Believe it or not, many considered The Who to be a band in decline just before the release of their iconic rock opera Tommy. Their recent releases hadn't been as popular as expected. They had a popular stage show, but between Pete Townshend destroying his guitars and/or Keith Moon destroying his drums, the shows were expensive! The double album Tommy would change the trajectory of the group and make them superstars of the rock genre.
Pete Townshend was looking for something different when he created this rock opera. He was dissatisfied with the style of rock advanced by The Beatles and The Beach Boys, which was highly produced but not well suiting for live tours. He had experimented with smaller suites on earlier albums, but Tommy was on a completely different level - a double album telling a cohesive story.
Tommy tells the story of a boy left deaf, dumb, and blind after his father, Captain Walker, kills his mother's lover. After many unsuccessful attempts to cure him, he is left neglected and molested by members of his family. Once he grows older, he finds himself unusually gifted with playing pinball. A new doctor correctly identifies Tommy's issues as psychosomatic, and he is eventually cured. He then briefly becomes a leader of a religious movement, using enforced sensory depravation and pinball machines to enlighten his adherents. His strange practices are soon rejected by his followers.
The album would come out in May of 1969, but its first performance was in April, which is why we are featuring it here.
Pinball Wizard
The first single from the album is one of the ban's most famous songs. It tells of the skills of Tommy Walker from the perspective of a pinball champion "a Bally table king" who declares "that deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!" Elton John would perform this song in the 1975 film adaptation of the rock opera.
The Acid Queen
Pete Townshend is on lead vocals for this song. It chronicles Tommy's experience with a gypsy healer who uses LSD to treat his ailments. On the album the song leads into the instrumental "Underture," which represents Tommy's hallucination. Tina Turner plays the Acid Queen in the 1975 film and sings this song.
I'm Free
This song features Roger Daltry on lead vocals, and tells of Tommy's release from blindness and deafness. It also tells of Tommy's rise to spiritual leader as his popularity skyrockets after his cure. Townshend was partly inspired by the Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" when he wrote this one.
We're Not Gonna Take It
The followers ultimately reject Tommy in this final track of the album. It is actually a suite, with movements including "We're Not Gonna Take It," and reprises of "See Me, Feel Me," and "Listening to You." Townshend had originally intended this song to be a critique of politics before it was incorporated into the rock opera.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
“The Brother's Theme” (from the television series “The Smothers Brothers”)
The Smothers Brothers comedy show would go off the air in April 1969 after clashes with the CBS network censors over their portraying of the Vietnam War.
STAFF PICKS:
The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel
Bruce's staff pick is the most highly produced of the Simon and Garfunkel songs, taking over 100 hours to record, and recorded at multiple locations. The lyrics are about a person struggling with life and loneliness in New York City. The "lie-la-lie" in the chorus was intended to be a placeholder, but became part of the song.
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' by Crazy Elephant
Rob picked this one out mistakenly thinking it was "Gimme Summa Lovin'," but this one-hit wonder has a good groove. It is considered psychedelic rock, or garage rock. Super K Productions put this band together, and several covers were done, including one by Dusty Springfield.
Traces by Classics IV
Brian's staff pick features a laid back tune as his staff pick. The single came out in January and peaked in April at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is about lost love, and dealing with it as the years go on. The Classics IV also performed the songs "Stormy" and "Spooky," the latter of which would be covered by the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
Grazing in the Grass by The Friends of Distinction
Harry Elson wrote the lyrics to what had been a #1 instrumental recorded by Hugh Masekela. Wayne's staff pick features The Friends of Distinction, discovered by NFL great Jim Brown. The original members were Floyd Butler, Harry Elston, Jessica Cleaves, and Barbara Jean Love. They had 3 top 40 hits, and this highest charting one was inspired by seeing cattle in pastures from the tour bus.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Underture by The Who
This instrumental number from the Tommy double album lets us do a little double dipping on the album feature as we close out the podcast with some observations on Keith Moon.
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