The track microwaved Cohn’s lukewarm first thoughts and resulted in a glowing hot review. Townshend decided that the deaf, dumb and blind protagonist should also excel in a certain area and with Cohn being a pinball fanatic, that area of expertise presented itself quite readily.Īlmost immediately after this conversation with Cohn, ‘Pinball Wizard’ was written and written. Afterwards, Townshend discussed the record with Cohn and took his remarks regarding the overbearing fidelity to subtext onboard. The story goes that in late 1968 – or early 1969 – when The Who played a preview of their new album in the presence of legendary critic Nik Cohn, and his reaction to the performance was middling. ‘Pinball Wizard’ is the perfect example of his dichotomous, head in the clouds yet finger to pulse approach. As a songwriter, Townshend may well have had both feet planted firmly in the realm of spiritualism, but he was still peaking over into the mainstream and never lost sight of what makes a hit.
However, what singled Pete Townshend out as a unique creative force is that such a spiritual and deep synopsis could be transmuted into something so fun and palatable. They make him see and hear and speak so he becomes a saint who everybody flocks to.” The offshoot of this was that Tommy as, a character, experienced the world through the vibrations of a pinball machine, which would figuratively be reflected in the vibrations of music.Īs far as a creative impetus for rock music goes, that is about as nebulous as it gets. The coming together of these are what make him aware. The pair are making their debut at the NAMM show in California this week.As Pete Townshend told Rolling Stone back in 1969 upon its release, “Tommy’s real self represents the aim – God – and the illusory self is the teacher life, the way, the path and all this.
The Pinball Telecaster and Wizard amp have a price tag that may send you into a Tommy-like state – at US$80,000.
Meanwhile, the '57 Custom Pro-Amp circuitry and 15-inch Eminence speaker of the Wizard amp is wrapped up in a cabinet made from wood and metal recovered from old pinball machines, and finished off with a colorful themed design.įender reckons that the Custom Shop duo will "appeal to guitar, pinball machine, movie memorabilia and Americana collectors alike," though they'll have to dig into deep pockets to take them home. And if that's not enough pinball for you, the guitar has even been treated to a spring-loaded ball shooter. There's a pair of movable ball flippers behind the bridge, a big pinball volume knob and a pinball-themed paintjob with plastic game trim pieces installed on the body and head. The movie-inspired madness starts with the guitar's body, which includes 40 year-old plywood from a Bally pinball machine and battery-powered LEDs that randomly light up colored plastic playfield inserts. And it's from this pop-culture strangeness that the Pinball Telecaster and Wizard amplifier have been born. In addition to members of the band, the movie also featured many big names of the day, including Elton John, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton, Jack Nicholson and Tina Turner. Tommy achieves fame and fortune, is subsequently released from his condition and becomes a religious cult figure. Subjected to many attempts to cure him, and the victim of a numberous abuses, he finds an unlikely escape playing pinball by intuition alone.
Now the Master Builder has teamed up with Jim Dolmage to create a special guitar and amp which pay a not-so-subtle homage to The Who's iconic 1975 rock opera, Tommy.īased on a 1969 album of the same name from one of the UK's most influential rock bands, the movie follows the story of Tommy – played by The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey – who becomes psychosomatically deaf,dumb and blind after witnessing his father's murder.
We've seen some incredible instruments from Fender Custom Shop's Yuriy Shishkov in the last couple of years, including a model inspired by a 1936 Kodak Bantam Special camera and another with a watch movement built into the Telecaster's body.