Tommy

Tommy is a Opéra-rock British rock group The Who left in 1969.

It is classified 96e with the classification of stores Rolling Stone of the 500 best albums of all times. The album reached the 4th place of the American charts, remaining in the list of the albums most sold during 126 weeks. It went up until the #2 to the United Kingdom (the first place was occupied by Nashville Skyline of Bob Dylan).

History of the album

A Rock opera being a history told in music, to the manner of a novel, the history of Tommy thus follows a synopsis written by Pete Townshend.

Characters

  • Tommy Walker: the " héros" history.
  • Captain Walker: the father of Tommy.
  • Mrs Walker: the mother of Tommy.
  • the lover: the father-in-law of Tommy.
  • the uncle Ernie: the alcoholic and perverse uncle of Tommy.
  • Kevin Cousin: the cousin of Tommy, the " tyrant of the école".
  • the Hawker ( the Hawker ): the chief of a sect.
  • Pinball Wizard: the champion in title of a tournament of flipper, until it loses against Tommy.
  • Acid Queen (or " Gitane") : a prostitute who tries to help Tommy to cure by giving him drugs hallucinogens.
  • the Doctor: a doctor who tries to cure Tommy but which discovers that all its dysfunctions are psychological.
  • Sally Simpson : one of the disciples of Tommy.

History in the chronological order

The album was mainly written by Pete Townshend, which itself was mainly influenced by Kit Lambert which, after the listening of the piece Rael , drawn from The Who Sell Out , was the first with speaking about rock opera.

  • Overture / It' S.A. Boy : the Walker Captain, of the British army, is reported missing to the combat during the First World War; its return seems impossible. Little time after having received this terrible news, his wife, Mrs Walker, gives birth to a son, Tommy.

  • 1921 : three years after the end of the war, the Walker Captain turns over to the house and discovers that his wife was a new lover. Insane of rage, the captain strikes the lover and kills it. Tommy sees the scene by the half-opened door. The parents of Tommy say that he did not understand anything, anything to him considering, and that he will not say anything to anybody all his life. The child, traumatized, becomes deaf, dumb and blind man.
  • Amazing Journey / Sparks : the subconscious of Tommy appears with him as being a man of big size vêtu of silver plated dresses, having a very long gilded beard. The vision takes it along in a spiritual voyage where the boy learns how to translate all his feelings into music.
  • Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) : The parents of Tommy take it along to the church of a sect to try to look after it.
  • Christmas : the parents of Tommy fear that Tommy is not prone to the eternal Damnation since it cannot know Jesus nor to request.
  • Cousin Kevin : Too much trustful, the parents of Tommy leaves it with the guard of his/her Kevin cousin. This last seizes the occasion for martyriser Tommy in various ways, without fearing to be discovered. It ends up being wearied lack of reactions of Tommy.
  • Acid Queen / Underture : The parents of Tommy again try to cure it, this time by engaging a woman who tries to save it by using Hallucinogène S. Underture is instrumental which describes the voyage of Tommy under the effect of LSD.
  • C You Think It' S Alright / Fiddle Butt : Tommy is entrusted to his/her uncle Ernie, an alcoholic and a sexual Pervers. This last benefits from it to misuse Tommy without fear sexually of being made take.
  • Pinball Wizard : Tommy has a talent for the Flipper ( pinball ), and quickly gains the victory against the champion in title, and becomes famous.
  • There' S.A. Doctor / Go to the Mirror : The parents of Tommy find a specialist physician to try once more to look after its handicap. After several tests, one says to them that the problem is not physical, but Psychosomatique. While the parents try to make him recover its directions, Tommy tries to leave its interior prison.
  • Tommy Edge You Hear Me? / Smash the Mirror! : The mother continues her attempts to save Tommy. But this last does not seem to notice it, fixing a mirror unceasingly. The mother, exceeded, breaks the mirror.
  • Feeling / Miracle Cleans : The breaking of the mirror projects Tommy out of its vegetative state. The cure of Tommy creates sensation, and it reaches a statute of guru. Then, he assumes a quasi-Messianic dimension and tries to lead his disciples to the same illumination as him. Miracle Cleans is a short song (12 seconds!) mentioning a newspaper seller to announce the news of the cure of Tommy.
  • Sally Simpson : Sally, one of the fans of Tommy, girl of Pasteur, flees of his house to attend the one of its speeches. It tries to touch the guru, but is violently pushed back by safety and receives a notch with the face.
  • I' m Free : the song tells one of the attempts at Tommy to illuminate those which listen to its sermons.
  • Welcome / Tommy' S Holiday Camp : Tommy opens its own house with all those which will want to follow it, and requires to invite as much world than possible. But well quickly, its house is full, then Tommy built a holiday camp to accommodate everyone. It is the uncle Ernie who greets the new arrivals.
  • We' Re Not Gonna Take It : Tommy requires of its follower to become deaf, dumb and blind men to reach a certain spiritual height. But authority of its worship, and the exploitation of its disciples by his family make that its fans revolt. Given up by its admirers and its disciples, Tommy gains a new illumination.

In the album, the history is somewhat dispersed, and of many details were added by Pete Townshend in interviews. Thus, several versions changed the beginning of the history, moving it of 1921 to 1951. The film also changed a principal pivot: in this version, it is the lover who kills the Walker captain. That leads to many confusions on the course of the history. Tommy is one of the two “operas rock'n'roll” composed by Who and the first musical work in the world to assert this name. The double album tells a history indeed utilizing several characters who speak in turn, with the manner of a novel or a play. Roger Waters will take again thereafter the concept with Pink Floyd to create The Wall .

Reception

When Tommy appeared, criticisms were divided into two camps: the first thought that it was a masterpiece, the beginning of a new era. The seconds asserted that work was " malade" because of its very dark topic. The album was interdict of antenna on BBC and several American radios. Finally, the album had an enormous business success; the frequent performances of the rock opera in concert made it possible the group to take a new dimension with the international level.

The pieces Overture , Pinball Wizard and the See Me, final Feel Me appeared in individual and rather often passed to the radio. Pinball Wizard reached signal 20 in the United States and signal 5 in Great Britain. See Me, Feel assembled Me until the first twenty American places, and I' m Free touched signal 40. Overture , Christmas , I' m Free and See Me, Feel appeared to Me in EP at the end of 1970. Tommy was introduced in Grammy Hall off Famed in 1998.

Artistic characteristics

Even if Tommy is regarded as a Opéra-rock, it is far from having all the characteristics of the opera to the common direction of the term. According to Richard Barnes, biographer and historian of the Who, it can be described like a " Cantata rock" or like a " cycle songs rock".

Musicalement, Tommy is a complex assembly of arrangements pop-rock'n'roll, generally based on the guitar of Pete Townshend, and then built with Overdub S played by the other members of the group. Many instruments were used: Guitar S (acoustic and electric), low, Piano, Organ, battery, gong, drinking cups, Trumpet, French horn, vocal harmonies with three votes sometimes doubled on the solos. In spite of this instrumental richness, the sound tends to being very " âpre" , especially compared to following work of the group. Many instruments appear only intermittently; the horn only plays very little on Underture . Moreover, the added instruments are mixed rather low, requiring an attentive listening to detect them. Townshend mixes the usual Picking and its Power chord S, playing of the Rif S rough; in certain delicate moments, its guitar sounds like a Clavecin. Keith Moon control its play in the most dramatic moments. The low one of John Entwistle supports the unit, while being used sometimes as instrument soloist. Roger Daltrey fanfaronne as a principal singer, but division this role with the other members of the group on many tracks. The interest to come from Townshend for the synthetizers is detectable on certain songs, of which Amazing Journey , presenting strange sound research.

Amazing Journey can be interpreted as being the central point of the album: its words are essential for the comprehension of the opera (beyond the history a little easy to include/understand). Go to the Mirror! is the top of the album from the dramatic and musical point of view; the public rose spontaneously at the time of Go to the Mirror! and remained upright until the end, in silence, contrary to the practices of the normal public of the Who. We' Re Not Gonna Take It /See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You is the outcome of the album. However, the group, instead of using insipid length out present on the disc, the group preferred to use the front of Go to the Mirror! . Several topics are repeated with the length of the opera to give him a coherent framework.

Various controversies transfer the day at the exit of the disc. The topic of the sexual abuse on Fiddle About caused an outcry. Others claimed that Townshend had drawn its inspiration from the first rock opera of the history, published a few months before, S.F. Sorrow of the Pretty Things. However, Townshend had been itself the precursor of its work, in particular with has Quick One While He' S Away , Rael and Glow Girl . Beyond the history, of which good number of analyzes were made, this album contains pieces which will remain in the legend of the group, in particular Pinball Wizard , and two instrumental ( Sparks and Underture ).

List songs

All the songs were written by Pete Townshend, except where mentioned.

Original album

  1. " Overture " - 5:21
  2. " It' S.A. Boy " - 0:38
  3. " 1921 " - 2:49
  4. " Amazing Journey " - 3:25
  5. " Sparks " - 3:46
  6. " Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) " (Sony Servant boy Williamson II) - 2:13
  7. " Christmas " - 4:34
  8. " Cousin Kevin " (John Entwistle) - 4:07
  9. " Acid Queen " - 3:34
  10. " Underture " - 10:09
  11. " C You Think It' S Alright? " - 0:24
  12. " Fiddle Butt " (John Entwistle) - 1:26
  13. " Pinball Wizard " - 3:01
  14. " There' S.A. Doctor " - 0:23
  15. " Go to the Mirror! " - 3:49
  16. " Tommy, Edge You Hear Me? " - 1:36
  17. " Smash the Mirror " - 1:35
  18. " Feeling " - 2:27
  19. " Miracle Cleans " - 0:12
  20. " Sally Simpson " - 4:12
  21. " I' m Free " - 2:40
  22. " Welcome " - 4:34
  23. " Tommy' S Holiday Camp " (Keith Moon) - 0:57
  24. " We' Re Not Gonna Take It " - 7:08

Edition deluxe

It is an increased edition, published in 2003. The first disc represents the original album, second is composed of demonstrations, alternative catches and scarcities.

Disc 1

  1. " Overture " - 5:21
  2. " It' S.A. Boy " - 0:38
  3. " 1921 " - 2:49
  4. " Amazing Journey " - 3:25
  5. " Sparks " - 3:46
  6. " Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) " (Sony Servant boy Williamson II) - 2:13
  7. " Christmas " - 4:34
  8. " Cousin Kevin " (John Entwistle) - 4:07
  9. " Acid Queen " - 3:34
  10. " Underture " - 10:09
  11. " C You Think It' S Alright? " - 0:24
  12. " Fiddle Butt " (John Entwistle) - 1:26
  13. " Pinball Wizard " - 3:01
  14. " There' S.A. Doctor " - 0:23
  15. " Go to the Mirror! " - 3:49
  16. " Tommy, Edge You Hear Me? " - 1:36
  17. " Smash the Mirror " - 1:35
  18. " Feeling " - 2:27
  19. " Miracle Cleans " - 0:12
  20. " Sally Simpson " - 4:12
  21. " I' m Free " - 2:40
  22. " Welcome " - 4:34
  23. " Tommy' S Holiday Camp " (Keith Moon) - 0:57
  24. " We' Re Not Gonna Take It " - 7:08

Disc 2

  1. "I Was" - 0:17
  2. " Christmas (out-take 3) " - 4:44
  3. " Cousin Kevin Model Child" - 1:26
  4. " Young Man Blues (version 1) " (Mose Allison) - 2:53
  5. " Tommy Edge You Hear Me? (alternate version) " - 2:00
  6. " Trying To Get Through" - 2:51
  7. " Sally Simpson (out-takes) " - 4:10
  8. " Simpson" miss; - 4:20
  9. " Welcome (take 2) " - 3:44
  10. " Tommy' S Holiday Camp (band' S version) " (Keith Moon) - 1:09
  11. " We' Re Not Gonna Take It (alternate version) " - 6:12
  12. " Dogs Leaves Two " (Keith Moon) - 2:30
  13. " It' S.A. Boy (Pete' S demonstration version) " - 0:44
  14. " Amazing Journey (Pete' S demonstration version) " - 3:43
  15. " Christmas (Pete' S demonstration version) " - 1:58
  16. " C You Think It' S Alright? (Pete' S demonstration version) " - 0:29
  17. " Pinball Wizard (Pete' S demonstration version) " - 3:47

Orchestral version

At the end of 1972, the contractor Lou Reizner presented two orchestral versions of Tommy to Rainbow Theater of London. This version was played by the Who, surrounded by prestigious guests, the whole supported by the London Symphony Orchestra directed by David Measham. These concerts were to use to promote the new orchestral version in studio of Tommy , directed by Lou Reizner.

In concert and studio, roles were held by stars of the time: David Essex, Maggie Beautiful, Sandy Denny, Steve Winwood, Rod Stewart, Richie Havens, Ringo Starr. Pete Townshend played a little guitar, but the music was primarily orchestral.

The version studio of Tommy appeared in a luxurious box, with a very worked small pocket, a Flipper like principal reason. Moreover, this packing, conceived by Wilkes And Braun, accepted the Grammy Award better packaging in 1974.

The orchestral version was played in Australia in March 1973, in front of thousands of spectators at the time of concerts in the open air (Myer Music Bowl de Melbourne and Randwick Racecourse of Sydney). Keith Moon appeared episodically to play the Uncle Ernie, with stars local like Daryl Braithwaite (in the role of Tommy), Billy Thorpe, Doug Parkinson, Wendy Saddington, Jim Keays, Grame Beautiful, Broderick Smith, Colleen Hewitt, Linda George, Ross Wilson, Bobby Bright and a complete orchestra.

Pirated versions in the concerts (recorded by BBC) are appeared.

Below the list of the tracks for the orchestral version is, with the singers between brackets.

List tracks

  1. "Overture" (London Symphony Orchestrated)
  2. " It' S.A. Boy" (Sandy Denny & Pete Townshend)
  3. " 1921" (Beautiful Graham, Maggie Beautiful, Roger Daltrey & Steve Winwood)
  4. " Amazing Journey" (Pete Townshend)
  5. " Sparks" (London Symphony Orchestrated)
  6. " Eyesight to the Blind" (Richie Havens)
  7. " Christmas" (Roger Daltrey & Steve Winwood)
  8. " Kevin" cousin; (John Entwistle)
  9. " The Acid Queen" (Merry Clayton)
  10. " Underture" (London Symphony Orchestrated)
  11. " C You Think It' S Alright? " (Beautiful Maggie & Steve Winwood)
  12. " Fiddle About" (Ringo Starr)
  13. " Pinball Wizard" (Rod Stewart)
  14. " There' S.A. Doctor" (Roger Daltrey, Richard Harris & Steve Winwood)
  15. " Go to the Mirror" (Roger Daltrey & Steve Winwood)
  16. " Tommy, Edge You Hear Me? " (Beautiful Maggie)
  17. " Smash the Mirror" (Beautiful Maggie)
  18. " I' m Free" (Roger Daltrey)
  19. " Cure" miracle; (Choir Chamber)
  20. " Sensation" (Roger Daltrey)
  21. " Sally Simpson" (Pete Townshend)
  22. " Welcome" (Roger Daltrey)
  23. " Tommy' S Holiday Camp" (Roger Daltrey & Ringo Starr)
  24. " We' Re Not Gonna Take It" (Roger Daltrey)
  25. " See Me, Me" Feel; (Roger Daltrey)

Film

See also: Tommy (film)

The English scenario writer Ken Russell realized in 1975 Tommy , a film based on the songs of the album and constituting a setting in scene of the rock opera imagined by Who. The participation of stars such as Eric Clapton, Elton John, Jack Nicholson or Tina Turner with this film testifies to the influence that Tommy had on the world of the rock'n'roll.

Tommy was one of first musical films to appear with a band its Hi-fi in multichannel (named for the occasion " quintaphonic sound "). It was presented in many cinemas with a very powerful reinforcement of sound, so that the volume of the sound was level in a concert.

In spite of criticisms mitigated, the film was large a commercial success at its exit, until being recognized as Film worship thanks to scenes such plays about it of Ann-Margret in enough of Haricot S (a reference to the small pocket of The Who Sell Out , where Roger Daltrey takes a bath of it), the satire of the pop music in the scene of Sally Simpson . Other scenes remained in the spirits, like the memorable role of Elton John (fitted giant Dr. Martens) in Pinball Wizard and that of Tina Turner, in electric the Acid Queen .

Townshend worked over again the scenario of its rock opera for film, clearing up obscure passages of the original version, and installing the screen during one more credible time of the modern history, i.e. the exit of the Second world war. The intrigue of film comprises another major difference: here, the father of Tommy is assassinated by the lover of his mother, whereas the opposite was in the beginning.

Townshend also supervised the production of a new double album, on which arrangements of not recorded orchestras that it had considered for the original album of Tommy, in 1969, fûrent realized with a massive use of Synthétiseur S. On this original soundtrack, several musicians were invited, like Caleb Quaye and John " Rabbit" Bundrick. The song Pinball Wizard was a major hit at its individual exit in . Curiously, although the piece was recorded entirely by Elton John and its group, the film presents Elton playing with Who.

The majority of the appearing S were students of the polytechnic school of Portsmouth, paid by tickets in a concert of Who after the end of turning.

List of the original soundtrack of 1975

  1. "Overture from Tommy" (interpreted by the Who) - 4:59
  2. " Prolog" - 1945 (interpreted by Pete Townshend and John Entwistle) - 3:00
  3. " Captain Walker/It' S.A. Boy" (interpreted by Pete Townshend, Margo Newman and Vicki Brown) - 2:38
  4. " Bernie' S Holiday Camp" (interpreted by the Who, with the voices of Oliver Reed, AsMargret and Alison Dowling) - 3:42
  5. " 1951/What butt the Servant boy? " (interpreted by Mott the Hoople, with the voices of AsMargret and Oliver Reed) - 2:49
  6. " Amazing Journey" (interpreted by Pete Townshend) - 3:19
  7. " Christmas" (interpreted by the Who and choruses, with like principal voices AsMargret, Oliver Reed and Alison Dowling) - 3:59
  8. " Eyesight to the Blind" (interpreted by Eric Clapton) - 3:21
  9. " Acid Queen" (interpreted by Tina Turner) - 3:47
  10. " C You Think It' S Alright? " (1) (interpreted by AsMargret and Oliver Reed) - 0:57
  11. " Kevin" cousin; (interpreted by Paul Nicholas) - 3:07
  12. " C You Think It' S Alright? " (2) (interpreted by AsMargret and Oliver Reed) - 0:46
  13. " Fiddle About" (interpreted by the Who, with Keith Moon with the song) - 1:40
  14. " C You Think It' S Alright? " (3) (interpreted by AsMargret and Oliver Reed) - 0:29
  15. " Sparks" (interpreted by the Who) - 3:07
  16. " Extra, Extra, Extra" (interpreted by Simon Townshend) - 0:37
  17. " Pinball Wizard" (interpreted by Elton John) - 5:22
  18. " Champagne" (interpreted by the Who, with the voices of AsMargret and Roger Daltrey) - 4:43
  19. " There' S.A. Doctor" (interpreted by Oliver Reed and Ann-Margret) - 0:29
  20. " Go to the Mirror" (interpreted by Jack Nicholson, Roger Daltrey and Ann-Margret) - 3:49
  21. " Tommy Edge You Hear Me? " (interpreted by AsMargret) - 0:55
  22. " Smash the Mirror! " (interpreted by AsMargret) - 1:22
  23. " I' m Free" (interpreted by Roger Daltrey) - 2:36
  24. " Mother and Son" (interpreted by Pete Townshend, with the voices of AsMargret and Roger Daltrey) - 2:36
  25. " Sensation" (interpreted by Roger Daltrey) - 2:49
  26. " Cure" miracle; (interpreted by Simon Townshend) - 0:23
  27. " Sally Simpson" (interpreted by Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey) - 5:38
  28. " Welcome" (interpreted by Pete Townshend, with the voices of Roger Daltrey, AsMargret and Oliver Reed) - 4:15
  29. " T.V. Studio" (interpreted by Pete Townshend, with the voices of AsMargret and Oliver Reed) - 1:14
  30. " Tommy' S Holiday Camp" (interpreted by Keith Moon) - 1:29
  31. " We' Re Not Gonna Take It! " (interpreted by Roger Daltrey and choruses) - 4:46
  32. " Listening to You/See Me, Me" Feel; (interpreted by Who and the choruses, with like principal voice Roger Daltrey) - 4:19

Personnel

Additional musicians

External bonds and sources

  • Words of the songs of the album
  • Fingering charts of the songs of the album

References

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