Almost every major force in rock of the 60s and 70s has its defining album. The Beatles have “Sgt. Pepper,” The Rolling Stones have “Exile On Main Street,” Pink Floyd has “The Wall,” and The Who have “Tommy.” In 1975, flamboyant director Ken Russell (“Altered States,” “Crimes of Passion”) was hired to bring this quiet, subtle concept album of a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball wizard who conquers the world to the screen. The end result was one of the strangest, yet compulsively enjoyable rock operas of the genre.

It’s hard to look at “Tommy” now without remarking on how dated the film has become. With synth-assisted orchestrations, a hang-gliding sequence, and the appearances of a coked-out-of-his-mind Eric Clapton, a freshly “de-Iked” Tina Turner, and a singing Jack Nicholson, the film seems to sum up the mid-70s rock and cinema scene with minimal effort. To compare the “Tommy” album to the film also leaves some disappointment, as the raw tracks on the 1969 original have been smoothed out for the 1975 movie mix.

Still, the film holds immense power, especially through some wonderful vocal performances by Who singer Roger Daltry as Tommy, and a spastic, frenzied Ann-Margret as Tommy’s mother Nora. Russell’s visual audacity is also something to behold, with an assortment of swirling, zooming camera moves and some vivid set pieces (anyone for a little baked bean fountain pouring out of their television?) that are hard to pry from the memory. Also of note is Paul Nicholas’s wonderful performance as the evil Cousin Kevin, as it’s one of the few film songs to actually improve on the original recording.

“Tommy” truly isn’t for everybody, but its charms are plentiful. If nothing else, this new release proves that the film hasn’t lost any power, nor has it fallen by the wayside as other rock spectacles of the era have.

The Audio

This new “Superbit” version of “Tommy” is actually the second version of the film to be issued on DVD. An earlier 1999 release restored the film’s audio to its original “quadraphonic” 5.0 mix, which is retained here, along with a newly created DTS track. The difference between the two audio selections is marginal, with the strongest mix on the DTS side.

The Visual

“Tommy” is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio only. The DVD transfer is similar to the 1999 issue, which was already a magnificent presentation of the now 27 year-old film.

The Extras

Sadly, no extras are included. The Sony “Superbit” line is intended to present the films alone, without extras to clutter up the audio and visual performances. “Tommy” is a film that screams for a commentary, as various band members have voiced strong opinions on the film’s quality over the years. Yet in this, the film’s second release on the format, I doubt that day will ever come.

Film----- 8/10

DVD----- 8/10