Review Summary: A significant, yet flawed effort that would serve as a model for rock operas
The Who were no strangers to innovation. Comprised of four of the greatest rock figures of all-time, it was no surprise that The Who would become a benchmark for future groups to aspire to. Of the four pieces of the indestructible puzzle, none other made quite the impact that guitarist Pete Townsend had, despite arguably being the least musically endowed. Not only was Townsend the chief songwriter and the heart and soul of the band, but accomplished something that had been inconceivable to the general perception prior to 1969. Townsend had written both of the band’s rock operas; both massive and ambitious projects, which received copious quantities of acclaim. The first of these,
Tommy was the first full-blown concept record that the world had ever seen; an album headlined by the story of fictional boy Tommy, who develops a loss of hearing, sight, and the ability to speak. His senseless nature is linked to the death of his biological father, who was allegedly killed by his stepfather. Tommy captures the attention of those around him with his aptitude for the game of pinball, becoming the “Pinball Wizard,”
“That deaf, dumb, and blind kid, sure plays a mean pinball.” Eventually Tommy is miraculously cured of his disabilities, and rises to power as a religious figure only to be shunned by those who had loved him. The novelty story concludes with Tommy’s realization of his errors, and the forgiveness of those he cared about most.
Tommy was without a doubt the freshest idea that The Who had developed to date, for its concept was complex and damn powerful. The storyline however, is
Tommy’s most formidable asset, leaving quite a bit to be desired in terms of musical prowess. With the band’s fourth full-length release, we saw The Who mixing and matching with horns and acoustic guitars, occasionally utilizing electric guitars at the most intense of moments. The record actually appears more laid back than intended in this regard, leading us to believe that the album would be better suited with electric guitars filling the brunt of the work. On the whole, the music is solid, but not necessarily memorable, lacking the emotional punch that could have elevated the record to an astronomical level.
Tommy is actually a representation of a band who had not entirely developed musically (with the exception of Keith Moon); still lost in the transition between the pop-flavored rock of their first three albums and the eventual magnus-opuses of the early 1970’s.
Despite the spectacular harmonization between lead singer Roger Daltrey and Townsend, the vocals (like the music) are deficient in developing a sort of raw poignancy that would be expected of an album such as this. It had already been proven that Daltrey had a fantastic singing voice prior to 1969, but his capability to take his talent to the next level remained to be seen. Don’t get me wrong, Daltrey is an adequate fit to narrate Tommy’s tragic and triumphant story, but it was as if he didn’t put himself in Tommy’s perspective. Tommy had suffered from traumatic visions and the frustrations of not being able to fully experience the world around him, but this not depicted successfully by Daltrey in an emotive sense.
For its time,
Tommy was a magnificent change of pace for a band at the crossroads of their career, but its luster was about to wear off due to being outdated and inferior to the band’s latter work. The Who’s first rock opera is certainly not a dud (far from it), showcasing some tremendous material in instrumentals “Overture,” “Underture,” and band classic “Pinball Wizard,” demonstrating a profound sense of potential that was about to be discovered only two years later.
Tommy may have actually been more successful had it been released post-
Who’s Next as
Quadrophenia had, but its impact cannot be undermined, due to the fact that those two records may never had happened without
Tommy. The Who were about to discover that practice meant perfect; a cliched, but yet truthful statement regarding their rock operas.
