The Cavern
Rock & Words
TOMMY (The Who, 1969)
Artist: The Who (B+)
Recording Dates: Sep '68 - Mar '69
Release Date: May 23rd, 1969. UK
Record Label: Polydor
Producer: Kit Lambert
Rating: 10 (MUST HAVE, ICONIC ALBUM)
Era: Hard Rock (1968-???)
Subgenre: Hard Rock
Best Song: Piball Wizard, or We’re Not Gonna take It, or Christmas, or Amazing Journey/Sparks…
Tracklist: 1) Overture 2) It's A Boy; 3) 1921; 4) Amazing Journey; 5) Sparks; 6) Eyesight To The Blind; 7) Christmas; 8) Cousin Kevin; 9) The Acid Queen; 10) Underture; 11) Do You Think It's Alright 12) Fiddle About; 13) Pinball Wizard; 14) There's A Doctor I've Found; 15) Go To The Mirror; 16) Tommy Can You Hear Me; 17) Smash The Mirror; 18) Sensation; 19) Miracle Cure; 20) Sally Simpson; 21) I'm Free; 22) Welcome; 23) Tommy's Holiday Camp; 24) We're Not Gonna Take It.
This is a legendary album. It's usually considered the first rock opera in history. The truth is, the Pretty Things beat The Who a year earlier with their rock opera SF Sorrow. But the fact is, nobody has heard it, or very few people have, so it had very little impact, unlike Tommy, which would become the seed for all subsequent rock operas and concept albums. Townshend himself would say that he was inspired by SF Sorrow to undertake this project, so the concept's origin is undisputed; it belongs to the Pretty Things. The interesting detail is that, to create their own SF Sorrow, they were inspired by "A Quick One (While He's Away)," a nine-minute, multi-part concept song by… guess WHO?
The thing is, this album is acclaimed by trillions of people and considered one of the best in rock history. Myself included. But it also has its fair share of detractors, who consider it a farce, mainly because the story is weak, and according to them, pathetic. First of all, those guys have probably never written anything other than scathing reviews, let alone anything about music. Writing and developing an idea to shape a story or a novel is incredibly complex, something that seems simple at first glance, but actually requires considerable effort from the writer. Try it. If it's terribly complicated in prose, now let's transfer that difficulty to a concept album, where the songs not only have to be linked together to create a convincing story, with each song being the equivalent of a "chapter" in the novel, with an introduction, rising action, and resolution, but also have to be accompanied by music, so that the emotions and the message are also reflected in the melodies and instrumentation. Ahhh! It doesn't sound like an easy task, does it?
Now, as for the story being weak, idiotic, and childish, I won't argue with you. The story begins with Captain Walker, a British officer who disappears during World War I. His wife gives birth to their son while he's away at war and ends up believing her missing husband is dead. After four years, he returns in 1921 to find his wife having an affair. He fights with the lover and kills him. Tommy, his son, witnesses the murder and is traumatized. When his parents tell him he "didn't see or hear anything," he takes it very literally and becomes mute, deaf, and blind (and somewhat mentally challenged), turning into a kind of catatonic blob who transforms his emotions into music. One Christmas, his parents realize that Tommy doesn't know how to pray or anything about Jesus and worry that he's going straight to hell. Later, Tommy is abused by his cousin Kevin, who enjoys torturing him until he gets fed up with his cousin's lack of reaction. Later, when he's a bit older, a pimp known as "The Hawker" promises Tommy and his mother a "VERY alternative method" to cure him, which involves a prostitute named Acid Queen fixing him through exorbitant doses of sex and LSD. Tommy isn't cured, but he does have an epic trip. Since the cure doesn't work, they leave him with his Uncle Ernie, who, to make matters worse, is a sadistic pedophile who sodomizes poor Tommy. After this, the boy realizes he has a kind of superpower with pinball and beats the reigning world pinball champion senseless. I can't quite figure out how he manages that, given that he's blind, deaf, and a bit of an idiot, but it's beside the point. The thing is, this makes him a sort of celebrity. With his newfound fame, his father finds a doctor who offers to cure him. After several tests, the doctor discovers that Tommy's problem is psychosomatic rather than physical, but he can't find a cure (what a genius, that doc!). His mother notices Tommy staring at a mirror, despite supposedly being blind, so she ends up smashing it, and Tommy miraculously returns to normal. This "return to life" makes him an even bigger celebrity, and Tommy becomes something of a messiah. During one of his performances, a girl named Sally, the daughter of a reverend, goes to hear him speak, and in the midst of the crowd, she is injured in the face by the police trying to control the crowd. Tommy then opens his house to those who want to reach a state of grace, and it soon becomes full, so he opens a camp around it, which is run by his uncle Ernie, who begins to profit from the people. Finally, Tommy, half-mad with power, asks his disciples to become blind, deaf, and mute so that they can reach the level of enlightenment he himself achieved, and the people, evidently, reject him and leave him alone.
All of this isn't as obvious as I'm making it sound, of course. The ideas are very abstract and must be found in the subtext scattered throughout the songs. In fact, to understand it as I've described it, Pete Townshend had to explain it in the simplest terms in multiple interviews, and it only became clearer with the 1975 film and the Broadway musical. The point is that the main idea—a deaf, mute, and blind boy who becomes a pinball guru—sounds incredibly idiotic to its detractors. And perhaps it is, but the idea is simple enough to become memorable and grand. At least it's more obvious as a concept than the idea of a Lonely Hearts Club Band with Sgt. Pepper singing a bunch of songs with a guy named Billy Shears, which is the only concept (if there is one) of Sgt. Pepper's. And it's considerably simpler and more memorable than other rock operas, like Quadrophenia by The Who, or The Wall by Pink Floyd. In that respect, Tommy is much more direct and effective, and the 24 tracks fit perfectly to narrate the idea that Townshend wants to describe, unlike The Wall, in which Waters' idea seems to fall short and is somewhat confusing due to the level of depth it aims for.
Musically, it's a gem, and perhaps this is what sets it apart from other rock operas. This is Townshend's creative peak as a songwriter. He wrote almost all the tracks, with the exception of one by Enwistle, another by Moon (theoretically also written by Pete, but it's unknown why it was attributed to Keith), and a Sonny Boy Williamson cover. The standout feature is the sheer number of incredibly well-crafted riffs on the album. Tracks like "Pinball Wizard," "Amazing Journey," "Sparks," "I'm Free," "The Acid Queen," "Go To The Mirror," "See Me Feel Me," and "We're Not Gonna Take It" are monumental, catchy, and surprisingly good, largely responsible for Townshend finally being recognized as a top-tier guitarist. Most of the tracks are also acoustic, although the characteristic electric bursts are still present, but used with greater maturity and less feedback. In addition to the major classics, there are shorter pieces, ranging from fifteen seconds to a minute and a half, that serve as linking elements to the story, applying what they did on Sell Out, but more effectively. Everything serves the narrative; the music creates textures that complement the opera and aligns with the emotions it aims to convey. And finally, there's that "central theme or musical figure," which is essentially "See Me Feel Me," repeated several times in different songs throughout the album.
The other band members also contribute. Roger sings convincingly, now achieving absolute mastery of his voice, sounding powerful with his roar or moving and emotional as needed, although Pete himself sings a good number of tracks. John's bass playing continues to evolve, becoming increasingly expansive and creative, also nearing its peak. Keith has become a monster, displaying a splendid display of technique throughout the album. The band is now at its peak, and the next step is to maintain that level for as long as possible. Another detail is that Pete, Roger, and John manage to create some truly spectacular triple vocal harmonies (sometimes doubling up to achieve even more), and they also subtly add pianos and keyboards, though not yet as prominently as the synthesizers on their next studio album. We have some French horns and a few studio tricks thrown in, but it's practically The Who's usual lineup: a power trio plus the vocalist putting on a virtuoso display of technique, with a basic but sufficient sound. Legend has it that Townshend intended to add orchestrations to give it a more rounded and psychedelic sound, but by then they'd been recording for eight months and the record label was demanding the album be delivered. In the end, I think it was for the best, since the "raw" sound of the instrumentation is more than enough; not a single note is missing or superfluous, and adding more might have risked overproduction. It's not that I don't like the detail of Quadrophenia—it's also majestic—but I prefer the simplicity and effectiveness of Tommy. Let's get to the songs; there are quite a few.
Tommy opens with "Overture", an instrumental track that serves as a triumphant entrance to the grand work. The song is majestic, and from the very first note, you know you're in for something different and very special. The song has several sections and tempo changes, exploring some of the riffs or "musical themes" that we'll hear throughout the album. There are some subtle pianos, and John Entwistle makes a great debut as a French horn player, delivering some excellent solos that give the song a unique vibe. At around 1:30, we're treated to an angelic vocal melody with all three voices. Oh, and from the very beginning, Moon sounds colossal, laying down his drum rolls and traversing the drums in his distinctive style, but without overpowering the song. Around 3:50, the song slows down, and Pete is left with his acoustic guitar, adding some very nice touches. In the final moments, the vocals enter, revealing that Captain Walker has been presumed dead in the Great War. A great, spectacular intro for this magical work.
The opera itself begins with "It's A Boy", a very simple theme, with John again providing a very professional and warm horn arrangement, and Pete playing very gentle arpeggios while the doctor (or the midwife) announces to Mrs. Walker that it is a boy, and at the end of the barely 40 seconds the band repeats in chorus "A Sooooon, A soooon."
We continue with “1921”, which, with its simple title (clever Pete), jumps four years ahead. Tommy's mother is with a lover, innocently believing that 1921 will be a great year. And so the song begins, light and optimistic, with happy guitar riffs. Then Captain Walker arrives, sentences the man as the music turns bitter, and kills the lover. The mother asks, in some dramatic bridges, “What about the boy?” And then Roger, Pete, and John engage in a sing-song interlude, implying that both parents are reciting to the boy, “You didn't hear it.” And Tommy replies, “(I heard it)” They insist, “You didn't see it. (I saw it) You won't say anything to no one (I won't say anything to no one) Never in your life. (never in my life).” This fragment is crucial because it explains the boy's catatonic state, as he does nothing but obey his parents' orders for the rest of his life. Musically, it's beautiful, a ballad that begins with crystalline piano arpeggios that are later replaced by the same figure on guitar. The changes serve to emphasize and reflect the thematic drama, and it truly works from beginning to end. It's often overlooked, but the song is constructed with overwhelming intelligence by Pete, who uses every possible resource (even multiple voices) to achieve the effect. And Roger, for his part, is capable of giving you goosebumps with the emotion with which he sings some parts. The song ends at 2:50 with some melancholic strumming and a final cry from the mother: “What about the boy?”
We continue with “Amazing Journey”, where Pete starts off very calmly with his strumming, and it seems we're going to continue in the same vein as the previous track when, at :45, Mr. Moon goes wild and unleashes an immeasurable barrage of drumming that, on its own, injects impressive power into the opening riff. This is when we realize that Keith has reached his peak as a drummer; follow him through the rest of the song and see how it's impossible to add another drum hit without losing the elegance. Roger sings in a high, hypnotic tone, narrating how Tommy becomes blind, mute, deaf, and stupid. Tommy is 10 years old and lives immersed in himself, in a delirium where he transforms his emotions into music. At 1:35, they shift to a more festive and pounding rhythm and close again with that slightly off-beat riff, which segues into “Sparks.”
“Sparks” is another instrumental track, featuring psychedelic effects of reversed clave that give the impression of seagull cries (somewhat remotely similar to “Tomorrow Never Knows”) and a brief electric solo, also recorded in reverse. This attempts to reflect the intense mental journey Tommy is experiencing. After a minute, the rhythm changes, and John delivers a monumental bass solo, while Moon also contributes his own unique touch. Then the tempo slows again, revealing another combined bass and guitar riff from 1:40 to 2:10. From there, they shift to a different, more aggressive and dramatic musical theme, punctuated by Keith's cymbal crashes. This theme gradually fades away until the song closes at 3:47. For an instrumental piece, it's truly fascinating and continues to convey distinct emotions in each section. Listen to it with your eyes closed!
Next up is “Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)”, an original Sonny Boy Williamson song. Townshend took a blues track from '51 and gave it a makeover that was a perfect fit. In fact, it doesn't sound out of place at all. Roger delivers a menacing and powerful vocal performance, impersonating a certain Hawker, a pimp who boasts about one of his women, who is so skilled at what she does that she can heal the blind. Musically, they create a kind of march that perfectly complements the aggressive lyrics, losing its bluesy essence and fitting seamlessly into the rest of the album, so much so that almost no one will realize it's a cover unless they read the credits.
“Christmas” is another of the album's highlights that often goes unnoticed. A true showcase of brilliant riffs and masterful drumming. The opening riff is playful and cheerful, with Roger singing tirelessly while John and Pete provide hilarious backing vocals that sound like clucking chickens. Tommy's parents are worried because it's Christmas and Tommy doesn't seem to grasp its meaning, or who Jesus is, and they fear for his soul. So they try to “wake him up,” with that change of pace at 1:55, with his mother hysterically shouting, “Tommy, can you hear me???”—another recurring theme. At 2:30 there's another change, with Tommy tenderly replying, “See me, feel me, touch me,” though his parents obviously don't hear him. If Daltrey's voice doesn't move you almost to tears in this section, then go immediately to your nearest cardiologist to find out what's wrong with you.
Then we have “Cousin Kevin”, with an arpeggio and drums that drive the song forward, but what you really need to focus on are the interwoven, bittersweet, and utterly stunning vocal harmonies. The song is credited to Entwistle, his only contribution to the album, but it's appreciated that Pete allowed at least one collaboration. It's a minor track, but it reaches dramatic moments thanks to Keith's spectacular cymbal work, constantly shifting and shifting. The song describes the wicked cousin Kevin, a typical bully who beats up the defenseless Tommy.
It seems the abuse works because they finally take him to the "doctor" recommended by "The Hawker." This is "The Acid Queen", a prostitute who tries to cure Tommy with sex and LSD. The song is another of the band's great classics, with a driving guitar riff, machine-gun drums, and impeccable vocals, this time from Pete himself. The solo is simple, with electric guitar, but it sounds wild, and the song itself manages to convey the experience of little Tommy.
Well, no. The acid effect is handled by "Underture", which closes the first disc. It's an instrumental track of just over 10 minutes. Many accuse it of being blatant filler to pad out the double album, but the truth is it's a veritable catalog of riffs and a masterclass in instrumental performance, revisiting the "musical themes" throughout the album. The shifts, mood changes, and rhythms are supposed to give us an idea of the effects of acid and sex on Tommy. It must have been quite an experience! I don't doubt it was originally intended as filler, but if all albums had filler of this caliber, there wouldn't be any albums rated lower than 8! Close your eyes and enjoy the ride…
The second part opens with “Do You Think Is Alright”, a 25-second mini-track that highlights the way the voices intertwine, and the parents wonder if they should leave him with Uncle Ernie after the “Acid Queen” failed in her attempt to cure him.
“Fiddle About” is a bizarre and utterly sinister track where, if Tommy wasn't miserable enough, he's sodomized by Uncle Ernie. Musically, it has a bizarre mood, from the horn intro and the strange melody to that repetitive chorus that gets on your nerves. If I didn't know that was precisely the intention, I'd rate it blue. Sometimes it reminds me of Syd Barrett's strobe-like themes on Pink Floyd's debut. It only lasts 1:30, but the ending is so overwhelming that it truly makes you feel like you're in poor Tommy's shoes. The track is credited to Entwistle.
Another masterpiece follows, “Pinball Wizard”, one of rock's crowning achievements, showcasing all of Townshend's guitar prowess, from that acoustic guitar riff that blends with the power chords (I can just picture him whirling his arm) to a powerful and classic riff. It has to be one of the most perfect intros ever. Then the song explodes into another electric riff, and Roger continues singing at breakneck speed, narrating how Tommy becomes a pinball wizard, becoming one with the machine, without distractions, feeling every movement of the game, so that he thrashes the world champion. The drumming is monumental, with spectacular cymbal work. At 2:15 the song seems to stop, but they repeat the formidable intro as an outro in a fade-out. A gem. Besides being the album's title track, it was one of The Who's most emblematic singles, perhaps their most famous and representative song. Lyrics aside, it's an incredibly powerful track with impeccable execution. It lasts just under 3 minutes, but it always leaves me wishing it were at least twice as long. A true classic.
“There’s a Doctor” is a harmless little song sung by Pete, in just 25 seconds, with a playful piano and in which he describes the mother who has found a doctor who can cure Tommy.
Then there's "Go To The Mirror" with its frenetic electric riff and catchy vocal melody, in which the miraculous doctor realizes that the blind boy is staring into a mirror. Next comes the poignant "See Me, Feel Me," this time adding a "Heal me," after which the Doc understands that Tommy is trying to react, and that the problem isn't physical, but psychological. The dialogue and musical themes are interwoven throughout, dramatically rising and falling in tempo. The doctor asks him to go to the mirror. At 2:30, a third section, "Listen To You," enters, combining power and distortion with a hypnotic melody for an epic and majestic finale. All the main themes of the opera converge in this song, with Roger and Pete alternating lead vocals to represent the dialogue or the voices of the different characters.
“Tommy Can You Hear Me” is another minor track, very rhythmic and with good vocal arrangements. It lasts only a minute and a half, and in it the parents try again to communicate with Tommy, knowing that he is still inside.
Then comes “Smash The Mirror” with a very powerful intro that combines bass and guitar with drum rolls. Roger sounds wild, embodying the mother who realizes Tommy is mesmerized by “seeing” his reflection in a mirror, thus realizing he can actually see. At :40, there's a spectacular crescendo with the bass building tension until it explodes as the mother threatens to smash the mirror, until we hear the shattering of glass and… well, we draw our own conclusions. This, perhaps because of its construction and handling of tension, is the best of the album's lesser-known tracks.
Next up is “Sensation”, in which Tommy narrates his feelings upon “waking up” after the mirror shattered. It’s an acoustic song with piano arrangements, a solid bass line, and some intriguing trumpet flourishes, but it’s not particularly memorable. Tommy becomes a sensation, and toward the end, he talks about his first disciples.
Then comes “Miracle Cure”, just 12 seconds long. It’s a jingle very much in the style of a sell-out, a radio spot spreading the news that the pinball master has awakened, and revealing that he has become a celebrity.
"Sally Simpson" adds little to the story. I consider it a minor, four-minute song with a rather weak melody. However, it features a good piano part and vocal melody fragments that redeem the song. The story revolves around Sally, Reverend Simpson's daughter, who falls in love with Tommy and is convinced they are meant for each other. She runs away to see him during one of his sermons, but when Tommy appears, chaos erupts in the crowd, and the police respond. Suddenly, she discovers she has a 16-stitch wound on her head. In the end, she's left with a huge scar and married to a California rock star. It really only serves to give us an idea of Tommy's level of celebrity at this point, but it's one of the less imaginative songs, at least musically.
Next comes “I'm Free”, another excellent track, where the album's climax begins. It's a short song, almost half the length of the previous one, but twice as interesting, with a great, incisive, and soaring riff that made it another of The Who's key tracks. Daltrey sounds angelic, as if he has truly achieved the spiritual liberation that Tommy preaches. In the story, he urges the audience to follow him toward spiritual freedom, having become a kind of Messiah. The vocal arrangements are also heavenly, and despite the aggression of the electric guitar and drums, the vocals generally convey a sense of searching for peace. Towards the end, they do a kind of reprise of the closing track, “Pinball Wizard.” In concerts, they would rearrange the song order, placing this one immediately after “Smash the Mirror” to give it a more direct reference to Tommy's liberation from his semi-vegetative state.
“Welcome” is the only track I find bad. Mainly because it's too slow, boring, and its 4:34 duration feels endless. It has practically no melody and sounds like a failed experimental track, even with the tempo change at 1:30. In it, Tommy invites all his disciples to live in his house, until it's overflowing. It could have been a much shorter track…
“Tommy’s Holiday Camp” is more playful and fun. It’s credited to Keith Moon, who again plays the famous Uncle Ernie (a messiah doesn’t hold grudges), running the camp that had to be set up for his nephew’s followers since the house wasn’t big enough. It lasts at least a minute, and Keith’s voice, plus the instrumentation with that electric organ and banjo, makes it fun. Finally, the last “Welcome” is sung with the same soulful voice as “Boris The Spider,” remember?
The closing track is monumental, "We're Not Gonna Take It", another highlight of the album. With an organ and a great rhythm, the song begins with Tommy welcoming his followers, urging them to play pinball, and if they want to achieve enlightenment, to cover their eyes, put in earplugs, and corks in their mouths (at least he didn't ask them to mutilate themselves). Then come the bridges that give the song its name, the first as a whisper, as if the discontent were timidly spreading at first. By the second, the whole band is singing, as if the entire crowd were protesting. In between, the choruses are masterful, especially the second: "We're not gonna take it, Never did and never will, Don't want no religion." This gives the whole work a slight twist, turning it into a kind of religious satire. At 3:30, after his followers let him know they don't intend to swallow his teachings and plan to forget him, Tommy becomes saddened and returns to the theme of "See Me, Feel Me," seemingly asking for forgiveness as he realizes he's alone again. At 4:30, there's a monumental drum roll and the "Listen To You" section is inserted for a monumental coda that extends to the 7-minute mark in one of the most glorious moments in rock. This coda includes a couple of verses that repeat like a mantra, and which are perhaps the most sensible and lyrically beautiful part of the entire album. This ending leaves us with a great feeling due to its magnificent and colossal aura, with Tommy finally finding true meaning and enlightenment. Epic!
Invariably, one is left with the feeling of having heard something historic, something that still feels fresh. Its detractors are left with the idea of a story inspired by a lot of drugs (of that there is no doubt) but which boils down to a blind, deaf, and mute boy who plays pinball, which is only "Pinball Wizard," not the complete work. The religious undertones of "We're Not Gonna Take It" lead me to believe it's a much deeper satire than it initially appears, touching on themes ranging from the cowardice of supposed war heroes (take that, Waters!!!), the transfer of guilt from parents to children, the psychological defenses we construct for ourselves (here lies the seed of The Wall!!!), corrupted family ties, the failure of drugs and sex as a response for a generation (!!!!), infatuations with public figures, abuses of power, false messiahs and the failings of religion, and finally the moral that enlightenment, nirvana, is unique and personal, not imposed by anything or anyone. But that's just my hunch, hahaha.
The thing is, this album, in my opinion, is much deeper than it first appears. That silly psychedelic fairytale disguise conceals quite a lot if you look closely, and in a more effective and less convoluted way than the aforementioned *The Wall*. On the other hand (and this is to answer a question I was asked), musically it's top-notch, with riffs, textures, and harmonies, and you can enjoy it just as much, if not more, by focusing solely on the musical power and the emotions the band generates, without paying any attention to the lyrics. In this respect, *Tommy* is perhaps the best example of this. Music, and rock in particular, is based on instrumentation and the ability of music alone to convey emotions. If, in addition, the lyrics manage to contribute in the rare case that they do, it's a bonus. Few bands achieve this, and I think The Who, from this point on, do so quite successfully.
It goes without saying that this is a landmark album, incredibly influential on many subsequent concept albums, and one that still marks a turning point. The band spent two years performing it live, only twice in its entirety; the rest of the time they removed the lesser tracks, leaving behind an "enhanced and expanded" version, as Townshend himself would say. Two recordings from these concerts are considered among the best live performances ever recorded: Live at Leeds Part II and Live at the Isle of Wight. I only intend to review Live at Leeds Part I (considered the best live album ever), not Part II, but we'll delve into the Isle of Wight performance later, where they put on an impressive show for this album. With it, The Who became one of the most powerful bands of the 60s-70s transition, alongside Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and they would maintain a level very close to this perfection on their next two albums.
I won't say it often, but this has to be one of the 10 best albums of all time. Therefore, a must-have and an undisputed 10. If you haven't heard it, you're probably blind, deaf, mute, and… well, you know.
By Corvan
Sep/7/2011
(First original review in Webs)
