From those who remember the rock opera "Tommy".....

[Staci Matheis]

OK..... I turn 54 on Sunday..... So today, my old Friend, Ken, from the Datsun 240Z story, sends me this.....







30 Years difference



1973: Long hair

2003: Longing for hair



1973: The perfect high

2003: The perfect high yield mutual fund



1973: KEG

2003: EKG



1973: Acid rock

2003: Acid reflux



1973: Moving to California because it's "cool"

2003: Moving to California because it's warm



1973: Growing pot

2003: Growing pot belly



1973: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

2003: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor



1973: Seeds and stems

2003: Roughage



1973: Killer weed

2003: Weed killer



1973: Hoping for a BMW

2003: Hoping for a BM



1973: The Grateful Dead

2003: Dr. Kevorkian



1973: Going to a new, hip joint

2003: Receiving a new hip joint



1973: Rolling Stones

2003: Kidney Stones





1973: Being called into the principal's office

2003: Calling the principal's office



1973: Screw the system

2003: Upgrade the system



1973: Disco

2003: Costco



1973: Parents begging you to get your hair cut

2003: Children begging you to get their heads shaved



1973: Passing the drivers' test

2003: Passing the vision test



1973: Whatever

2003: Depends



Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will

certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit

College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give

the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's

incoming freshmen. Here's this year's list:



The people who are starting college this fall across the

nation were born in 1985. They are too young to

remember the space shuttle blowing up. (Editor's note: I guess this was written before the most recent tragedy.....)



Their lifetime has always included AIDS.



Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.



The CD was introduced the year they were born.



They have always had an answering machine.



They have always had cable.



They cannot fathom not having a remote control.



Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.



Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.



They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.



They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.



They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.



They never heard: "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile

for a Camel", or "de plane Boss, de plane".



They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who

J. R. even is.



McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.



They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.







I get the last laugh though..... Ken turned 54 last December!

 

[C C]

Ahhh, so much to look forward to. So Staci whatcha doing for your B-day, besides getting a year older?



Cass

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I knew I was getting old when I heard one of my favorite rock songs....IN THE ELEVATOR.....Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....



TOXIC

 

[Staci Matheis]

Cass - I'm having a few close friends over for dinner Saturday night!







I gotta share this..... Ken and I in 1973!

God Bless you, Ken!

You are my OLDEST Friend!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Happy BDay, young un'.



Tex

 

[Greg Meyer]

Happy Birthday to you... (sung in the key of g)



This should cheer you up... You don't seem to be catching up and passing me!

 

[JEFF WHITE]

what really sucks is i remember everything on the list!!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Happy Birthday big guy! BTW...what's Tommy? I guess witha name like that...had to be a hit! bwhahahahahaha

TEE

 

[Staci Matheis]

Was?????????

It still IS!!!!!!!!!

LOL!

 

[Larry Harp]

I have owned copies of Tommy in every medium, Vinyl LP, 8 track, Cassette, and CD. May possibly have an MP3 copy of it if I ever figure out what that IS!!





Harpo

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Aska nd Ye shall receive:



The Who were at the end of their rope when they went in to record their rock opera Tommy. The decadent rock and roll lifestyle and destructive tendencies of the quirky foursome wasn't charming enough to sell records. Consequently, they didn't have much to show for their efforts and were on the verge of bankruptcy. Fortunately, Pete Townshend was creatively inspired from the positive feedback for his mini opera "A Quick One." He felt compelled to explore a conceptual piece on a much grander and more spiritual scale. Producer Kit Lambert in his corner, Townshend spun the amazing journey of a deaf, dumb and blind pinball champion who miraculously overcomes his affliction and becomes a messiah with mass commercial appeal.

However unorthodox and twisted the story may have been, the music was presented with expressive flair and incredible interplay between Keith Moon's flagrantly incredible drumming, John Entwistle's rock-solid bass lines, French horns and writing contributions, Roger Daltrey's dynamic vocals and Townshend's power chords and acoustic work. And through it all, a loose narrative develops as Tommy struggles through family-related traumas like "1921," "Christmas," "Cousin Kevin," and "Uncle Ernie." It is only when he becomes a "Pinball Wizard" that his senses begin to unfurl in new and wondrous ways. "There's A Doctor" who tells Tommy to "Go To The Mirror!" shattering his present world. He's a "Sensation." Tommy regains all of his senses and the headlines declare it a "Miracle Cure." As he sings "I'm Free," Tommy dazzles "Sally Simpson" and opens "Tommy's Holiday Camp." Somewhere along the line, members of his flock feel betrayed, declaring "We're Not Gonna Take It." That's pretty much Tommy in a nutshell.



Obviously, there are deep layers to Tommy that could take pages to explain. This would come in handy when it was made into a feature film with Daltrey cast as the lead character. Tommy would also become a successful stage play on Broadway. When the Who performed it live, none of that seemed to matter. They dragged it around the world for over two years, from Woodstock to Isle of Wight to the New York Metropolitan Opera House. At one point, it looked as if Tommy would overtake the Who. But in the end, the band was put on a throne, denting the pop market and regarded as respected artists to be taken seriously. Since its release, the album has been available in a variety of configurations. It began as a gatefold double LP with a graphically enhanced lyric booklet. It also came in twos as an 8-track, cassette, and CD.



More recently, clocking in at less than 80 minutes, Tommy had been whittled down to one CD. But now, it's back to two with the release of the Deluxe Edition. These are hybrid Super Audio CDs (playable in both regular CD players and Super Audio CD players) remastered in stereo and 5.1 surround. The first disc is the original Tommy is its entirety. In surround or in stereo, the mix is greatly improved with Mooney's drums brought to the forefront. The second disc, of which five of the 17 songs are "stereo only demos," includes a loopy batch of outtakes and demos. Nevertheless, the packaging and sound quality more than make up for this. In any format, Tommy is a universal statement on adversity, triumph and faith that stands as the Who's greatest achievement.

 

[Travis Smith]

I feel old now.......







T.S.

 

[Tony Payne]

So Tox, don't mince words, tell us how you really feel about Tommy....