Album one is the most stable, well rounded, and Who sounding record of the set. I don't really want to get into too many Tommy story details, I can safely assume if you are reading this you are aware of the tale. Otherwise it starts off from the beginning, birth, and then embarks into what is going to be Tommy's very strange existence. I did like how they cleverly found a way to slip in a Sonny Boy Williamson cover, Eyesight To The Blind, to play into their theme.
Album two, unlike the first record's clear song structure, they use snippet tunes to move the story along, which I found dumbed down the details of what was going on, for example, when Tommy was being molested by Uncle Ernie the descriptor was the band chanting, "fiddle about," which I guess would have been a young man's interpretation, but seemed to condescend a very serious moment in a boy's life, but at the same time what else could you say? Then the, "deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball," c'mon give me a break, after all he's been through he becomes a Pinball Wizard, great tune musically with killer riffs, but cheesy as hell lyrically. As Tommy's life goes on they determine that the problem is psychosomatic, there's some realization, a quote unquote Miracle Cure, and Tommy becomes a Sensation. Sally Simpson, a story about a random follower/ fan, proves to be the most interesting element, I like the outsider perspective, it's about her struggles and tribulations in relation to Tommy's life, she gets a terrible gash on her face and marries a Californian rock star. At the end of the album Tommy becomes a cult/ guru type figure, with his own cover your eyes and block your ears enlightenment pinball camp.
