The Who: Pete Townshend (vocals, guitar, keyboards); John Entwistle (vocals, French horn, bass); Keith Moon (vocals, drums); Roger Daltrey (vocals).
Producers: Kit Lambert, Chris Stamp.
Reissue producer: Jon Astley.
Recorded at IBC Studio, London, England.
Originally released as a 2 LP set on Decca (7205).
The Who: Pete Townshend (vocals, guitar, keyboards); John Entwistle (vocals, bass, horns); Keith Moon (vocals, drums); Roger Daltrey (vocals).
Originally released on Decca (7205) in May 1969.
Originally released as a 2 LP set.
This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
The Who: Pete Townshend (vocals, guitar, keyboards); John Entwistle (vocals, trumpet, French horn, Flugelhorn, bass); Keith Moon (vocals, drums, tympani, gong, tambourine); Roger Daltrey (vocals).
Recorded at IBC Studio, London, England.
Originally released as a 2-LP set on Decca (7205).
Includes liner notes by Matt Kent.
The full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy that launched the band to international superstardom, written almost entirely by Pete Townshend. Hailed as a breakthrough upon its release, its critical standing has diminished somewhat in the ensuing decades because of the occasional pretensions of the concept and because of the insubstantial nature of some of the songs that functioned as little more than devices to advance the rather sketchy plot. Nonetheless, the double album has many excellent songs, including "I'm Free," "Pinball Wizard," "Sensation," "Christmas," "We're Not Gonna Take It," and the dramatic ten-minute instrumental "Underture." Though the album was slightly flawed, Townshend's ability to construct a lengthy conceptual narrative brought new possibilities to rock music. Despite the complexity of the project, he and the Who never lost sight of solid pop melodies, harmonies, and forceful instrumentation, imbuing the material with a suitably powerful grace. ~ Richie Unterberger
The definitive rock opera, TOMMY liberated the Who from a "singles band" stigma, marking them as a substantial artistic force. Composer Pete Townshend had flirted with the conceptual format on two previous releases, but here his vision is spread over two ambitious records that play to the Who's main strengths. Anthems such as the raucous "Pinball Wizard" and the surprisingly serene "I'm Free" emphasize the kinetic power of the band, while Townshend's cast of characters (the perverted Uncle Ernie, the inscrutable Tommy) reveals a wild and unconventional imagination. Townshend even incorporates Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" as part of his fable about the "deaf, dumb, and blind kid," making a successful reference to the past in what is an undeniably groundbreaking and forward-looking achievement.
The definitive rock opera, TOMMY liberated the Who from a "singles band" stigma, marking them as a substantial artistic force. Composer Pete Townshend had flirted with the conceptual format on two previous releases, but here his vision is spread over two ambitious records that play to the Who's main strengths. Anthems such as the raucous "Pinball Wizard" and the surprisingly serene "I'm Free" emphasize the kinetic power of the band, while Townshend's cast of characters (the perverted Uncle Ernie, the inscrutable Tommy) reveals a wild and unconventional imagination. Townshend even incorporates Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" as part of his fable about the "deaf, dumb, and blind kid," making a successful reference to the past in what is an undeniably groundbreaking and forward-looking achievement.
The definitive rock opera, TOMMY liberated the Who from a "singles band" stigma, marking them as a substantial artistic force. Composer Pete Townshend had flirted with the conceptual format on two previous releases, but here his vision is spread over two ambitious records that play to the Who's main strengths. Anthems such as the raucous "Pinball Wizard" and the surprisingly serene "I'm Free" emphasize the kinetic power of the band, while Townshend's cast of characters (the perverted Uncle Ernie, the inscrutable Tommy) reveals a wild and unconventional imagination. Townshend even incorporates Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" as part of his fable about the "deaf, dumb, and blind kid," making a successful reference to the past in what is an undeniably groundbreaking and forward-looking achievement.
The definitive rock opera, TOMMY liberated the Who from a "singles band" stigma, marking them as a substantial artistic force. Composer Pete Townshend had flirted with the conceptual format on two previous releases, but here his vision is spread over two ambitious records that play to the Who's main strengths. Anthems such as the raucous "Pinball Wizard" and the surprisingly serene "I'm Free" emphasize the kinetic power of the band, while Townshend's cast of characters (the perverted Uncle Ernie, the inscrutable Tommy) reveals a wild and unconventional imagination. Townshend even incorporates blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" as part of his fable about the "deaf, dumb, and blind kid," making a successful reference to the past in what is an undeniably groundbreaking and forward-looking achievement. minimize