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EFT IT nil’there’s a chance that they may over-take I some of the other more established West IAt no stage does the music appear tc be a codv of anvthins else, and thiTommy marked an important point in the development of pop music. Tommy is a great achievement Cor The Who, and Pete lownshend in particular, and is also a culmination of the English pop music movement.The world premiere of the opera at the Old Elizabethan Theatre in Newtown early last month must be greeted with less enthusiasm.[TOMMY ONEThe Who's record begins with a superbly confident overture stating several of the themes from the opera and building up to u climax through beautiful use of piano, organ and french horn on top of the usual Who guitar and drum brilliance. The singer then comes in backed by a bluesy upbeat guitar to announce that Tommy's father is believed missing in World War I . The pace eases into the lyrical singing of u “Nurse” telling Tommy's mother “Its a Boy”, followed by the slow echoing chorus: A son! A son! A son!”The pretty tune and light, simple singing of 1921” informs us that Tommy’s father returns home unexpect-idly to find Mum in bed with a lover whom he murders This song then-alternates between the plaintive words of the father:I had no reason to be over optimistic.But somehow when you smiled I could brave bad weather.”And the parents’ threats to the boy, Tommy, who saw the murder:“You didn't hear it.You didn'i see it.You won’t say nothing to no one,Never in your life.And the haunting “What about the boy?”.The boy, as a result of this little trauma becomes deaf, dumb and blind. “Amazing Journey”, a melodicaily and poetically rich song, typical of The Who at their best, tells us of Tommy’s musical dreams, led by sickness to “places where minds can’t usually go.”Then follows “Sparks” an instrumental interlude of rhythmic and chordal exploration which gives us a chance to digest the themes so far. and prepares for the tough bluesy Sonny Boy Williamson song “Eyesight to the Blind, called The Hawker” in the context of the opera. This is the first of a number of tracks designed to build up the anxiety and tension which Tommy's parents feel in relation to Tommy's problems and the hope of :uring him.In “Christmas” the father is concerned that while other children rejoice at Christmas, Tommy just “picks lis nose and smiles”. The tension builds up to the igonising ending in which the father is shouting: “Tommy, can you hear me?How can he be saved? while Tommy plaintively cries:See me, feel me,Touch me, heal meSome of the more extreme trials and tribulations of the young Tommy are described in the following two songs. “Cousin Kevin” is a sadist evoked by a long, slow creepy melodic line, “The Acid Queen says she can cure Tommy by taking him on an acid trip. Tommy's torment is indicated only externally - we.have no indication of his inner fcciings. A strong and fascinating melody is sung over simple guitar patterns and heavy drumming.At this stage the “Underture” serves as another nstrumcntal interlude, building through a complex zariety of experiments, unified by an obsessive guitar ine, a series of climaxes which add considerably to the dominant feeling that an important story is unfolding.The bouncing “Do You Think its Alright?” relieves the tension and introduces wicked Uncle Ernie who consummates his sexual desires toward Tommy in “Fiddle \bout”. a very funny, mock-sinister song.^^T^hTul^SarTTT^TabuIou^i^f^ninorkeyeT belting hard rock, with an amusing lyric describing Tommy's brilliance at pinball, played purely by intuition and sense of smell.The lilting “There’s a Doctor introduces the beautiful and complex melodies of “Go to the Mirror, in which the heavy confidence of the doctor's lines contrasts with Tommy’s pathetic “See me, feel me. touch me, heal me” refrain, out of which grows a much more optimistic verse from Tommy as he sees his own image in the mirror.The patents* anxieties and frustrations gradually come to a head, first in the anguished “Tommy Can You Hear Me? arid then in the bluesy statement of “Smash the Mirror which culminates in Tommy’s mother smashing the mirror which Tommy has become obsessed with.Another trauma for Tommy. This time he is cured. His extraordinary childhood lias endowed him with equally extraordinary properties: he has become a prophet. This is revealed in the beautiful poetry and melody of “Sensation.Tommy’s cure is announced through the medium of an “Extra, Extra, Read all about it-s.tyle newspaper headline which draws cleverly on advertising jingles for its musical expression.“Sally Simpson” tells the story of a young girl who idolizes Tommy and goes to one of his gospel meetings. It is a pleasant ironic song.The remainer of the opera tells the story of the rise arid fall of Tommy’s religion.The mediocre “I’m Free” is followed by the lyrical and varied “Welcome”, beautifully evocative of the comfortable friendly house where Tommy’s disciples arc gathered.The mood changes abruptly with Uncle Ernie welcoming disciples to “Tommy’s Holiday Camp”, a music hall type of song played on a wurlitzer.“We’re Not Gonna Take It” has Tommy's disciples rebelling in a musically weak song which is saved from ending the opera disappointingly by a restatement of the See me, feel me” refrain, particularly plaintively sung, and the optimistic lines from Go to the Mirror”, laid down with resounding confidence.The value and importance of this work, written by Pete Townshend with help from the rest of The Who lies? not in its being a pop opera, nor in its extraordinary story!meT?uMrHtH)ein^con$istenflri?n!!!ai^^ addition, if you are considering buying the double album recordingt be encouraged by the first-class pack aging, fascinating artwork, and separate illustrated book of the lyrics.TOMMY TWOIn other words, the producers of the show at the Elizabethan had 3 lot to work with but a lot to live up to The premiere was a shambles. The film fell to bits. The group ( . . If) reversed the order of two of the songs There were long irritating periods of blackness and/or silence. People who went expecting the world premiere of an opera, as the show was billed, may have been disappointed to see a film accompanied by a pop groupThe group was reasonable, providing in the main a passable imitation of The Who. They did an excellent job of the Underture. But ... mightn't it have been better to use the real tiling, albeit a record, than a pale imitation?Mick Glasheen's film, what there was of it. was gooc in some parts, bpt boring in others. It opened well with superimposed exposures of night shots Of traffic, neon signs and so on. But too often it lapsed into the tcdioui repetition of one idea or image during the whole of a song, such as a cat licking cream off Tommy's face during “Cousin Kevin” which was both monotonous and pointless. I would not object to the film hearing only an abstract relation to the story if this had been consistent but the whole effect became completely fragmented when some film sequences were irrelevant and others over-literal, such as Tommy playing pinball throughout “Pinball Wizard”My reluctant judgment on Sydney’s own production of Tommy is that not only is it musically superior to the record, it is visually inferior too, if the film is compared to the artwork on the record cover and booklet. In fact the record is much better value, even if it does cost $11.50.TOMMY WHO!RICK MOHR
Newspaper Details
Kensington Tharunka
Kensington, New South Wales, AU
Tue, Feb 24, 1970
Page 12
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Clifford M.
CZ 03 Jun 2025
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