Tommy, the rock opera by THE WHO

[ladyjazz]

The Who were my favourite band at one time. Tommy is a musical masterpiece. As a 3 yr old girl, i used to listen to it over and over and over! Lol

However, examining this album/movie it is about a pinball playing messiah. Its very similar to Jesus' story. This i find blasphemous. Am i over-reacting? Is this just a piece of art?

The story line is kinda based on a rock star type messiah figure whom people grow to worship, than rebel against his teachings, yet the end of the piece its possible that TOMMY finds the real Jesus. The first song written for the album came from an incident when The Who opened for The Doors and a girl got hurt in the audience. Sally Simpson. She plasters her walls with pictures of Tommy. Rebels against her parents, a pastor and wife, who forbade her to go to the concert and she throws the Bible into the fireplace.

As a Christian, i feel less and less comfortable listening to this album. Musically its brilliant and brings me joy, yet the obvious Jesus connection concerns me.

Ya got to be old to remember this album. Altho some hipster young kids are into The Who.

Idk....as a child, i had no supervision or discipline and music raised me. Mainly the who. Which led to rebellion, drugs and idol worship. Be cateful who your heroes are.

God Bless, ladyj

 

[three4rd]

Well...I don't know as though you "gotta be old" LOL Pete Townshend is, pure and simply, a genius - up there among people like Brian Wilson, Lennon and McCartney, etc. I don't get too hung up on the religious connotations of the opera. I can just listen to it for the music and ignore whatever message he might have had in mind. GREAT album.

 

[Dave-W]

Not original.

Rock Opera was the brain child of the same guy who started the Jesus Movement and invented CCM - Larry Norman. The summer before the Who recorded Tommy they were accompanied on their West Coast US tour by the People - Larry Norman's group. (one hit wonders) They were the warm up act and did one of Norman's operas (Lion's Breath?) and he said every night Townshend and Daltery were seated as near the stage as possible to watch them. They started writing Tommy on the plane back to the UK.

BTW - the first "rap" song I ever heard (and the earliest recorded one I can find) is also by Larry Norman on his "Only Visiting this Planet" record. 1972

You want genius? Larry Norman was one of the best creative geniuses of the 60s and 70s; maybe of the entire 20th century.

 

[JustOneWay]

My wife loves Tommy, and I enjoy Quadrophenia more.

Going to see their last tour later this year

 

[Blue Wren]

I saw Tommy, when we were on school holiday in London, and I liked it. I did not think, so much about religious undertones