Heard of the band The Who, a London-based band? Listened to their music? Tommy was the fourth album released by the band The Who, and a large portion of it was composed by Pete Townshend, the guitarist. The song was a rock opera that told the story of the worship leader and singer Tommy Walker.
The song was created in IBC and Morgan and belonged to the hard rock genre. The song was of 74.44 minutes and was produced by Kit Lambert. Tommy as a child, witnessed his father murdering his mother’s lover. Tommy was traumatized by the incident and experienced sexual assault, and Tommy’s parents compounded his experience by denying experience.
To deal with his trauma, Tommy becomes dissociative [deaf, dumb, and blind], and this dissociation increases further after he is sexually assaulted. Tommy begins playing pinball as a way to overcome his trauma. He gains popularity with his skill of playing pinball. After numerous failed attempts at healing Tommy, a doctor prescribes he looks in the mirror to confront his experience.
The album was loved by millions, and the band toured, making an appearance and doing several gigs across the world.
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Release Date For Tommy By The Who
The album was released by the studio on 17 May 1969 by Decca in the U.S. It was released in the U.K. by Track Records on 23 May 1969. The song was a commercial success and reached second place in the U.K. album charts. The album was well-received and loved by the audience. The song sold 200,000 copies in the first week in the U.S. and got awarded the gold record for sales of 500,000 by 18 August.
The critics were divided into two parts where one part felt the song was a new beginning for a new genre of songs, and the other felt it was exploitative. Some felt the song was a masterpiece, while others felt it wasn’t worth one’s time. Tommy received a hostile reception from BBC. Listeners of the song felt Tommy was the first extension of rock music.
Townshep was praised for deliberately constructing the albums in a way that each song could be individually enjoyed. The album became a part of Grammy’s Hall Of Fame for its historical and artistic value. Mike Mclnnerney designed the artwork for the two part-LP set for the album, and it included a booklet including lyrics and images to illustrate parts of the story.
Townshend felt that a former follower of Meher Baba would be an appropriate choice to design the artwork for the album. The album was released as a CD version in 1984 as a two-disc set. The band planned to play the album live since they started the project. The track names and the timings of the song varied from edition to edition. The album was a defining moment in the field of rock music.
Who Are The Who Band And Where Are They Now?
The Who was an English rock band that was formed in 1964 in London. The band consisted of four members, including Roger Daltrey, the lead vocalist. Pete Townshend, the guitarist; John Entwistle, the drummer. And Keith Moon, the drummer. They were considered one of the most influential bands of their time.
The band released its last album in 2019, titled Who, and toured with a symphony orchestra. The Who members had a combined net worth of $300M. Roger Daltrey had a net worth of $90M, Pete’s Townshend had a net worth of $150M, John Entwistle had a net worth of $50M, and Keith Moon had a net worth of $10M. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are the last two living members of the band.
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