Re: The Who Mailing List Digest V4 #274

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> Well since the original title (I mean one of the original titles) was
>  "Tommy (1914-1984)" then "1921" takes place when "Tommy" is seven and
>  "Amazing Journey" three years later!

Brian:

Good info; it definitely helps as we continue to try and place Tommy's
ages in relation to the story.

> I know I have, but I can't remember where or who said it!

Yellow:

Relax and it will come to you. I'd be interested to read it myself. I
haven't read the book on Tommy (The Story Of, I think)...maybe there?

> You're forgetting what seems to me the most obvious example of some
> confusion in the timeline..."Acid Queen".  She refers to Tommy as
> young (a "boy" in fact), and says that after she's done with him he
> will no longer be a child.

I think this had more to do with his mental state than his actual age.

>  I think it's safe to assume that the dear
> lad was no older than 20 at that point in the storyline.  

The main problem being he was afterwards a "deaf dumb and blind KID," as
well as having to "go to the mirror, BOY." I suppose it all comes down
to the PW and Doc's POV.

> However, if
> Tommy must have been at least three or four during "1921", then this
> would place "Acid Queen" no later than 1937.  LSD wasn't even
> invented until 1938, and its hallucinatory effects weren't discovered
> until 1943.

This is definitely an item which puts and age on Thomas. I wonder how
long after the effects were discovered we can imagine an "Acid Queen"
existing...

> If anyone noticed, WWI ended on 11/11/18.  Three years before Captain
> Walker's return.  Considering the first thing done after every war is
> the exchange of POW's, this makes me wonder about Townshend's history
> knowledge.

McGoo:

It doesn't seem that Pete (or Lambert) was trying to be that externally
consistant, especially given the internal inconsistacies! Other
obligations and commitments forced them to throw what they had together,
and as Pete said he wasn't even sure of the running order when they went
out on the road to perform it. Which may be why I'm Free doesn't seem to
be in the correct place in the story, for instance.

- -- 

            Cheers                ML

 "There's a million ways to laugh/And every one's a path..."

            Pete Townshend