Tommy

by

The Who

Edit

okay... i normally don't review too many albums on amazon, but was i amazed to read all these reviews from people who chat about the album but then go on to say "but i haven't heard it on SACD yet." so i thought someone might benefit from reading about the surround mix in SACD...

well, it is simply amazing, especially for having been mixed by the near-deaf townsend (surely its a joke!).

the most amazing thing about the 5.1 surround mix is how present and powerful keith moon's drumming is. i have always pointed to "quadrophenia" as the shining example of his frenetic hammering of the drums. but now i can more fully appreciate his drumming on "tommy." the drums sound amazing on this SACD surround mix. no other words can describe it.

one of the reasons for the drums being more powerful is the ability to follow keith's "live in the studio" drumming more closely. you see, all the "accentuating" drum parts (tympani, gongs, cymbal splashes) are all separated from keith's drums in the mix... it wasn't as clear in the stereo mix which drums keith is playing, and which drums are over-dubbed elements.... but here, they are coming at you from different sides of the room. this makes for some amazing parts, particularly during "sparks" and "overture", where keiths keeps pounding out a rhythm, then the tympani drums build up to a crescendo.

also, pete and roger's vocals are sometimes separated in the mix. pete's first words on the alubm came as a shock. he sings, "captain walker didn't come home. his unborn child will never know him." and he's coming from the rear right speaker (mostly) and roger and all come in later, together chanting "a son, a son, a son" from the front speakers. its pretty powerful stuff from the get-go.

i could go on and on. but the most amazing thing truly is the fidelity... i hear things i've never heard before, and i thought i was prety intimately familiar with the album. subtle touches now are given such depth and prominence... and the separation that is achieved with surround sound allows the listener to follow a particular part or a particular instrument...

you can hear pete breathe in before singing... you can hear the sound of his pick against the acoustic guitar. you can hear a few of keith's dud hits on the snare (thought they are few, and always charming to hear).

another reviewer said, "reason alone to buy a SACD player."

i agree.

thanks for reading.

I know sound is the key concern, and the sound really is glorious. I don't own an SACD player, but the clarity is still impressive and superior to earlier releases. Moon's drums are much clearer, and as he's the greatest drummer ever that's no small potatoes. But *everything* is clearer, cleaner, more individual. There's more power, and the work shimmers. It's still quiet Tommy, not the racous noise usually (gloriously) assocated with The Who. If you've always felt Tommy was too underplayed, too sedate, I'm not sure this will change your experience. But if you've loved it before, you will love it more now.

But the packaging--SUCKS!

The previous CD release (the second, by my count, from 1996) was a beautiful job. All Michael McInnerey's original artwork was restored: the triptych cover, the gorgeous illustrations, libretto included, and to top it all off a beautiful Art Deco image created by David Byrd in 1970 for the Metropolitan Opera House performance graces the disc itself.

This new release does not retain the triptych, it does not contain the illustrations. Biggest offense: there is no libretto. There's some hazy backgroud info in the booklet inferior to that of earlier releases. A lot of session photography that is great, sure, but only as a supplimental, not a replacement. No real meaningful information about the rediscovery of the original tapes or how the recordings contained on it differ from those on previous releases supplied by Pete Townshend (there are some).

What this means is that a fan must buy both, even newcomers. That's a rip-off, in my opinion. Especially considering the price of this release.