Essential: The Who – Tommy
Courtesy of Carsten Petersen – a music geek pretty far removed from humanity
All classic rock bands came into my life at a pretty late stage. Not at age 14 or 15, no no. I was still preoccupied at that time with the Spice Girls (true story, please do not judge me on this). All those big bands, that rewrote rock history did not enter my life until the middle twenties, unless of course, if you consider Jethro Tull and Genesis as a part of this exclusive club. Whatever. The Who – those four crazy bums – are no exception at all.
My first approach to this group was with the album Quadrophenia, actually The Who´s second rock opera. I already listened to the album in the summer of 2007, a time, where I was still preoccupied with aforementioned Tull and Genesis, but in 2011, my connection with the ‘Big Four’ continued. The very man, who would later become the creator of this site, gave me the Tommy album for my iPod. That album basically became my best buddy during my third and so far last internship in China in late 2011. It wasn’t really the best of times. Did not succeed at the internship, food was terrible, weather got colder and colder, I got a year older, and that damn working place was pretty far removed from humanity. No, that period I do not count among my favorites. But Tommy stuck with me…
Tommy had great music. Inspirational music. Acoustic guitars. Great Mellotron. Wonderful singing from Roger Daltrey, ranging from bloody screams to careful whispering – a range this dude would later sorely lack. And most important: awesome, sweet, inspiring, spirit-lifting melodies. And that last one is the key. The Who’s music, particularly on Tommy, is spirit-lifting. You see, Pete Townshend basically invented something that simply could be called the ‘Musical Prayer’. This man wrote a lot of these songs that had a certain gospel feel.
Tommy: the anguished boy
What about the protagonist (Tommy) of the album? he´s involved in a terrible situation, so he simply looks up the sky, surrenders and gains new strength in order to continue sticking to the bastards out there trying to bring him down. That kind of feeling. And hoo boy, how bad does the protagonist of this album needed spiritual lifting! At a very young age, Tommy witnessed his father Captain Walker – just returning after many years from the war front – murdering the new lover of his wife. Then, the parents pressured him to act like if he never felt, saw or heard anything about the incident. Unfortunately, young Tommy seemed to be one of those insecure kids who would take anything WAY to literally. So traumatized, Tommy really became deaf, dumb and blind. So yeah, we really got a great way of starting life going on here! Now, things do not get better for the young kiddo on the ongoing years. Helpless as he is, he is mistreated by his cousin, molested by his uncle Earnie as well as being pushed through drug treatments by his desperate parents trying to find a cure.
Ok, ok, he actually becomes the greatest pinball player on earth but come on God, you treat a child this badly and all you come up with for compensation is him being GOOD AT PINBALL? One day, his mother sees how Tommy is always staring at his own image in the mirror. She becomes frustrated and destroys the mirror. Tommy gets healed. Eventually this story becomes a worldwide sensation and the probably now young adult becomes a messiah for people around him. He builds his own community. So, everything´s fine now…Hell no! Tommy’s followers turn against him at the end and chase him away. Man…This poor fellow really has it pretty badly, even at the end when all the positive things turn against him. Most people find the story of Tommy rather stupid. Maybe it is, but I simply can’t help feeling for the guy.
Tommy: the music
Along with the weird story, you got yourself a great musical back-up. Those aforementioned acoustic guitars, base drums, electric guitar and occasional piano make up the whole sound of the album. Originally, Pete Townshend wanted to include a whole orchestra, horns and the whole goddamn broadway musical. However, smashing your guitars on stage ain’t only cool, but also is goddamn expensive. So no orchestra for old Pete. This is only for the better though as the sound of this record couldn’t be more satisfying. The result is a mystical sound in the best sense of the word. It’s a very subdued record. It might have been the very first rock opera in history. But it is still very far removed from any bombast.
You want me to mention individual songs? First, we have some total kickass instrumentals in the rousing ‘Overture’, the opening track of the record that introduces the dear listener to all the main themes of the rock opera with that spiritual feeling that will dominate the whole album. Then, a powerful riff with even more great electric/acoustic riffing in ‘Amazing Journey’ and the magical, rocking ‘Sparks’, a bunch of mystical, intertwined acoustic notes, give us insights into the mind of Tommy.
Then of course, we have the rocking numbers, dominated by powerful acoustic and electric riffs. ‘Pinball Wizard’, ‘I’m Free’, ‘Go to the Mirror’, ‘Acid Queen’, ‘Amazing Journey’, ‘We’re not Gonna Take it’…Just one great riff after another. If you dig good acoustic guitar and good riffs, Tommy will give you an endless supply of both. Finally, we have a whole bunch of short interlude trackslike ‘Smash the Mirror’ or ‘Miracle Cure’. All catchy, all nice.
In the end of the day, it is the album main themes that get repeated throughout that really make this record. And it sure shows on the very last track “We’re not Gonna Take It”. A song about Tommy’s followers going against him. Then, suddenly in the middle, the song fades, and we have the gorgeous ‘See Me, Feel Me’ theme, with Roger sounding as vulnerable as he would never sound before or after. And then…The theme starts! ‘Listening to You’ ends up of the album and sorta serves as the finishing mantra of the record. What is the meaning of this ending? Is Tommy going back into his deaf, dumb and blind state due to the disappointment in his life? Does he get spiritually enlightened? Does he escape, leaving everything behind? The ending leaves me with a million question marks. The theme itself is the main reason for me to love this record. It is one of the most uplifting yet strangely ominous pieces I have ever heard. The musical prayer I have been talking about, this is it!
Now, I am not going to tell you that this is a perfect record. A lot of the short tunes, nice as they are, often just seem to fill up space and I am still not sure, why Pete had to take the ‘Sparks’ and repeat it over 10 friggin´ minutes in ‘Underture’. It is kinda obvious that in the end, extra material was needed to fill up enough space for a double album and there simply wasn’t, so the record can’t help to contain some filler. Still, the sound and the melodies of this record make this an essential classic. If you, like me back then, ever need to get your spirit lifted, then this record is for you. It is mystical, ominous, beautiful and strangely dark and foreboding, as if something not quite right is about to happen.
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