Many years ago, I saw The Who’s “Tommy” on television. This was the fully casted version, with Tina Turner, Elton John and Jack Nicholson in various acting and/or singing roles.
While did NOT leave a particularly strong impression on me, I do remember a few things. I remembered some songs I liked, and some I didn’t much care for, but there was one song I remembered VERY well; the sort of piece that sweeps you up the way only true Rock’n’Roll can. Every few years I would remember that bit and tell myself to go get myself a copy of Tommy and listen to that song, but I never got around to it.
Now a few months ago I watched “Almost Famous” (courtesy of ), which is a wonderful movie, both for the music in and around it and for the story itself. Among the other 70’s rock classics affecting the young protagonist’s life, The Who’s “Tommy” is prominent. This reawakened those urges in me, and I went and got myself Tommy, on vinyl, the way it SHOULD be done.
Of course, then came the technical problems. My record player is crappy and plays real, real soft. TOO soft to listen properly. So I lay down on my bed, dimmed the light and read the lyrics off of the record cover while listening to it on MP3s. A reasonable compromise, I thought.
And what did I learn?
I learned that it’s a good album. It has very good songs on it, and some I don’t care for too much. And I learned another thing.
That the elusive song I’ve been hunting, that inspiring rock anthem, isn’t a song at all. I haven’t been remembering just 2 lines from it, because the whole thing IS 2 lines! Or 4, more precisely, but still – it is but the connnecting passage between two songs using a riff that’s common throughout the album (damn prog-rockers!). It only shows up twice throughout the album, and even then it’s at the end of some other song.

How annoying.