The Who - Tommy Album

The Tommy album was a musical landmark because it happened to be the first rock opera ever. Townshend whipped up the story of a deaf and dumb blind guy who would inspire a passionate following in true operatic-style. The disc had a book and libretto, but instead of classical music, it used rock. The music was also a departure from the Who's typical hard rock efforts as they used horns and strings for the first time. While some of the songs can stand on their own like "Pinball Wizard", "I'm Free" and "Acid Queen", most are best listened to in the context of the whole album. Crank it out with the lights low to get the full effect.