Tommy 

Editions:

Tommy was originally released as a two-LP set with a thin booklet of lyrics and artwork in a triptych[?]-style fold-out cover. All three of the outer panels of the triptych are spanned by a single Pop Art painting by Mike McInnerney[?]. The drawing is a sphere with diamond-shaped cutouts and and overlay of clouds and seagulls rendered with a figure-ground ambiguity. To one side a star-spangled hand bursts from the dark background, index finger pointing forward. (The image above only shows the central panel of the triptych.) The label's executives insisted on having a picture of the band on the cover, so small, barely recognizable images of the band members' faces were inserted into the gaps in the sphere, each with an outstreached hand like a groping Tommy Walker. (The most recent remastered CD release reverts to McInnerney's original artwork without the faces.) The internal artwork consists of a photo of some jugglers/magicians and some very simple paintings that only hint at illustrating the story.

MCA re-released the album as a two-CD set in 1984. The CDs were in separate jewel cases and each had a miniaturized copy of the original artwork and lyrics in the insert, though it only included two panels of the magnificent triptych. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab[?] later published it on a single gold-plated Ultradisk[?] in their Original Master Recording[?] series, with a much improved reproduction of the artwork (including a fold-out of the full original cover), but with the unfortunate substitution of an alternate take on "Eyesight to the Blind". MCA finally released their own remastered edition on a single disk in 1996, complete with good artwork and a written introduction by Richard Barnes[?]; this is the edition you should seek out if you intend to buy it.

Live Recordings:

Live recordings of Tommy are available on The Who: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival[?] 1970 and The Who: Live at Leeds (Deluxe Edition), both recorded in 1970 but not released until 1996 and 2001, respectively. The Live at Leeds version is somewhat stiff, as if the were trying too hard to get a clean take for publication. The Isle of Wight version is rowdy and full of the trademark energy that made the Who a live powerhouse, but is unfortunately split across the two disks of the set. The Who also performed Tommy for its 20^th anniversary during their 1989 reunion tour and it can be heard on the Join Together recording, but though that recording has its high points it comes nowhere close to capturing the spirit of the era that produced the opera. The Who also performed Tommy at Woodstock, but only a small part of the performance has been released.

Other Incarnations:

Tommy has also enjoyed other incarnations. In 1972 the London Symphony Orchestra released a symphonic version with the singing roles assigned to the band members and various other pop stars of the era, including Steve Winwood, Rod Stewart and Ringo Starr. Peter Townshend also plays a bit of guitar, but otherwise the music is entirely orchestral. In 1975 Ken Russell released a tongue-in-cheek movie version featuring The Who and an eclectic supporting cast including Elton John, Oliver Reed and Jack Nicholson; this version has achieved cult film status due to scenes such as Arthur Brown's portrayal of a priest in Tommy's cult, Ann-Margret's frolic in a pool of beans, and the brilliant satire on pop music presented by the "Sally Simpson" scene. In 1993, Townshend and San Diego playwright Des MacAnuff[?] wrote and produced a Broadway musical adaptation of Tommy. Featuring several new songs by Townshend and an all-star cast, the production won a Tony award that year, and various touring revivals have met with popular acclaim since.

References:

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