Listening to the album it’s been a while and forgot how good it is, remember Leslie Ash when her lips were normal, Jim Carver from the Bill, Sting, Phil Daniels before Parklife, Ray Winstone a bit slimmer, Toyah whatshername must watch the film again

Wilcox

absolutely top class.

makes you feel like you’re in a music video when you listen to it out and about. on a mountain top, with your bike, it’s raining, raise your palms to the sky and look to the heavens…..

Got any blues?

Great film & awesome soundtrack.

My cool aunt who worked in Woolworths music dept (and was the only family member who seemed to know anything at all about music) – loaned me the cassette when I was a teenager.  I wore it out over about a year before returning it quite knackered.  Epic album. Almost pefect.  **** amazing really.  Thanks Auntie Woolworth.  Before the ‘oo, I was listening mostly to heavy and prog rock with utterly shit lyrics.   Quadrophenia made yerfink, dinnit?  And at the time we had a school mods and rockers revival going on.  As a ‘rocker’ I couldnt understand why mods liked the ‘oo.  It was rock to my ears.  I thought they were supposed to like anoryhern Soul and stuff.  Confusing times.

Good thread. Now off to Spotify to hopefully help insomnia with that sound of waves on shingle

BELL BOY !!!!!

Ray Winston lived a couple of streets away from me but we never saw him playing out on the streets like us other East London urchins. I believe he moved off to Kent when he was about 14yrs old. It amuses me when he is so ‘East End’ now………

Film was on telly a few months back, I watched it for the first time. Was ok. Bit of movie fluff. I mean the way they hero-worshipped Sting was pretty silly 😆

The Ace Face was very loosely based on King Jerry who had a record shop in Brighton and is still DJing in some local pubs. It came up a couple of days ago because my boss knew him and one of our freelancers was a partner in the hifi shop above the record shop.

The way they hero-worshipped Sting was pretty silly

in case not – I remember thinking of it as OTT on purpose. Could be wrong? But  I really enjoy films/plays when a character is viewed through the eyes of the protagonist, and for me watching  really felt that I was seeing it through Jimmy’s eyes.  A nod to Pseud’s Corner but it’s true that the mirror is the leitmotif of the tale.  Ace Face is both a flamboyant caricature  and an archetype.  I remember being teenager/school leaver when all you can think about is escaping from crappy monkey-work, getting to hear new music, and stuff.  And there is always that one guy/girl who always looks right, always dresses right, always seems to get all the adoration and can seemingly choose a partner from all the best looking girls/guys as if choosing a drink at the bar?

But the important thing (IMO) is seeing Ace Face through Jimmy’s eyes.  All the fawning and hero-worship is amplified.  He’s utterly carried away with the newness, the glamour and novelty of it.  That is the real moment that Jimmy swallows the pill that will finish him/make him.  At first seeing the Face makes Jimmy feels so much less than he is.  When he looks up he sees a ‘God’.  But he has no idea that he’ll soon see behind the curtain at this ‘God’ in it’s day-job (as bell-boy).  Because where he just worshipped the cartoonish character ‘Ace Face’, he now sees a pathetic snivelling less-than nothing. This sends him off the rails because it forces him to look at himself and also opens a door where he thinks he can be the ‘real hero’ now.  It’s amplified.  Amphetamine-charged and cartoonish.  How I remember youth to be.  It’s all smoke, mirrors and chemicals/hormones.  And dumberer than a dumb thing.  Bootiful!

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen the film since sneaking in to the cinema aged 13 (passing myself off as an 18yo) back in 1980/81

The soundtrack is stunning and timeless. I have versions of the album everywhere vinyl in the lounge cd in car, digital on the iphone (and most recently on my watch)

A lot of words Malvern… Note I said ‘Sting’ and not Ace Face!

You cheeky monkey.  Ah well, I enjoyed reminiscing and gabbing on as if I know owt about clout.  The joys of the old man👴🏻🤤🤐

good film and great sound track.

I’ve never seen it, don’t know why, ‘cos I likes the OO.

Didn’t I read recently that there was going to be a somewhat belated sequel..? And that the (**spoiler alert**)

Spoiler:

cliff jump might’ve been survived..

(just remembered that new tag thing 🙂 )

*edit – well played dez.  Top notch.

But a sequel?  Please fffsnoooooo

cracking album – not seen the film. so many good tunes.

Toyah — been Mrs Robert Fripp for many years now (I didn’t know that til v recently).

I’d just like to ad that there’s a difference between the Quadrophenia album and the Soundtrack

The album came out way before the movie and is what you want to be listening to

ive always like “I’m One”

https://g.co/kgs/fLRYhL

Toyah — been Mrs Robert Fripp for many years now (I didn’t know that til v recently).

Something in common with Leslie Ash – Ash messed up her lips, Toyah has messed up her teeth…

johndoh

Wilcox

Willcox, akchewly.

Toyah / Monkey has signed my quadrophonia DVD, yay! 🥳

Got any blues?

Pffft! That’s Parafin!

I’ve never worn a jacket that been slim and checked, just a touch of seersucker with an open neck.

But despite being more of the long haired type, I have ridden a GS in the wind and sleet.

Love the album, love the film.

“I mean the way they hero-worshipped Sting was pretty silly”
From what I remember, Sting was nowhere near as well known then as he is now, so I’m not entirely sure what point you’re making.
There’s a scene in the film where they pitch up at this little filling station/garage, that was filmed here in Chippenham, at a place called Hill Corner Road, the garage is still there, only it’s a boat builders and chandlery!

“From what I remember, Sting was nowhere near as well known then as he is now, so I’m not entirely sure what point you’re making.”
I presume he meant with hindsight to how he’s viewed by many now.

Just for your info, He’d just been at number 1 in the singles chart for 3 weeks with message in a bottle the previous month to the films release and their album was at number 1, He couldnt have been anymore well known and popular at that time.

“I mean the way they hero-worshipped Sting was pretty silly”
From what I remember, Sting was nowhere near as well known then as he is now, so I’m not entirely sure what point you’re making.

They’re not hero worshipping Sting, they’re hero worshipping the Ace Face, the one with the sharpest suit, the nicest bike, the best dance moves; the one they all want to be.

^ That face when multiple people don’t get your sarcasm and you realise that either you’re superclever or else they are superstupid 😉

https://media.giphy.com/media/9on4GSD4Kly00/giphy.gif

Wow, Malvern that’s a very articulate outburst, think I need to watch it again with your post in mind!
Iirc Townsend deliberately left it open to interpretation wether jimmy died or was ‘reborn’, becoming a man. Given your post I now like to think he became a different, better person.

Don’t think it’s left very open in the movie, the very first thing we see is Jimmy walking away from the cliff edge (before the real me bit)

wukfit, you’re right, the beginning’s the end in the film, in my defence it’s It’s been years since I’ve seen it, the original album the ending was left open to interpretation though I’m sure (I think!).

The Real Me and 5:15 opened my ears to proper music back in ’87 when my mod mate put me onto the soundtrack. Very well done film of Townsend’s rock opera concept. Love it.

The Who album is what I was talking about at the start of the thread but the soundtrack is pretty good too, Green Onions always sounds great, James Brown for some sax appeal and High Heel Sneakers instead of Red Dress Baby
I’ve Had Enough or Love Reign O’er Me favourite tracks
Phil Daniels plays the part good and i recognise his mum maybe from love thy neighbour and dad from Auf weidersehen pet and a few other shows

Went off excited to watch it again following this thread but as usual, Netflix have films of a similar ilk to what you want to watch, but not the ACTUAL one you want to watch… 😐

that’s a very articulate outburst, think I need to watch it again with your post in mind!

Ooer, never have been accused of being articulate, so I’ll take it thanks 😄

Off the back of this thread I too wish to see it again. It must be 25+ yrs since. Probably saw it last on TV or VHS 👴🏻

Noted it’s £3.49 to stream on Amazon, and used DVDs on Fleabay are around £2.50 incl delivery