The Who's original album Tommy is a masterpiece.
Then somebody decided it would make a great movie, but let's improve on the album by having Oliver Reed and Jack Nicholson SING! And let's make Elton John the Pinball Wizard!
Whenever the subject of Tommy comes up, I always advise to buy the album by The Who, and run, Forrest, run, from the movie soundtrack or DVD of the movie.
Couldn't disagree more. Ken Russell's film - although misunderstood by many - is a masterpiece.
shareThe movie is what it is, but I'd still recommend anyone thinking about buying either the album Tommy or the movie soundtrack go with the album Tommy.
I'd just rather listen to those 4 blokes rock that music--just can't get past Oliver Reed & Jack Nicholson singing & Elton John's massacre of Pinball Wizard.
I've read that Townshend hated the movie when it first came out but later thought it was great.
I was just never able to get into the movie, which was a surprise because I'm a long time fan of The Who.
As Peter Griffin said of The Godfather, "it insists upon itself."
It's the stupidist thing I've ever seen
shareI've got both recordings. I've always said, The Who's original Tommy was my brother's music, this Tommy was mine. I remember this like it was yesterday when it opened. The late David Frost did the runway in England for this premier and it seemed so exciting. The casting was 'imaginative' to say the least, and this film grew on me. I remember the "regular" film critics panning it, while the music journalists were split. Many actually loved Tina Turner and Elton John's performances more than other parts of the movie.
I saw this on the Z-Channel in Los Angeles for the first time, and it was shown with other Ken Russell films, as Altered States was the film they were focusing on in the bunch and Aria was the premier film on the channel. This is a Ken Russell production and it works. If I had seen this without seeing other Russell films, I might've felt the same way (the Cousin Kevin scene was the best to me, as that was pure Russell film-making). There is a brilliance to it, to vision Pete Townsend's childhood trauma and 60s rock opera to screen with all the trappings of the day.
I do wish to add that no one understood why Jack Nicholson was in this film, but his part isn't so long that it is that tragic, and it REALLY works as the shyster doctor. And in that is the brilliance of Russell bringing that question with a questionable cast to make the doctor more unbelievable as he should be.
If there is one movie and soundtrack to stay away from at that time, it's Sgt. Pepper. Now that's a true mess.
It knows what scares you. It has since the very beginning.share
If there is one movie and soundtrack to stay away from at that time, it's Sgt. Pepper. Now that's a true mess.
Oliver Reed was never supposed to be a good singer in the movie. That is another thing a lot of people never understood. His character is a scum. A loveable scum at times, mind you but still a scum and his singing was supposed to reflect that. I thought Nicholson did fine. His vocals didn't require much range. Originally they wanted Christopher Lee (!!!!!!!) to play this part. Can you imagine HIM flirting with Ann-Margret in that scene???
shareThe album is within my top 30 of all time but the movie is my 5th favourite of all time.
Better to regret something you did, than something you didn't do!
I have always wondered why those who saw the film can say such bad things about it if only for the fact that it is wall to wall music by The Who. Sure they don't perform it but it's still great music. If you aren't a fan of The Who then why you would spend 2 hours watching a movie version of their album is beyond me.
To the OP's complaint about Elton John - I thought the Pinball Wizard scene was one of the best scenes in the movie. John did a terrific rendition.
It's not a perfect film. A few scenes run on too long and not everyone is a great singer. But so what? The songs are still great. I like the movie a lot.
On the contrary, I think people who haven't heard the original masterwork would be more likely to take to these watered-down versions, really.
shareThe whole film is so campy I am honestly surprised Pete Townshend had anything to do with it. And yes, I think the album by The Who is a masterpiece.
shareI'm a bit surprised that everyone here on the Tommy boards keeps complaining about or defending Oliver Reed and Jack Nicholson's singing, while no one has much to say about Ann-Margret's singing. While she is quite a good singer (see Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, The Pleasure Seekers), I don't think she is much of a rock singer. She has more of a Vegas/show tune quality to her singing. I think her casting as Tommy's mother was brilliant. She looks great and gives a really excellent performance--until she starts to sing. As one who listened to the original Who album for years before the film was made, I cringe at how the rock "edge" of the Who's songs gets sanded down and mellowed out into Robert Stigwood pop to suit AM's vocal style. My only complaint about an otherwise fascinating film.
shareI like the movie, but obviously the music on the original Who album is much better.
I first saw this movie when I was 15, and I've seen it numerous times since then. I just watched it the other day, in fact. What struck me this time is that when Tommy comes out of his deaf, dumb, and blind stupor, wow the vocals in the film really improve because we start getting Roger Daltrey singing most of the songs instead of Oliver Reed and Ann Margaret. It's a huge difference.
Agree totally.
shareAgree in principle with OP, although I think my criticism of the movie is different. While I do recognize the cringe-worthiness of some of the song renditions, mostly I just find it to be one long, embarrassing self-indulgence by Ken Russell. An exercise in public zit-squeezing. I rate it 3 out of 10.
The music as performed by The Who I like very much. I recognize more and more as I get older the awkwardness of some of the lyrics (which is neither here nor there in this discussion of movie vs album) nevertheless The Who's Tommy has real guts to the sound, and a beloved place in my psyche.
Yeah, but when wasn't Ken Russell self-indulgent. Sometimes it worked (The Boyfriend, Women in Love, Altered States), sometimes it was a disaster (Lisztomania, The Devils, The Music Lovers). I think that whether it worked or not had to do with the subject matter, and Tommy lent itself to Russell's self-indulgent, psychedelic splatter. He was simply doing in the 60s and 70s what Baz Luhrmann has been imitating in the 21st century, and doing it better than Baz and before CGI.
shareI much prefer the film of Quadrophenia to Tommy. Quadrophenia is more real and gritty, like the Who, whereas Tommy is more pop and flashy. And I think the songs in Quadrophenia are better.
shareI have to disagree as well. I just watched the movie for the first time in years and it really improves with repeated viewings. I have always preferred Elton John's version of Pinball Wizard but some of the other songs also work better, in the context of the movie anyway, done by other singers, especially songs that were meant for female voices like Acid Queen. You really have to view the movie on its own rewards separate from the original. Comparing the two undermines both works.
shareIt sucked beyond belief ----
shareWhat hanswnmv said!
Gotta love people talking about "not getting it," as if this movie was some sort of deep, avant-garde vision, rather than the self-indulgent pretentious mess it is. Badly acted, laughably directed, ill-conceived at every turn. Daltrey had a lovely body, but that's all this fiasco has to offer. And kiddies, the outasight effects were hokey and cheesy even for 1975. I know, I was there...
It was truly remarkable..... not in a good way.
A few years later - "someone" came up with Sgt Peppers - the movie: let's take the biggest solo rock star at the time - Peter Frampton --- and the biggest act - the Bee-Gees -- and put them in a movie. The movie destroyed everyone's career.
I watched this movie as a young boy and loved it. Then I watched it as a 21 year old again, only this time I was on LSD. It was THE BEST trip/experience of my life. What a *beep* trip. What a beautiful movie.
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