TOMMY - AS PERFORMED BY THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHAMBER CHOIR

Various Artists (Concept albums & Themed compilations)

Various Genres

2.80 | 21 ratings

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Easy Livin
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Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

The Who's Who of rock perform Tommy

In 1972, noted producer Lou Reizner decided to call upon the services of a number of top musicians to create his own take on The Who's most famous work, "Tommy". What he ended up with is a magnificent prog (my opinion only!) version of that album.

The basis for the album is laid by the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, who between them supply a rich bedrock for the performers to exploit. The various guests each perform a role, Steve Winwood is the father, Maggie Bell the mother, Ringo Starr is Uncle Ernie etc. Not surprisingly, Roger Daltry retains his role as Tommy, while Pete Townsend is the narrator. For me though, the most striking performance is that of Sandy Denny as the nurse, although her delivery of "It's a boy Mrs Walker, it's a boy" is over before you know it.

The orchestra come into their own on "Underture", which is transformed from a rather nondescript filler to a full blown piece of orchestral magic. There are occasional disappointments along the way, such as Richard Harris' spoken rendition of "Go to the mirror", but such let downs are rare. The length too is somewhat brief, with tracks being abbreviated or omitted altogether.

The original double LP set was a lavish affair, coming in an outer box containing an embossed gatefold sleeve and a colourful booklet. At the time of its release, Reizner also co-ordained a couple of stage performances of his work, with The Who and many other noted guests participating in the production.

This interpretation of "Tommy" is not for everyone by any means. Some will find it overblown, pretentious, and even sacrilegious. For me though, this is a fine work which captures the essence of Townsend's opera while presenting it in a completely new dimension.

Easy Livin | 4/5 | 2008-10-17

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