![]() ![]() Rea and Lawrence do a fine job with the vocals, even evoking the passion and sincerity of Daltry and Townsend.īut is it bluegrass? That is a tougher question. Meyers was dead right in imagining the rock opera as appropriate for a bluegrass version, and in his confidence in the Hillbenders to pull it off successfully. So how did they do? As a tribute to Tommy, it excels and even soars on ocassion. Rea also has the sort of theatrical background required to sell some of the more outlandish material. He found The Hillbenders perfect for recreating the Who’s epic because of their two distinct lead vocalists (Jim Rea and Nolan Lawrence), both of whose voices come from outside the rural/mountain tradition, which Meyers saw as an appropriate parallel to the shared vocals of Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend on the original. Meyers served as the new album’s producer, and arranged for its release on a private label licensed through Compass Records. After stewing on the concept for many years, it came to Meyers that these were the right guys to bring his vision to life, and when he approached the band they jumped at the chance. So why in 2015 is there a bluegrass retelling? The idea originated not with The Hillbenders, but with music impresario Louis Meyers, a banjo player himself, and one of the founders of the massive SXSW event held in Austin, TX each year. The story of the deaf, dumb, and blind boy who played a mean pinball entered the cultural consciousness of the age, along with its references to child abuse, hero worship, and exploitation. HILLBENDERS PINBALL WIZARD CRACKEDTommy was a top 5 album in both the US and Britain, and 3 different tracks cracked the top 20. There was the hit album from The Who in 1969, their live tour over the next two years, the blockbuster film and soundtrack in ’75, and the broadway show in ’92. If you had any connection to pop music, that is. Do you have to be a fan of the original rock opera, Tommy, to enjoy The Hillbenders’ bluegrass tribute? After having a good listen to Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry, I’d say, “no,” but it helps.įor anyone over 50 years old, the original was an inevitable, ubiquitous part of your youth. ![]()
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