The Who Gather Rarities for Expanded Box Set Reissue of 'Tommy'

BY Alex HudsonPublished Aug 29, 2013

The Who recently gave their album Quadrophenia a massive box set reissue, and now their 1969 rock opera Tommy is slated to get similar treatment. Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions of the record will arrive on November 11 through Universal.

Both of these expanded editions come with multiple CDs. Disc one is a remastered version of the full 24-track album. On the second disc is an assortment of 25 rarities, including Pete Townshend's original demos, plus a couple of studio outtakes from the full band.

There's also live bootleg of Tommy performed in Ottawa on October 15, 1969. Three of the tracks — "I'm Free," "Tommy's Holiday Camp" and "We're Not Gonna Take It" — were lost from this original concert, so they were taken from a later show from the same era. Townshend apparently asked the sound engineer to destroy these live recordings, but he kept them regardless.

The Super Deluxe box set set additionally comes with a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album on Blu-ray. There's also an 80-page full colour book containing photos, a 20,000 word essay, and a Tommy poster.

Other formats include the album on a single CD, a double-CD set (with the original album plus the live bootleg), a heavyweight vinyl edition (of the original album), a vinyl version of the bootleg album, and a standalone 5.1 mix on Blu-ray. All of the material will additionally be available digitally.

The tracklist for the Super Deluxe box set is below.

Tommy - Super Deluxe box set:

Disc 1: Tommy (remastered)  

1. Overture
2. It's a Boy
3. 1921
4. Amazing Journey
5. Sparks
6. The Hawker (Eyesight to the Blind)
7. Christmas
8. Cousin Kevin
9. The Acid Queen
10. Underture
11. Do You Think It's Alright?
12. Fiddle About
13. Pinball Wizard
14. There's a Doctor
15. Go to the Mirror!
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me?
17. Smash the Mirror
18. Sensation
19. Miracle Cure
20. Sally Simpson
21. I'm Free
22. Welcome
23. Tommy's Holiday Camp
24. We're Not Gonna Take It  

Disc 2: demos & extras

1. Overture
2. It's A Boy
3. 1921
4. Amazing Journey
5. Dream One
6. Sparks
7. The Hawker
8. Christmas
9. Acid Queen
10. Underture (Dream Two)
11. Do You Think It's Alright
12. Pinball Wizard
13. There's a Doctor
14. Go to the Mirror!
15. Success
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me
17. Smash The Mirror
18. Sensation
19. Miracle Cure
20. Sally Simpson
21. I'm Free
22. Welcome
23. We're Not Gonna Take It
24. Trying To Get Through
25. Young Man Blues

Disc 3: Tommy (5.1 surround sound Blu-ray)

1. Overture
2. It's a Boy
3. 1921
4. Amazing Journey
5. Sparks
6. The Hawker (Eyesight to the Blind)
7. Christmas
8. Cousin Kevin
9. The Acid Queen
10. Underture
11. Do You Think It's Alright?
12. Fiddle About
13. Pinball Wizard
14. There's a Doctor
15. Go to the Mirror!
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me?
17. Smash The Mirror
18. Sensation
19. Miracle Cure
20. Sally Simpson
21. I'm Free
22. Welcome
23. Tommy's Holiday Camp
24. We're Not Gonna Take It

Disc 4: live bootleg   

1. Overture (including introduction) 
2. It's a Boy
3. 1921
4. Amazing Journey
5. Sparks
6. The Hawker (Eyesight to the Blind)
7. Christmas
8. The Acid Queen
9. Pinball Wizard
10. Do You Think It's Alright?
11. Fiddle About
12. Tommy Can You Hear Me?
13. There's a Doctor
14. Go to the Mirror!
15. Smash the Mirror
16. Miracle Cure
17. Sally Simpson
18. I'm Free
19. Tommy's Holiday Camp
20. We're Not Gonna Take It
21. See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You

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