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The Who - Tommy (Soundtrack):  

UK - 1975 Polydor LP	UK - 1975 Polydor 8-Track
UK - 2001 Polydor CD (Promo) (Disc 1)	UK - 2001 Polydor CD (Promo) (Disc 2)
USA - 1975 Polydor LP	USA - 1975 Polydor LP With sticker
USA - 1975 Polydor Cassette	USA - 1975 Polydor 8-Track
USA - 1975 Polydor Reel-To-Reel	The Making Of Tommy 1975 - USA - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) Music & interviews
USA - 1975 AFRTS LP (Promo) Single LP Armed Forces Radio version	USA - 1975 AFRTS LP (Promo) [Label face]
USA - 1980 Polydor Cassette Includes "Overture"	USA - 1993 Polydor CD Original mastering. Includes "Overture", which was previously available only on 45 and album cassette versions
Argentina - 1975 Polydor LP	Argentina - 1975 Polydor Cassette
Australia - 1975 Polydor LP	Australia - 1975 Polydor Cassette (Vol 1)
Australia - 1975 Polydor 8-Track	Austria - 1975 Polydor LP Cover printed in Germany, LPs pressed in Austria
Austria - 1975 Polydor LP (Club Edition)	Brazil - 1975 Polydor LP
Brazil - 1993 Polydor CD	Canada - 1975 Polydor LP
Chile - 1975 Polydor LP	Colombia - 1975 Polydor LP
France - 1978 Polydor LP	Germany - 1975 Polydor LP Club Edition
Germany - 1975 Polydor 8-Track Volume 2	Germany - 1993 Polydor CD Original masterering. Includes "Overture", which was previously available only on 45 and album cassette versions
Greece - 1975 Polydor LP	Guatemala - 1975 Polydor LP
Holland - 1975 Polydor LP	Hong Kong - 1975 Polydor LP
India - 1975 Polydor LP (Volume 1)	India - 1975 Polydor LP (Volume 2)
Indonesia - 1975 Nirwana Cassette (Part 1)	Indonesia - 1975 Team Cassette
Israel - 1975 Polydor LP	Italy - 1975 Polydor LP
Italy - 1975 Polydor Cassette (Volume 1)	Italy - 1975 Polydor Cassette (Volume 2)
Italy - 1975 Polydor LP (Volume 1)	Italy - 1975 Polydor Cassette (Volume 1)
Italy - 1975 Polydor LP (Volume 2)	Italy - 1975 Polydor Cassette (Volume 2)
Japan - 1975 Polydor LP 1st pressing	Japan - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo)
Japan - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) Label face	Japan - 1975 Polydor LP
Japan - 1982 Polydor LP	Japan - 1991 Polydor CD Original pressing
Japan - 2000 Polydor CD Remastered	Japan - 2008 Polydor CD (Promo Box) Box only, no CDs
Japan - 2011 Polydor CD ini-LP cover. Remastered	Japan - 2020 Polydor CD
Japan - 2020 Polydor CD (Promo)	Korea - 1975 Yegrin LP
Korea - 1975 PTO Cassette Part 1	Mexico - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) Front cover
Mexico - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) Back cover	Mexico - 1975 Pickwick LP (Promo) Front cover (Excepts from Tommy)
Mexico - 1975 Pickwick LP (Promo) Back cover (Excepts from Tommy)	Mexico - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) Front cover. Mexico cover, USA vinyl
Mexico - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) Back cover. Mexico cover, USA vinyl. Note odd track listing	Mexico - 1975 Polydor LP
New Zealand - 1975 Polydor LP	New Zealand - 1975 Polydor Cassette
Peru - 1975 Polydor LP	Peru - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo)
Philippines - 1975 Polydor LP	Portugal - 1975 Polydor LP
Portugal - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo)	Saudi Arabia - 1975 AC Cassette
Saudi Arabia - 1975 Party Cassette	South Africa - 1975 Polydor LP
Spain - 1975 Polydor LP	Spain - 1975 Polydor Cassette
Taiwan - 1975 Giant LP	Taiwan - 1975 Giant LP
Taiwan - 1976 TH LP (front cover) Single LP	Taiwan - 1976 TH LP (back cover) Single LP
Venezuela - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo)	Venezuela - 1975 Polydor LP (Promo) [Label face]
Yugoslavia - 1975 RTB LP

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Album: Tommy (Soundtrack)

LPs (vinyl) Sampled: UK (Polydor), USA (Polydor)

CDs (original mastering) Sampled: USA (Polydor), Germany (Polydor), Japan (Polydor)

CDs (1st remaster - 2000) Sampled: USA (Polydor), Japan (Polydor), UK (Polydor)

LP Comments: Both UK and USA copies sound equally as good.

CD (original mastering) comments: The Japan copy was released before the German or USA copies and use tapes that may be a generation or two removed. While it still sounds good, it doesn't sound as good as the German or USA copies.

CD (1st remaster) comments:  Too loud and compressed. The previous version sounded fine and didn't require remastering. This version sounds worse than the previous release due to over processing.

CD (2nd remaster) comments: An improvement over previously released versions.

CD (3rd remaster) comments: A greater improvement over previously released versions.

Compare for yourself!   Below are 30 second WAV samples from various pressings of the "Tommy (Soundtrack)" as described above. Captain Walker: 1975 UK LP   1991 Japan  CD   1993 USA CD   1993 Germany/UK CD   2000 Japan CD (1st Remaster)   2001 UK CD (1st Remaster)   2011 Japan CD (2nd Remaster)   2020 Japan CD (3rd Remaster) Mother And Son: 1975 UK LP   1991 Japan  CD   1993 USA CD   1993 Germany/UK CD   2000 Japan CD (1st Remaster)   2001 UK CD (1st Remaster)   2011 Japan CD (2nd Remaster)   2020 Japan CD (3rd Remaster)

Note: Sound comparisons are only as good as your ears and the equipment you are listening to the music with.

Summary: Either the 1993 USA or German (Polydor) (pre-remastered) copies sound fine or the 2020 Japan (Polydor) 3rd remastered CD (improved sound quality).

Other Comments: Someone had the clever idea of adding the "Overture" (which was previously only available on the single) to the cassette release of this album, which was then later added to the German and USA CDs - a good decision.

About: Tommy (Soundtrack) As a young teen and "dating" I vividly recall being asked to take various young ladies to see "Tommy" (at the movie theater) - and remember answering along the lines of... "Why would I want to see that crap???" (They say that first impressions are often correct. Are they?)   Well... I never saw "Tommy" in the 70s...   I do recall getting the Soundtrack (ST) in the early 80's and wondering how all the singing was so horrible (Ann Margaret and Oliver Reed). It didn't make any sense.   I always thought Roger, Pete and John should have recorded new vocals to replace most/all of the "guest vocalists" to make this a more "serious" album. Musically, it's brilliant. There's a lot of cool synthesizers and different arraignments that make this a cool listening experience - only to be made "nasty" by Ann and Oliver. Oh well...   What I always thought was interesting was that on the original LP versions, "Overture" was left off. To get this music, you would have to buy one of the singles or the cassette version. Go figure... They "fixed" this with the CD release in 1993.   Getting back to the music...   There are some great Who performances "buried" in this album.   * I'm Free - is there a better studio version of this song?   * Sensation - Pete (who worked day and night on this movie/soundtrack) really delivers here. Great vocals. * Sally Simpson - any Who song where Pete and Roger trade vocals is just great - this is no exception.   * Fiddle About - an honorable mention for Keith Moon   The album has some other "moments" of brilliance when Pete and Roger's vocals appear. Unfortunately, this is the kind of album that you play maybe once a year (and then wonder why you did).   I played the newly mastered Japan CD on side 1 and the 1993 (original) Germany CD on side 2. Other than for some volume level differences they were both pretty good and sounded about the same. What was more evident was that the album needs to be remixed (a lot of great instruments are sort of buried - including some of the drumming) - but considering the weakness of the material (Ann & Oliver) - why?   Some of you may not be aware that "Cousin Kevin" (Paul Nicholas) is also... Oscar!   And of course everyone knows that Oscar was the one who released Pete's great song Join My Gang on The Who's UK Reaction label in 1966...   Also worth noting that the very young Simon Townshend sings on this album too!

Track Listing: Overture (on Germany, USA and remaster versions), Prologue, Captain Walker, It's A Boy, Bernie's Holiday Camp, 1951, What About The Boy, Amazing Journey, Christmas, Eyesight To The Blind, Acid Queen, Do You Think It's Alright?, Cousin Kevin, Do You Think It's Alright?, Fiddle About, Do You Think It's Alright?, Sparks, Extra, Extra, Extra, Pinball Wizard, Champagne, There's A Doctor, Go To The Mirror, Tommy Can You Hear Me?, Smash The Mirror, I'm Free, Mother And Son, Sensation, Miracle Cure, Sally Simpson, Welcome, TV Studio, Tommy's Holiday Camp, We're Not Gonna Take It, Listening To You, See Me, Feel Me.

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