Tommy is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Who , released on 19 May Townshend came up with the concept of Tommy after being introduced to the work of Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba , and he attempted to translate Baba's ideas into music.
Recording of the album began in September , but took six months to complete as material needed to be arranged and re-recorded in the studio. The Who promoted the album's release with an extensive tour, including a live version of Tommy , which lasted throughout and The live performances of Tommy drew critical praise and revitalised the band's career.
Upon its release, Tommy was acclaimed by critics, who hailed it as the Who's breakthrough. Its critical standing diminished slightly in later years; nonetheless, several writers view it as an important and influential album in the history of rock music. In , Tommy was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Subsequently, the rock opera was developed into other media, including a ballet in Montreal in , a Seattle Opera production in , an orchestral version by Lou Reizner in , a film directed by Ken Russell and featuring Jack Nicholson and Oliver Reed in , and a Broadway musical in Tommy has been reissued several times on CD, including a remix by Jon Astley in , a deluxe Super Audio CD in , and a super deluxe box set in , including previously unreleased demos and live material.
Tommy tells the story of a fictional character [ 4 ] named Tommy Walker. British Army Captain Walker goes missing during an expedition and is believed dead " Overture ". His wife, Mrs. Walker, gives birth to their son, Tommy "It's a Boy". Years later, Captain Walker returns home and discovers that his wife has found a new lover. The Captain kills the lover in front of Tommy.
Tommy's parents coerce Tommy into believing he did not see or hear anything. Tommy begins to disassociate and becomes deaf, dumb and blind to the outside world "". A quack claims his wife can cure Tommy " The Hawker ". Tommy's parents are increasingly frustrated that he will never find religion in the midst of his isolation "Christmas". Tommy's parents neglect him, leaving him to be tortured by his sadistic "Cousin Kevin" and sexually abused by his uncle Ernie "Fiddle About".
