The Who-Tommy Song By Song Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Rose River Bear, Jan 10, 2019.

  1. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    Tommy's based almost entirely on the Joan Crawford film The Story of Esther Costello. Compare the plots

    With her marriage to womaniser Carlo Landi (Rossano Brazzi) in ashes, wealthy and childless Margaret Landi (Joan Crawford) finds an emotional outlet in patronizing a 15-year-old deaf, dumb, and blind Irish girl named Esther Costello (Heather Sears). Esther's disabilities are the result of a childhood trauma and are psychosomatic rather than physical. As Costello makes progress with Braille and sign language, she is seen as an example of triumph over adversity. Carlo gets wind of Margaret's new life and re-enters the scene. He views Esther as a source of cheap financial gain and arranges a series of exploitative tours for her under a mercenary manager Frank Wenzel (Ron Randell). One day when Margaret is absent from the Landi apartment, Carlo seduces and rapes the now 16-year-old Esther. The shock restores the girl's sight and hearing. When Margaret learns of her husband's business duplicities and the rape, she consigns Esther to the care of a priest and a young reporter who loves her (Lee Patterson). Margaret then kills Carlo and herself.
     
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  2. painted8

    painted8 Forum Resident

    That’s a great point. I think we miss keeping that perspective in mind. Sure, song X is a great song, but think about it in comparison to its peers ... wow.
     
  3. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    Wow, have to see that one!
     
  4. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    It's much more like Tommy if you actually see it. Carlo Landi is the lover while Frank Wenzel is Uncle Ernie.
     
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  5. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

    1921

    Opens with the intro heard in Overture with some dreamy piano added. The song finally comes to rest on a G chord at :18 with some Pete style suspended chords. Pete vocals sound great with a somewhat somber modal melody. At :37 it shifts to the E flat chord and then B flat......another "borrowing" from the Overture. Brilliant use of the harmonic material. At :49 the chorus shifts to C minor and it fits the lyrics. Pete does the Stairway To Heaven type riff with the descending bass line under the chord but he came first. At 1:05 a bridge enters and then rises out in trademark Pete fashion. At 1:28 it rises out again and the call and response is in conflict. You didn't see it....yes I did. Cool use of call and response by Roger and Pete. At 1:41 the verse returns and the chorus follows. At 2:21 the coda enters and is a foreshadowing of a song that will show up later in the album. The song ends on an E flat chord and does not resolve and leaves us asking a musical and lyrical question that is not answered.....more brilliant use of open ended cadences that match the lyrics perfectly.

    A fine song that incorporates modal mixing brilliance and use of music from Overture but with genius variation. The more you hear from the album the more you realize just how brilliant the Overture is. I won't say anymore on that I promise. Regardless, the story unfolds and the songwriting has yet to dip one second in quality.
     
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  6. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

    I am glad you folks are discussing the story. I was hoping to leave that up to someone else. It is not exactly what you call a simple story!
     
  7. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

    Thanks for posting.
    IIRC, Pete decided not to add overdubs so it would be easier to play the album live and have it sound like the studio version.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
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  8. Hombre

    Hombre Forum Resident

    1921. I've always liked this tune and it sounds as it could have been part of an actual classical opera. The best part is the chorus with the counter-vocals.
     
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  9. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

  10. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Odd thing about this song is that it's the moment where Tommy's father kills his mother's boyfriend, and musically...Nothing happens! The father makes to kill the guy ("I can brave bad weather"), then there's a chord change and "What about the boy, he saw it all!" Uh, saw what? Couldn't the boyfrtiend at least get a guitar solo to die by? (Seriously, I think this is why some listeners found the plot hard to grasp).
     
  11. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

    1921
    The Who
    Got a feeling '21
    Is going to be a good year
    Especially if you and me
    See it in together

    So you think '21
    Is going to be a good year
    It could be good for me and her
    But you and her, no never!
    I had no reason to be over optimistic
    But somehow when you smiled
    I could brave bad weather

    What about the boy?
    What about the boy?
    What about the boy?
    He saw it all!

    You didn't hear it
    You didn't see it
    You won't say nothing to no-one
    Never in your life
    You never heard it
    Oh, how absurd it all seems
    Without any proof
    You didn't hear it
    You didn't see it
    You never heard it, not a word of it
    You won't say nothing to no-one
    Never tell a soul
    What you know is the Truth

    Got a feeling '21
    Is going to be a good year
    Especially if you and me
    See it in together

    Got a feeling '21
    Is going to be a good year
    Especially if you and me
    See it in together

    I had no reason to be over optimistic
    But somehow when you smiled
    I could brave bad weather

    Songwriters: PETE TOWNSHEND
     
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  12. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia

    i never noticed the response part from roger "i heard it" etc till now, i mustve played this a thousand times as a kid but i had a cheap plastic record player and i guess it didn't pick up that detail.....i don't think ive heard this album since then (30+ years) ...i guess im due for a relisten

    ps always loved the 'when you smile i can brave bad weather' part
     
  13. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    That's what Lou Reizner liked about the album. That counter vocal.
     
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  14. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

    Their voices sound sort of similar in that call and response argument section.
     
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  15. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    Say what one will about Oliver Reed’s singing ability, but atleast the soundtrack version brings the action across with drama and clarity. I do wish The Who version did the same because it is otherwise terrific.
     
  16. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

  17. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    In the 1968 Rolling Stone interview Pete mentions that Tommy will be BORN deaf, dumb and blind. The introduction of this tragic incident was a major step forward in the composition. It changes everything. As Pete says in the soundtrack version of “Amazing Journey”, “the guilty are safe but always accused by his empty eyes”.
     
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  18. keifspoon

    keifspoon Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I'm wondering if anyone has ever asked Pete about the similarities between the two? It was a popular movie in Britain in 1957. The film was not rated and Pete would of been 12 at the time.
     
  19. reb

    reb Money Beats Soul

    Location:
    Long Island
    Townshends demo is titled 1929.

    I guess singing 21 had more of that Who hook.
     
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  20. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    I was watching the late movie one night and when the ex-husband and the crook try to exploit Esther I was thinking 'this is just like Tommy' then it got a lot more like Tommy. Someone mentioned it once in an article but apart from that none's made the connection.
     
  21. Cachiva

    Cachiva Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Texas
    Skip past this comment if you've no tolerance for teenage stupidity! I worked
    at a bakery in high school and college, and beyond. I always thought that the
    cover of Tommy was the band baked into a lattice pie. Honi soit qui mal y pense!

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  22. keifspoon

    keifspoon Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I've never seen it. Is it more like the album or the movie Tommy?
     
  23. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member Thread Starter

    Wow. Even the blueberry color matches!
     
  24. Cachiva

    Cachiva Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Texas
    lol Tried my damndest to justify the foolishness of the conceit!
     
  25. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    I listened to the demos again this afternoon (inspired by this thread). I figured he just wanted to bring it closer to the end of World War 1. Rather than Captain Walker going missing in some obscure colonial battle.
     
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