«Tommy» is the fourth album by the British band The Who and came out on 19 May 1969 as a double vinyl, on Track in Britain and Decca in the United States. It is one of the first rock operas, written mainly by guitarist Pete Townshend.
“`Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones
The line-up is Roger Daltrey on vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, John Entwistle on bass and Keith Moon on drums. Kit Lambert produced.
The record tells the story of Tommy Walker, a boy left deaf, mute and blind after a violent event, who goes on to become a star and a spiritual leader. Townshend took his inspiration from the teachings of the Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba.
Townshend wrote most of the material alone, while John Entwistle signed two songs, «Cousin Kevin» and «Fiddle About». The sessions lasted six months, from September 1968.
The band promoted the album with a long tour, playing «Tommy» in full at Woodstock and at the Isle of Wight festival. Those live performances won good reviews and revived The Who’s career.
Standouts are «Overture», «Pinball Wizard», «I’m Free», «The Acid Queen» and «We’re Not Gonna Take It», which closes the work.
«Tommy» became The Who’s big breakthrough and was recognised as one of the most important albums in rock. A ballet, an orchestral version, Ken Russell’s 1975 film and a Broadway musical were built on it, while in 1998 it entered the Grammy Hall of Fame and secured the band a place among the big names of rock.
See also
See also: 18 rock and metal legends: which are true and which are fake and Ian Gillan: the secret to Deep Purple’s longevity.
