145. The Who — Tommy (1969)

more like the BLUE amiright??

1. Not content with pushing the concept album forward on The Who Sell Out, Pete Townshend wanted more. An album that told a story with defined characters, an album that would sound as great live as recorded, an album meant to be listened to in whole yet effective when split to its individual songs. The result: perhaps the world’s first “rock opera,” the tale of a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball wizard named Tommy. It is everything advertised, and remarkable that Townshend had the vision to complete it (within a year, no less!) without the result ending up a muddy mess of incoherent ideas. It’s a banger.
2. To be clear: there’s plenty that’s incoherent in this album. While meant to reflect the teachings of Meher Baba, Townshend himself struggled to explain the story afterwards. No matter. It’s not like traditional operas make a ton of sense anyhow. The whole of the work makes enough sense, and rocks hard as it gets there.
3. I appreciate the commitment to the opera concept, with both the “Overture” and mid-album “Underture” serving as excellent intros to the music to come. Frankly, I kind of wish more albums would utilize the overture idea; by teasing future songs, it creates a sense of familiarity with the music to come that prepares your brain for the whole album, making it all easier to digest. Crucial, with a 24-track, 75-minute album, but likely valuable in a 45 minute 12 track album as well.
4. The highlight of Tommy is, of course, “Pinball Wizard,” one of the lyrically weirdest pop tunes in memory and a fantastic reflection of Townshend’s signature guitar style. But there’s no shortage of other tracks I love here, beyond the over/undertures. Peak among them is “Sparks,” which I was introduced to as part of Almost Famous; between that and the ‘tures, The Who show a real knack for instrumental-only songwriting and performance. Throughout the album, Keith Moon’s drumwork really stands out, driving the action forward, maintaining the illusion of a live sound. God, I wish I could have seen him; but then, I haven’t even seen what remains of The Who, my biggest live music blind spot.
5. Overall, I’m curious to see where I’m going to end up ranking this one. Overall a very good album, and as much as anything, it continues to leave me excited for where pop music is headed as we approach the 70s. I’m not sure you get Dark Side of the Moon without Tommy.

Next up: Miles Davis gives us a two track album in a silent way

One Essential Song:

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