often, so this is the first time in a long time that I have actively listened to the original version. It really is an “Amazing Journey” and one I won’t leave leave so long again.

Yeah i mean its a rock opera by the who

It's alright, I can see why it's a classic. Its definitely something where you have to listen to all tracks in one sitting to get the most out of it. There are moments where it's brilliant but then everything else in between is a bit boring to me. That being said, there's some great musicianship here. You can tell they've put a lot of effort into it. Keith Moon especially does a great job on this. I wish I could rate albums from a scale of 1 to 10 instead 1 to 5 on this site, because then I'd give it a ~7.5 out of 10. I'll have to round it up to a 4/5. I'll be sure to check out Tommy, the movie when I come across it. Fav tracks: Pinball Wizard, Christmas Least fav tracks: Welcome, Fiddle About, most of the short tracks.

Few bands can make a rock opera actually sound cool and organic. The Who can, because they fucking rule. 5/5

Ok. Probably need to listen to the whole album in one sitting to understand properly

Strange….

Among the many pleasures of listening to this album, possibly the greatest is hearing The Who’s legendary drummer Keith Moon giving it absolutely full beans on pretty much every track. Then there’s the fact that the track listing includes an ‘Underture’ as well as an ‘Overture’. And the opening to Pinball Wizard? One of the greatest rock intros of all time…. Ok – all the trigger warnings: Contains murder, physical and sexual abuse of a child, strong drug references, religious extremism and PTSD. But what’s a rock opera without tragedy? This original album lacks the guest performance highlights of the later soundtrack (Elton John, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Oliver Reed and Ann Margaret all brought something extra) but for inventiveness, innovation and some banging tunes the ’69 version still bags three stars on its own merits – with a bonus star for ‘Moon the Loon.’ RIP Keith

Boring but fine.

An epic but a great one, with a story weaving through the tracks and a timeless style that keeps you hooked

FFS! Another load of white blokes. Is this a 'history of white male privilege as told through music' list or what? Oh and look whose up next, another old white dude. Jeez. Anyway, I let out a sneer when this Who opus came up and expected to instantly write it off as overblown rock opera shite. Then I got to properly listen to Overture, It's a Boy and 1921 and was mildly interested. Thankfully this blemish on my coolness (you knows it) was soon dispelled - I had no idea that Tommy of pinball wizard fame had endured bullying growing up at the hands of Cousin Kevin and then sex abuse at the hands of some weird uncle. Fiddle About has to be the most ridiculous and excruciating song about a horrific experience I think I've ever heard. Tommy's 'miraculous' rediscovery of his sight left me perplexed - was he kidding all along, or was it PTSD, or was it a miracle? Actually, I don't care. Thanks be to god that we only had to listen to the 1969 version and not the deluxe.

Epic

Excellent!

One of those albums that I've heard the hit songs way too much on the radio, but have rarely listened to the rock opera as intended. Turns out there's a reason for that. Many of the tunes don't amount to much and the story falls flat. I saw the film at the drive-in in the seventies and that version gave the project a little more interest and color.

So cool - I don't think I've ever heard a rock opera before - and it still has killer songs like pinball wizard

Fiddlin Around is hilarious. Fine album. Follows a theme front to back. Usually not a fan of themed albums, but this isn't over the top.

Album No. 5 Never heard a song by The Who but have heard of the artist. This was a long album in terms of number of tracks (though to be fair most of the tracks are rather short) and so I didn't really focus much on any of the songs I wasn't engaged in but I like the energy and sound of the tracks overall. I think if the album was a bit less long and I guess dramatic I would rate it higher. The tracks definitely have an older feel to them but not in a necessarily outdated way. I like the whole concept of the storyline, and I enjoy albums that are very cohesive but I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the whole very like almost musical-theatre style storytelling. Would rate it a 2.5 but I may put it down to a 2. Who knows if my opinion will change in the future. Favourites: - Pinball Wizard - Go To The Mirror! - Smash The Mirror

Som en överklassunges studentspex

A lot of firsts on this listening journey, and this was my first listen to an album by The Who. "Tommy" is an album that tells the story of the remarkable life of Tommy. A fun idea and a story open for interpretation. The album is a good listen and I could see myself listening to it again, but it didn't blow me away on my first listen.

Iconic album, and group. Great music. Sound of the 60’s, 70’s.

Second Who album this week, this one just has to be better. This is also the 2nd or 3rd "opera" I've gotten this week? For an opera, this has way more instrumental tracks than expected. Pinball wizard comes out of nowhere and is a total banger compared to the rest. 3* Highlights: pinball wizard, i'm free

Agree with some of these posts about this hot garbage.

Disjointed with a lot of filler. Just like a real opera! There are moments here and there that are fun or interesting, but it mostly feels like children's music (about child sexual assault). Underture is the highlight, with themes and passages building and twisting on each other. Most of the rest is forgettable.

i like it because the who rock but the concept falls flat for me

no one is writing full length rock operas anymore. this album is insane and has its problems, but what a time for bizarre creativity. and roger daltrey was smokin in the movie so that has to count for something

Twas fine I guess.

Boring review alert! Ok so it's a little theatrical for me, but I feel like thats something I usually like. The music alone I would give a 2.5 rounded to a three. However, with having a story I give it a 3.5 rounded to a 4. I need to explain this for my future self because I think I'll come back and disagree.

No. 313/1001 Overture 4/5 It's A Boy 3/5 1921 3/5 Amazing Journey 4/5 Sparks 3/5 Eyesight to the Blind 4/5 Christmas 3/5 Cousin Kevin 3/5 The Acid Queen 4/5 Underture 3/5 Do You Think It‘s Alright? NR Fiddle About 3/5 Pinball Wizard 4/5 There‘s A Doctor NR Go To The Mirror! 4/5 Tommy Can You Hear Me? 3/5 Smash The Mirror 3/5 Sensation 3/5 Miracle Cure NR Sally Simpson 3/5 I‘m Free 3/5 Welcome 3/5 Tommy‘s Holiday Camp 2/5 We‘re Not Gonna Take It 3/5 Average: 3,24 Really long album. I feel this could have been better, if the made it a bit shorter.

I’ve never understood the fame of The Who. There’s nearly no registration of excitement for me when I listen to Tommy or almost any other who album. I love a few of their individual songs, but after three of them, I’m done. I figured there must be something wrong with me.

Good but difficult to follow.

Not really a fan of concept albums, but there is some great work on this one. The Who is an all-time great band.

Includes some great the Who tracks like Pinball wizard, I'm free etc, but the musical bits are bit heavy. Ambitious project which does deserve some credit and listening to this made me want to see the Tommy movie again, last time seeing it as a teenager.

As a soundtrack / concept album this is really heavy to listen to. Most likely I just don't understand this album without seeing the movie. If I think this just as album, I didn't fancy this at all throughout few really cool tracks.

Too long album to my taste. Few good songs, but that's it.

The musical part of this album is not to my liking, while The Who's music in general is, for the most part. Their Live at Leeds is one of the best live recordings I've ever listened to. While I know this is accompanying a full movie, I can't shake the feeling this has a lot of filler and mood music, which ruins the vibe for me.

3.5. a classic, I listened in my 20s, but I realize I rarely listened to the whole album. It i s a bit long.. some songs are just repetitive (just to move forward the story I guess). As of today, and to respect many 4/5 albums that are more consistent I gave Tommy a 3 (3.49 if you wish). Some very good songs, chords, and emotions, inspirational I guess for many groups to come too.

Simple Jack: The Album. But seriously I didn't enjoy this at all, I get that it's very influential to a certain type of British guy with high-minded ideas about "what rock music can be" or whatever but I just was not impressed. I thought the concept was both pretentious and kind of stupid, and the songs mostly aren't good enough to make up for it

Crap. One good song in a 1 hour and 14 minute long album is a joke.

Still an incredibly strange album, even after hearing it for years…. Enjoy the majority of it though…

Very good album

Oh, this one is boring. What a great start to the year. To me, this has nothing amazing, and only a few real standouts. Tommy is a double LP rock opera with a story about a kid gone blind and his life and challenges he faces. The story is a weird way of getting Pete's thoughts on enlightenment and youthful alienation, and ultimately, like a bad movie, it's full of something that's mostly nothing. The songs are also really inoffensive, which is the Who's studio motto. They're cut from a different cloth than their hard rock colleagues, obviously, but everything here is far from good, other than maybe Pinball Wizard. No song has that oomph or fire that makes me want to return to the album. It also doesn't help that, being a rock opera, having good standalone tracks is a hard task in itself. The instrumental -tures are a showcase of their ability to play, which are good, but what is their ultimate purpose? Overall, anemic and bleak, despite its size. ⭐⭐1/2

Rock opera! So cool, so different from what I knew The Who from

Man, I haven't listened to this album in maybe 15+ years, which is pretty crazy to think about. I'm not sure if Tommy or Who's Next was the first album by The Who I heard, but I did buy this on CD, probably sometime in high school. It was likely one of if not the first concept album I had heard. I definitely did enjoy it and gave it frequent listens, although maybe not quite as much as Who's Next. Not long after I started college I moved on from most of the "classic rock" type stuff I dabbled in, and have hardly looked back on The Who since, as I talked about when reviewing their debut. Still a great listen, and kind of wild to think how I almost completely abandoned this band, not because I didn't like them anymore, but more because I was just overwhelmed with other new stuff that I considered more interesting, or at least different/newer/more exciting. As I said before, I definitely am overdue on a deep dive of The Who. This is yet another understandably classic album, and I definitely enjoyed hearing it again after all these years. While I credit Bowie's Ziggy Stardust with first opening the door to progressive rock concept type stuff for me, this album may have actually preceded Ziggy back in my formative listening years, and it is far more "progressive". Honestly, a bit of a mystery as to why I basically abandoned listening to The Who so many years ago.

Only had heard Pinball Wizard before but I really liked the overall album. Good concept album and good music. Can’t wait to compare it to The Elder when it comes up.

very rock opera- mostly i was waiting for Pinball Wizard to happen, but that's a pretty good song.

Not as good as i expected. Too many weird fuck songs and not enough pinball

good

Great to hear this again but really needs the wonderfully weird film to fully appreciate it as all the component parts can be disjointed if you don’t know the story.

enjoyed but not groundbreaking ??

Ambitious and sprawling and for the most part it works. Pinball Wizard is a classic. Sparks is a great instrumental. Very influential, although sometimes not for the best. Still, this definitely belongs. I still think Who's Next is better.

Ok, but very long

I appreciate how different this is as an album, and a lot of the songs have interesting parts. It does indeed sound like the soundtrack of a musical or opera. On the negative side though, Pinball Wizard is the only real standout and from the perspective of someone listening in 2025 the tone of the songs doesn't always match the story or the seriousness of the topics that it covers.

I appreciate the recurring musical themes, but I’ve always felt like this album was way too long. I’m glad they did it, Tommy created the rock opera after all, but I don’t need to hear a song about a bully or a kiddie fiddler. I don’t care about Tommy as a character in the least bit, so in that way, they really failed. Basically, the Who take us on a journey where this boy becomes a cult leader. We don’t need all of that, or at least I don’t. It’s too much. Show us one thing that’s real and be done with it. Points for the song Pinball Wizard, an absolute classic if not slightly unclimactic. l also liked the Christmas song, beyond all logic. The overture and underture were nice. The rest, meh. This rock opera has very few rock-out moments.

kinda boring

This was a double album of what felt like a Rock Opera. The concept was an extended album regarding Tommy's life. Pinball Wizard is on this one. I liked it overall but it is too long for me for an active listen.

Quite a long one. Mixed feelings here. Sometimes it sounded like they didn't know what to record

Pretty good for a concept album.

Tommy has been on my to-be-played list a long time for now and I love that this app brings me to just do that. The story is what makes this album feel so special to me and of course the way it unfolds in the course of listening to album. I love just losing track of time while listening to it, feeling for Tommy and what he had to go through, and knowing how many later albums we love were inspired by this masterpiece. The story of Tommy seems like a tragic version what people imagine what the 1960s were like when they weren't born to live in this time, but no matter what it feels like there are more than just a couple Tommys out there.

I realized, that sadly I didn't knew too much from them. This changes with this album. From now I will for sure listen more The Who!

Solid album, probably one of the best rock operas.

I love rock opera, so of course I love Tommy! It hits wonderfully in the nostalgia for me as well having grown up hearing it. One of the greatest albums of all time truly!! Music that tells a story is always fun to me. Even when the story is a little strange. I can't really put my love for this into words too well. Let the stars speak for themselves

Every few years I’m reminded how excellent this album is and along comes this reminder. A Classic!

Classic

This felt like something I would have been told to listen to for high school English. I understood the concept and respect its historical significance, but I didn’t really enjoy it for the most part. There are some good tracks though.

Odd…

Two albums of The Who in a row? :D Seriously? The band itself is great, but I don't like it much. The vibes of The Beatles are in place. I like a few popular songs of The Who, but I don't enjoy anything else much.

87/1089 - Eh. Would've benefited from trimming the fat and making the story more concise. Pinball Wizard was cool.

Wanha tuttu! Tätä on opiskeltu ja kuunneltu vuosien aikana niin että ulkoa osaa. Hyvää on että tarina on selkeä. Nautin instrumentaalikappaleista. Nykyään tämä kuitenkin häviää Quadrophenialle joka on se ultimaattinen konseptilevy The Wholta.

Helt passe

good

I don't get it. Maybe I lost focus somewhere, but the storytelling aspect of the album was completely lost on me. The tracks are mostly fine, but it's a very long album.

ok i thought i would not feel this way after having listened to this album a few years ago. it didnt seem to hold up well and there are some throwaway songs. But listening now i was blown away by Keith Moon's drumming and percussion throughout this album. Amazing Journey has always been a favorite just for the incredible drum fills he performs and Underture is truly a master class in percussion. Also i was struck by the unique sound of this album- really a big departure drom their earlier work. Songs like Christmas, Go to The Mirror and the amazing Overture into 1921. I like Quadrophenia better overall of we are comparing rock operas, but I have to call it: this is a stone cold classic.

One of my husband's favorites.

Pretty long and boring album. Pretty overrated for me.

Langt dobbelalbum, må lyttes igjennom flere ganger, men setter den pr. nå midt på 3.

The album takes you on a journey, for better or worse. Being a double album, not all the songs are great and very few stand on their own. But put it all together and it’s nearly flawless

Great album!

Turned it off during “fiddle about” WTF? Changed times

Okay

One of the great rock album intros surely. The five minute Overture is over the top, dramatic and wonderful. By the time we get to 1921 I'm already entranced. Really good use of overdubs on the vocals and the backing piano is perfect. The tracks unfold like parts of a suite, at times blending one into the next. Melodies and piercing, layered vocals are the constant, everything supported by relentless drumming. Christmas stands out, an introspective moment enhanced by the pounding drums. The long instrumental Underture closes the second side, tension building throughout. Pinball Wizard is still as good as ever, jangly rhythm guitar and the buzzsaw-like lead. Go To The Mirro is great too. You need a bit of endurance to get through this one but the audacity of it has to earn top marks.

Feels like Keith Moon is auditioning for the lead role in a drumming competition no one else signed up for.

long but it’s good

I spent half of it waiting for one track and it only lasted 3 minutes. This whole Rock Opera thing is a waste fo time.

Yeah I mean all-time classic but am I going to be listening to it repeatedly on CD? Probably not

This has got to be one of the most self indulgent albums I've ever hear. Seriously, nobody cares about your creepy little drunk uncle dude. Yeah there are some hits like Pinball Wizard, but by the time you get there you're already so fucking over these guys.

Good album. Like the Who anyway but this more conceptual album is well worth alisten

Nicht so meins

Ich liebs!

det isch en langer alber liebe who. overture cools waldhorn. oke irgendwie schono cool plötzlch gsang und s isch sochli folky und d gitarre wanderet im stereobild ume ohyeaaah. oke apparently isch da so for real e rock opere. glaub schono innovativ gsi da züg. ischer 1921 gebohrt? okay. gad synopsis überfloge. am townshend isch glaub nöd guet gange. fucked up story. underture isch etz no cute aber eaasy repetitiv. ich möst das glaub viel ufmerksamer lose? jo finds bitz langwilig. ok pinball wizard isch seeeehr geil die beide mirror songs au easy. sensation chli sehr meh. ich finds echt nöd sooo geil? isch glaub afoch no mega guet galteret? im free findi no nice aber s isch alles sehr verhalte irgendwie wells d story will verzelle. naja. we're not gonna take it kenntmer glaaaaub? ich check das album null s gitmer nüt git e zwei sorry who.

konfitüre hahah fuck weiss nöd öbi ready bin d gschicht gaht um dune????? ich lieb dass sie seget 21 will be a good year. es ischs nöd gsi! okeee ich cheggs glaub. gnüsses aber nöd mega es schwankt immer sochli zwüsche cool/spannend und eifach nervig? christmas hani iwie geil gfunde aber iwie halt doch nöd hahahah hahah hä hans gfühl ich kenn underture, es erinneret mi recht ah alan parsons project jaa das isch jz recht ah mier verbiizoge wnl hahaha me chönnt sich sicher mega ih die gschicht/das album vertüfe doch eifach eso isches easy gsi

Killer album, one of my all time favourites. My only qualm is I wish underture was shorter.

There are a number of bands that are automatically just going to get 5 stars, and all of them are absolutely worthy of said rating. The Who is one of them. This is an absolutely epic tale from start to finish. I really could have gone my entire life without knowing why the song "Pinball Wizard" happens though. I greatly look forward to listening to more of The Who and their entire catalogue. This concludes my first "week" on this website, and it's been an incredible experience so far. I look forward to finishing the fight in a few years. Give me more like this and it will be an easy feat.

I really appreciate the lengths that the Who went to with this album, but it just did not click with me. I can see how much effort went into this thing - from the songwriting, to the arrangement, production, and performances. It's a shame that most of the songs feel like snippets of longer, more boring tracks. Any sort of rating I have for this comes entirely from an appreciation for the effort and love that went into this album by the band themselves, and a little appreciation of my own for Pinball Wizard. 6/10

A classic album but it is insanity that this is on here and Quadrophenia isn’t.

Skillful

I was expecting Dayman, fighter of the Nightman, to appear at some point

I just can't get through this album, not interesting enough to be over an hour. There are some good songs still Will I listen to again: 5%

the opera has a nice story to it but what an awful album to listen to. Pinball wizard and go to the mirror are good songs.

So. Much. Padding. Dear Lord this whole album has one song.

Significant. A favorite of mine. I get some not digging it.

It was good - but just wasn't my fav

I can see the vision and appreciate the execution but I’m just not a big enough fan of The Who to enjoy this particular album

I wasn’t expecting to like it but I did!

Muy largo, pero entiendo su status de clásico. No es un disco que pondría en mi rotación diaria, por ejemplo.

bombetta

Bell'album, prog il giusto. Poi un concept album, come piace a me. Purtroppo ascoltato in due tornate che è bello lungo. Dopo aver letto il concept è folle, che scrittura, che follia. In totale approvato, da prendere un giorno magari anche in vinile.

Enjoyed this album 8/10

Not my cup of tea

Damn this was really good. This is a concept album through and through, I really appreciate the ambition throughout this album, it tells the story effectively and makes use of the 24 tracks very nicely, I will be returning to this one in the future later on for sure. To summarize the plot without spoiling much, this is about a boy named Tommy who goes deaf, dumb, and blind from some trauma early in his life, but he finds some fame later in live after becoming a champion in a game as well as a spiritual leader. I know it sounds a little bizarre towards the end, but trust me it works nicely, highly recommend this one. Rating: Incredible (Decent ☆☆☆☆☆) Favorite Tracks: Not really one where I would pick out individual songs.

We love a rock opera! The story is weird to me and that’s why I took off a star. I think it takes a weird left turn. But other than that. I love this album

that's a fucking masterpiece

Meh. I’m bored of saying it, but I’m not a big fan of The Who. They had some great hits, but their albums are mediocre. Pinball Wizard is always a good listen, well written, catchy and covered a few times by other prominent artists. The rest is mostly forgettable.

It's hard to listen to Tommy and not just compare it to Quadrophenia, one of my favorite albums of all time. It's clearly good, but it lacks the actual feel of a rock album, and really just plays like one long play/song. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it only has one major hit (two?) throughout the album, and it can tend to end up starting sort of the same. I think of it as testing for Quadrophenia. Maybe too harsh at a 3 because the achievement is stunning, but I feel ok with it for now.

.. no

I may just be a simp but I do love this album.

Wordless. Not my type of album

It took me a long time to decide, but I'm giving this 7 out of 10 and rounding down. I like it a lot, but it's a little slow in the middle. I believe Quadrophenia is better, and Who's Next is an easy 5 star. This is quality Who, but they've got better.

Jag gillar the Whos sound. Det är musikaliskt ofta väldigt bra. Det är dock lite speciellt med en rock opera. Det är mer "filmmusik"-känsla. Lite svårare att greppa. Pinball Wizard är en en klassiker dock som jag lyssnat på mycket när jag var yngre. Grym låt. Mycket annat är helt ok, men som sagt, pga formatet lite svårsmält. Det blir en trea pga bra sound, men lägre än om det av allt detta plockats ut 10 "riktiga" låtar.

Hade svårt att hålla mig engagerad genom hela denna - det är för långt och för mycket utfyllnad, även om det är ett behjärtansvärt försök med en rockopera. Det är dock aldrig dåligt (förutom Tommy’s holiday camp), men det är alldeles för sällan också riktigt bra.

This wasn't my favorite. It wasn't bad by any means, but I just couldn't recall a single song once the album was over. And I genuinely like the Who so this review makes me sad. It's truly just a middle of the road record for me.

The Who's hits are amazing. Once you get into the deeper stuff, I'm not always a huge fan. This is a cool album. I like the hits, and I'm familiar with most of the songs. I don't think, as an album, I'm super into it.

Super excited to get this record! I'm a big fan of progressive rock - my favorite band of all time is Coheed and Cambria but also love bands like Pink Floyd, Rush, Dream Theater, and so many others. A lot of bands I love are heavily influenced by The Who and this record has the only song I know by them on it - "Pinball Wizard". The album has a fair bit of downtime songs that are meant to be used as intermission-type songs and there's several songs that are less than a minute long, so the album looks a lot longer than it actually is. I felt like a sped through this one! Standout tracks are "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)", "The Acid Queen", "Pinball Wizard", "Smash the Mirror", and "Sally Simpson". Side note: Keith Moon is an amazing drummer and I think him and Entwistle hard carry this record. This was a fun one and I have to thank The Who and this album for being so influential on a lot of my favorite music.

Didn’t love this as much as I thought I would! Maybe I don’t even really know who the who is.

la ópera rock y sus consecuencias han sido un desastre para la raza humana. La historia me da un cringe terrible además y es como una mierda new age super turbia tengo entendido. NO OBSTANTE pinball wizard es un temazo

I'm familiar with The Who as a band, but have never given them a listen. I went in with no expectations. It's so theatrical! Am I listening to a musical?! Yes, apparently I am...a "rock opera," in fact. I actually dig it, but it was a tad long. So many songs felt like an intro, or like it was building up to something that never quite got there. Are there choruses in these songs, or is it just verse, verse, verse, next song? Also, the story of Tommy is actually quite dark.

Не перегруженный, выразительный, бодрый и могучий.

кайф

One of the great concept albums. A little biased since the Who was one of my favorite bands back in high school.

i like the whomst but i can’t with this one

Álbum muito interessante. Ótimas notas e melodias. Depois de descobrir o histórico do álbum, ele ganha mais significado. Favoritas : go to the mirror, im free e tommy can you hear me?

Has some ok bits but is generally pretty dull

Heard various Who songs here and there. I will be honest with you, after just 6 songs it felt as if I've been listening to the album for an hour. I'm just not interested in the concept of this concept album. 2/5

The good tracks are great. The others, not so much!

it is calming me. I remember times there's not exist me, and they was good. Good times. Which was never exist.

I'm like 70% sure that this album is mainly meandering instrumental, 20% meandering story, and then, like, 10% solid songwriting. The Who had assuredly come into their own musically at this point, but this weird middle-ground between what the Rolling Stones were doing and what the Beatles were doing just leads the album to feeling wholly unoriginal, not helped by its constant credits with inventing the rock opera, which is just not the case. Sure, there are hits from this, but does Pinball Wizard truly stand against the other 1969 powerhouse hits every other band was releasing at the time, let alone a whole album? No, not really. Would be entirely forgotten were it not for the fact that somehow the Who managed to squirm into the upper echelons of the British Invasion, and for that I'll forever be just confused.

Funny. Ive heard so many cuts from this but never the whole rock opera. Really good!

I didn’t make it all the way through but yay for rock operas

"you've phoned me so we can listen to and comment on 'Tommy' together but MY CD PLAYER IS FUCKING BROKEN." Keith shouted from the other side of the phone. (for the back story of Keith, please see my review for other albums by The Who.) "You better move it to somewhere else. i've done that once and it functions as usual." "well... OK." it finally works, "And-- Here we fucking go!!" "the overture is so fucking long." i muttered. Keith responded with unsatisfaction: "Just pretend that you are listening to the soundtrack for a musical. then it won't feel that long." "erm, Keith? can you come to my home so we can watch the movie version? it's better with a bunch of stars singing it." "You need to accept the original version, cause it's the original version." "You literally said nothing useful!" "Seems the classic motif is coming up. the 'See me, feel me' part always send shivers down my spine when I was watching the movie. and similarly, in their concert videos." "Well, who the fuck doesn't get shivers because of Pete's songwriting?" "can I say that for 'The Acid Queen', Tina Turner's version is better?" "well, i have to admit that her voice is more powerful and suitable for the song. And the arrangement is better!" "Dude why the Underture is ten minutes long?" "it's meant to be like that. i can't do anything with it. i actually skipped that track on first listen. And sometime I still do that too. and well? the CD player still works but the remote is broken. I guess that we should spend the 10 minutes wisely." "It's finally building up. and, three minutes to go." "it's always building up and then going down. like the tide." "can we listen to 'Love, Reign O'er Me' in the last 3 minutes?" "well, it's only 3 minutes. You can tolerate it, can't you." "i... hope so." "And maybe there's a reason why your name is Sally, as in 'So, Sally can wait'. and why do you fail to wait for a song to end?" "oh yeah we are finally through this... two more tracks to go and it's THE song!" (two more tracks later. Keith began to play air guitar to "Pinball Wizard".) "YEAHHHHHHH! although i am not a who fan I absolutely LOVE the song!" "WOOOOO HOOOOO!" "The motif is returning and the 'listening to you' part is adding in... Tommy is ready to regain his senses. Don't you remember the part in the movie, when during 'I'm Free', Roger runs on the beach like that gamer youtuber that is pretty famous for being single for a long time?" "Yeah, I remember that in a vlog, he was running alongside the beach shouting 'I long for freedom! I want to fall in love!'. I love his videos and he is finally married recently..." "yeah, FINALLY." "Wait a minute, the plot of the movie is THAT different from the album? and 'i'm Free' don't come in until two songs later?" "wait a sec you dont know that? you should check out the wikipedia page for that before you listen!" "Why I am laughing sooooo hard when 'I'm Free' begin playing?" "cause you are just fully in the 'I long for freedom! I want to fall in love!' mode." "Shut up." "'Tommy's Holiday Camp' is the cheesiest minute of music that i ever heard." "Cant disagree." "Well, I don't like the first half of 'We're Not Gonna Take It', cause it's pretty political." "erm... but it's still a good song, isn't it?" "you... are pretty right." "And it just fades out at the end? I always thought that there would be a grand finale!" "Yeah! Post-listening reflection time!" "Can I say that although this is an influential album for one of the first rock operas, Quadrophenia is still better?" "of course! So, what's your score? I don't think that it deserves a 5 solely judging by musicality but i'm still giving it a 5." "A 4. there's weak points but the whole album is still strong." "Well... OK. A 4. So, we've agreed on each other!" 4/5

Dog shit

Absolute bobbins, deserves zero stars

All who albums are getting a 1 star for noncing.

Awful

So incredibly bad

The creator really likes the who.

wow just like go to school by the lemon twigs

This gets credit for being the first rock Opera but other than that, this is pretty okay. The story they tell is SOOOO dumb and pointless. You are lying if you say you understood some of the plot points. "Pinball Wizard" and "Sally Simpson" obv score points here and the concept of "Overture" was so cool and well done. I do enjoy the vocals a lot. Actual review...2.5 Liked Songs: "Overture" , "1921" , "Sparks" , "Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)" , "Pinball Wizard" , "Go To The Mirror!" , "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" , "Sally Simpson"

liked songs: Overture, Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker), Pinball Wizard First off, I disagree with calling this album a rock opera. It's just a concept album. And yes, it tells a long, extended story over many different songs, but it doesn't have the sense of scale or pomp needed to call it an opera. Second, I broke this album into two listens and I was still bored. There's some standout tracks (which include their huge hit single and a cover), but I can't say I loved most of them. Overall: meh 2.5

Yay!! An excellent album. Was pleased to get to listen to this to kick off the weekend

I'm sure this was pretty ground breaking back then, but when i heard the live album kick off after listening to the whole double album, I panicked and closed spotify.

*To the tune of "Rock Lobster by The B-52s* ROCK OPERAAAAAAA

This was an Amazing Journey. The Sparks were flying. You’ll want to listen to this. You’re Welcome.

Classic.

Really cool album, pioneering the Rock opera and delivering the goods is no small feat. Really enjoyable.

not bad, interesting songs

All right lads, next album is gonna be a fucking rock opera. Ok. What’s it gonna be about? A deaf, dumb, and blind kid. I don’t know, mate. Seems a bit odd for a rock & roll album. But wait, he also crushes at pinball. Fucking brilliant. Let’s make it a double.

The first rock opera? The story is kind of out there but the songs tell the story well.....and the songs are good. I enjoyed this one and would gladly spin it again.

Don’t get me wrong, The Who is a legacy band. However, this record doesn’t really move the needle for me…

Pinball Wizard must be one of the finest songs with a story, just beaten by The Killing of Georgie and In The Ghetto. Alrite?

No one needs to tell you that listening to this album is worth is for the rhythm section alone, but I'd like to shout out Townshend's guitar tone; an often overlooked aspect of this band. Townshend was always an idol of mine because he proved you didn't need to be a virtuoso to write compelling riffs and arrangements. Anyway, this is a rock opera, and if there's one thing all rock operas have in common, it's that they're divisive. You're here, you're taking on this list as an experiment, so take the 75 minutes and listen. Maybe you won't like it, but at least you can say with certainty that you don't like it. Personally I have a lot of issues with this album. I don't think many of the instrumentals do much to enhance the experience, and the story is pretty surface level when compared to similar albums like The Wall. But god damn, there's no other band in the world that could've made this. Hell, there's just no other band like The Who.

While neither the first nor definitively the best rock opera, Tommy stands as the first truly great one—a pivotal moment when The Who leapt forward to cement their legacy among rock's most essential bands.

easy listening

Unnecessarily long, but I'm surprised by the hatred of this album. I think it's an interesting concept to depart from other similar musicians.

I've never really liked The Who, but I've always enjoyed Tommy. I don't know what that means to be honest. Saw Tommy rather than heard it, as a child, and basically since then was disappointed to find that besides the odd song they never came close to matching it. I like all the musical themes that appear frequently, the climbing minor chords piece which first appears in Overture in particular. Obviously Pinball Wizard and We're Not Gonna Take It. Christmas is also great. Cousin Kevin is horrific in its casual and nonplussed cruelty. Same goes for Fiddle About. Bits of Underture are very good, it is a bit on the long side though. I mean I'm not going to make an argument that it's all brilliant. I don't think anyone who does should be taken seriously. But it is the ultimate concept album for good and for ill. And I just enjoy the ride.

I remember my parents having a VHS copy of the rock opera of Tommy and always being like what a weird looking movie haha but little did I know that it was such a cool thing! I really enjoy The Who and this was a cool concept album and had some really good songs! Would definitely listen again!

In general, I really like the Who. And in general, I really like concept albums. This one, while decent, just doesn't..."click" for me.

Maybe you had to be there back then to know how great this is. I love this album - one of my all time favorites.

Interesting - but too long

No fue la primera Ópera Rock (S.F. Sorrow de The Pretty Things,) ni su mejor álbum pero es una gran disco, y sobre todo marcó una época. Compuesto con una base autobiográfica y con canciones que son básicas en su repertorio. La película contó con una magistral Tina Turner, Clapton, Jack Nicholson etc.

The concept is good but not something I would listen to again

Tosi vahvaa Who:ta! Elementeissään.. Toki haluatko elementtejä syödä... Vai kompleksempia hiiliatomijuttuja... Typpeä mukana..m protein...

I rate Pinball wizard a 5 star because the guitar is good and the beat is good ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I rate smash the mirror 5 star because the guitar is good and the beat is good ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I rate were not going to take it 5 star because the guitar is good and the beat is good ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Song:pinball i like this song it is actually good because the guitar sounds so different in other songs. Song: smash the mirror this song is okay not my favorite, but i kind of like it Song: where not going to take it I don ´ t really like this song and this lyrics is good though it is saying don ´ t take drugs so that's good but the beat and stuff is wonky

I like this song because I like the beat. I would recommend this song I like this song because of the weird sounds. I would recommend this song I like this song because it has cool beats. I would recommend this song

I think this album is pretty nice because I like the way his voice sounds with the beat and background music. I like how the album talks about being blind dead and dumb. I think its really cool and would reccomnend this.

Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of guitar? Well in Pinball Wizard you can! I rate it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of drums? Well in Smash The Mirror you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has a lot of guitar? well in Were not going to take it you can! I rate it ⭐⭐⭐. I kind of recommend this song.

I like this song because i like the beat and the electric guitar and the drums . the second song was good to but i like the first song better the third song was my favorite i like what i says .

Have you ever wanted to listen to music? Then this album is perfect for you. In my opinion, I personally do not really like this album. The first reason why I don't really like this is because I just don't really like the type of music that there is. Another reason why I don't really like this music is because of the instruments that are used in it. I would not recommend this album to someone else because I feel like someone else would not really like it. I would probably give this album a solid 3 stars.

1 i dislike it its just not my type of music i dont like the vibe its just not my style. the second one i dont really like either its just not my stlyle the third one i dont really like it just not my style of music i dont really like the chorus

the first song is okay i don't really like it because the voice is lowkey weird but like the background music is good ig the lyrics I hear are ight but I can barely understand wha its saying oms oh wait nvm there's lyrics on da screen but without the screen I don't know what there saying bru. the second song started off alr its not that good but I can understand the lyrics kinda but I like the background music like I said in the first song the last song is the most clearest like I can hear the lyrics and understand them oms its igh

The cover is strange looking because of the weird shape. I thought "Pinball Wizard" was good. I thought the lyrics were interesting but in a good way. The music and singing was great. "Smash the mirror" was good but it was short. I liked the smashing mirror at the end. I liked "We're Not Gonna Take It" because it had a good message. The harmonies were good and so was the music. I would definitely recommend this album.

the first song is good. the next is good. and so is the third. i recommend

Why is the cover like that? "Pinball Wizard" I did not like. It was too slow for me and it just sounded a little weird but it wasn't terrible. "Smash the Mirror" I didn't like. It sounded super weird with the "rise rise rise" part and also the smashing mirror sound. "We're Not Gonna Take It" is the best out of all of them but I still didn't like it. The soft voices sound super weird. Overall I didn't like this album and would give it 1.5 stars and I wouldn't reccomend this album to anyone because all of the songs are just to soft and don't match the tempo.

I'm sure there is some musical genius going on here that I can't understand...but I can't understand it. I love Pinball Wizard, but the whole Opera Rock Tommy story going on here is hard to follow and at times not that fun to listen along to. Would give it a 2 were it not for the enjoyable aspects of Keith, Pete, and Roger that demonstrate their musical showmanship. Perhaps the live performance is better, perhaps you need to actually be locked in and paying attention to the lyrics, but overall not an album I'd request to be spun.

I appreciate a good concept album and rock opera but this was too drawn out and some parts aged very poorly

Amazing soundtrack

Good concept album