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Re: Wimpy TOMMY



>>Just imagine Pete wanting to prevent the "tour" so the investors who lost
>>money could get paid back. My sympathies go with them...

Well, it's not quite as cynical as that.  Three companies of TOMMY have
started up since my money-losing tour ended (not counting the non-equity
tour) and these are all "official" versions.  Pete doesn't want to annoy
investors, he still needs them.  However, in this particular case, he didn't
want a sub-par version of his work touring the states with the sole purpose
of making a few quick bucks by cashing in on the reputation of the official
version, not to mention the reputation of the composer and band that made it
famous.  Artistic integrity.  I realize that this may run counter to a
business person's point of view.  Imagine for instance that Picasso sold a
painting to some investors with the understanding that it would tour the
country so that the public could enjoy the work.  After a year or so the
investors have not yet recouped their money, and they decide to sell the work
to someone else, but they make a black-and-white photocopy and begin a new
tour, without notifying the public that this wasn't Picasso's original
version.  The public has heard about this great painting but are unaware of
the copy, and they go to see the b&w copy. They walk away shrugging their
shoulders saying "it didn't look that good to me!".  I can understand why the
artist would like to avoid that type of situation.  

>>Pete definitely DID write I BELIEVE MY OWN EYES as an extension to the
>>story suggested by director Des McAnuff.  Although a ballad, I thought Pete
>>did a great job of blending it stylistically into the rest of the music.

>I have to strongly disagree with you here. "I Believe My Own Eyes" doesn't
>come close to anything written for "Tommy" in terms of quality and even has
>trouble standing up as a Townshend composition. It may have been in that
>"Amazing Journey" video or some other Pete interview where he was going on
>about the song, but after spending $40 to buy the stupid book to get the CD
>single, all I could say is "what a piece of <Picard>"... ...and you know I
>LOVE Pete demos...

Granted, IBMOE sticks out from the rest of the score.  Interestingly, among
rock fans I know, most hate the song-while most theatre fans I know say it's
their favorite from the show.  What I meant was that Pete used musical
motifs, chords and patterns from other TOMMY songs, despite that it was
written some 25 years later. 

Scott