My favorite part of Overture are the celestial harmonies that come in at 1:35. Eargasm. Much of Tommy is stylistically similar to the dreamy pop of Sell Out which is why I love this album (and By Numbers as well).
Spin cleaned and vinyl vacced my old Tommy LP, and now listening to side 1. I must say it's a lot better sounding record than I remember. I'm very pleased at the condition of my LP, which I haven't played in at least 25 years. I guess because the recordings on Tommy weren't as in your face like Who's Next/Live at leeds and all that came in the 70s/80s, I dismissed it as not a good recording. My tastes have expanded over the years, and this is a great listen, even after I just ripped all 6 sides of Neil Young's Decade before getting on this. The dogs will get a late walk tonite. BTW I also have Tommy and all the regular studio albums by The Who on CD...That said, for a record like this, vinyl is the proper way to listen when at home. My reappraisal of The Who Sell Out in which I did a few months ago was similar. I much more appreciate it's sound and songs.
I have a Track Record 2nd press from 1969, Classic Records 140 gram press, Kevin Gray mastered vinyl from 2014 (from a digital source) 1996 remix Cd Deluxe edition on Cd from 2001 i think. My go version is the Classic Records press, is absolutely fantastic. You can hear all the instruments in a different spot without loosing the complete soundstage. Is it really an amazing press. I also enjoy the remix on Cd, is fun.
A brainstorming opener. Pete introduces so many themes, phrases and melodies that at times it gives a near medley feel. Good but better was to come....You Bet!
It’s interesting how much clarity Pete gives the story in basically two verse...then the next song kind of leaves them up in the air unless you read the album...then the movie confuses it even more!
Love this lp.Overture is the beautiful peek into whats ahead.I burned out on most Who music but will never burn out on Tommy or Quadrophenia.Stone rock masterpiece.
Not sure where to add this story, but when I was a teen, my dad was an antique dealer and we went to a lot of auctions. We went to one at a music store that had closed. I think he just wanted some showcases, but they had a bunch of albums. This has to be sometime between 1978 and '82. Only a couple were rock, but one was the movie soundtrack to Tommy and I was lucky enough to buy it for a couple bucks. When I listened to it, I didn't care for most of it, but I loved Tina Turner doing Acid Queen and liked Elton John doing Pinball Wizard. I prefer The Who version of Pinball Wizard, but man, I love Tina Turner's Acid Queen.
Cool thread. I was named after this album. I believe Pete had planned to add electric guitar overdubs, but they ran out of time (money?).
The Who's Tommy was not the first rock opera, as that title corresponds to S.F. Sorrow by the Pretty Things. But Tommy clearly defined the bases of what a rock opera is, expanding the concept not only on the lyrics but also on the music. As other famous albums it's subjected to mixed opinions, and I'm on the side of those who love the record. Overture. A great, albeit obvious way to start the rock opera. I'm not a big fan of long instrumentals, but I don't mind if it's as fun as this. John's French horns are catchy and the frequent acoustic guitars by Pete (present along the whole album) are marvelous, but I especially love Keith's drumming with his patented unprofessional style.
"Overture" is an outstanding piece of music. In 1969, there was nothing else like it before in rock and roll history. The start to a remarkable album.
Interesting (to me anyway) that when Pete wrote additional lyrics for “It’s a Boy” for the film, he assigned his own biographical details to Tommy (born right at the conclusion of World War 2).
Also a bit of the acoustic segment of “Overture” has a bit of a John Fahey element... Not the fast strumming of course, but apparent in some of the picking and that bass string run. I remember reading that Townsend had listened to Fahey recordings..
London Coliseum - 1969 Best live version captured on film. As always, The Who take the song to another dimension.
I always thought Captain Walker was killed by the 'new' husband. I interpreted Tommy's shock coming from seeing his father murdered. Everyone thought Captain Walker was dead anyway, so the story goes on without him. I never considered the fact that the 'new guy ' was killed in the scuffle. That would explain some of why Tommy was so isolated. Half of him was killed. I think the whole story changes if Captain Walker remains alive. Now I did see the Tommy film before I heard the Who's Tommy album and the film portrays events that way. That's the version of the story that I know. What do ya'll think? Is Captain Walker killed or the new boyfriend?
This point has always bugged me a bit. As I mentioened earlier, I saw the film many times before I ever heard the studio album. It made sense to me that the boyfriend killed the husband (even though showing up 6 years later and freaking out that your wife has remarried after you were presumed dead is a bit much). The album tells us otherwise, but then why will his “unborn child never know him”? (unless we have a rare, non-omniscient narrator)
That's his mother being informed that her husband is missing, presumed dead. "Believe him missing with a number of men", and so forth. Great thread, by the way. "The Overture" is - IMHO - one of the very best album openers in rock history. When they tear into the 'listening to you' segment, I still get goosebumps, even after hearing it for 36 years. And listening to "It's A Boy", it's almost impossible to believe there's a better acoustic guitarist in rock than Pete Townshend. Glorious playing.
It's A Boy It's more than a feeling oops...Opens with Pete and The Ox playing a somewhat somber sounding D Mixolydian melody and chords. At :16 the melody rises. Pete hits the high notes just fine. At :25 the song starts to rise out in exclamatory fashion with some great harmonies. First it goes to G then E minor and then ends somewhat triumphantly sounding on an A Chord. Interesting short piece that keeps the album moving forward story wise and music wise.
I saw Ken Russel's film in the cinema when it came out and I was unfamiliar with the album. Then a mate bought the soundtrack album and I still didn't know the original album. Then I had a tape of an all-star cast version (with the LSO?) and I still hadn't heard the original version. I finally purchased the original Tommy album on CD in the early 90s. Love it. "Overture" is the perfect lead-in for the whole thing. Such an ambitious thing for Pete to do, looking way beyond the expected confines of "rock". "It's A Boy" became a favourite when my son was born.
Correction: I was referring to the Pete solo with acoustic guitar section of "The Overture", which I have always thought of as part of "It's A Boy", rather than the opener.
I disagree. “Believed to be missing with a number of men” could be an official notification, but “His unborn child will never know him” wouldn’t be. That’s a narrator speaking, and usually narrators know “all”.
That's always been my take as well. Tommy will never know him because he was conceived prior to Capt Walker going off to war, the Walker was killed by "new boyfriend" upon his return.
Overture is really just an instrumental of Go to the Mirror with a bit of Pinball Wizard at the end. Webber and Rice totally stole the idea as the Overture from Superstar is really just Trial Before Pilot without words. The best bit about The Who's Overture is the organ.
