Tommy

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

I don't know how I feel about this album. definitely seems revolutionary for its time, but not really my style. If I listened to it a bunch more, maybe I'd give it a 4 or 4.5, but just not my kind of music. Pinball wizard was good though. Thanks for reading!!

Me gustan las trompetas del principio parece la intro de una peli de princesas. Vibras de musical de brodway, me transporta totalmente a estar sentada en la butaca de un teatro viendo a musicos y actores bailando, buena historia, no es mi estilo pero reconozco el esfuerzo y si algo me gusta mucho al escuchar un album es que me cuente una historia sin caer en la monotinia melodica. Me he enterado de todo? No os voy a mentir, estaba haciendo camisetas y no le he dado mi plena atencion :)

I listened to this a lot when I was a teenager. Watched the movie a bunch. Saw a college stage version (long before the Broadway show). Even with all of that, I still don’t really like it all that much. I think “Who’s Next” is one of the greatest albums ever, so I don’t dislike the band at all. I just can’t appreciate this the way I’m supposed to, I suppose. Clearly I’ve tried over the years. I hoped this listen would impress me differently but it didn’t. In fact, I was skipping ahead some just to get through it. There is a lot of talent here, lyrically and musically. So I don’t think I can give it a 2 or less. It’s a 2.5 that’s going to raise to a 3.

I respect the endeavour, but not something I would return to.

Aside from the three singles from this album, which I recognize immediately from years of radio play, I doubt I've ever heard anything else before from this ambitious rock opera. And so I'm glad I've finally listened to the album and finally understand the context for Tommy the pinball wizard. And I have a much bigger respect for Pete Townsend, knowing now that he largely wrote the entire opera (lyrics, at least), but I'll admit that the Wikipedia entry is incredibly helpful at filling in the blanks between the songs and forming a more complete picture of Tommy's past and later role as (somewhat rejected) guru. (Apparently Townsend gave an incredibly long interview with Rolling Stone that described the storyline and the connection to Meher Baba's teachings in excruciating detail, and while I'm not sure I need that much backstory, perhaps the "1001 Albums" reviewer should have read this first before writing a strangely misinformed and misleading review in the book.) I'm not sure I can say I really enjoyed the album, but I'm impressed at how much better this concept album works than anything else like it in this collection (so far, at least). I also admired that they created this album so it could be played live, in contrast to how the Beatles and Beach Boys were focusing on studio-only productions, and then that they resuscitated the band (and eliminated their debt) by touring the whole album live. And it was fun to hear the big singles from the album, although the album versions aren't the same as what I've heard over the years on the radio, I'll admit. I was also struck with how much "Christmas" sounded more like the Beatles than anything else. And it was fun to read about all the weird and often-celebrity-filled opera/symphony/film/theater "incarnations" of Tommy.

I was never a fan of The Who or of Tommy, and over the years, I've grown more appreciative of their impact and the sound itself, but at the end of the day, I'm still giving it a 3.

I love The Who. Who's Next is one of my favourite albums. But, somehow Tommy just leaves me cold. I don't know if it's because I have to listen to it in full to get the full experience, and 75 minutes is too much to give it undivded attention, but I just never 'get' it. To me, Pete Townshend, is one of the all-time greats for songwriting and guitar playing. I've read about how technically difficult it is to correctly play the chords on Pinball Wizard, and this goes to show how much went in to creating this album, yet I still find myself longing for a 'Won't Get Fooled Again' track. Perhaps I need to sit in a darkened room, consume some illicit substance and be totally mesmerised by it, then I will eventually understand it fully, but until then, it gets a middle-of-the-road three stars. Standout track - Pinball Wizard (obviously)

I thought I didn't know any of the songs (but familiar with the concept), but some of the tunes I have absorbed through osmosis sometime. I quite liked it, I think.

I expected to like this more.

It was entertaining. I lost the plot a little in the middle. I knew Pinball Wizard going in. I wouldn’t listen to the whole album again, but I’m glad I heard it.

This album has some classic Who songs, like Pinball Wizard ofc. The narrative of the album is interesting, following Tommy with his relationship and eventually moving the narrative back into playing pinball. The feel of the album is like classic dad rock, not something I would've thought to listen to but something that is super easy and nice to listen to.

Good

Прослушала только один диск. Ну альбом на тот часа это конечно мощно

I have never listened to this entire thing in order, which was quite the experience and now I must grab some kind of mind altering substance and watch this movie.

Wasn't as good as I hoped

Long album , I did not enjoy it so much, it has some good moments though, and the concept of it find it original.

El concepto me ha parecido interesante. Por desgracia, no lo son la mayoría de las canciones.

I don't think it holds up as well as other who albums

Overall I enjoyed it, kinda strange in parts.

Un álbum conceptual de ópera rock pionero que narra la historia de un chaval que es maltratado y abusado por su familia y se acaba convirtiendo en figura mesiánica. Un proyecto ambicioso y muy bien ejecutado que, al menos según el libro, acabaría siendo de gran influencia en el prog rock que estaría por venir, incluyendo The Dark Side of the Moon. Como concepto, el álbum en sí es interesante, imaginativo y muy entretenido; escucharlo es casi como ver una película, y la historia no puede ser más sesentera. Pero ahí está precisamente el principal punto flaco del álbum: el estar demasiado enfocado en las letras, y poco en la música. Los temas son muy constantes, con una instrumentación bastante genérica que la mayor parte del tiempo solo acompaña a la voz, que a su vez tampoco es nada del otro mundo. Aunque a veces las armonías vocales molan. Por otro lado, los temas son de una gran calidad técnica (especialmente la percusión), y hay la suficiente variedad entre ellos como para que, sorprendentemente, el álbum no se haga pesado a pesar de durar más de una hora. La verdad es que lo he disfrutado bastante. El tema Underture, con sus pequeños toques prog/psicodélicos, me ha parecido especialmente interesante. Y el resto de temas, pues eso, se disfrutan como el que va a ver un musical más que como un LP al uso. Un álbum para escuchar en su totalidad y prestarle atención. Algo flojo a ratos y demasiado largo, pero me alegro mucho de haberlo descubierto.

I love the Who but have never loved Tommy. It’s similar to Pink Floyd’s The Wall in that it’s a rock opera that could benefit from dropping a few songs (both are too long) but it’s not as well though out as The Wall so it suffers from consistency issues as well.

my goodwill for this reeeeally was stretched thin by the last track

6/10 You have to hand it to them, this was ambitious as hell and was entertaining in several places. 7-13-2025

Loses its impact without watching the film at the same time

I get how influential this album is. Prog rock is not my favourite genre...its theatrical with the drama. That said there are some good tracks. Its not an album i will look to listen regularly and not really background music either. There are better who songs and albums. Its not a 3, but its not quite a 4 either. 3.5 stars

kind of boring

Rock opera some good some bad played to death to be honest

на любителя. бенгеров не обнаружено.

i unevitably compared it to Who's Next, and it kept me from really enjoying it as i think it's definetly worse, but it isn't a bad record by any means

It's okay

Tommy always felt like one of those albums that get passed around circles as one of the greatest ever made…in terms of rock operas. At least that’s what everyone tells me. That’s what Wikipedia told me. It also told me the plot synopsis, since I couldn’t understand it for my life. Yeah, that’s my problem with concept albums or rock operas. I try to get a grasp on the “plot”, like a movie, and end up sacrificing all my listening power trying to understand what the hell is going on. So what I think I’m trying to say is that I kind of think Tommy is a little overrated. Yeah, there are good songs here and there, but the whole thing feels over-indulgent and a little full of itself. I think it lost me somewhere in the 10-minute underture, which felt like padding in an already unnecessarily long album. The only things I grasped were that Tommy’s very good at pinball and the less I know about Uncle Ernie, the better. I hope I don’t feel the same when I eventually get The Wall by Pink Floyd. Favorite track: Pinball Wizard Other hits: Christmas, Fiddle About, Go To The Mirror!

Keith Moon! Solid Who material but very long.

Probably should have payed attention to the story, but I don't think its too easy to follow, or maybe its not too overarching, and just an extra thing to dive into if you want. Its ok but maybe a bit too long, I think this rock opera stuff hasn't aged well at all, but this isn't really as theatrical as the bad Queen stuff. I guess I can't really judge it properly, because I didn't really listen to the story, but musically and instrumentally its quite mediocre. Favourite songs: sparks, eyesight to the blind (the hawker), underture, pinball wizard, smash the mirror. Overall around 5/10

A true concept album and "story". Kudos for that. However I'm just not too fond of it. As a "rock" album, it all sounds a bit plain. Not bad, but just "meh".

3/5

-5 minute song with 2 sentences of lyrics at the last minute -"Songs" that are only seconds long, while others go up to 10 minutes overall it's has decent songs, but as an album it's a bit of a mess.

Хороший альбом, но прошлый понравился больше

Seems pretty great, but couldn't get into it

Recalling the music along with the film at a younger age I’d throw out a 4, but just listening through the album today there are plenty of songs I just found meh.

Super fedt koncept, men den bliver lidt for “konceptet” og ikke så meget ren rock og rul som jeg kender The Who for 6/10

bit weird but the guitar music was good

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.

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.

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.

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

Pinball Wizard Go to the mirror

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

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.

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

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.

Ok

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

3.5* 85%

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

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.

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

Pinball

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.

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

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

Inessential

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.

An interesting story with cool instrumentals

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

Yeah i mean its a rock opera by the who

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

Boring but fine.

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.

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

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

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.

Good but difficult to follow.

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.

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.

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

enjoyed but not groundbreaking ??

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.

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.

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

One of my husband's favorites.

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

Okay

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

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

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

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

Skillful

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

Not my cup of tea

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.

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.

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.

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

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"

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

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

not bad, interesting songs

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

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.

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.

Interesting - but too long

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

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

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.

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

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

Good concept album

Good fun, got a bit lost as the version I listened to was 3 discs!

I can appreciate this album as the work of art it is, even through I think this is my least fav of The Who albums I’ve listened to so far. The Acid Queen and Pinball Wizard are the standout tracks.

A concept album from the 60s is not exactly my wheelhouse. Has some pretty decent tunes though. Just scrapes in for a three.

Mhmm had high expectations from pinball wizard, the rest of the album is less great

some of the songs are ok, but the story is a little out there. this was ok but i don’t know if i would ever listen again.

I’d probably rate it higher if I gave it more time. I like a lot of what it is trying to do, but there isn’t a CRAZY amount that stood out to me aside from the hits. I did like Christmas though.

Classic band Classic album

Great music. Too long.

This happens a lot: I wish the link would go straight to the original album (which is on Spotify just fine) rather than the bloated super deluxe edition. Anyway. I can take or leave the concept album/rock opera here, but they manage to wrangle a couple great tracks along the way. Important at the time, sure, but hasn't aged as well as others.

Had to listen over a couple of sittings but this was quite interesting and different. An ambitious idea that probably gets better with each relisten. Favourite tracks: The Acid Queen & Go to the Mirror! Worth a relisten. 3/5

2nd disc is not available on Spotify. Songs without sense of less of a minute (including some of just 12 seconds), the rest is a good album but nothing exceptional.

Respect the effort. Except for Entwistle the who were always meh for me. At one time the loudest band in the world though. Gotta respect that, I guess. Also with album titles like Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy..

Track 11: "Do You Think It's Alright?". Spoiler for the next track: it was not alright 💀 Quite the unique story album Edit Apr 22 2026: 4 --> 3

I was already familiar with The Who, of course, but hadn't ever listened to this album in full. I enjoyed how the album flows together. It started to get a little too long for me towards the end. It has some impressive 100% instrumental songs mixed in, though, which I wasn't expecting.

👍🏼

Nja, det er jo fett... Men de er liksom ikke like musikalsk begavede i andre sjangere som the Beatles. Det føles som om de prøver å lage et mesterverk, og da blir det litt try-hard. Prog rock på tidlig tidspunkt. Med det sagt er det mye bra låter her.

3.5 - cool concept album but it didn’t hit the mark a lot

This is one of the greatest rock albums, a quintessential rock opera. It’s still fun to listen to but you can definitely throw out half the songs and end up with something even better.

OK, better as a soundtrack to a movie. pinball wizard still very good though

I realized as I listened to this that I probably hadn't ever heard the whole thing before or that much of it wasn't that memorable. Sure, there are the big songs we all know from the radio, but there sure are a lot of less consequential songs here. I know this is a legendary album, but I found as much I wasn't impressed with alongside those overplayed hits from our Gen X childhood classic rock stations. Combine that with the kiddy porn charges agains Townshend and I gotta be honest it's probably my last listen.

This is probably blasphemy to some, but while I love Tommy, I don’t love listening to the Who sing the entire thing. Give me the cast recording. 😬

This album is such a mess. It’s not very consistent or good. It should absolutely be on here though. There are some highlights here and there.

2.5*

This album is so long. I kinda get it, like, it’s an album from 1969 so why not do anything else haha, but this album just DRAAGGGSSSS ONNNNN. It feels like an elongated jam session, though honestly I prefer listening to alor of these tracks over like the Beatles LMAOOO. Fav song: Underture (even if some of the notes are so jwysuwokwhsua off key)

Concept of the album is cool, it really does feel like a story with a through line which is cool. I also find it funny that with all these tracks about Tommy's struggles, the most popular one is about him being good at Pinball. Biggest gripe is that this album is SO. GOD. DAMN. LOOOOOONG! Like I swear this should have been under an hour! Anyways, Tommy's Holiday Camp is the best song ever made, end of review.

Very experimental for the time, some real quality in drums solos, lyrics and composition however just doesn’t hit the exact spot for me Favourite song - Underture

mmm voy a escuchar la versión normal. Lo de la Super Deluxe me parece demasiado. He oído canciones sueltas y Pinball wizard es una de mis canciones favoritas. Pues el resto me ha resultado aburrido, algunas canciones me ha gustado la guitarra, pero poco más. Entiendo que hay que oirlo alguna vez y que fue un hito musical, pero le voy a poner 3 estrellas solo por Pinball Wizard.

A great concept album that’s well executed. The music is good, but many of the pieces are there simply to move the plot along. Undeniably influential on rock operas and concept albums that followed (eg, the Wall). But overall this is pretty simple musically and more of a “musical” (with lots of exposition) than “rock opera”. A 3.

Beukertje hoor, al moet je er wel voor in the mood zijn. Ik vind Quadrophenia beter. 3,5/5

In it's time it's a pretty decent concept album. You can just about follow the story. Musically it's hit and miss - there's something about the Who's sound that just doesn't quite sit right with me

I like concept/story albums

Not bad. English Rock.

I saw this as a musical in the 90s, but never listened to the actual album. I enjoyed the back half, and the concept is cool.

Pinball wizard is a good song, but other than that this album doesn't really grab me. It feels like there might be a story going on that I'm missing. I should probably come back and actually pay full attention to the lyrics, but I doubt it will make my view of the album change much

J'ai découvert cet album dans les années 80. Je l'ai écouté plusieurs fois à l'époque, il contient des morceaux vraiment excellents. Mais j'ai fini par le laisser de côté : je préfère les Who en live (bien plus d'energie et de folie). Dans le 'live at leeds' le groupe joue un medley des meilleures parties de l'album, c'est bien suffisant pour moi (évite les inévitables morceaux de remplissage pour les 74 mn) ! =>3/5

Favorite Track: Pinball Wizard

Slightly better than expected for a double album rock opera. Riff-tastic in parts.

Whohoo, tommy, Who freut sich nöd über who? Hoffes de basil chan sis trauma überwinde oder isch zumindest nöd ernsthaft langfristig mitgnah. Also extended edition mit gfühlt 50 tracks hed mi biz abgschreckt, aber han driglosst. Und sisch nöd schlecht gsi. Eich fast chli unfair, mini vorherig ihstellig gege ihne über. Has gfühl das chan guet es 3 sternli album si. Es nervt eich null. Drüü senf tube für who

chalt de rugge abegloffe isch‘s mer woni d‘albumlängi gseh han... «Etwa 3 Std. 30 Min.» – wenn sogar spotify z‘fuul isch zum die gnaui duur ahgäh und sich defür entscheidet eifach mal en schätzig ab z‘gäh hört de spass wüki uf aber bold move, da chani nur min the whoet devor zieh dank es paar musikalische liechtblick ischs aber no the whoman gsi aber woni nach 30 minute uf mini the whor gluegt hani denn doch en the whoch langwiligkeit verspürt, mit de ziit hani denn au no es liechts the whongergfühl entwicklet, drum hani en the whommer gässe und dezue en the whompe bier vernichtet es drüüfachs the whorra für the whoeresöhn (han lang überleid öbi de letscht söll bringe aber the whomor-faktor isch isch mer denn doch zu wichtig gsi)

Yeah, I don't get it

i like the who but its a bit weird unless you've seen the musical i guess. still. pinball wizard

first listen historically significant but not very interesting

I'm sure this is supposed to be brilliant, but it's not my thing despite a couple of good songs.

Interesting to listen to this all the way through & to read about the film it inspired.

Tanti cori, tanto caos ma godibile 🧐

Je trouve toujours ingrat d'écouter des opéras rock ou comédies musicales sans la mise en scène. J'ai quand même été happée par l'histoire de Tommy à un certain point. J'ai trouvé que la plupart des personnages étaient bien incarnés en quelques paroles.

3.8

Def want to go back to this one - it’s just so long. And most of the songs I wouldn’t listen to by themselves

This is that real rock opera music - the type I can't really stand. All my experiences with 'The Who' have been more or less pleasant as of yet, with each record providing a unique twist on their generally pop-rock-leaning sound. But this was too soft for me - and plagued with these long and largely uninteresting musical passages ('Underture' and 'Overture' for me). Where's the punch? In a time when sounds of rock were changing (including the sounds of The Who in the direction of something more interesting), this seems behind. There were some highlights, I WOULD HAVE liked 'Christmas' if it wasn't for those annoying backing "gasping" vocals - like whose idea was that? The closing was maybe the best song here musically, and it also serves as a nice thematic tie-up to the bizzaro story presented here. From what I gathered in this story, it seems to be about a physically impaired child and his struggles growing up. And I can't lie, I was pretty invested in this Tommy guy. I love the way his desire to keep some grand secret after '1921' gets translated to this non-medical deaf-dumb-and-blind condition. Also apparently this secret is him watching the murder of his mom's new lover at the hands of his WW1 veteran father? I didn't really catch this in the album...maybe it's a 'Tommy' move thing. Either way, a good chunk of this record seems to follow the people around Tommy begging him to snap out of his incommunicado status. And when the mirror he saw this murder through is smashed, he finally gets cured? And is then treated as a messiah? OK. I mean it is a pretty neat story all things considered - and apparently, it's been made into an actual musical. It's the only reason I bothered finishing this thing (that and it'd be bad taste otherwise) - it kept me engaged. If only the music here did the same - oh well.

Interesting but not mind blowing

I don't think this style of album is my thing but still has some great songs on it

Strange. Nice story but sometimes hard to follow. Sounds fine, nothing spectacular. Weird.

is ok

ok

The concept itself of the album was interesting but I'm not sure the music did it justice. The music was decent but nothing really hooked me in Pinball Wizard is a banger tho

I'm so torn between giving this a high 3 or a low 4. It has real moments of genius, the overtures and undertures as well as a leitmotif that shows up every now and again, are brilliant. On the other hand though, there is some inexcusable bloat that are only there to fill in story gaps Think I'll go high 3 on this one

long

Day351 - unarguably genius but i’d argue annoying

fine

I've never listened to this full album before, but I of course knew a few of the songs ahead of time. I also knew the story/concept beats, although I was not expecting the lyrics to be as explicit as they were. I was excited going in, but this sort of let me down as an actual listening experience.

instrumentals were cool, lyrics are whack

I kept waiting for the song where Tommy kills Uncle Ernie

This is probably quite good and I was happy to discover the "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me" bit first in Christmas, which is a lovely bit of music, that I know weirdly well, but my urge to type i ain't reading all that. im happy for you tho or sorry that happened was so great that I just did that.

Not bad, way too much filler though

Pretty fun. I remember watching the movie a few times when I was younger

Nunca consigo terminar esse disco...

It may be the OG "The Wall" but one of the things I learned in this 1000+ list is that the OG aren't always the best, especially when it comes to music.

This was okay. Instrumentals were good, but vocal work was alright. Felt like it was a bit all over the place as an album. 'Pinball Wizard' hard carries here.

overture- 5 its a boy- 5 1921- 5 amazing journey- 5 sparks- 5 eyesight to the blind- 5 christmas- 6 because the lyrics are funny to me cousin kevin- 5 the acid queen- 5 underture- oh good lord. 4 no more it was fine but i just dgaf

They're trying really hard, and there is originality here, but it lacks the je ne sais quoi that sparks joy. 3.3

Mmm...not bad, very much of its time perhaps? Pinball Wizard and We're Not Going to Take It are classics though.

Classic album. Bit long for me and absolutely not the best of The Who.

It was just alright. Really, the only song I'd want to hear again is Pinball Wizard, since that song goes so hard. I'll give it three stars just for being the first rock opera (the first big one at least).

I always want to like this album more than I do. It just doesn't speak to me like their other work. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

1921 // Christmas // Pinball Wizard // I’m Free //

⭐ Pinball Wizard

Another concept album.

I appreciate the story they’re trying to tell, I mostly like the music but damn y’all couldn’t have told this story in under an hour???

3.5

Overall I think this is a really cool project. Musically, it's not necessarily something I'd reach for, but I'm not sure that was the intent? 3 stars.

Loved learning about the storyline behind the album, nice to hear pinball wizard, liked the connection between all the songs, I felt this more of an education rather than a listen..& I’m grateful for it. Would I ever listen to it again? Probably not.

I understand its influence and significance and excellence in the lens of a fully composed Opera. I also find it a bit overrated. I don't like musicals, or operas in general.....this fusion is enjoyable at times, has some epic moments (pinball Wizard, Tommy Can you hear me, I'm Free) but overall was better in my memory than on this replay.

Some tracks good, some a bit strange.

doesn't even have "Boris the Spider" on it

Pinball Wizard is kind of fun. The rest is long and not that interesting.

Somehow I've never got round to listening to this before. I can see how influential this was, especially for albums like The Wall, but it is definitely overly long and relies a lot on the concept. Maybe could score it a star higher.

I used to listen to this a ton as a kid. So much of it was still familiar despite not having listened for years. Thinking of it now, I wouldn't search it out. Rock operas aren't something I entertain really.

Website linked to the 3 disc "Remastered 2013 Super Deluxe Edition" of this. Disc 1 - Listened Disc 2 - Not available to me Disc 3 - I skipped this lol

This is fine, inoffensive classic rock. Growing up with the Who I know what they are capable of and I would rather have some of their later stuff that would be featured in the CSI shows rather than the story-time concept album.

Some of this was alright but overall not a big fan. Not really the Who style of music I prefer. Despite plenty of duff numbers there are probably enough half-decent songs to bump it up to a 3 star rating. Closer to 2.75 but rounded up.

I was lucky enough to have attended a The Who concert, and I can attest to the energy that they brought. I enjoyed the afternoon, but was not moved by them.

He's a pinball wizard. But otherwise I don't really remember listening to this before.

Kinda boring honestly. Not much differentiated one song from the next. The little classroom sections were interesting and felt organic but it was still 77 minutes long with not much happening

One of their weaker albums for me.

Not my favorite, but respect.

A pretty nice listening experience. Standout track: Pinball Wizard

Can hear the Beatle influence for sure. Not bad, but nothing wowed me.

Listenable, but I didn't get caught up into it.

I can appreciate the story telling throughout the record which i think is great. bit too long though i started to lose interest towards the end

Cool early rock opera, way too long

Alright

Feel like I could love this but didn’t. Maybe because there’s no nostalgia attached. Definitely because of creepy uncle Ernie.

Its ok. You have to be aware this was written in the 60s. Keith Moon makes the album

I don't think I new any of the songs. Not bad. 6/10

Not my favorite Who music but do respect the effort to make an album that tells a whole story. I especially liked the 'tures. Never been a fan of Pinball Wizard.

I always struggle with The Who. On their own, they're fine. But they sold out so very hard and became just wildly over-commercialized that their music just sounds derivative now, which is funny because originally it wasn't really derivative at all. Anyway, this album is just a typical The Who album. It's safe, it really doesn't take a lot of risk, and it has a couple really solid tracks. That said, why on earth does it have 24 songs, including a couple just... useless tracks. Pinball Wizard is an awesome track. But... still, not sure I can really recommend The Who.

this album was pretty enjoyable but why did they say that line on the last song

3.4 1x want to watch the movie

If I had listened to this for the first time today, I might not have liked it as much as I do. I’ve listened to this many times earlier in my life, so it’s an important album to me, but I understand that it might be a little too much/strange/all over the place

Albumi #51, 17.09.2024 The Whon rock-ooppera vuodelta 1969. Kaiken kaikkiaan vauhdikas tarina ja ihan ok levy musiikillisesti mutta pituutensa vuoksi hiukan puuduttava.

Hmm i liked their album my generation, but with this one im unsure....... i dont really get it i think, its quite funny and I definetly liked some of the songs my favorite is Im free

a bit of an in between eras band for me

Very ambitious but ultimately also a bit pretentious and definitely too long.

Some nice songs and the concept is pretty neat, but this felt overlong and just alright to me

Saw the film 40+ years ago, so knew what the songs where about, to a degree. But, yeah, no. It's a good album. The music is good, it's performed well and I enjoyed it. It's not spectacular and to be fair I probably wouldn't buy it. But it's got to be worth a high 3.

Has its highs and lows. Too lengthy to keep the quality.

Better than the movie that is for damn sure

From the age of 10 to the age of 17, I played the tuba. For four of those years I played a sousaphone in the highschool marching band. One year (maybe sophomore year) we played the song Pinball Wizard at the half times of the high school football games. That was my first exposure to the Who and I remember having no real idea who the band was or what their music was about. In fact for a long time I was more familiar with what the sheet music for you tuba sounded like for that song rather than the actual band playing the song. In the coming years I would become more familiar with their sound and grew to like them. This album was good but not made for a dad going through an entire day of responding to questions and comments about every 2 minutes from kids and dealing with back to back tasks at work. It was really long. The highlights to me were Pinball Wizard and Sensation. I can't help but make early Pink Floyd comparisons on this one because of how it sounds. Keith Moon is a machine. Though I could not give this one all the attention it required, I did like a.lot.of what I heard and I'll be checking out other albums for sure.

Didn’t get through it all. But enjoyed what I heard

A valiant effort at an early concept album - while The Who have never been a go-to band and I find their music just OK, there is a heart to this, a bravery to try something different from their previous works. You have to give it to them, even if it doesn't stand up to the test of time.

See Me Feel Me Touch Me Heal Me

Decent enough with a couple of great tracks

Some enjoyable songs , some duds but its too long for my liking.

Correct

Cool concept and good on them for going for it but this has one memorable.song on the entire album.

From the snippets I've heard from the actual musical, I was expecting a lot more from this, especially the second half which had most of the songs I recognized. Instead it was just okay. It's definitely a huge step away from what they were doing earlier in the 60s and bridges the gap to what they would do throughout the 70s, which is ultimately just better and more impressive versions of what they did here. It's a good rock opera with a decently put together story, even if it is very odd. Favorites were 1921, The Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, and Go To The Mirror!.

This one was not as good as I remember it being. I honestly think Quadrophenia was a much better execution of the rock opera by The Who. The fourth disc on here seems to drag a little for me, and the story could have been told a little better. The highlights are still there and are still great, but the first half is overall better than the second. Favorites are Acid Queen, Pinball Wizard, Eyesight To The Blind, and Christmas.

Not for me. There are much better prog albums, and much better Who albums

The album has a few good songs, but is not entirely convincing.

As a rock opera, great! As an album to sit down and listen to, it’s not something I would reach for.

Rockoper, 1969 -> 3

It's really hard to sum up Tommy as an album. There is a lot of fun and creative music included but the individual pieces don't make any sense. The project really needs to be taken in as a whole. Outside of Pinball Wizard you can't really pull singles or consume any of this without a lot of context and backstory. The whole project when listened in unison is so much more than the sum of its parts. It is clearly a unique work of art that belongs on this list. There are so many layers to the onion that a deaf/dumb/blind pinball player taking LSD and starting a religious cult start to make sense once you get through it all. It's even crazier that is somehow worked and developed a cultural impact. It's hard for me to distance this from the accompanying Tommy film which features some even weirder and more ridiculous scenes and performances than I could have expected. It's a perfect of example of something I have to recommend for the shear crazy and weirdness of it. I don't plan to listen to Tommy with any regularity but it might be time for me to rewatch the movie. 2.99 stars

Pinball Wizard

Classic, but seems dated.

Quite enjoy concept albums and for the most part this was good. I liked the continued riff throughout. Not quite a 4 but a super high 3

A long album, but cohesive and good for a road trip. We listened while driving from Agrigento to Syracuse in Sicily. I've never actually listened to the album outside of Pinball Wizard, so this is why I appreciate the 1001 challenge. I don't have the memberberries associated with this like Carly does and don't see myself craving to put it on in the future, but I enjoyed it and would listen again. Would need to be in a situation with a lot of time. I could see this rating growing to a 4 with more familiarity, as it is a true album with a distinct sound and story.

A rock opera Groundbreaking concept album Doesn’t slap for me

really digging that first track even tho its just instrumental. idk why. lol sawto miz3ij shwe 3

Not as entertaining as other Who albums but enjoyable. Best track Pinball Wizard 3/5

Meh. Cool idea, but I found it to be too long.

Another one that could really use some trimming. Interesting concept, but I don’t need over an hour of it. To be fair, though, I’d probably be more generous if I didn’t get it right after that insufferable Sufjan Stevens album.

A grand opera that is a bit stuck in its time but still has its charm.

Drags on a bit

I was genuinely pleased to see this come up on a sunny summer weekend. I recently saw The Who at the Royal Albert Hall and they played a section of Tommy songs. It sounded incredible live and reminded me just how powerful this material can be on stage. Tommy will probably never top Who’s Next for me, but it deserves huge credit. It is ambitious, theatrical and tells a complete story. As a concept album it is bold and imaginative, and when it works it really works. There are some brilliant songs here. Pinball Wizard is an absolute classic and I’m Free has that uplifting, defiant energy that The Who do so well. The peaks are very high. That said, there are moments that feel like filler and slightly disrupt the flow. Favourite song: Pinball Wizard Least favourite: A few of the linking tracks feel unnecessary Album artwork: Iconic and instantly recognisable, perfectly matching the scale of the project

3+

Enjoyed it but long album.

Oookoo

Good, but very long. The sound was chilled and easy on the ears, I just was not lis to listen to it.

A couple catchy songs but I just found this album kind of bland overall

1/2 listened

World's most okay concept album. I'm afraid if I say anything else, Pete Townshend will suck me up his nose like the pink character from the Nintendo games. You might notice that the previous sentence can apply to Kirby or to Birdo. Nintendo might have a thing for pink characters that can suck you up. You might also notice that I haven't said a single word about the album's contents. And to that I repeat yet again - I'm afraid if I say anything else, Pete Townshend will suck me up his nose like the pink character from the Nintendo games.