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Re: Tommy (the %&#@** movie)



I was going to answer this privately, but thought it might be of some
general interest...

    When it first came out, I loved "Pinball Wizard" and thought "Champagne"
    was lame, and now that opinion is reversed.

Attaboy.  Open mind, and all that :-).  I wouldn't say PW appears lame
to me, but on thinking about it the parts I like most are the brief
glimpses of The Who (minus RD) playing.  (I think Elton John mentioned
in the "Tommy" special that the soundtrack is actually _his_, Elton's,
band...oh well...)  As I said before, I really admire "Champagne," not
so much for the music as for the cinematic imagination.  It's one of
those things where it's worth remembering how shocking yet effective it
was at first viewing.

 (Is "Champagne" in
    the Broadway version? Underrated performance, IMHO.)

No, it's not; the Broadway Tommy, Michael Cerveris, mentioned that one
of his first (skeptical) thoughts upon hearing it was going to be redone
for theatre was how they were going to do the bean-avalanche and then
clean it up...

It's interesting how "Champagne" starts with the chords of "I'm Free,"
(very slow tempo, though), and the new Broadway song "I Believe My Own
Eyes" has a bit including chords from "He seems to be completely
unreceptive."  Love those in-references.

    "Mother and Son" still sucks. (Thousands watch you plaaaay.. !PINBALL!)

Oh man.  Don't stop now... "PINBALL!  I-it's a FEver!  And you're the
master of the game!..."  Bllaarrggghhh.

Alan