TOMMY

Before I discourage anyone from giving this album a listen I'd just like to say that it does have some redeeming features, including and limited to a concept addressing many different facets of life and a level of ambition that was revolutionary at its time of release. So bear these in mind all ye who still dare to listen after reading my review.

Tommy is a concept double album rock opera and has been hailed as one of the first and finest thereof. I don't think there's any need for me to give a synopsis of the plot of Tommy's tale as if you listen to any of the songs on this 74 minute monstrosity you will invariably be reminded every other verse of Tommy's ailments, which brings me to the first problem I have with this album. It is not at all subtle and that is a huge pet peeve of mine in concept albums. The concept feels incredibly forced and it doesn't take very long before you being to get very sick of having obvious facts reiterated again and again. Did you know that the kid is deaf, dumb and blind?

"Tedious" describes this album very well and the conspicuous narration is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the album's tedious facets. If one were to take a look at the track listing of the album, they'd see that the band has written a novel of Tolstoy-esque proportions. The album's track listing is muddled and filled with redundancies and filler. Dozens of short (under 2 minute) tracks that fall flat of moving the narrative along are interspersed among stale instrumentals that don't develop. At this point you may be wondering to yourself, "well maybe the instrumental work on some of the tracks is good?" - Oh how I hoped that that were true. "Are the vocals good at least?" - Lifeless and cheesy. "Would the album cover at least look pretty sitting on my shelf?" - Unfortunately they couldn't even pull that off.

If you're ever feeling particularly masochistic, have 74 minutes to kill and have run out of paint to dry or grass to grow, Tommy would be the perfect album for you to listen to. Over 20 back to back, non-emotive spectacles of poor musicianship avail themselves on this overdrawn, megalithic flop. Admittedly there are two songs on the entire album that I can listen to without needing to physical restrain myself from skipping them, the hit "Pinball Wizard", which is more in The Who's classic hard rock vein, and "Miracle Cure", which is short enough that I wouldn't fall asleep before it's finished. In summary, "Tommy" is an incredibly overrated concept album that could have been worked out far more concisely and tolerably in a well-written single album or a one-side suite. Unappealing as it is, Tommy doesn't even deserve two stars as it should not be of much interest to fans of The Who given that there is none of the rowdy, rambunctious rock 'n' roll, or even the slightest hint of upbeat energy characteristic of their sound, on it. One star for an album that should not have come from a band so talented.