When was the last time you listened to Tommy from start to finish, doing nothing else?

I drove for ten hours straight yesterday to visit my parents for Thanksgiving and listened intently to Tommy in its entirety, with no stopping, no doing anything else (other than looking at the highway before me).

It made me reflect on how much of my listening in the past several years has been interrupted by others, or by me checking my phone or computer, doing household tasks, or whatever else comes up in life. Also more of my listening has been focused not so much on complete albums.

It seemed different concentrating on one complete double LP from start to finish.

How long has it been since you listened intently to Tommy from start to finish, with no interruption?

 

Every Thanksgiving Day.

Will start shortly.

 

Probably ten years ago or more. Not my favorite by them, though the first one I bought.

 

Think it was 1975.

 

When I was in high school, which was probably the last time I listened to any rock album top to bottom with no distractions.

 

About 3 months ago.

Loved every minute ...

 

December 27, 2012, when I bought the DVD-A and was listening on a friend's 5.1 system. It would be two years before I got my own.

 

I have to admit, it has been a long time. At least a decade.

I have always loved Tommy though and will make it a mission to do this before the holiday weekend is over.

 

I've never heard Tommy from start to finish.

 

Probably never..

 

I've only listened to Tommy from start to finish once I think. I always go back to Pete Townshend's Tommy Demos. The released album sucks in comparison to me.

 

The last (and only) time I listened to Tommy without interruption must have been when I bought it, 1969. I didn't like most of it and sold it. Never looked back.

 

Probably 6 months ago.

 

The one and only time I ever listened to the entire album- about twenty years ago when I was first really into The Who and got the CD from the library. Now, I love The Who, but I must admit I wasn't impressed by Tommy.
By the time it was over, I was actually waiting for it to be over...for one thing I thought it sounded terrible, and for another, as a whole concept, well, no offense, Pete, but I found I just didn't care about this deaf, dumb and blind kid, or his trials and tribulations, or his spiritual quest. The whole thing just seemed goofy to me. Now, to be fair, I had already heard Quadrophenia and it blew me away- I was expecting Tommy to be like that. It wasn't. Very few albums by my favourite bands disappointed me like Tommy, and as a result I have never had to urge or inclination to revisit it, sorry...

Now, before y'all bust out the torches and pitchforks and lash together a lynch mob, I'm pretty sure my opinion of the album is in the minority.

 

Maybe once, when it first came out. I love The Who in their early years and saw them just after "Who Sell Out" came out and it was a fantastic show. "Tommy" just never did it for me. My interest rebounded a bit with "Who's Next" but it's always been the first three albums and "Live at Leeds" that did it for me.

 

Tommy was my introduction to The Who as a 12 year old in late '69. The magic it had for me at that time can still be felt when I play selected songs from it to this day. The last time I listened to it start to finish was a couple of years ago when I bought the super deluxe box set. It's one of my top ten favorite albums of all time and as repetition codas go, nothing comes close to "..listening to you...".

 

If you have the DVD-A you listen to it a lot more. I do from start to finish 2-3x a year.

 

Uninterrupted and doing nothing else? Def never. I only own the LP so prob only have ever done a side or 2 at a time

 

For me it was 1971 or so when I got it as a gift along with the Derek and The Dominos LP. That along with Plastic Ono Band and Ram kind of shook up my world for that year. I didn't know about the Lennon-McCartney feud and that it was odd and maybe satirical that John was holding a pig like the Ram cover when I got those as well from my parents (I had to ask) for Xmas.

I often wondered though in retrospect if Towmshend and Daltrey intially butted heads over Tommy like they did much later over the content for It's Hard.

I was also disappointed that The Ox didn't have more songs on it.

 

Never have and probably never will.

Not that much a fan of rock opera or similar constructs. Do like Quadrophenia though although I can't say when I last played it.

 

I agree. The first time I heard it, I was totally blown away by the epicness of it.

I don't listen to Tommy that often but every time I do, it's from start to finish. If you look beyond the bombastic "rock opera" aspect of it, it ends up being just a collection of great songs - that's what it always was to me.

 

not sure listening while driving is dedicated listening.there is a lot of outside stimulation in that situation.
have not listened to tommy in years maybe decades.

 

Last year after I purchased it. I only listened to in it's entirety twice. I'll revisit Tommy next year.

 

Tommy is the only album I like a lot, because it is so acoustic, lotsa guitar. I play it often.

 

1970