Customer Reviews

Tommy: As Perfromed by the London Symphony Orchestra & Chambre Choir with Guest Soloists

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful adaptation of the Who's classic rock opera. To my mind, it is far, far superior to the movie soundtrack. The trouble with the Soundtrack (in my opinion) was the predominance of the non-singers like Jack Nicholson, Ann-Margaret and Oliver Reed (the Broadway version does not even merit mention). Sure, there was Tina Turner and Elton John, but overall, the hallmark of that 'track was the signature non-singers singing in what was an incredibly weak effort. By contrast, here we have Merry Clayton, Rod Steward and Ritchie Haven. Do they match up performer to performer with the Soundtrack? Depends on whether you prefer Elton to Rod, and Tina to Merry. Otherwise down the line, this is far superior.

But it is the fabulous performance of the London Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir gives this effort a fullness and lush quality which is missing from every other adaptation. Give a listen to the cut called the "Underture" which sounds just fine on the original concept album, until hearing it done by a full orchestra.

Critic 'Music fan' may be correct. The way to go may well be by the purchase of the movie soundtrack (for Elton and the Divine Ms Turner), the Original, and this effort. Then burning one's own CD (or making an original cassette) will give the best of all worlds. This albumstands very well, however, alone, which until now was something that only the Original Concept Album could do.

If my memory serves, this came out in 1975 or so. One of my best friends from the old neighborhood gave me this for a birthday present before heading back to college (thanx, Roger). I made a cassette, then combined the three onto my reel-to-reel. I am glad to have it on CD and MP. It has been a long long time since I heard this. It returned to the front of my brain, like a long lost friend.

First off I LOVE this version with the London Symphony Orchestra backing The Who and a who's who of guest rock legends. The orchestrations are outstanding, particularly the first half. When I first heard this as a child of 5 or 6 I was amazed and played the record with the kind of unending repetition that only kids can do. As a result, I know this recording inside and out.

My beef is this particular CD. This version is from Rhino and while (to their credit) Rhino releases stuff that's hard to find they don't put a lot of effort into remastering or cleaning-up their recordings. The unfortunate result is that this has background tape hiss, piercing highs that are occasionally shrill, recessed mid-bass and midranges that at times are barely audible, and thumpy bass that turns to mud. Please, I am not bragging but I have an outrageous sound system with Definitive Bipole towers and a B&K 307 receiver and while it makes excellent recordings akin to heaven it does reveal poor quality recordings without mercy. Whether Rhino used a poor master or there just isn't a better recording than this I don't know but I do remember the vinyl version to be balanced much better. I still have that version, beaten and with a few scratches and I'm not wrong.

This version also lacks the outstanding libretto which came with the original vinyl set and that's a shame considering how good the art is.

I love this piece but while it's passable on my home theater/music system it's abysmal in the car where I would listen to it most frequently. If another, cleaner, better-mastered version were to come out I wouldn't hesitate to toss this one and get it. "Tommy" is a landmark of rock and belongs in every rock lover's collection; particularly the LSO version where "Tommy" takes flight and soars far above the other versions of it.

Many thanks!

This is amazing music. I remember in 1973 telling a friend how much I liked The Who's "Tommy." He then informed me that the London Symphony Orchestra had recently made a recording of it. I was blown away by it then and remain so almost 35 years later. If I could own only ten CD's, it would make the cut. The cross-pollination of popular/rock music with classical arrangements and instruments often does not work; but when it does, you have the rarest of wonders as in this instance, something magical.

Pete Townshend of The Who as the Narrator is joined on this marvelous recording by Sandy Denny (Nurse), Graham Bell (Lover), Steve Winwood (Father), Maggie Bell (Mother), Richie Havens (Hawker), Merry Clayton (Acid Queen), Roger Daltrey (Tommy), John Entwistle (Cousin Kevin), Ringo Starr (the wicked Uncle Ernie), Rod Stewart (Local Lad) and Richard Harris (Doctor).

For recent converts who may not know the plot of the opera, Tommy as a child witnesses his father kill his mother's lover. His parents insist that "you didn't see it, you never heard it, not a word of it." As a result Tommy becomes "blind, deaf and dumb" and is interested in only two activities, playing penball ("penball wizard") and gazing at his reflection in a mirror. After his guilt-ridden mother smashes the mirror, Tommy believes he is the Messiah, etc., etc. ("How do you think he goes it?") There is so much beautiful music here: "It's A Boy," "Amazing Journey," "Do You Think It's Alright," "Tommy Can You Hear Me." The list goes on and on. Rarely does a later version-- in my opinion-- work better than the original. While The Who's "Tommy" is quite wonderful, for my money, this arrangement even surpasses it and is certainly much better than the soundtrack from the movie. Whoever came up with the idea of this recording was a genius. The liner notes indicate that David Measham is the conductor; the music was arranged by Wil Malone and James Sullivan.

This CD, as all good music should, will lift your spirits and bring you much joy. This arrangement is difficult to find. If you can get your hands on a copy, by all means buy it.

I first heard the Tommy by the London Symphony Orchestra when I was in my final year in Junior High School. My music instructor let me borrow the LPs (in 1975).

I loved it, and thought it was one of the best rock operas ever. This remains my view to this day (16July2005). Back in 1975 I was unaware of other versions.

Recently, I was looking to find this version of Tommy. I purchased versions made by the Who and other versions made earlier and later but found them INFERIOR to the London Symphony version.

To experience this rock opera with the best score, arrangement and performance, then this is the version to hear.

This CD is a must have!!

My brother brought this album home in 1973, I believe (the artists who created the new box design for the album won Best Album Package Grammy in 1974). He was two years older than me, and because of his interest in music, I listened to EVERYTHING in rock and other genres. He'd take me from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to Zeppelin, from Jesus Christ Superstar to Tommy.

As other's have said, this symphonic production BLOWS all other Who versions away. There is simply NO comparison. I never really liked the band version that much, and the live concerts lack the studio perfection as well as the orchestra, choir, etc.

This is an amazing blend of classical and rock music. The choir harmonics, flutes, violins, horns, are all expertly mixed into an overwhemling, awe-inspiring swirl of electric guitar, crashing drums and cymbals, and fantastic vocals. You hear it ALL, but it ALL sounds SO good.

The sound is crystal, and though you cannot replace the orginal album, I was THERE and heard the ALBUM (over and OVER), and I can tell you THIS digital version is excellent.

Many may not know that Rod Stewart sings "Pinball Wizard", Richie Havens' adds a killer rendition of "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)", Ringo Starr is Uncle Ernie, and Steve Winwood sings the part of Captain Walker, with the most amazing "Christmas" you ever could have imagined. Richard Harris, the amazing english actor, covers "Go to the Mirror", and I believe Keith Moon is Cousin Kevin!

Roger is of course here, but I believe at his absolute best EVER as Tommy.

Everything, and I mean EVERTHING, about this Townshend masterpiece, is 1,000 times magnified. When you look at YouTube and see these KIDS in '64 - 66, and you see what YOU have accomplished in life... you realize how genuinely gifted they all were, and are.

Soooo....

- Buy it...
- Put on expensive headphones...
- Lay down, turn the lights low...
- Take a deep breath, relax...
- Close your eyes... and enjoy the greatest rock opera in the world...

I'm a big Who fan; usually when someone else does their music it flops. So it's quite an occasion when I can proclaim that someone else did this better than The Who. This is absolutely fantastic.

The use of the classic Tommy with the London Symphony Orchestra cannot be made any better. This version in my opinion is more enjoyable than the original. A must have for all!

I had a hard time finding this particular C D, Because it is under Classical rather than rock. I have found out that there are 3 different versions of this same name title. The one with the London Symphony Orchistra is the best one for me, because it has some great artists on it with all the great music of a very large and perfected group of musicians.

I grew up listening to this album. My brother bought it a couple years after it came out in '72, and I heard it dozens of times before taping it myself a decade later, at which point I was a teenager and therefore couldn't listen to it enough.

This is far and away the finest version of these songs anywhere. Compared to this version, the original recording by The Who sounds weak, tinny, and poorly produced; the movie soundtrack is ludicrously overproduced and poorly sung (but what do you expect from a crop of actors -- Elton John and Tiny Turner excluded?); and the 90's "special ensemble cast" featuring Billy Idol as Cousin Kevin is just embarrassing. And the Broadway version is just kind of sad in its steam-cleaned emotionlessness.

The only unfortunate decision involved in this recording was in enlisting Richard Harris as the doctor, who does a dramatic spoken-line reading of "Go to the Mirror Boy," stripping away the fantastic melody of the song.

The original vinyl release of this album featured an amazing booklet filled with beautiful and disturbing artwork (disturbing to my five year old brain, anyway). Sadly, this is missing from this CD release. Perhaps someone will return to this seminal work with the love it deserves, and do a higher quality digital transfer, and restore the printed material.

I was very thrilled to finally have this in CD version to replace my long playing record version.

However it was shattered a bit when I noticed a song was missing. Turned out that Cousin Kevin has been skipped or wasn't on this CD. I feel cheated! I wonder if this tune has been left out in the other CDs also?? Or just mine?? Hmm.....

Would have been a collector's item if it wasn't for this unfortunate error.