Rock-n-Roll music was reshaping in extraordinary ways in the mid-1960s with the arrival of British bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals, as well as The Who. All with interesting stories to explore, in the world of The Who, a significant early impact hit in 1965 with their song “My Generation.” An all-time great, the song presented a rowdiness and rebellious sensation that would alter the path of Rock-n-Roll music forever.
Only at the beginning of The Who’s journey, the band soon became known for their loud, energized live performances and engaging form of Rock-n-Roll (that paved the way for Punk Rock and later on Heavy Metal), but also their innovation. Having already solidified themselves as one of the best Rock bands around over the course of their first three studio albums, by 1969, they were taking an unforeseen next step toward a completely different stratosphere with the introduction of Tommy.
An album that blazed a trail, Tommy was largely written and conceptualized by Guitarist Pete Townsend. Inspired by numerous aspects – including Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba and perhaps personal experiences – Tommy was more than another Rock album; it was theater transcribed into sound. Presented as a double album, it created the fictional character of Tommy Walker (a deaf, dumb, and blind boy) who is navigating his way through the world with many obstacles in front of him. Painting vivid imagery in the songs, the tale of Tommy is one of intrigue and tragedy and is largely considered one of the first-ever Rock Operas.
An album that many consider The Who’s breakthrough, it found the band topping charts both in the UK and the US and received a gold record within three months of being released. Riding high, The Who even went out and performed Tommy in its entirety on tour, thus pioneering the now common practice by many modern bands who present their concept albums from start to finish in concert.
A truly unique piece of work that captured the imagination of many, Tommy was even translated by Fernand Nault into a ballet that premiered in Montreal in October 1970, before a 1971 stage opera in Seattle starring Bette Midler, an orchestral version by Lou Reizner in 1972, and decades later, a Broadway Musical that premiered in 1992. Naturally perfect for adaptation into various forms of media, simply no one can forget or overlook the motion picture version of Tommy that arrived in theaters in March 1975.
With an extraordinary task at hand to morph it into a cinematic feature, British Ken Russell was employed, who quickly went to work with his unconventional approach to filmmaking. An Academy Award-winner, Russell eventually wrote and directed a simply bizarre but no less captivating theatrical film adaptation of Tommy. Produced by Robert Stigwood (who also worked on theatrical productions of Hair in 1970 and Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971), it also features an amazing cast that includes The Who’s Roger Daltrey as Tommy, Tina Turner as The Acid Queen, Eric Clapton as The Preacher, Jack Nicholson as The Specialist, Elton John as The Pinball Wizard, Ann-Marget as Tommy’s mother, and Oliver Reed as Uncle Frank.
Slightly different than the album, Tommy the movie took liberties to shift some of Pete Townsend’s original story, but of course, with the creator’s input/approval. With that in mind, in the theatrical edition of Tommy, you still have the centralized Tommy Walker depicted largely the same way. The only significant difference is perhaps that Tommy’s descent into a catatonic state is because he witnesses the murder of his own father (returning home from war, but who is presumed dead) at the hands of his mother’s lover, “Uncle Frank,” instead of the other way around.
From here, the full-length film (that runs just under two hours) offers offbeat and fantastical imagery that you simply cannot take your eyes off. In this, you live with Tommy every step of the way as he transforms his inner anguish to being a pinball master relying solely on feel and vibrations. Being fully aware that the feature is a Rock Opera, it is obvious that there are no simple spoken dialogue exchanges between characters; instead, the songs from Tommy in the album link the story together.
With 100% of the story conveyed through song, Tommy the film excels at getting a striking point across about neglect, vanity, greed, and the effects of psychological trauma. Some may find the imagery and the way matters unfold in the film a bit over the top, but it is this approach relying heavily on visual metaphors and dramatic situations that provokes a reaction for deeper thought.
In truth, Tommy is a social commentary on culture, and even fifty years later, it has not lost a step in envisioning a world full of consumerism, false idols, and a lack of apathy toward others. Startling to think about if you dig deep inside, now in 2025, as Tommy celebrates a semicentennial, as a brand new 4K Ultra HD edition arrives.
Made possible by Shout! Factory, as part of their Shout Select series, the new 50th anniversary edition of Tommy in 4K Ultra HD emerges on March 18, 2025. The first ever 4K Ultra HD experience available to the public, it was transferred from the 35mm original picture negative and 35mm color interpositive. Important, since this permits the most pristine restoration possible, the new edition is also presented In Dolby Vision, which allows for more vibrant colors and deeper contrast. Essentially, it all gives you the most lively imagery, and it certainly shows with Tommy.
With this new edition of Tommy in 4K, you bear witness to a broad range of color, depth, and clarity like never before. Perfect for a film of this type, it is even bolder thanks to the attention devoted to the sound, which is offered either in 2.0 stereo, 5.1 surround, or DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 Quintaphonic.
All quite stunning, the new set includes two discs (one 4K UHD, one Blu-ray) as well as a limited edition slipcover with original theatrical art for the first pressing. Beyond this, there are no extra bonus features. However, neither has any former home editions of Tommy. It is a bit curious as to why, but nonetheless, you are purchasing this 50th anniversary release of Tommy in 4K Ultra High Definition exactly for this presentation. That is why it is highly recommended to dive into the experience, with Cryptic Rock giving the Tommy 4K UHD 50th Anniversary Edition 5 out of 5 stars.
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