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Tommy Vs Quadrophenia
Why is Tommy more popular?
I don't get it.
Amore Solum Opus Est
Follow Ups:
I think part of it the fact that Tommy represented an entirely new direction for The Who. The music got better then precious recordings by leaps and bounds and was the start of their best period. Also, it has gotten much better exposure, what with the movie and being the first recording the the best of their line up of albums. It's the one that really put them on the map and cemented their place in the pantheon of rock and roll. Before that they were a really good band, after Tommy they were legends!
"In October 1967 the British group Nirvana (not to be confused with the later American band of the same name) released The Story of Simon Simopath, what might be the first entire album by a rock band to comprise a single story. The highly successful 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was The Beatles' attempt at a rock opera. In an interview given for the Anthology series Ringo Starr said; "We got as far as Sgt. Pepper's and then Billy Shears, a Little Help From My Friends, and then everyone said "Ah sod it. Let's just do tracks". In November 1967 the Montreal group Influence traveled to New York to record what they called a 'mini-opera', "Mad Birds Of Prey", and other songs for their only album. In August 1968, The Family Tree released Miss Butters, the birth-to-death story of a schoolteacher. The Pretty Things released S.F. Sorrow, in December 1968, which similarly told the story of protagonist Sebastian F. Sorrow's life from the cradle to the grave and from joy to misery.[2]"
wikipedia
IMO it's all about the timing. If Quadrophenia had been released in 1969 and Tommy in 1973, then Q would be everybody's fave.
Happy listening,
Jim
Tommy is "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Toss in some country, some Elvis, some Caribbean, etc...
Quadrophenia is, well, I don't like any other Andrew Loyd Weber, so I'll go with Quadrophenia is "Hedwig and the Angry Inch."
...their first.
The best rock opera.
And it's classic rock.
Quadraphenia has some good songs, but doesn't hold up all the way through - the story line isn't as strong.
As mentioned above, the subject of Tommy was a lot easier for people to grasp. Very few in the U.S. knew anything about the mods. The storyline of Quadrophenia is more complex as well.
Then when the Who took Quadrophenia on the road, they had all kinds of problems performing, with at least Daltry being vocal in his dislike of it, so that probably put the public off it as well.
I agree the movie is great. Definitely Sting's best moments on film.
The new Deluxe Quadrophenia sounds great IMO and is worth buying. The demo tracks are quite interesting as well, which is usually not the case on most remasters.
Betcha I could name most songs from Tommy after hearing the first one or two intro chords.
It was released while I was in college and was a big part of that whole scene. I heard them play it live in Philly with my future wife and it is the best concert memory that we share. It was present at Woodstock. That is a significant cultural presence for me.
Quadrophenia was released while I was in med school and married, and, theoretically headed in a more serious direction. I recognize it as being a more serious, introspective, and perhaps, objectively better work (and it does rock), but with music from that era, especially by the Who, it's the emotional impact it had on me at the time that matters. Tommy wins that contest hands down.
Dunno. Tommy being the first "Rock Opera" by a bigtime group prolly had the advantage. From what I've read, "Quadrophenia" was a more personal endeavour by Townshend. But, mired by problems from the get-go.
Foremost was trying to compete with "Who's Next." By far one of the finest albums ever made.
NT
I said empty .
There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.
—Leonard Cohen
Quadrophenia simply has more air guitar and drum parts than Tommy. How can anyone not listen to "The Punk meets the Godfather" at max volume?
That album is made for for ear bleeding. I actually crank my Les Paul/65 Fender to this album time to time-great exercise! Never mastered Petes windmill in 30 years of trying.
kjh
Have them both (of course) and listen to Quad much more. Enjoy both but Quadrophenia is the one that always manages to make the spin. It has been a constant listening experience (both really) since they came out. They both hold up long term but Quadrophenia is better in my book.
Great effort by the entire band on both but Moon's drumming on Quad is just friggin amazing.
of the LP, of course... :-)
5:15, Drowned, Sea and Sand, Bell Boy.
Quintessential.
all the best,
mrh
Quadrophenia (despite its subject matter) is the work of a more mature composer (and, heck, band) than is Tommy. The former is better sounding, too (to stay on-topic for this site)!
I've never been a big fan of Tommy - although Pete T. has undoubtedly made more money off of Thomas than he has off of James.
all the best,
mrh
was better than Tommy, IMO, FWIW.
Tommy is a good greatest hits but Quadrophenia is better as a whole IMO.
I saw their Quad concert maybe 5 or 6 years ago and it was great.
I'm a Quadrophenia guy, and I think Tommy is also an outstanding album.
-Tommy has a more identifiable theme: spirituality vs. angst.
-Quadrophenia is more rock/edgier than the etherial Tommy.
-Tommy's story has more obvious characters where Quadrophenia is more about the inner turmoil of one character.
In a nutshell, I think there is more thinking involved with Quadrophenia, and unless someone is willing to take the time and effort to listen and learn they won't get it.
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