The Who - Tommy (1975 Film)
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Free Music Notes for Tommy (1975 Film)
Free Music Review: The Best Recording of Tommy
Hit: 5 Stars
Since its release in 1969, The Who's seminal rock opera, "Tommy" has been re-recorded a total of four times - first as this soundtrack to the Ken Russell film, then as a studio recording featuring an all-star cast and the London Symphony. In 1990, a live recording was released as half of The Who's "Join Together" box set, recorded on the Tommy 20th Anniversary tour, and finally, as a cast album to the early-90's stage version of the opera. Each of these recordings has had its share of ups and downs - the harshness of Pete Townshend's music is dulled by the strings and horns on the Symphonic recording, the Juilliard-fresh cast of the stage show enunciate the strong lyrics to the point of blandness, and the live recording is rearranged in schmaltzy late-80's style. After listening to any of these subsequent versions, even the rock-solid original concept album sounds slow and thin. All of these detractions leave the soundtrack, released on CD in 1994, standing firm as the superior rendition of Townshend's material. Featuring inventive rearrangements of the original music, and a host of celebrity turns (Ann-Margret as Tommy's mother, Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, etc.), the soundtrack is the most creative interpretation of the source material, while still holding fast to the core tenet of the original version - solid, hard rock. Opening with a wickedly fast overture not featured in the film, this album sets the stage for what the listener should expect from subsequent tracks - familiar tunes, revamped in a way to make even those dearest to your heart fresh. While the film burdens the material with heavy-handed symbolism, jarring imagery, and poor acting, the soundtrack overcomes all of these obstacles simply by not having to deal with them. Once the Naziism, the Christian symbols, and the dancing girls with gas masks are stripped away, we are left with a sharply energetic recording. Observe Elton John's styling on "Pinball Wizard" - conceivably the most w! idely remembered song from Tommy, or from the Who's extensive catalogue - and you will find not the John who, in today's world, puts us to sleep with revamps of decade-old hits, but rather Elton in his prime, pounding masterfully on the keys, adding a sharp vitality to already-outstanding music. Also notable are Eric Clapton's blues-rock twist on "Eyesight to the Blind" - which augments the jarring rock of the original version with a downright mobile blues riff - and the brutally alive instrumentals in "Acid Queen," and "Sparks." Listening to this album, one can hear Keith Moon, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, and Roger Daltrey (in the title role) at their absolute peak, augmented by a Murderer's Row of the best in the business circa 1973, and with enough resources to actualize their potential as one of the greatest rock groups in history. So, the bottom line is, when Tommy-shopping, choose wisely. You may end up with Ringo Starr singing "Fiddling About." To avoid this, click right above, see, feel, and touch the 1973 Tommy.Free Music Review: One "Amazing Journey" ...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have to take issue with the stock Amazon review ... this isn't a bad album by any stretch. First off, the re-imagining of the Who concept album in terms of the arrangement, power and overall dynamics is a revelation. It's sequenced more logically than the Who's '60s version, and with the "actors" cast in various roles, takes on a certain macabre sort of life that transcends the earlier version. It may not be technically perfect, and easy to snicker at Jack Nicholson's attempt at "singing," but that hardly detracts from the entire soundtrack's perfectly earnest presentation and grand, "sky's the limit" treatment of the Pete Townsend masterpiece!
Performed by The Who, various celebrity guest artists such as Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and Elton John, along with some of the very best session players ever from the '70s or any other period, the songs eye-popping new editions, casting long shadows over some of the original performances. ("Pinball Wizard" by Elton John is now the definitive version in my estimation ... same for "Sparks," "Amazing Journey," "I'm Free" and "Acid Queen" ... the list goes on.)
Daltrey has rarely sounded as good, and the supporting players, including a wonderfully bizarre, twisted, yet creepily campy rendition of "Uncle Ernie" by Keith Moon, are all well cast.
Bear in mind that compared to the film, several of the songs here were mixed for soundtrack album purposes, and their counterparts in the movie often have radically different mixes with extended sequences and other overdubs on the album. The addition of the overture (not included in either the film or previous editions of the soundtrack album) is a nice additional feature.
Still, if you play it end to end, the storyline will carry you away and the build to the climactic "We're Not Gonna Take It/Listening to You" is ultimately very worthwhile and satisfying. Frankly, it's over the top, sure ... but it's an existential, nightmare sort of mind trip ... it's supposed to be a little OFF or ODD! But its commentaries on family, love, exploitation, religion, cults and the insanity of pursuing a self-fulfilling prophecy (with pinball as the metaphor) are never lost on the production.
In some cases, the lack of visuals make it even more interesting ... you get to concentrate on Ann-Margaret and her lament, only hearing but not seeing the TV screen, the baked beans and so on ... your imagination left to fill in the blanks.
This album isn't one William Shatner performance away from being a kitsch masterpiece! PLEASE! It's fantastic, one shining example of '70s rock opera excess that doesn't collapse under its own weight. Far from it, the original material it's based on actually reinforces the message, it's that good!
Tune in, turn on and let "Tommy" take you on an amazing journey you'll ride on many times over.
Free Music Review: TOMMY SOUNDTRACK a MASTERPIECE!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I was very surprised by the main review in here. I completely disagree - not only is this not anywhere CLOSE to the monstrosity that was SGT. PEPPER by the Bee Gees (though it's been forever since I've heard it - I can only imagin) - the TOMMY FILM is really just so/so. It's overblown, overheated, overacted and overproduced. HOWEVER - the MUSIC is the real thing. The Who really stepped up their game and play every song in much more urgent manner. Daltry's vocals on this are nothing short of brilliantly majestic and literally - this surpasses every original TOMMY track - just about track by track. I would like to address just a few concerns - 1 - the actors sing some of the bits. Yes, and they do a fine job, Ann Margeret does a particularly great job of inhabiting the mom, Oliver Reed is find and Nicholson is surprisingly goosy. Does this make it a little ROCKY HORROR - I supppose - but this rock/opera was ALWAYS supposed to tell a story with different voices - look at all the work over the broadway play. CONCERN 2 - too much synth - I don't know what anybody's talking about - I'm not an audiophile but I can hear pretty good and these version simply rock harder and softer whereever needed. The point is - the WHO is playing everything - DALTRY sings MOST EVERYTHING and it's wonderful to have Elton make PINBALL WIZARD a classic - and the same for Tina Turner's ACID QUEEN which is also a near classic. I'M FREE, WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT, CHRISTMAS - these are all much better on the soundtrack CD than the original. I grew up with the soundtrack and when i finally heard the original - make no mistake - i loved it - but it sounded like the extremely laid back version of this hard rocking interpretation. By the way - the music track of THE WALL is also better than the original (though not as much as this soundtrack dwarfs the original) and I wish that would be released on CD - although there are pirate copies all over the web. Trust me - you will not go wrong with this CD - it's a true masterpiece - better than the original and yes, better than the film and even conveys more than Ken Russel's bloated opus provided. Lastly, the other great WHO performance of TOMMY is a live CD they put out about 12 years ago - 1 cd is TOMMY and the other is hits - also highly reccomended and also surpasses original recording. Sorry purists, this soundtrack ROCKS and I'm glad it's back in our lives. I can't live without it.Free Music Review: Tommy Two
Hit: 5 Stars
I forgot about Oliver Reed and Jack Nicolson singing on this (Ann Margret does have a singing voice....But not used too well here). I can only speculate that the director of the movie wanted to use those two so much that he overlooked the fact that they had musical voices that were best kept in the privacy of their own showers or such. But their singing parts are kept to a minimal so it's not too distracting....In fact it does add a bit of realism to the movie. but I'm not too sure it will be as appreciated in CD.
None the less I am about to buy this version because I just got the remastered version of the original Who album. That version has some really great music, but after seeing the movie the original vocals often come off as a flat rendition compared to the movie. Even on the songs where Daltry there is far more energy in the movie version than on the original version. This is especially true on "I'm Free" and "Listening To You." Those two songs are kicked up several notches in the movie version compared to the original....And I think both songs became number one on the charts for a while in the original version so that's quite an achievment.
For the music over all I turn to the original Who version, but for the version that really comes alive when I listen I turn to this version. After looking over the line up I am just a bit disappointed that the music doesn't appear to follow the same order as it does in the movie. I don't understand why they would do that since most of the people who buy this would want to see the movie played over in their minds while listening to the sound track. It sort of puts a damper on things if it's not in the same order....Oh well...Thanks to MP3's we can put it back in order...
Free Music Review: Remember, this IS a Movie Soundtrack!
Hit: 5 Stars
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!