Ever since I was a young boy,
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton,
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall.
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball!
He stands like a statue,
Becomes part of the machine.
Feeling all the bumpers,
Always playing clean.
He plays by intuition;
The digit counters fall.
That deaf, dumb and blind kid...
... Sure plays a mean pinball!
He's a pinball wizard
There has to be a twist.
A pinball wizard,
S'got such a supple wrist.
How do you think he does it?
I don't know.
What makes him so good?
Ain't got no distractions;
Can't hear no buzzers and bells.
Don't see no lights a-flashin';
He plays by sense of smell.
Always gets a replay,
'N' never seen him fall.
That deaf, dumb and blind kid...
... Sure plays a mean pinball!
I thought I was
The Bally table king ...
... But I just handed
My pinball crown to him.
Even at my favourite table,
He can beat my best.
His disciples lead him in
And he just does the rest.
He's got crazy flipper fingers;
Never seen him fall.
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball"S
Pinball Wizard, "Tommy", The Who, 1969
1967年，The Beatles推出石破天驚的"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"專輯，成為流行樂史上第一張(或是第一張成功的)概念唱片，許多當時市場上與The Beatles爭雄的團體，爭相發表一系列理念類似的概念唱片，其中在英倫與The Beatles齊名的The Who，在1969年發表了"Tommy"，成為流行樂史上令一個里程碑─首張(或許也要加上成功的)搖滾歌劇。
若與"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"相比，"Tommy"無論在音樂性的結構、主題故事的連貫、嚴謹，坦白說都較前者進步許多，而自"Tommy"，開始影響了許多Art Rock或Progressive Rock團體嘗試將複雜的編曲與故事，製作成搖滾歌劇式的唱片，最著名的有The Genesis的" The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"、Pink Floyd的"The Wall"等。
Tommy的故事有點兒童不宜，在60年代也讓人保守的英國人震憾，Tommy的父親是軍人，在一次突然間的返家遇到了妻子出牆的情夫，爭執下父親失手殺死了情夫，而目賭慘劇的Tommy也從此變成看不見、聽不到、不會說話、也感受不到他人的Mirror Boy，父母嘗試著想要治癒他，家人想要幫助他，而隨著年歲增長，Tommy受過欺凌、性虐待、覺醒、信賴與背判，獲得打Pinball(彈珠檯)的神力，Tommy成為一群崇拜者的領袖，有許多人追隨他，他卻逐漸沉淪，最後他的神力完全地瓦解，成為一名失敗者。
Pinball Wizard是出自於Tommy專輯中的單曲，是描述Tommy成為打彈珠高手時的情形，歌曲在吉他手Pete Townshend快速的刷弦下開始，輕快、好聽，是整張專輯中唯一氣氛不那麼沉重的歌曲，也發行過單曲。另外值得一提的是，整張專輯不同角色的Vocal都是由主唱Roger Daltrey擔崗，功力可見一般。
"Tommy"徹底扭轉了The Who 在英國人心中形象。如果The Beatles在人們心中形像是乖乖牌的偶象，The Who就是暴力的破壞狂，除了吉他、鼓、音箱產生刺耳的音樂來引起歌迷的亢奮外，摔吉他、破壞鼓、拋麥克風和砸音箱往往是演唱會的另一波高潮，1964年，他們在倫敦的一次演出中，PETE TOWNSHEND在演出中不經意的將他手上的吉它捅到了天花板，同時鼓手KEITH MOON也把鼓打碎了，這時卻使得歌迷的情緒high到了高點。1969年正當歌迷正期待The Who新專輯能帶來多大的激情及破壞力時，卻不知等到的是搖滾歌劇的驚喜，Tommy無論是歌詞填寫與音樂編排都是當時首屈一指佳作，在英國專輯榜最高第2名，美國專輯榜第4名，但在榜中停留了2年之久，銷售突破2白金唱片。
這是一個不容易上手的故事，但是優秀的音樂性，讓人不知不覺走入這個deaf, dumb, blind kid的世界。
See me, feel me, touch me and heal me....
Listening to you I get the music. Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain. I get Excitement at your feet.
Right behind you, I see the millions. On you I see the glory.
From you I get opinions. From you I get the story.....
The Wwo與許多明星的Tommy Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZQLXs72Lo
Pinball Wizard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOUqRZkR8dE&feature=related
The Who live 1974: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXPGtnNlgFw&feature=related
留言列表
