TOMMY

THE WHO an unclassifiable group that will launch a major event in the world... the concept just after that of the BEATLES; an album to listen to to understand why we are now talking about progressive rock! Tommy is the fourth studio album, and the first stamped opera-rock. The story of a child victim of a trauma that left him deaf, dumb and blind; he becomes a pinball champion, regains his senses and becomes a guru before being rejected; in short, an urban nursery rhyme for an incredible initiatory journey on life. 1 Symphonic intro overture, everything is there, yesterday's rock was already that, a catchy composition, a hunting horn, an almost military battery, a floral, bucolic composition, an air out of time; a keyboard that shows the vocals for future prog-resist bands; the piano riff; the trumpet, everything is there and the beginnings ... no it comes out, the beginnings are over, this air engraved in the musical collective unconscious, if I say the slap, do you believe me? Roger on the left, Pete on the right for a minimal but oh so rewarding stereo, the guitar arpeggio that fights on its own, not even possible, a must 2 It's A Boy continues, oh yes let's go back to the concept album before we knew what it was; you merge titles instead of merging musical genres 3 1921 throwback, quite a blow for the 1st title which launches the cult album, the OMNI inter sidereal... what about the boy? grandiloquent, orchestral, symphonic, cosmic opera before its time, an unequaled creation; a piece of music that could be prog, THE WHO what 4 Amazing Journey with an intro, yes taking the time to compose, this kind of intro that made me look for the prog sound, like Zegut the rock sound on his radio; a whistle or other-battery rise, Roger's voice yes, it still needed something more, melodic this title and engaging, and the final orchestral variation to tell you that we are no longer pop or rock with a singer above all, here we are on a group... above all 5 Sparks nan not the group it will be much later knowing that they will also make musical madness them, in short here it is the interlude interlude, musical madness with instruments which give themselves to heart joy; proto-prog air and more caviar 6 Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) ...yes, you love this divine, ethereal intro, one that we would have liked to invent, pa, pa, papapapa says the drums, John's bass 7 Christmas for the riff, the slow and sinuous musical tirade of Roger, the choirs in diatony, this drum set well fixed on the left, the mark of the 70's with the detachment of the instruments, ah aha ha ha... like a heart for the mythical year 69?, another bearing can you hear me? .... and now see me... hear me... feel me.... on a timeless note of the guitar, the slap 8 Cousin Kevin and the languid declination that flows like a fountain of musical youth; choirs, always this acoustic guitar for a moment apart 9 The Acid Queen continues on an amalgam between the drums well fixed on the right this time; yes a stereo recording which allowed effects and brightened our refined ears in front of this acid title; the air of the BEATLES with a psychedelic vibrato, like you saw my guitar I'm a rocker, not a black jacket, a mod OK that changes everything. 10 Underture for the end of the 1st album and the air, the bass, the expectation... the prog sound in my opinion where you don't know where the title will take you.. like a rolling percussion that could have held on a VANGELIS 'China' album for example, it's easy for those who follow me; short 2 minutes and an angelic choir, it starts again; the orchestral rock opera crescendo... divine pan, pan, pan pan pan pan the drum rolls make the show, this title is truly timeless, one of the first to have made me research on duration, meaning; and the pleasure of being recognized then as a music expert, I who am only padawan at the moment. The latency is what impressed me the most, I'll leave you alone with the finale.

Attack of the second LP with: 1 Do You Think It's Alright? start of the 2nd album, is this true? 2 Fiddle About with a catchy pop sound, like a repetitive mantra 3 Pinball Wizard... this guitar arpeggio, as famous as the future 'Hôtel california', it goes up and dinding, finally almost dinding... this easy riff which shoots its arrow, boom the 2nd hard riff, à la LOU REED on 'Sweet jane' and you have one of the proto-orgasmic tracks, one of those that will mark the fans for life ..... Good Tommy won at pinball, that is the importance 4 There's A Doctor to cure you of this, but no you're suffering from a psychological disorder, normal after seeing your father get killed 5 Go To The Mirror! agreed title, more pop than rock which crushes your feelings with the a capella cover... see me... another title which cannot be listened to normally thereafter, too much emotion killing emotion; aside on the duration of titles that are often short, but where the concept allows you to attach them as you go along and forget about this damn time 6 Tommy Can You Hear Me? metronomic boring nursery rhyme is what you hear me!! Tommy can you hear me? 7 Smash The Mirror I pass there, a GUNS'N'ROSES prototype? in short no feeling to describe it... ah ok all that to break a mirror, you couldn't say it before? 8 Sensation in the same line, am I tired or this title is not demonstrative enough?, too Beatlesian, too conventional? 9 Miracle Cure extra, 12'' time for that! 10 Sally Simpson just for the clip and the Wallian madness before its time, or how to find yourself a groupie without realizing it; the grandiloquence of the show on a variegated western country cabaret tune and these cries, these cries... 11 I'm Free ... well I'm free to revisit this cult album so here I go ... a revolutionary pastiche on nature that goes into c...., on stupid war, on the immense spaces in which you can get lost, all on an excessively psychedelic sound I'm free I told you, but I don't forget this Pinballian riff which signs the signature of the concept album 12 Welcome oh yes we arrive at the last bend and you say welcome... but it's before that you had to tell me; rising suddenly with the harmonica, Roger who goes up a notch, becomes the preacher making us travel according to his voice; it's beautiful, anyway we've been hypnotized for a long time; the bucolic melody that makes you dream and forget the sordid side of history. Come on welcome 13 Tommy's Holiday Camp for the Charisma Label sound, you know that of the GENESIS and those absurd nursery rhymes that marked the Anglican sound, absurd but not taking themselves seriously and incredibly fresh 14 We're Not Gonna Take It paf la der der and monstrous piece; we bring together the best, we synthesize it, we bring it out with a bit of everything; 7 minutes of pure happiness with a concentrate of history, riffs, evolutions, drifts and other musical waves that you have undergone, that you have finely digested; see mee... touch me... hear me... in order or out of order just before the bombastic final climb, the drum roll still on the left, Keith OUI was truly a great drummer.

THE WHO, rock that was something other than that, the 'Won't Get Fooled Again' from the following album will definitively establish the band in the musical Hollywood firmament, outside the drawers but still eyeing the progressive wave.