Now, I realize some fans who came onboard after the band’s heyday may wonder why Tommy doesn’t sound as massive as, say, August 1971’s Who’s Next or October 1973’s Quadrophenia — well, that difference simply comes down to time passing, technology improving, and the band achieving a level of financial success that allowed them to spend more on their productions than they previously could afford. From everything I’ve read, The Who were on the cusp of bankruptcy, and had Tommy not been a mega-hit, they might well have imploded and disappeared from the scene. So, it is important to go into this listening experience with open ears and open minds to best appreciate these magnificent, groundbreaking recordings from 1968-69. One of the most interesting things about the album is the perspective. It’s all about Tommy, clearly, but it seems to be from the point of view of other people in his life. We see a lot from cousin Kevin, uncle Ernie, his mother, and even a whole section about perspective of some random girl named Sally Simpson. With these themes of reflection, it might be very well that all these people in Tommy’s life see themselves in Tommy and by telling his story from their perspective, they’re relating their experiences to his and in some situations, like Kevin’s bullying and Ernie’s diddling, their negative actions towards Tommy might just be a reflection of their own insecurities and problems, that they choose to take out on him because he’s easy to manipulate and take advantage of.

In 2013, Townshend and Daltrey participated in a documentary about the making of the album Tommy. The documentary is titled Sensation: The Story of the Who's Tommy and features in-depth interviews with them. [75] Editions and cover art [ edit ] Neill, Andy; Kent, Matt (2002). Anywhere Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1217-3. Release 4638030 (Circled/Rim text on label facing outwards to runout, also "Deutsche Grammophon" mentioned) This album is super bold including a subplot that only lasts one song. It’s about the story of Sally Simpson who is a fan of Tommy’s and accidentally got slashed in the face being at the front of the stage, and then moved on and got married to someone else and forgot about him. It’s not completely relevant to the entire story but it’s such an interesting, short story that connects some of the themes and plays off the main narrative. This is one of the earliest examples of postmodern storytelling that I could think of in music.

Tommy remained in the Who's live set through the rest of the year and into 1970. In October 1969, the Who played six shows at the Fillmore East, where Leonard Bernstein praised them for their new music. [95] The group's show on 14 December at the London Coliseum was filmed for a possible future Tommy feature. [96] Lambert was keen for Tommy to be taken seriously and wanted the Who to perform at opera houses. [97] In June 1970, the group performed two shows at the Metropolitan Opera House, which was the first time Townshend announced the show as being the "last Tommy ever". [98] The group made a second trip to the Isle of Wight, appearing at the 1970 festival on 29 August, before an audience of 600,000. [87] The last live performance for 1970 was at The Roundhouse, London on 20 December. Townshend said "This is the very last time we'll play Tommy on stage", to which Keith Moon promptly cried, "Thank Christ for that!" [99] Tommy was originally released as a two- LP set with artwork designed by Mike McInnerney, which included a booklet including lyrics and images to illustrate parts of the story. Townshend asked McInnerney to do the cover artwork for Tommy in September 1968. [76] Townshend had originally considered Alan Aldridge for the cover. [76] The cover is presented as part of a triptych-style fold-out cover, and the booklet contained abstract artwork that outlined the story. [3] Although the album included lyrics to all the songs, indicating individual characters, it did not outline the plot, which led to a concert programme being prepared for shows, that carried a detailed synopsis. [3] Christgau, Robert (12 June 1969). "Whooopee!". The Village Voice. New York . Retrieved 3 July 2013. Cousin Kevin” sounds incredible here, with Moon’s manic, circular orchestral-flavored tom-tom rolls on the choruses almost stealing the show. John Entwistle’s midrange harmony on the choruses is haunting and much more apparent than on other versions I’ve heard. Indeed, the level of detailing apparent now on “Underture” is truly magnificent — just listen for those cymbal splashes and the depth of ambient space surrounding the tympani and tambourine. Dave Marsh thought the problem with the album's narrative is that there isn't enough transitional material provided by the lyrics. There are no stage directions, no cast, and narration is restricted to key phrases (such as "Tommy can you hear me?") [49] Key problems included an unclear explanation of what Tommy didn't hear or see in "1921", how or why he plays pinball, why "Smash the Mirror" leads into "I overwhelm as I approach you" (the opening line in "Sensation"), why Tommy tells his followers in "We're Not Gonna Take It" they cannot drink or smoke but can play pinball, and what the "you" is in "Listening to you, I get the music". [74]

Christgau, Robert (1969). "Robert Christgau's 1969 Jazz & Pop Ballot". Jazz & Pop . Retrieved 17 April 2014. The 180g pressing is excellent on this new half-speed Abbey Road mastered edition of Tommy. That dead-quiet and well-centered sensibility is really appreciated on moments like on Side Four, where it commences with the “Extra!” exaltations of “Miracle Cure” and then, after a tight pause, launches into the punchy acoustic-guitar drive of “Sally Simpson.” I’ve heard noisy pressings of this album before, and it is this clarity that’s most welcomed at these moments. Perhaps the most startling revelation in the recent reissues isn't on tape, but in the Quadrophenia super deluxe edition's booklet. Published for the first time is a letter from Townshend to his lawyer detailing his instructions for his exit from the band, after internal problems left him "losing any impetus either to write for the Who as a vehicle, or play with its members as a musician. I will not be dissuaded from my present feeling." Even more curious — and probably for the best for the sake of integrity — is the powers that be didn’t fix the quasi-typos from the original production. Meaning, certain titles there don’t quite match up with the original label. “Pin Ball Wizard,” for example, is the most obvious one, as it should be “Pinball Wizard.” They did, however, seem to update “Eyesight To The Blind” on the disc label to read, “Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker),” and also credit writer Sonny Boy Williamson in the process, whereas my U.S. pressing just says, “Eyesight To The Blind.” If you are a collector on the fence trying to figure out whether to splurge for a copy of this new reissue, little details like these may make a difference.Another common theme throughout the album is glass and mirrors, which is representative of reflections of identity and the concept of smashing and releasing. The song “I’m Free” is extremely cathartic and wonderful feeling as Tommy can finally sense and a lot of this symbolism goes along with smashing a mirror. This is all about destroying what people expect of you and why you’re supposed to see. It’s a liberation. Bargreen, Melinda (22 July 2005). "Glynn Ross, 90, turned Seattle into opera destination". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Townshend, Pete (1996). Tommy: The Interactive Adventure Then and Now. Eel Pie Publishing. Kardana & Interplay Productions. Cdrom for PC (CD-MCR-263-0 / CD-C95-263-0) or for Mac (CD-MCD −263-UK) This might seem acceptable, though tragic, but even after all of this abuse, once Tommy becomes the Pinball Wizard, his family again tempts and exploits the boy. This would certainly lend credence to the notion that Pete was abused as a child and that his parents ignored him until he became rich and famous, only then wanting their share of his fame. Eder, Bruce. "Tommy – As Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra". AllMusic . Retrieved 18 August 2014.