Tommy (1975 Film) [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SOUNDTRACK]

The Who (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack
• Label: Universal
• ASIN: B000001FR6
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,922 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
During a 1971 concert performance, a seemingly relieved Pete Townshend announced that the event would mark the last performance of the Who's landmark rock opera Tommy. To paraphrase Adam West: "Poor, deluded boy." Over the ensuing decades, the mushrooming popularity of the Who's tour de force would inspire an all-stars-meet-the-London Symphony album (1972), a star-studded Ken Russell film epic/soundtrack (1975), a Broadway show (1992)--and become an enduring millstone around Townshend and the band's collective necks. But it was over-the-top auteur Russell who would give the morality tale of the deaf, dumb, and blind boy-cum-reluctant-messiah some of its most indelible pop-cultural iconography: Eric Clapton as High Priest; Acid Queen Tina Turner; Elton John in sky-high stack soles as the Pinball Wizard. The accompanying album is dutifully sprawling, a monument to Me Decade excess studded with loopy star turns (including the, er, "operatic" charms of Ann Margaret and Jack Nicholson), swelling choirs, and blustery synth fills. As he would later do to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, executive producer Robert Stigwood manages to turn one of rock's seminal achievements into something more artistically akin to the World Wrestling Federation, and every bit as musically subtle. It's no mean feat to virtually overwhelm the Who on their own record; Stigwood makes it sound like a vendetta. Still, it's an album so ambitiously bad it's but one William Shatner performance away from being a kitsch masterpiece. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remember, this IS a Movie Soundtrack!, November 10, 2003

By	Kevin Stafford (Warwick, RI) - See all my reviews

Not to at all be confused with The 1969 masterpeice album by The Who "Tommy". Speaking of this soundtrack, I would have to reflect on the movie itself, since basically, the entire movie is here on this CD with the inclusion of the single only release of "Overture From Tommy", which in like many cases in this soundtrack, has The Who playing most if not all instrumentation.

Ok, that aside, I as a young 10 year old Who/ Elton John fan went to the cinema over and over to see this grandioso Rock opera come to life before my eyes. Even today watching the film on DVD brings back the original excitement. It was up to the casting director to chose who took each role and would sing each part. Ken Russell was a genius in my opinion on his choices. I always wondered what Pete thinks today of this movie.

Elton John's great version of "Pinball Wizard" (with a bit of "I Can't Explain" thrown in at the end) is worth half the 5 stars I listed. What I also love are the new renditions of the Tommy tunes that The Who actual do like "Amazing Journey", "I'm Free", "Sensation", "Listening To You/See Me, Feel Me" & "Sally Simpson" to name a few. If you are a Who nut like me, this collection is a must! The hard rocking version of "I'm Free" I always loved better than the original laid back version.

Then again, if you are a Who completest like myself, you have this already! The soundtrack to one of the greatest musicals of my time!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars `Gotta disagree with you critics, this recording rocks!, April 6, 2007

By	Steven K. Rody "srody" (Knox, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased the original movie soundtrack LP recording by Polydor in the `75/'76 time frame, before I actually saw the movie. (I still have this album.) Then, a few years ago, I purchased the CD when it was finally available. There are some differences in the two. There is more content to the CD (the Overture, some short transition songs, and some extensions of the songs, as they were presented in the movie), possibly due to the time limitations associated with vinyl recording technology.

As I recall, being a Who fan, I was initially somewhat disappointed by the fact that many of the songs are not actually performed by The Who and sung by Roger Daltrey. Guest artists and musicians (studio and band) appear frequently, w/ or w/o members of The Who. However, they do, for the most part, their own great job of interpreting the music from the Tommy rock opera. There is a lot to like here if you can get past the fact that The Who did not perform in much of this recording.

I must admit, I do not own a copy of the original Who recording of Tommy. Though, I have heard many of the songs played on radio. With exception of possibly the live performances of Tommy (e.g. at Woodstock), in nearly all cases, the original movie soundtrack recording surpasses the original album release. As noted by others below, there is a lack of energy and a laid back approach (forgive me, mellowed out) in The Who version of Tommy and a fair amount of harmonization of vocals by the band. In contrast, in the movie soundtrack, the song arrangements have all been improved and embellished with additional instrumentation (keyboards & brass), synthesizers, energy, and emotion.

Daltrey's voice is powerful, clean, and he holds notes better than ever before. In my opinion, his vocals in this recording are some of his best work. The guest artists all add their own magic to the music. Enough so that Elton John had a major hit w/ "Pinball Wizard" and he will forever be known as the same. Although less famous, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, and Paul Nicholas also give wonderful performances. Apparently some of the other reviewers do not know that Ann-Margret was an accomplished singer long before this movie. Regardless of their comments, she gives great vocal performances in this movie soundtrack as well. Even Jack Nicholson holds his own in this recording. However, their comments w/r to Oliver Reed's singing are pretty much on the money.

There are three songs from the soundtrack that I have loved since I first heard them. They are, "Amazing Journey", "Sparks", and "Pinball Wizard". You cannot get any better than these for power and energy. With the windows up in your car (or conversely at home, use headphones), crank the stereo volume up with one of these on and you'll understand. My other favorites include, "1951/What About the Boy?", "Eyesight to the Blind" (not a Who composition, but an electrified, old, bluesy, rock song played masterfully by Clapton and the boys), "Champagne", "I'm Free", "I'm a Sensation", "Sally Simpson", "See Me, Feel Me", and "Listening to You".

The bottom line here is that if you liked The Who's work before the death of Moon and are not a Who purest, you might just like this recording a lot. After all, it is The Who's music, just remixed and jazzed up a bit by Townshend and the other artists. It is a helluva lot better than the milk-toast recording just put out by The "New" Who.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At last...The Overture!, June 30, 2005

By	Daria "johntracytb5" (Rancho Dominguez, CA United States) - See all my reviews

While the original concept album is far superior to some...ok, MANY of the performances on this soundtrack, the amazing music of the film version of The Who's "Tommy" is always worth reviewing. Mind you, nothing will ever surpass sitting in a rumbling cinema listening to this soundtrack in actual Quintaphonic Sound, but cranking the volume to "10" on the dial whilst jumping up and down might come close! (Ahhh, memories)! Most important, a great wrong has been righted by the placement of the originally missing "Overture" (once only available as the B-side of a 7" 45rpm single) in its rightful place at the beginning of this bombastic piece of work! Ken Russell (another bombastic piece of work) was in his glory on "Tommy" and so perfectly scripted was this film that you'll see every scene play out in your head as you follow Tommy's amazing journey while away from your TV screen. Ignore John Entwistle's machine gunning of his gold records for this soundtrack---blast it loud and proud, holiday-makers!