Pinball Wizard. This has always been one of my favorite songs. The track features a very interesting acoustic guitars intro; and a powerful, mind-blowing electric guitar is later added. Bass and drums sound great as usual for the group; and the melody is very enjoyable. The lyrics describe the innate ability of the deaf and blind kid who is a pinball champion. An absolute classic. I remember watching the video of this song on TV almost 20 years ago; it was the first time I've ever listened to the song and it had such an effect on me that I immediately bought my first album of the Who (The Very Best Of The Who).
In live settings it is true that Entwistle plays that part on his bass, but I'm quite sure that is an electric six string guitar on the studio version. Great song even though the lyrics are absolutely preposterous. But it does testify what the mind is able to conform to in order to worship your heroes. In other words, the lyrics eventually became normal and easily believable.
IMO, the lyrics make sense within the context of the story. And then there's the chunk of the population (90%?) that doesn't pay attention to the lyrics, anyway.
I suppose you could make that case, although on the studio release it just pops up all of a sudden with no foreshadowing or build up that it might occur. The film helps tell the story better when Tommy is found in the junk yard playing pinball after wandering off and Frank buys the machine for him. The scene in the film with Elton John is great fun and the only time we have something similar to a Who concert happening. But again, it really does defy logic that this is something that would be televised, or an activity that an expert could win big prize money. Looking back with older eyes I think the original is meant to take place in an amusement hall where kids, or young men who are regulars, might make an informal competition out of the activity. I probably had that vision upon first hearing it, but the film came along soon after my first hearings of the song. I think I bought the 8 track in early '74 after my Mom buying me Quadrophenia as one of my Christmas presents in '73. She meant to buy me Tommy based on the recommendation of a co-worker but they were out of stock on that title. Loved Quadrophenia and quickly added Who's Next and Tommy to my collection early in the New Year. I still get a kick out of the fact that it was my Mom that put me on the track of becoming a Who Freak. She was young enough to be hip to the entire rock scene and did like some of it, but she was more into Sinatra, Basie, etc.
The Ox- ? Or did you mean Pete...?? Pete played a double neck onstage briefly in mid to late 1967- prior to Tommy.
No I meant the Ox and wondered if he had a bass and six string double neck or he just always played a partial (power) chord during the PW live intro.
Ken Russell places "Tommy" within an entirely alternate reality. Not only are pinball competitions broadcast on TV, but there's a church of the Blessed Marilyn. On the album, Tommy's notoriety derives not from being a great pinball player, but from being a blind and deaf great pinball player. It could have been beer pong, it wouldn't have mattered.
A church of the Blessed Marilyn actually makes sense as an extraction of our world at that time. Now I know they are only distributing booze and pills at the altar rail, what a drag, but wasn't LSD kind of a modern version of holy Communion for a certain generation? It also serves as ridicule against organized religion which may or may not be justified depending on one's point of view. These are interesting ideas as I have always thought of Tommy as having different layers and levels of meaning. But I think that is mostly all of my own making. I was trying to construct something that hung together better and made sense since I found the body of work important as an a priori. Then the period came where it made no sense. So I started to personalize it and see it on different levels. For instance the idea of a pinball champ is as nutty as a rock star on some level. During Sally Simpson there is the lyric, "soon the atmosphere was cooler and Tommy gave a lesson". I used to imagine that as Townshend gave a lesson at an actual Who concert.
I apologize for initially creating some confusion in regards to Pinball Wizard. Entwistle always played the intro live on a bass guitar.
I think you raise some great points. I've been "putting together" "Tommy" and "Lifehouse" in my head for decades now ("Quadrophenia" has a much clearer, straight-forward narrative ... it's also much more deeply rooted in real life). What Pete meant to put in there, and what I get out of it all, are probably a pretty good distance apart. Is "Pinball Wizard" partly a commentary on rock star adulation? Absolutely (and "Sally Simpson" more so). The line you quote from "Sally Simpson" reminds me of the line from "Another Tricky Day" - "Just hang on to the band, and you can dance while your knowledge is growing" (because, "it's all here on the vinyl"). Pete truly felt he was conveying life-changing information. Of course a day later he'd dismiss it all (he was "recycling trash").
But they know this song word for word. I’d guess for most people this song tells the story of Tommy and that’s all they know.
Which just goes to show that Pete is not that great of a guitar player. Any player worth their salt could have played both parts at the same time.
There's A Doctor A jaunty very British sounding tune that is a nice contrast to the heavy songs on the album. The lines end with a half cadence to an F chord and the tune ends that way as well which gives the sense of continuation. Just right considering how it fits with the next song. Pete plays fine piano on the song. Awesome harmonies from Pete, Roger and John.
Go To The Mirror The 5 note hook roars forward on the E chord and the blues variant rock progression follows. At :19 some minor chords turn the verse around. A rare case where there are no borrowed chords. Makes it sound rock solid. Great use of sus chords at the tail of the verse. I like the embellishments Roger does on the word "call". The See Me Feel Me section follows and acts as a chorus of sorts. This section is in G major but is so familiar sounding already the abrupt key change does not sound clunky at all. Brilliant songwriting. At :52 Pete goes to a B chord to make the transition back to E major and the verses. The verse returns and Moon plays his amazing rolls and cymbal work. The chorus returns and the verse follows. Some added piano to the verse. At 2:04 the B chord is extended in a tag section and raises the tension. At 2:13 the verse returns and then in a surprise move the "Listening to You" section is inserted as a bridge. Cool stuff and fantastic use of the themes in the Opera. The band is really firing away at this point. At 3:16 the bridge ends and the song ramps down. The verse chords return but no lyrics until the turnaround chords come in and the lyrics re enter asking a question....brilliant way to frame the lyrics. The song comes to an end. I love this song. Great use of the themes and changing dynamics and tempo all in one neat music package under four minute to boot. One of my favorites from the album. Lots of stuff going on with the lyrics as well.
"There's A Doctor": A short song that moves the narrative along, but by no means a throwaway. Very nice harmony vocals, and as the song ends, we are left anticipating what comes next. "Go To The Mirror": The electric guitar introduction shifts the mood dramatically as we are about to learn the doctor's findings. I have always pictured the doctor in his white lab coat, sitting at his desk across from Tommy's parents, as he explains the examination findings: "He seems to be completely unreceptive/The tests I gave him show no sense at all." His frustration growing, the doctor then sings "His eyes react to light/The dials detect it," perhaps tossing the file with the test results on to the desk. The doctor is saying that none of this makes any scientific sense and that there is nothing that he can do from a medical standpoint ("All hope lies with him and none with me"). By saying this, the doctor acknowledges that the cure must be within Tommy himself. Tommy is encouraged to go the mirror, as if to confront himself. Tommy's father wonders what, if anything, is happening in Tommy's mind as he gazes into the mirror, but we are given the answer: "Listening to you, I get the music ...." The lyrics and music of this section suggest transcendence and Tommy's enlightened state. There is a great deal going on in this song and The Who make it flow so seamlessly.
One of the album's strongest and catchiest songs. A great song that manages to fit in opera recurring themes (See Me Feel Me, Listening To You) flawlessly. Side 3 for me is so reminiscent of Sell Out with its strong pop oriented songs and link tracks. There is a great ebb and flow throughout this side which gets the listener more involved in the story line as song by song Tommy is nearing his 'miracle cure'
Underture is one I really like, I didn't even realize it was 10 minutes long until the OP noted how long it was. The ones I do skip are Cousin Kevin and Fiddle About. I guess they are just too disturbing. Pinball Wizard is excellent, and Go to the Mirror is wonderful.
Your older ears (like mine!) are workin' fine RRB! Just checked: Sparks on the album is C#; Underture is C, but not quite - it's in between the cracks. Closer to C, but my guess is that it's in C# but slightly slowed-down with varispeed. I've just come from a Beatles thread here discussing pitch issues vs. deliberate use of varispeed, and my head is about to explode! My assumption is that there were not two different tunings, but that it was played with the guitars tuned down more or less a step and a half (three semi-tones). Underture is slightly slowed down, for ambience, IMHO. Carry on chaps!
Go To The Mirror is one of my top 10 Who Songs. The dynamics are killer. And Moons stuttering drum rolls just make me smile whenever I hear them. Wonderful thread!
