Shortly after Beatlemania struck, while the Fab Four were busy churning out hits, there was also The Who. Before my time, you say? How should I know? Actually, The Who is the name of the band, I wasn’t asking you to guess.
The Who were known for songs such as “Behind Blue Eyes”, and “My Generation”, but what they were most famous for was their rock opera “Tommy”, which soon became bigger than The Who themselves.
At first listen, you may think that the songs on “Tommy” tell a simple story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy going through life and playing pinball until he is eventually cured, becomes a motivational speaker, and finally opens up a holiday seaside camp where he teaches young children to play pinball with blindfolds and earplugs: you would be wrong. Pete Townshend (Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals) who came up with and wrote most of the songs for “Tommy” intended the story to be about different states of consciousness; the fact that though we have all of our senses we are blind to reality. “Tommy” also touches on issues face by many children in the world: trauma, murder, sex, drugs, child molestation, bullying, illusion, delusion, spiritual awakening, religion, betrayal, faith, rejection, superstardom, success, charlatanism, and pinball.
“Tommy” brings to the surface many troubling issues, but most importantly: the songs are good and they play them well. I would recommend “Tommy” to everyone who loves music. And who doesn’t?