What are we listening to this week?

Welcome to the first installment of the Punch cd review. If you follow these you will pick some threads that my music taste follows, and today's points to two of these – guitars and 60's.

I first fell in love with The Who as a teenager when my future brother in law lent me a cassette of Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy. Very teenage title.

Other vinyl followed, My Generation, Magic Bus, Live at Leeds, and finally I picked up a very scratchy second hand copy of Tommy – the movie soundtrack. I always baulked at the original Tommy, to me it sounded too folksy and half baked. The movie soundtrack was also hit and miss, with a couple of standout versions on it, but too much filler overall.

Recently on the radio I heard that the Smithereens - a band that I remembered liking back in their '80s heyday – had re-recorded Tommy, and my immediate thought was WHY? But then the radio  played the opening three tracks, and I understood. So I went and picked it up. Reading the liner notes, the Smithereens explain that they are also big Who fans, loved the best tracks from Tommy, but wanted to hear them played somewhere between the folk of the original and the bombast of the Live at Leeds versions. So they did it themselves!

And I agree. These are cracking versions of the best tunes, the sound and playing wonderful.Great artwork on the cover, which leads to another win with this cd. We have a 4 and a 6 year old who both love music, animation, and stories. This Tommy ticks all three boxes.

I love it. The kids love it. And the kids are alright.