TOMMY

Tommy is the credited as the first Rock Opera, and is the beginning of the Who's departure from simple rock and roll into a more Art-rock style. Much of the early mod-rock leanings of the early Who is left behind, and the band find themselves pondering with more complex arrangements, instrumentation, and even a full blown concept.

Tommy is as much as Townshend's baby as The Final Cut or The Lamb is to Rogers and Gabriel. Except for a few songs from Entwistle, Townsend wrote all of the material. But needless to say the other band members largely contributed to the sound of the album. Moon's energetic and chaotic drum style is noticeably evident, along with Daltrey's dynamic and theatric vocals, and Entwistle's smooth and solid bass work.

I won't go into detail about the story or each individual song as there are many. But suffice it to say the songs should be viewed in the context of the album as a whole, rather than individual tracks, as they quite often share musical and lyrical passages with each other.

Perhaps what I appreciate most about this album is that it isn't stagnant; it doesn't hold on to an idea too long, especially in the form of the shorter, 2-minute songs. Yet, the constant recurrence of themes makes this a cohesive unit.

I believe this is a very important album in the turning point of the Who, but more so it shows the result of a band that pushes the limit of what Rock music can be.

8/10