Customer Rating: 
Summary: tommy the who
Comment: the cd is a testament to pete's genius,musically and lyrically. never get tired of the who
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Comment: This is the masterpiece in The Who cannon. I know some of you will say Who's Next or Quadrephenia. I could accept arguments for Who's Next, but I still give Tommy the nod because of its ambition and abundance of good melodies and good playing. Quad is way too ambitious to be enjoyable. It is as exhausting to listen to as it must have been to make. Tommy signals the end of the 60's ethos. The hippie thing had become commercialized and enlightenment would have to be pursued individually, not en masse. For the youngsters who don't get it, well, we're gonna leave you behind with the kids are alright!! You had to be there and if you weren't, this is as close as you'll ever get. And if you don't get it then you won't at all.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I love The Who
Comment: Alongside Days of Future Passed (Moody Blues, 1967) and In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson, 1969), Tommy (1969) has got to be one of my favorite rock records of all time. For me, the appeal lies with the strong melodies, the wonderfully played instrumental passages and the overall concept. I suppose too, that there are "progressive" elements to the music that are also attractive as well; elements that would be explored further on the Who's other magnum opus Quadrophenia (1973).
This concept album was evidently inspired by another (earlier) rock concept album entitled S.F. Sorrow (Pretty Things, 1968) and showcases Pete Townshend's abilities as a performer (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards) and as an arranger/composer - what he does here on Tommy with just a few central themes is fantastic. The rest of the group is equally stunning and both Keith Moon (drums and vocals) and John Entwistle (bass, French horn and vocals) drive everything along with power and dexterity. Roger Daltry (vocals, harmonica) is an excellent and explosive singer, but is very expressive as well and nicely relates the underlying story of Tommy with help from the rest of the band. With respect to instrumentation, a host of instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, piano, organ, percussion, French horn (courtesy of John Entwistle), and most importantly rich, three-part vocal harmonies are employed. Although the effects are subtle, the varied instrumentation and vocal harmonies really add to the fullness of the recording.
While the instrumentation and instrumental tracks are collectively interesting, like everybody else, I enjoy the popular radio tunes Pinball Wizard, I'm Free, See Me, Feel Me and We're Not Gonna' Take It. Generally however, I prefer to listen to the entire album as a complete work. Speaking of which, the individual tracks that comprise Tommy are arranged in a song-cycle, with instrumental interludes positioned at key points. In addition, central themes are restated throughout the cycle, which serve to link the individual songs through which the story of Tommy unfolds. Both the song-cycle and the restatement of central themes are techniques taken from classical music and Pete uses both very well. I should note that while some folks feel that the instrumental passages constitute "filler" I am of the opinion that they work just fine and really are an integral part of the overall composition. The lengthy Underture (approx. 10:00) is a good example of an instrumental interlude on the album.
This remastered album is nice and it is pretty cool that they were able to squeeze the entire double LP album onto one compact disc. The sound quality is very good and the liner notes feature the artwork and lyrics.
All in all, this is yet another landmark recording by an English rock group that has withstood the ravages of time (unlike my old LP) and is highly recommended along with Quadrophenia.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Ambitious
Comment: A rock opera? A concept album? Just rock n' roll?
Eh, it doesn't really matter.
What matters is the quality of the music. There's little question that The Who have pursued a grand vision with Tommy. But what about the actual music? To some extent, the album is overrated. There's a lot here that is less than wonderful, though it's difficult to maintain the highest level of quality over such an expansive effort. But there's a lot of good, too. The album really hits its stride with "Eyesight to the Blind," starting a stretch of four great tracks that provides a great middle to the album.
The second half of the album is considerably different. It's more geared toward the story line, and the songs tend to be shorter. Despite having the album's two most famous tracks ("Pinball Wizard" and "I'm Free"), it is a weaker showing than the first half, though still generally good.
All in all, the album is good, though a bit up and down throughout. I don't think it's quite the masterpiece that it's hailed as, but it's still an interesting and enjoyable album, and certainly an ambitious one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Tommy a rock opera
Comment: Still a classic after so many years. I haven't heard it in a long time and I had forgotten how great it is.
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