Reviews (page 9 of 14)
I'm very sad to not like this one. Maybe it will hit later in life, but I didn't really enjoy any of this. I'll definitely try again another time.
I just don’t get rock operas. Get your head out of your own backsides. No one cares. The Who - what are they even about. I hoped this project would give me a better insight into why they are so revered. I’ve always wondered why a band so widely talked about as one of the ‘greatest’ is hardly ever played by anyone anymore. It’s cos they are rubbish! A few bonus decimal points when you consider this was made in 1969 though - i didn’t realise this was that old. It does sound a bit ahead of its time! 2.2
See, I *like* 60s/70s bullshit and soundtracks to musicals I haven't seen, but this is still getting on my nerves. Like, at its best it's approaching the less good bits of 2112, but then we go straight back into clunky recitative and magical crip narratives.
Don’t really know what to expect from this one, but I’ve got another car journey coming up, so here goes! OK, that was certainly an experience. For such an iconic soundtrack, I expected a lot more. Even the songs everybody knows seemed quite flat. Won’t be listening to it again.
I'm honestly not sure about this one - it has all the trappings of a "great album", but nothing quite... clicks? If we take it as a whole, the ur-Rock Opera, then there's not much distinguishing the songs (barring the clearly-meant-to-be-a-single Pinball Wizard) and there's little context for much of the songs in the story. If we look at this as an album full of songs, then there's actually an awful lot of filler between the actually substantial stuff. The story is obtuse to the point that I only found out parts of it by reading the wikipedia article, and it's just very... Fine. Not awful, not great, just... Fine. I had honestly forgotten parts of it by the time I reached the end, which is a damning statement if ever there was one. Also, if we're listening to this in 2024, the story of a disabled kid with PTSD and severe needs being neglected, abused, then starting a cult to pass this experience on to others is Not Great. Faves (ish): Pinball Wizard, Eyesight to the Blind, Underture
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.
Man, this is a tough one. On the one hand, this album was something a very cool, guitar-playing uncle introduced me to when I was 6 or 7 years old. I spent YEARS listening to this, analyzing it, and thinking it was just the coolest thing ever. On the other hand, I've come away from it for even longer at this point in my life and it has somewhat lost its shine. I still know every song intimately, right down to knowing nearly every lyric. As an adult, listening to this currently, the subject matter just seems... off, especially after the light was shown on Pete Townsend's propensity toward child porn (yeah, I know it was "just research"). Ignoring that, I just find it to be very middle of the road; some great music on here, but a lot of campy/cringy filler too. It's simply does not live up to the status I assigned it as a pre-teen.
Concept album or whole album conveys a story... anyone under the age of 30 will never see this happen.
Movie was wild. The album just as so.
It's hard to rate this since I didn't get the whole story on my listen. There are some great tracks and I think the album flows pretty well. It's a big undertaking and obviously inventive for its time. I'm going to revisit this at some point and try to listen more closely and follow the story.
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
I hate saying that you have to listen to something in a certain way to really get it but this is one of those cases where it’s true. You have to listen to the whole goddamn thing in order. It’s a performance of a play, it doesn’t really make any sense any other way, and honestly there are no real standout tracks other than pinball wizard that you’d want to revisit in a vacuum. As a whole though, it’s a masterwork. There is a whole range of feelings in here that just aren’t present on so many other great albums. Sadness, depression, joy, anger, hope, etc. Songs rarely make me mad but boy do I want to beat the shit out of Cousin Kevin and Uncle Ernie (“Fiddle About”). I love the double meaning of “Amazing Journey” and the very literal interpretation of “Acid Queen”. “Underture” is a top 10 rock instrumental easily and it serves as a great pause in the middle of the album. Starting with “Sally Simpson” the album and the story get more grandiose as Tommy becomes this messiah and then a cult leader, and the emotions become more hopeful and confusing. In any case the whole thing has such a wide range, it’s quite a journey. I don’t know if it’s the remaster that did this but the audio mix is brilliant. Moon’s drums constantly shift between left right and center in the channels with different parts of the kit in different ears. The production in general is sky high. All of that is to say that I really enjoyed this, but if you have to listen to something in a certain way it’s not really something i can refer to as the best of anything. It’s a 4.5.
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.
WENT ON FOREVER
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
Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future. Their star-making album. A long but rewarding listen.
I enjoy concept albums. This one is hit or miss, but mostly hit.
One of their weaker albums for me.
Not my favorite, but respect.
Ciego, sordo y desocupado, POR QUÉ NOS HAS ABANDONADO
Not my cup of tea. So OK tunes.
Han pasado décadas desde que escuché por primera vez la banda sonora en el cine y esta ópera rock sobre un chico sordo, mudo y ciego convertido en una superestrella con tientes religiosos sigue siendo especial para mí. Me sigue erizando el cabello "I'm Free", extreapolable a cualquier situación en la que uno necesita sentirse libre de ataduras. Y por supuesto los grandes temas que en la película interpretan Elton John y Tina Turner, "Pinball Wizard" y "The Acid Queen" (aunque, eso sí, me gustan más la versiones de la BSO). Excelentes son también "Sensation" y, sobre todo para mí, "We're Not Gonna Take It". Como concepto, el álbum me parece excelente, y en cuanto a la música, el empleo de ganchos pop sólidos junto al rock contundente propio de la banda, empapan el disco de un atractivo innegable.
Tommy js an album that I’ve been aware of for the longest time, but never got round to listening to it in full until today. I remember Pinball Wizard being a song I learned on guitar in my teens, but aside from that this whole album was new to me. I’ve said this many times, but I do love a concept album and this one tells such an interesting and heart wrenching story of a child who internalises traumas to the point of being psychosomatically dead, dumb and blind. It’s a fascinating journey, and I loved it.
i already know this one
A pretty nice listening experience. Standout track: Pinball Wizard
God, this was pretty unbearable at times. I can't believe how hard I've forced myself to like Tommy. When I was in high school and was obsessed with bands like The Jam and The Specials (definitely flirting with punk without being outright fully into punk yet) and dressed like a little mod revivalist I really wanted to make myself like The Who in turn, I've even seen them live. And The Who Sell Out still is great to me. But Tommy can get really whiny and corny! Will never be someone who enjoys these big indulgent rock operas and I don't know why I forced myself to pretend I particularly liked this one. It has its moments though.
Can hear the Beatle influence for sure. Not bad, but nothing wowed me.
Listenable, but I didn't get caught up into it.
Well that was disappointing and not what I was expecting. Very flat, not so much dull more uninspiring. The concept just didn’t work.
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
good
my memories of this were the movie box art when I was a kid. I get its a rock opera and that explains the length, but boy oh boy this was not good. Is there a good rock opera? its certainly not this. At least its mostly devoid of sing-talking like a lot of rock opera/broadway albums have.
So The Who wrote a rock opera huh? It fucking sucks
Classic. Bit long though
Alright
Now this was underwhelming! A drag to get through this overindulgent bore of an album! Pinball Wizard isn’t even that good!
Legendary album. Not my favorite by The Who, but enjoyed it.
Amazing album, a true pioneer in the Rock Opera format. The plot is actually not that hard to follow, as far as rock operas are concerned. And despite having a lot of tracks that don't stand on their own at all outside the context of the album, there are still plenty of great and memorable songs here. Key tracks: 1921 Christmas Cousin Kevin Pinball Wizard Go to the Mirror!
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.
Was fairly ambivalent about The Who when I started this album. I almost turned off the album during Cousin Kevin. Then I DID turn off the album at Fiddle About. Music is trash, lyrics are worse.
Never realized "Pinball Wizard" was part of a rock opera but I regret learning the story. Before, I was like an impressed bystander in the arcade watching this mysterious pinball prodigy smoke the machine and wondering about his secret sauce. Can't wait to get home from the arcade and tell my wife about this guy. But later I find out it's not his supple wrist, it's actually a byproduct of his childhood abuse, and now going to the arcade isn't fun anymore. Overall, Tommy is a disappointment. It starts off promising - early in the album there's the little "You didn't hear it / You didn't see it / You won't say nothing to no one / Never in your life" part in "1921" which I really like. But the story's a big bummer and the songs mostly aren't that great. The 10-minute instrumental "Underture" is alright and "Pinball Wizard" is a classic but nothing else stands out. On the bright side, there's a "Tommy can you hear me? Can you feel me near you?" joke in the 1991 Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode "Pod People" and I didn't get that reference until today. Great episode.
It's... fine? Perhaps I didn't get it but I don't see what the fuss is all about
Loved this. Didn’t have very high expectations but I thought it exuded quality from start to finish. Christmas was my highlight, but all good and a def re listen for me
Surprised me this, I’m not really a big fan of The Who albums (other than an odd track here or there), but this was more listenable than anything else I’ve heard. Unsurprisingly it felt more cohesive given the concept/story, and seemed more focussed on rhythm guitar and melodies and not Townsend’s insufferable ch-ch-ching rock signature guff. It has a great ending track as well. Good to know they did one not-shit album.
It is a musical score, a rockier Jesus Christ Superstar if you will. Very self indulgent fare from Pete " just doing some research" Townsend. Obviously a few stand out tunes but it's a very long arduous listen. It's slightly better than Cats though.
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
Love the Who and this was an ambitious undertaking for them. Enjoyed it but it was quite long especially since I listened to the Super Deluxe version
The inevitable bloated concept rock opera album, their 'The Wall', if you will, is a clunky, chunky, messy drag with a curious song here and there but mostly moving sluggishly, making each new minute a chore and all the more unpleasant.
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
Never really understood The Whos popularity,they have a few good hits but this was just bad from start to finish
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.
Il y a des noms qui résonnent dans le panthéon du rock avec la subtilité d'un coup de masse. "Tommy", rien que le titre, on sent le poids de l'histoire, la révérence quasi-obligatoire. Un des premiers, si ce n'est LE premier "opéra rock". Un concept, une histoire, une ambition démesurée. C'est le genre de disque que tu abordes avec un mélange de respect et de méfiance, un peu comme on rend visite à une vieille tante acariâtre dont tout le monde dit qu'elle a été une grande beauté dans sa jeunesse. On veut bien le croire, mais on a quand même un peu peur de s'ennuyer poliment pendant deux heures en sentant la naphtaline. Mettons les choses au clair tout de suite : Tommy est une oeuvre monumentale. L'ambition est colossale, presque arrogante pour l'époque. 1969, les Beatles sont en train de se dire adieu sur un toit, Hendrix met le feu à l'Amérique, et pendant ce temps, Pete Townshend, ce grand échalas aux bras de moulin à vent, décide de raconter l'histoire d'un gamin sourd, muet et aveugle qui, suite à un traumatisme d'enfance (son père bute l'amant de sa mère, ambiance), se réfugie dans un monde intérieur avant de devenir un messie du flipper. Sur le papier, c'est soit un coup de génie absolu, soit le projet le plus fumeux et prétentieux de la décennie. La vérité, comme souvent, se trouve quelque part entre les deux. Musicalement, c'est indéniable, il y a des fulgurances. Quand l'intro de "Overture" déboule, avec cette guitare acoustique qui s'entrelace avec les cuivres, on se dit qu'on embarque pour un truc épique. Et puis il y a "Pinball Wizard". Putain, "Pinball Wizard", c'est le genre de morceau qui justifie presque à lui seul l'existence de l'album. Une tornade de guitare, un refrain qui s'incruste dans le crâne pour ne plus jamais en sortir. C'est l'hymne rock parfait, la chanson qui a probablement rapporté plus de pognon aux fabricants de flippers que n'importe quelle campagne de pub. Il y a aussi la pureté quasi-divine de "See Me, Feel Me / Listening To You", ce moment où tout l'opéra converge vers une catharsis, un appel à la libération qui file des frissons, même au plus cynique d'entre nous. Mais voilà le problème car pour accoucher de ces quelques sommets, il faut se bouffer le reste. Et le reste, c'est un double album, un putain de double album. Et qui dit double album en 1969 dit... remplissage. C'est long et c'est parfois chiant. Entre les grands morceaux, on a des interludes, des petits bouts de chansons qui servent plus de liant narratif que de véritable proposition musicale. "Fiddle About", "Cousin Kevin"... on a compris, l'enfance de Tommy fut un enfer de sévices. Mais musicalement, ça patine, on sent la lourdeur du concept, cette obligation de tout raconter, de ne laisser aucun blanc, quitte à sacrifier l'efficacité rock'n'roll qui faisait la gloire des Who. Et puis, il y a cette grandiloquence, "Opéra rock", le mot est lâché et il pèse une tonne. J'ai grandi avec le post-punk, le shoegaze, le rock indé. Pour moi, la souffrance, le trauma, ça s'exprime dans l'urgence, dans la dissonance d'un accord de Sonic Youth, dans la voix sépulcrale de Ian Curtis. Ça n'a pas besoin de choeurs, de cuivres et d'une narration qui s'étale sur quatre faces de vinyle. Les Who, sur Tommy, sont parfois à la limite du pompeux. On sent cette volonté de faire une oeuvre, avec un grand O, de prouver que le rock peut être aussi "sérieux" que la musique classique. Une quête de légitimité qui, avec le recul, a un peu mal vieilli. En tant que disquaire dans les années 90, je voyais bien qui achetait "Tommy" et c'était rarement les jeunes qui venaient chercher le dernier Pavement ou le nouveau single de The Cure. C'était les pères de famille, les nostalgiques, ceux pour qui cet album représentait un souvenir, un marqueur de leur propre jeunesse. Et c'est peut-être ça, la clé. "Tommy" est un formidable document sur son époque, une époque où tout semblait possible, où le rock pouvait se permettre d'être démesuré, théâtral, parfois jusqu'à l'excès. C'est une pièce de musée, et une pièce importante. Il faut l'écouter, ne serait-ce que pour comprendre d'où viennent Queen, Meat Loaf, et toute une frange du rock progressif. Mais est-ce que j'ai envie de me le réécouter en boucle ? Est-ce que ça me procure le même plaisir brut, la même décharge électrique que, disons, "Daydream Nation" ou "Disintegration" ? Non. Absolument pas. C'est un voyage intéressant, mais un peu longuet. Je salue l'effort, je respecte le monument, mais au final, je reste un peu sur le bord de la route, à regarder passer le cortège en me disant que c'est un sacré beau bordel, mais que ce n'est pas tout à fait le mien. Un 2 sur 5, c'est la note parfaite. Ce n'est pas un échec, loin de là, c'est un album qu'il faut entendre avant de mourir, le contrat du blog est rempli. Mais ce n'est pas un album qui me fait me sentir plus vivant. C'est une étape, une leçon d'histoire. Parfois, une leçon d'histoire, c'est un peu long et surtout quand elle dure 75 minutes.
Surprised they made this a movie.. and then a Play.. music is real prime Who. A lot of gems not usually heard on radio. Being a Who fan pushes it up a notch, but nit their best. Still, a very impressive endeavor. Go Pete and Moon!!!
Whew… ANOTHER double album and ANOTHER Who album. Crazy times. There’s two things I will preface this quick review with: 1) Double albums? Hit or miss. It’s either a masterpiece or stretched too thin, rarely falling in the middle. I think I have mentioned this a couple of times in my reviews of other double LP’s. 2) I’m not a big fan of The Who, but do like parts of their discography. With that said, ‘Tommy’ is a strange beast of a project. I don't think it's quite the first rock opera unleashed to the public. But it certainly is ONE of the first; and I can only imagine what the general reaction was upon first listen. The storyline throughout the songs certainly has its fair share of twists and turns. We go on this journey of Tommy Walker, born in the song 'It's A Boy', whose father killed his mother's lover upon returning home ('1921'). Which causes the titular character to go deaf, dumb, and blind. He gets exposed to physical abuse by the hand of his 'Cousin Kevin', and has his mind opened to acid thanks to the Gypsy in 'The Acid Queen'; and that's just within the first half of the tracklist. The second half starts with the uncomfortable duo tracks 'Do You Think It's Alright?' and 'Fiddle About', where Tommy is sexually abused by his Uncle. We learn Tommy is phenomenal at pinball ('Pinball Wizard'), and move swiftly onto him smashing the mirror to free himself. He then goes on to become a religious cult leader due to this miracle, and it all ends with his followers revolting against him in the brilliant finisher 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. There's enough strong tracks here to keep the album interesting enough, and musically it’s The Who - so it's that rock ‘n’ roll sound we all know from them. The fact it’s an actual storyline helps to bump the engagement up. Where I find ‘Tommy’ slips up is the fact The Who’s, and Townshend‘s, ambition (and this album is AMBITIOUS) tends to outweigh the musical limitations of the band. Not in terms of talent, mind you. Moreso regarding their mind for production at the time and overall sound. But that’s not to say they’re not pushing themselves to limits they had not previously. As I stated previously, there’s certainly enough strong tracks meticulously placed along the album to ensure ‘Tommy’ doesn’t lose steam across its massive 24 tracks, and there’s a few that are absolute staples of The Who’s catalogue. I can also respect the philosophy, at the time, of wanting to move away from having 3 minute singles slapped onto an LP with little to no concept. It genuinely seems like The Who found their artistic calling with ‘Tommy’. So while this double album is musically stretched thin to a degree, there’s no denying the risk the band took here. Nor can you deny its strange and wonderful ambition, even if they don't always quite reach it. In my book, this is a 3.5/5 album, but I am rounding it up to a 4. It’s worth a listen for historical significance alone, the fact that it’s also pretty good is a bonus.
Tommy is the fourth album from the Who, and may be their first masterpiece. Tommy is a double LP rock opera. It is the story of a deaf, dumb, and blind boy that becomes a messiah figure. The story is told in the format of an opera: in two acts, with an overture and an underture, musical summaries played at the beginning of the acts. I think these two elements - the overture and underture - are among the most brilliant compositions in modern music. The story is told in a series of incredible songs, some of which become hit singles, like "Pinball Wizard" and "Tommy Can you Hear Me." The opera tells the story of the life of the messiah figure. Imo, the entire story is really about "Sally Simpson," one of the fans of this messiah figure.
Couple of decent songs but mostly rubbish
i love this album, this is exactly my kind of music. rock music from this era tops it all. the storytelling is amazing, i loved "eyesight to the blind"
Honestly, I just can't get on with the Who. I tried again but got 2 tracks in and just had to turn it off
Album #200! Here it is, the first real big rock opera. Not so much a popular concept for albums nowadays, but The Who's "Tommy" is probably the first album many think of when it comes to the classic rock opera format. It's grandiose in concept, but also authentic to its rock roots ("Underture" comes to mind, as it's a solo like many are accustomed to hearing from The Who). It's fun and also a little disturbing at points in its content. You would think that a work like this would spawn from a well-seasoned and experienced group, but realizing that the members of The Who were largely in their mid-20's during this album's recording was pretty surprising. Rockstars from the 60's certainly grew up fast (maybe the drugs helped with that). Anyway, hopefully this inspires you to drop some acid and play some pinball or something.
„Tommy“ ist ein musikalisches Kunstwerk, das die Geschichte von Tommy Walker erzählt, einem taubblinden Jungen, der mit seinen Herausforderungen kämpft. Die abwechslungsreiche musikalische Umsetzung reicht von energiegeladenen Rocknummern bis zu berührenden Balladen. Ein kraftvoller Gesang bringt die Emotionen gekonnt rüber. Allerdings ist „Tommy“ oft eine Herausforderung. Die dichte Erzählweise und die vielen Themen wirken überwältigend, was gleichzeitig die Stärke des Albums ist, da es den Zuhörer zur intensiven Auseinandersetzung anregt. Auf ein baldiges Wiederhören – ein zeitloses Kunstwerk im Rockgenre.
Tommy was a crazy concept, telling a truly insane story. Yet it worked, and paved the way for countless others. A number of the songs can't stand on their own, but as a whole it somehow works. A slightly flawed yet amazing album. I would rate this a high 4, but I am bumping it up to a 5 due to its historic significance.
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
One of the few themed / rock opera albums that works. People forget just how good The Who were, and this is a great introduction for the newbies. Yes, Pinball Wizard gets the prior recognition plaudits,but the whole suite of songs / experiences just work.
a sprawling rock opera that tells a cool story. was a little hard to follow at times though, but a very good album overall
Tommy is something special. Concept albums were new then, and to compose a whole Rock Opera was a daring idea by Townshend, especially as he had kept it to a level so that they could play Tommy live and that's what they did. The story is interesting with its twists and turns and doesn't shy away from difficult themes. And as you cannot keep up the pace over such a period, there must be breaks and slower parts. I think they did pretty well.
I'm a bigger fan of The What, the Why, the Where, the When and the How!
a bit of an in between eras band for me
10
meh idk not so good
8/10 This was pretty excellent. Rock Opera that was both backward and forward looking. Amazing that this was released in 1969, a few years ahead of its time it is described as hard rock, but this contains some of the less hard Who stuff that I have heard. There are even harmonic & musical influences from the Beatles and Beach Boys here Musically pretty interesting and very well put together. Love the restraint in keeping it a tight band album with only occasional stabs of horn Didn’t all hit perfectly, and can’t honestly say that the storyline was easy to follow. Best: Underture
They must’ve had a quota on the number of songs to make bc jfc this is a long boring album
It’s way too long but overall a solid record. Feeling a strong 7 to a light 8.
Imagine the overture for this album playing while this midwestern dad drove to pick up bagels. Wonderful. As someone who has appeared in more than two productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, the era of the rock musical still blows my mind. This one, while not my favorite, still has some pretty great moments. Hard not to like this one.
This fuckin' rocks. It's so good. There's a ton of goofy moments in it that isn't the best to listen to, but Tommy is iconic for a reason. So many good tunes throughout, including the overture and the underture. If this had gone the route of Life House > Who's Next it might be a better album. But you know what, I'm glad that stuff like Fiddle About made the final cut and I get to sing that at random times throughout the rest of my life for no reason at all.
Beautifully theatrical without being obvious.
This is not a musical I'd watch.
I could listen to it just half of the album, nothing interesting
Classic. Think their live version of Tommy is incredible.
Very ambitious but ultimately also a bit pretentious and definitely too long.
Tommy by The Who is often hailed as a groundbreaking rock opera, but its ambitious scope sometimes results in a long, dull, and overindulgent experience. The production and arrangements, while innovative, sometimes feel excessive, overshadowing the emotional core of the album. While tracks like Pinball Wizard stand out as high points, the overall experience can feel weighed down by its own ambition. Tommy is a landmark in rock history, but its grandeur might make it a tough listen. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - Pinball Wizard
Some nice songs and the concept is pretty neat, but this felt overlong and just alright to me
I have never liked the who. This album does nothing to change that.
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.
I’ve struggled to write a review on this for some reason. Firstly, I don’t like musicals or ‘rock operas’ unless I like the story. And I really really really don’t like this story. Therefore the songs are just too hard to listen to. The vocals feel like they are forced in to tell the tale rather than something that makes a lovely song! This was all about Pete Townshend being too arty/clever/up his own arse.
I remember watching the film with the family when I was a small person, laughing at the antics of Uncle Ernie, it all seemed very innocent and fun. Yesterday, I listened to this album and realised it is just disturbing. These things happen nowadays unfortunately and are dealt with a bit more sympathetically. The themes of paedophilia, underage sex, mental and physical abuse, all in one album is quite an undertaking, and then to make light of it, obviously must have been a 60's and 70's thing (probably why i laughed at it as a kid in the 70's). How times have changed. Musically it's OK in places, 'Pinball Wizzard' is still a great tune. Lyrically, I think I have covered that. I think I'll give it 2 stars for the entertainment Keith Moon's 'Fiddle About' gave me as a child. (That last sentence doesn't look so good in print, but what the hell).
Brilliant
Has its highs and lows. Too lengthy to keep the quality.
IT'S A BOY MS WALKER, IT'S A BOYYYYYY! An all-timer. Probably the best album with a song about a sketchy uncle.
Better than the movie that is for damn sure
I always enjoyed this album
I almost like 1921, Pinball Wizard
feels like 70s summer, but also kinda boring. def didn't listen to whole thing. I like It's Hard 80s album better
How am I supposed to rate a rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball player as anything less than 5? Not possible!
Way to experimental to be memorable other than the uncle fiddler song that should never have existed.
Tommy is a landmark album that clearly demonstrates the band's ambition and scope and is a significant milestone that helped establish The Who’s reputation. While I’m more inclined towards Quadrophenia and The Who Sell Out, I can't overlook the impact Tommy had on the band's career and its impressive craftsmanship. The recording quality is excellent, reflecting the era's technological advancements and The Who’s dedication to their craft. There are certainly standout tracks that highlight Pete Townshend’s remarkable songwriting and Roger Daltrey’s compelling vocals. Keith Moon’s drumming, despite his reputation as the "wild man" of rock, is surprisingly disciplined and fitting for the album's highly focused concept. However, I do feel that the album includes a fair amount of filler, which slightly detracts from its overall coherence. Despite this, the concept and the way the story unfolds is quite impressive, showcasing Townshend’s ambition and creative vision. My recent, more focused listen has deepened my appreciation for Tommy, though I still prefer the energy and innovation of Quadrophenia and The Who Sell Out. Overall, Tommy is a bold and influential work that deserves recognition for its artistic achievement and its role in shaping The Who’s legacy.
A great group of musicians here. I just let this one play in the background, but a few songs stood out: Sparks, Christmas, and Pinball Wizard. It seemed like run of the mill hippy music, but way tighter and more professional. Real clean and solid playing. There were some goofy elements in some of the songs, which was fun and pleasing to my senses. I enjoyed the album overall.
I caught Athens' own Five Eight and Big Fish Ensemble at the Star Bar many years ago. One of the best local shows I've seen. For an encore, members of both groups came out and played "Christmas" and "Baba O'Riley". What a night! ********************** Here it is. The legendary Who. Their legendary album. This is the first I've listened to this album, having only heard (the aforementioned cover version of) "Christmas" and "Pinball Wizard", which I first heard as an instrumental marching band arrangement for the halftime field show in high school. I can always appreciate a good "Overture" in a thematic work, and even an "Underture" I suppose. It took some time to kick in, but there are some good tunes here. Aside from the original two I heard, "Go To The Mirror!", "Tommy Can You Hear Me?", "Sally Sampson", and "I'm Free" stood out. I hear why Keith Moon was a highly regarded drummer. My band in high school had a bassist who thought John Entwistle was the greatest of all time, and I can hear talent there. But for the life of me, I kept waiting to hear Pete Townshend play a mind-blowing guitar solo, and the moment never came. I find out now that he's the main songwriter for most of The Who's material. At least he's more than a signature windmill guitar move. There's a fine line between experimental and inaccessible. The Who have plenty of catchy and well-written songs, but it seems on Tommy they went a bit too avant-garde and forgot to be more memorable.
Listening to this is a big undertaking for me. It's hard for me to muster up the length of time and amount of attention it requires to give it a fair evaluation. I had to break up listening into several sessions. I guess the main lasting impact of this album is that it was a double album built around a single narrative, using contemporary hard rock music to tell a story--all innovative and ambitious for its era. On that basis, it's kind of hard for me to evaluate it, because I don't know if I was able to really get the intricacies of the "plot" by just listening to the music. I can get the main points, of course. Because the album is so long, I would be inclined to say that The Who could have trimmed some fat here and tightened up the offerings. But since all of the songs are telling part of the story, I guess they might all be needed. If you set aside the whole rock opera aspect, and just listen to it as any other collection of songs, there are clearly songs that are more listenable than others. But I don't guess you can really look at this album that way. The sound quality is great, and The Who display all the elements that they are loved for, so all in all, it is still a solid entry on this list.
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.
Solide chillings
Classic progressive rock. I love the stories these albums told.
The Who at their most pretentious and self indulgent. There are some decent songs on here, but I never actively choose to listen to this, and relistening to it now confirms I am correct in this decision.
Christmas sounds like the Beatles! This album is just a bit too meandery for me. All songs sound like a derivative of the pinball wizard. I am kind of over this one.
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.
Tommy the goat fr. Even though this was a bit of chore to listen to with the long runtime I'd still say that this was a pretty good listen. When it comes to concept albums in general I'll always have soft spot for them since some of my favorite albums are concept albums, plus it takes some balls to actually execute one solidly. This album definitely had some misses but the majority of the album was great. Best - 1921, Amazing Journey, Pinball Wizard, Go To The Mirror!, Welcome, and We're Not Gonna Take It Worst - Fiddle About, Sensation, I'm Free, and Tommy's Holiday Camp 3.50-3.75/5
all the songs sound the same
See Me Feel Me Touch Me Heal Me
Great album
OG concept album (as donned by Finley)... definitely encapsulated in the fiddle song. Really loved the fist half, especially the long instrumental numbers and Pinball Wizard, of course. Does get quite into its conceptuality towards the end though I suppose I ought to assess it on this meter. 4.
Decent enough with a couple of great tracks
Some enjoyable songs , some duds but its too long for my liking.
Correct
there were many sounds and songs I enjoyed! I can see why it is a classic
een zeer goed album, hoewel ik de film versie nog net iets beter vind
I can't honestly review it.. as 3hr30 is too much. there were parts I like, but the concept didn't sell for me as a whole.
Well that took awhile didn’t it…. Shocked at how annoyed it made me. There were at least 10 irritating sounds that I can’t ever remember hearing before. The concept of musical theatre just doesn’t work for me. I just don’t like exposition being so blatantly and cornily used. It’s embarrassing. And is “Wicked Uncle Ernie” Fiddling Tommy?! What a musical abomination that song is. I think I’m glad I’ve never listened to the whole damn thing before! Love Keith Moon on the skins and there are undeniably a couple bangers in here but so much awkward and uncomfortable fluff. Less is more for fuck’s sake. Grumpy old git gives it a 2. Unfair maybe, take it up with Meatloaf.
I honestly love this. It's rock enough, that you could pull out a song and put it on the radio, but it's very clearly an album that begs to be listened to as a complete piece. I actually really like the story. Although, I'm also just a sucker for a rock opera. The only song that really doesn't really do anything for me is Tommy's Holiday Camp. Everything else about the album though, I really, really enjoyed. Favorite Song(s): Christmas, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!
Cool concept and good on them for going for it but this has one memorable.song on the entire album.
Really good. 4
oh god this is that fucking "rock opera" isnt it. *checks wikipedia* yep. I've heard this before and I thought it sucked horrendously, lets see if I still think that way. There's a good song called We're Not Gonna Take It but its not the one on this album Pinball Wizard is fine I guess but even it's wildly overrated. One star for being pretentious nonsense with almost no good SONGS in it, and only because this site will not let me rank something 0 stars
When I saw that the album-du-jour was Tommy, I was all excited, as I'd never really listened to that album, but am well aware of the Rock Opera... I could have skipped this album without a doubt as it didn't meet my expectations one bit. Yes, Pinball Wizard is an excellent song, but the rest of album was... annoying. There are better "concept" albums out there in my humblest of opinion... 2*
Loved it LOVED IT!!!
I understand now why the only song I've ever heard off this album already was Pinball Wizard and I'd like the time I spent listening to this back please.
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.
Legendary
Despite my excellent Dad-Rock credentials and being a long term fan of other Who albums, never really got into this or Quadraphenia. It's like the Kinks do The Wall. It's OK it is full of breezy songs and the story is a bit crazy but enjoyable. Very pioneering but always feels a little unfinished to me. Already The Who's second concept album though, incredible really.
Love The Who, but what a slog this album is. Plus I always forget that one of their most famous songs (Pinball Wizard) is preceded by two songs about Uncle pedophile
LP
Kinda blah
I have enjoyed it a lot
This album is really great.
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
I’m starting to think the Who are just OK at best.
Had the vinyl in the early 70s and listened frequently, especially sides 3 and 4. The analysis and dissection of the album was also an assignment in 9th grade music listening class. (Yes, it was the 70s and yes, you got credits for listening to Tommy.) Haven’t listened to this in its entirety in about 30 years, but it held up well! Good story, great imagery, great music, and a couple of big hits made for an amazing hour and quarter journey. Still like it enough to do a start to finish listen again in another 20 years or so… Listening to you I get the music. (4.4*s)
It took me a minimum of two full-listens to give this a fair review (I felt very conflicted after just one play). I get the cultural significance of being the first real rock-opera but on a purely auditory level it's really not that enjoyable (and on a lyrical level it's absolutely bonkers). I personally wouldn't play any of these songs individually so you really have to consume the album as a whole (which is daunting). The entire thing feels like a "you had to be there" moment. I respect the ambition but it could have been cut down a bit. Too much Townshend on vocals and his lyrics are borderline creepy, how is he already such a cynical grouch at age 24? I don't like musicals but I'd be down to give the movie a chance.
Not the best by The Who for sure but for its place in music history it deserves the list. Can't say I enjoyed the theatrical release of this album either but will need to watch again. Pinball Wizard will always hold as a top hit for the band and is the only real strong track here. Couple others like I'm Free and the final track help bring the rating up a bit...2.1.
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
Really fun listen.
Excellent concept album. PINBALL WIZARD!
Prior to 1969, The Who were seen as the mod band to end all mod bands. Their short, snappy, all-killer no-filler, bombastic approach to music had seen all kinds of destruction lain in its wake. But they were beginning to stray. A Quick One While He's Away was a teaser, The Who Sells Out was a warning and Tommy was the atom bomb. This incredulous, unbelievable story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy who becomes a pinball machine savant and a messiah to the masses after undergoing the kind of trauma that would drive most people crazed hit an indelible nerve that is still felt to this day. It freed the band from the corner in which they were painted in and allowed them to approach their finest form. As groundbreaking as this was, it is best that it should be listened to as a live document. Their live performance of this album is one of the many prime examples of The Who at their absolute best as the greatest live band of their generation. Without Tommy, there is no certainty that The Who would've survived the 60s and we wouldn't have heard them at their most powerful. This is where the story truly begins. Favorites: Overture, 1921, Amazing Journey, Sparks, The Acid Queen, Underture, Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!, Sensation, Sally Simpson, I'm Free, We're Not Gonna Take It.
So much love for this album.
This album is an absolutely fun journey that shows of great music and a cool rock opera story. 4.5 stars
Iconic and revolutionary for its day in a sea other iconic artists of that era Loved 1969 music and this was another great album by the Who after a string of equally great albums entered Rock Opera into the lexicon
Rock opera done right!
Eine der ersten "Rockopern". Kann man immer noch gut hören.
Essentially perfect
Pinball Wizard
Classic, but seems dated.
Self indulgent really, do people really enjoy listening to this the whole way through? 2*
A classic - good, though not my typical listen
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
The movie is great too if you haven't seen it
A lot of great songs on here and love the concept of the album but between a 3 and a 4 realistically. I’ll bump it to a 4 for the story/rock opera.
First time listening all the way through. I’m not sure how much I’ll go back to it but I did enjoy it
Childhood bias for this album but I love this music so much. I used to sing these songs as a kid with my parents
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.
own
This felt like classic rock. In its purest form and I'm here for it
A rock opera Groundbreaking concept album Doesn’t slap for me
This is exactly what I would expect a concept rock opera album from early Who to sound like. Very elaborate, grandiose, a bit pompous. Fine.
Due to the length of this album and my stubbornness at not feeling able to rate an album unless I've had at least one clean uninterrupted full listen, it took several goes at listening to this album. It definitely grew and grew on me, and in the end I really enjoyed it. Interesting concept album and one which definitely felt like a journey.
I expected a better album. A lot of the songs were quite boring and forgettable. It's a concept album, probably the first, but Pink Floyd's The Wall did it better. There's no highlights here for me, not even "Pinball Wizard". At least it wasn't a total mess. 2 stars for "Tommy".
really digging that first track even tho its just instrumental. idk why. lol sawto miz3ij shwe 3
Talk about overstaying your welcome, sheesh. I feel like I could've liked some of these songs individually but it just goes on and on, and the "story" of the album doesn't really add anything to the experience in my opinion
Truly a rock classic.
It was all right, Pinball Wizard was a slapper, the rest was not for me
Not as entertaining as other Who albums but enjoyable. Best track Pinball Wizard 3/5
The one and only rock opera that matters. The way they recorded awesome songs while maintaining the same ongoing theme during the whole album is marvelous.
Classic. Loved it for decades
You really need to pay attention while listening to this album and you will be gifted with a short and sweet story of Tommy. Well it‘s one of the most sold albums of all time, but still I‘ve never listened to it before. I loved this one and will surely listen some more times to it.
Y'know, for the longest time, QUADROPHENIA was my favorite rock opera The Who had made. Attribute that to how I first experienced deep cuts from both that album and TOMMY: I saw The Who in concert back in 2016, and I was blown the hell away by "The Rock". Back-to-back with "Love, Reign O'er Me", I became an instant fan. Meanwhile, they'd played "Amazing Journey" and "Sparks" earlier, and... Well, I recognized "Pinball Wizard" at least. I'unno, at that time they just didn't really do anything for me. Fast-forward years later. I still like QUADROPHENIA a lot, but especially after having seen the film adaptation... It just feels a little more standard than it used to? Like, "Yeah, this is how The Who typically sound." And of course, that's not a bad thing, but... Eeehhhhh. It doesn't sound as incredible to me as it used to. Meanwhile, TOMMY, having seen its film version and having spun Tenacious D's medley a million times? Oh, hell yeah. This is the weird-ass rock opera shit I wanna hear. Mrs. Walker, it's a joy. Whatever problem I had with it way back when—maybe I thought TOMMY sounded smaller than QUADROPHENIA—I don't even mind. Nor do I mind its 74 runtime. I just have a blast listening to it, whenever I do spin it in full. But even when I restrict myself to the songs in Tenacious D's medley ("Pinball Wizard", "There's A Doctor" and "Go To The Mirror!")... Well, simply: "Listening to you, I get the [good-ass] music." (WHO'S NEXT still tops, though, just to be clear. And if you've never heard Elton John's cover of "Pinball Wizard" from the movie soundtrack, do y'self a favor. Honestly, I like it even better than the original. Love me all that piano stuff, goodness.)
Wasn't really digging it at the start, but once Pinball Wizard showed up, it really picked up in the latter half. I'd give 5, but that slow start bumps it down to a 4 for me.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I think this was pretty damn good; it’s not perfect, and it’s admittedly probably a little closer to a 4 than it is a 5, but I respect the structure of the album and most of the songs too much to drop it down to a 4. It is a bit long, and certainly a little too loose and open at times where the clear vision of the album gets a little lost in the technicalities of the tracks. However, that’s nitpicking – it’s weird to say “the instrumentation dilutes the story,” because that’s remarkably dumb for a rock opera. You’re not necessarily listening for the story, you’re listening for the blend of both, and for one of the earliest ones, I’d say this album does a damn good job of setting up a blueprint. It’s also a pretty solid story, going from dumb, deaf and blind to basically a cult leader, only for him to realize he is indeed just as alone as he was, pinball or otherwise. At least, that’s how I interpreted it. There are some feel good moments in here, and some not very good ones (I’m stunned at the molestation, really), but that’s what any good plot should have. I just liked it a lot – again, it’s not perfect, and I do think 74 minutes is a bit self-serving, especially with a few songs that kind of do nothing other than re-iterate a plot point or two, but regardless of that, what’s here is a super good listen. At the very least, the instrumentation here is great, and while this doesn’t quite hit the superb highs of Who’s Next, there’s enough moments where everything just glides to forget about the looser parts of the album. I’m totally fine with bumping it up to a 5, but it’s certainly a lot closer to a 4.5 than it is a full 5 for me.
Really nice progression. Need to listen to album in entirety
Great album, especially the story it tells. I like what they're doing there musically as well, but it's missing that little something to elevate it to five stars. I just don't think that individual tracks had as much of an impact on me as the album as a whole. 4 - 4.5 stars
Funny thing that the Who were better before and then peaked with Who’s Next. So this for me, though epic and led to some great covers is in between. But no, I’ll give it a “foive” as Pete was so young and deserves nothing less.
Tommy is a difficult one to score for me, I’m not likely to return to it but it’s a creative piece of dark theatre. The story of a deaf, blind kid who kicks ass at pinball but also gets tortured by his cousin oh and sexually abused by his uncle… what the fuck guys. Maybe I need to watch the production to get a better grasp of the story but I’m not likely going to do that. Tommy is an unsettling listen with some good music scattered in, I don’t really care for Daltreys vocals in general but they do work for this album. I really did enjoy the 10 minute trip of Underture. This may be the highest score I give an album I won’t return to, 4 stars for doing something weird and different
80/100
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.
60’s
weirdos
Doesn't excite me.
For such a "Classic" album, the Spotify listens are surprisingly low. As I listen, I can kinda see why - this is a rock opera, and a good one at that. It's not _really_ full of single-like material. Makes for a good single-run-through listen. In fact, this seems to be the album that popularised the term. There are definitely better examples (Ziggy Stardust) but I am giving it a bump for the sheer audacity only the Who could pull off.
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
A classic - beyond comparison!
3+
Enjoyed it but long album.
Great album, definitely a journey.
jesus this drags
How did The Who go from amphetamine fuelled 3 minute mod rock bangers to writing a double album rock opera, complete with overtures, undertures, a symphony orchestra, sex, drugs, pinball and a comedy pervert Uncle? This is quite a piece of work - overblown and rambling, but with some genuinely thrilling moments. I think that I prefer the songs as part of the film, which at least puts them in some sort of context so you can follow the story (such as it is).
A bit long, a bit overblown, but hey, isn't it a rock opera? Shouldn't it be too much by definition?
Rough around the edges (Fiddle About), but still a great and inspired album that continues from what The Pretty Things offered with “S.F. Sorrow”. Some weaker songs, many classic songs
Oookoo
Good, but very long. The sound was chilled and easy on the ears, I just was not lis to listen to it.
Not sure what all the fuss is about
Underwhelming. Pinball wizard is a really good track but the rest of the songs feel really under developed. Singer needs to sing in a lower octave it's v monotonous and forced.
A good album, I liked Sparks, Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) and Pinball Wizard.
Wow. I know of The Who but this was certainly not what I was expecting. I heard I was in for a story and damn. I was in for a story. I am all for fun albums and this was certainly no disappointment.
A couple catchy songs but I just found this album kind of bland overall
1/2 listened
reale momento mio padre rym 3.71 un'ora e un quarto non so se reggo papà ti voglio tanto bene ma per me 2/5....
Very groovy
Happy to see The Who here again. As I wrote in my notes on “Who’s Next,” I went through different musical phases in high school. I was that kid who thought all popular music was garbage and that stuff from 25 years back and before was the only good music that ever existed. I now have a wider view of the musical world, thank goodness, but I went through phases with bands. The Who came right after my Beatles phase. And I was obsessed. But what’s funny is, this isn’t the first version of Tommy I ever heard. My dad introduced me to the extended version of “Live at Leeds,” which includes a full live performance of Tommy, save a few tracks. This live version is absolutely spectacular and in my opinion, is the definitive version. It takes out the filler (of which there is a lot) and lets the bands unleash their incredible live energy into this album. I’m not here to review Live at Leeds (though I think it’s on this list and I’ll review it eventually), but I just needed to give some context. “Tommy” is an achievement. It’s complex, it tells a story, and it’s a very well produced double album. Its highs (see below) are very high. And I love it. There’s just too much damn filler. It doesn’t need to be an hour and 15 minutes. You can tell Tommy’s story by omitting a decent amount of the tracks. I think the band, specifically Townshend, had too much for a single album but not enough for a double and stretched it to make it a double. It’s interesting to hear about Sally Simpson, but we didn’t REALLY need to. Do we really need both “Cousin Kevin” and a song about Uncle Ernie? Does “Sensation” need to be here? Did we actually need an “Underture”? I love the band. I love this album. I love the music. I love what the album tries to say about cult followings and blindly following someone who says they can fix all your problems. But it’s overly long and has too much filler. And this is coming from someone who listened this for probably the hundredth time today. They really perfected the rock opera genre with “Quadrophenia,” which really should be on this list if it isn’t. 4 stars. Standout tracks: Overture, Amazing Journey, Sparks, Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker), Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror!
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.
This'd be a one if it wasn't for Pinball Wizard
Eins der besten Alben ever!
I feel like I want to like The Who more than i do (rhyme unintended) but i just mostly think that they are alright and Tommy was what showed me why. The album was a real mixed bag when it came to song quality. Sometimes the songs could be cool, catchy and have interesting guitar riffs, vocals or anything else of that nature. Other times the tracks were either pretty forgettable or have some of the most annoying ideas implemented, especially when it came to vocals. I can't dislike this album at all because there are some stellar tracks here and there but sometimes i just feel like too many things just did not work here. Best Song: Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) Worst Song: Christmas
Deserved multiple listens, to catch all of the detail.
I love Quadrophenia but always round Tommy overrated. Still classic track that lift it to good
Easily an 8/10 album! Was very interesting from beginning to end and the Overtures and Undertures were epic (albeit the underture being long). Too bad about the child porn thing.
Stodgy, underwhelming, with (especially in the first half) too many very similar, not very good, songs. It all feels a bit “take me seriously”. Keith Moon is on muted form throughout
Very chill to my ears. 'Pinball Wizard' is the obvious standout, but the rest of the opera blends together and I find it hard to pick other parts that I enjoyed.
Good album.
This has always been for me the ultimate example of how strict adherence to the concept album form harms the work. There’s some incredible songwriting here and a compelling story that is well-told, weighed down by a lot of filler songs that stop it short of perfection.
It will take you a while to get to the songs you most recognize - Pinball Wizard, I’m Free, and We’re Not Gonna Take It. Enjoy the journey. This entire (double) album sounds so good, and Keith Moon on drums keeps each song interesting and engaging.
This album really taught me the importance of reading the wiki. Upon first listen I thought it was a Beatles-inspired double album, but it is actually a rock opera! Really made me appreciate the album more. 4/5
Classic album. Not my fave album, but it was an inspiration for me to seek out other rock opera albums
Great album A jewel in sonic sound. Also music fir a great broadway musical
In a nutshell: I can’t. Did not listen. I was forced to watch the film adaptation at 8 years old as a way to teach me "some important facts about life". It did the job - and it traumatised me at the same time. Haven't watched the movie since, never listened to the original recording at all. With that said, The Who was a pioneer of the rock opera. That achievement needs to be acknowledged on the list. The star rating is just to reflect the aforementioned. Overall: n/a
It's sort of cheesy and of-its-time, but still ambitious and fun. It's funny that they'd do something like this to get away from the albatross of hit singles and engrossing stage shows. It's also funny that pinball wizard became a radio hit. As an album, it gets a little tedious and not necessarily something I'd turn to, but I may watch the movie now. 3.3
I wanted to love it but just didn’t. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t really standout to me. The drumming was brilliant, pinball wizard is good but I didn’t love the rest.
Inventive, Groovy, and upsetting at points. I applaud Townsend for The bold ideas …
i genuinely cant stand the 60s
Would’ve been a 5 if they changed one letter in the album name
I’m naturally skeptical of anything “rock opera” but this was fun
“Tommy’s Holiday Camp” awakened a deep memory when I was at camp and one of the scoutmasters woke us up 30 mins early with a big “GOOD MORNING CAMPERS”
It had been years since I listened to this in its entirety. Has some bumps and bruises...but some classics that will be played til the end of time. See me Feel me Touch me Heal me Another example of how something on paper can look so simple, yet be delivered in grand scale!
Pretty cool journey! I went into this album knowing a few songs but hadn’t experienced the album beginning to end.
Full of nuggets ! The standard of rock operas. Fully inspired AND inspiring
very nice and interesting story but it wasn’t as interesting musically
3.5
Not my favorite style. To much high pitched singing. It had a story to tell but I’m not sure wether I like how it was told
Classic.
Nice concept, just boring and repetative
Look, I’m not going to come here and shit on a classic, but in all fairness, a large chunk of this massive album is very uninteresting. Now, I listened to “69 Love Songs“ the other day for the first time, and that’s an album that works artistically as a whole, even if it may be hard to get through a times. “Tommy” is obviously similar, in the sense that the entirety of the story and the tracklist is Pete Townsend‘s work of art. However, there are just so many moments thrown in throughout the tracklist that feel disjointed and ultimately take away from the larger musical statement he was trying to make. Normally, I wouldn’t give an album a lower score for something like that, especially when most of those moments are minor one minute songs, but to be frank, even the actual full length songs on here are just kind of alright. None of them are outright bad and some are actually really good , but then there are a bunch like “go to the mirror!” And even the hit song, “pinball wizard” that just don’t really do anything for me and kind of drag my ears out for four minutes. Anyway, I think the artistic experiments on here are what make this album anything special. Otherwise, the songwriting can feel pretty boring.
Unfortunately I found this album to be quite uninteresting and repetitive. I had high hopes for it but sadly didn't enjoy it. It was easy to recognise the talent in musical lyrics and instrumental performances. Will perhaps come back to this album as it may be a slow burner, but on first listen I wasn't particularly engaged with it.
"Method" is not the right word but the storytelling is definitely more than just narrative. They sure are successful in making one feel things. Especially uncomfortable! Pinball Wizard is amazing. Rootin for ya, Tommy!
Put on your eye shades, put in your ear plugs, you know where to put the cork. Hey you gettin' drunk So sorry, I've got you sussed. Hey you smoking mother nature You missed the bus Hey hung up old mister normal, Don't try to gain my trust Cos you ain't gonna follow me Any of those ways Although you think you must!
Just listened to this a couple weeks ago, so I listened to the Broadway cast album instead, pretty cool right?
Primera y espectacular opera rock. Imperdible
There is perhaps enough material here to make a decent single LP, but instead this is way too long and too many mediocre tracks. Underwhelming
Deeply personal writing by Pete Townsend. As usual, musicianship is brilliant.
Disco solido, algunos temas medio pajosos pero se balancea con varios temaikenes. 7/10 TF: 1921/Christmas
6.5/10 Intri
Buen disco. No me gusta tanto The Who.
So pretentious…. But still a great album.
You want me to listen to 24 songs of The Who? No.
Finally an older rock album where the music has stood the rest of time. Still very listenable, cool it was a concept album
It's mostly good, but Fiddle About doesn't fit with the rest of the album. I'd be okay never hearing it again.
Pretty enjoyable, but at the same time, the plot is convoluted, doesn’t really come to a satisfying conclusion, and kind of jumps from point to point. It’s like he does a thing, his parents are concerned about this aspect of his life, it introduces a random family member that’s basically just evil and then leaves for the remainder of the story, he’s really good at pinball (very random but hey it makes for the best song on the album), he regains his senses, then he becomes a leader who immediately gets rejected. It just feels lacking in the progression department. Still very influential, though.
Groundbreaking, I suppose, for being the first really big "rock opera" but in reality it's a bunch of mostly-forgettable short pieces broken up by 1 or 2 songs that are actually listenable outside the context of an entire 75-minute narrative arc. Cool if you're a die-hard Who fan, a music theater nerd, or really into rock operas, I guess. Doesn't really work as background music, though.
While listening to this I began to wonder if Tommy was the name of the rock opera or a description of Keith Moon's busy drumming. I get that this is a flowing story narrative but man is it a bloated, indulgent slog! Does the good outweigh the drag? I'm not so sure. I'm thinking a 2.5/5 but I'll round up for the overall ambition and execution.
Too long, and while I get that it was important at the time, the music is kind of meh. The search for a good rock opera continues
not memorable sorry
Good but lyrics were weird must’ve been on drugs
One of the first and best concept albums
Обязательно переслушать на колонках. Очень объемная вещь, почти как классические симфонии - не зря опера. Опера прогроку
The Who? More like The Snooze amiright?
Overtures, Undertures, themes and motifs.... Nerdy theatre kids would eat this up. Most gravitate towards "Pinball Wizard" obviously, it's the showstopper, but the ending sequence of "We're Not Going To Take It" with the extended "See Me, Feel Me" & "Listening To You" motifs repeated from "Go To The Mirror!" is just superb. Doesn't feel as long as it is, and honestly, it's only 74 minutes...
This wasn't particularly interesting all things considered. Had some good songs, some weird ones, but I expected a bit more. Stand-out: I'm Free
got bored not gonna lie
Długie i nudne
2 - After listening to this, I'm just left not caring. It wasn't my least favourite Who album, and it certainly wasn't my favourite. It's just nothing.
This one was kind of a slog for me … I prefer the later stuff the Who put out. And 24 songs is too many when they all sound similar.
Lots of townsend singing. Lots of the rolling-hill-sounding who : orchestral guitar chords - driving bass, and those eternally rolling toms. Anyone who gets on Keith Moon cause he didn't really do beats just doesn't get it. Some songs a little twee or uncomfortable, but hey, points for the chutzpah. I see the millions.
Oooh. Saw this movie when it was released wayyyy back in the day. Weird! Generally, I'm on the fence about The Who. I like some of their songs, but many have never really clicked for me. Upon listening, I really enjoyed this one. May need to give The Who another try.
One of m'y first LP i bought in m'y collection!! So Much souvenirs of that album...
One of my all time favs!! 5 Star performances from the whole crew
So great, but always have to skip the Uncle Ernie part.
Besser als das erste von the who Seltsames thema
The “Rock Opera” is an interesting concept for an album. There is a fun element to it. It seems almost less serious than a typical album because there are some songs that are used to show the up and down emotions portrayed by the album’s characters. Unfortunately, I liked the concept and the effort more than the actual album.
I mostly enjoyed this, I’ve definitely listened to a lot of music either directly or indirectly influenced by this. I did NOT like Cousin Kevin, Fiddle About, or Tommy’s Holiday Camp
Clearly stands as a legendary rock opera album and breakthrough for The Who. Continuous theme and interesting story throughout. Nearly a 5 but It doesn't make it for me personally
i'll give this album some merit for being the first credited rock opera, though i'm not sure how i feel about the subject/plot. it's a compelling story at first and then it gets weird. it definitely feels like a product of its time due to some of the language used. the music itself isnt bad, i knew one of these songs already without realizing it was part of a bigger interconnected story (pinball wizard). i didn't particularly like or dislike this album overall, i'm giving it a 3 because i can see why it's included in this list but i personally don't care much for it even though i do listen to similar music. the songs are not memorable to me.
I've listen to this album since I was 10. The live version on the special edition was astonishing
some great tracks but didn't catch me as the wall did
Having been disappointed with a previous Who album, I thought this was much better. Obviously each song tells a small part of the bigger story and I did enjoy listening to the narrative. I will need to watch the film adaptation of this album. Most of the songs don't really stand up on their own outside of the concept but 'Pinball Wizard' & 'Go To The Mirror!' do. A solid 3 stars.
absolutely atrocious
It may not be a magnum opus, but I still find this really engaging and well-made. Great use of motifs, and while the story isn’t especially coherent I also don’t think it’s a complete mess. Really love the mix of softness and hardness in their sound. Deserves its classic status. Best song: Go to the Mirror
THE concept album from one of the greatest rock bands even to plug in an amp and break their instruments over it.
I do enjoy an album that’s one whole story. Musicianship is just amazing.
It has been a while since the 1001albums randomizer has served me a true classic; a record I’ve known and loved for 50+ years. That said, isn’ quite perfect. It has many brilliant moments, but a few misses. Tommy was a bold and ambitious project in 1969, and even a bit audacious. A rock-opera, with overture, interweaving themes around a complex (and sometimes confusing story). The original vinyl included a lyric book, which identified which character was singing each line, which made a world of difference in understanding. Tommy has had significant impact through the years, from the Who’s performance of it at Woodstock, to ballet and opera productions, to the 1975 major motion picture. And a 1991 stage adaptation. Tommy was even analyzed in a book I read in the late 70’s (Wilson Bryan Key’s 1976 “Media Sexploitation”, IIRC. But it might have been 1975’s “Subliminal Seduction”. I read both, I forget which one it was). If I were to pick 10 albums that are “important”, this would be one of them. Not quire perfect but no question it rounds to 5/5.
Pretty long and meandering and not always in the best way. It's ambitious, and it's also the Who. Pinball Wizard is definitely the star of the show here. Underture is pretty cool too. I'm actually not a big fan of \"Rock Operas\". I like the idea of them more than I actually like them, I think. But overall it's a 4/5.