Re: Pinball Wizard An Embarrassment?

["Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Just a few more thoughts on the "Pinball Wizard" thread.  Having had a few
days to think about it I now accept the fact that some Who fans find the
pinball subplot in Tommy somewhat embarrassing & frankly, as in Kevin's
case, a bit of a sell out.

Again, I was just shocked to hear these views for the first time.  As I
said, I hadn't personally met *anyone* who thought the whole pinball thing
in TOMMY was goofy, stupid, or silly.  I always thought it was kind of
cool.

I mean, pinball isn't a wimpy game or anything.  It has a touch of counter-
culture & rebelliousness to it.  Degenerates who skip school play pinball.
So, in that sense, its inclusion in TOMMY has never caused *me* any embar-
rassment. 

And I've always believed Pete & The Who got lucky in that pinball hasn't
gone out of style & is still popular among kids in arcades & patrons in
bars.  I mean, thank God Pete didn't write a rock opera that included
CB radios as a main sub-plot in the story!  Now, *that* would be embarrass-
ing!

And the Nik Cohn thing never bothered me, either.  Pete's always geared
his music to his audience to some degree.  If Pete respected Nik Cohn's
opinion that much, then that's good enough for me.

Finally, IMO, the pinball theme gives the mystical & spiritual TOMMY a nice
grounding in pop culture which makes the story a bit more accessible.  To
put it simply.....it works.  And I dig it.  


- SCHRADE in Akron