One day Eric Speed and Mr. Shevlin our 12th grade English teacher are arguing about whether or not Tommy is a real opera. Mr. Shevlin looks like your stereotypical uptight, 1950's conservative American male. But he's got a way of relating to us kids. After all here we are, sitting in class, listening to a discussion about Pete Townsend's music writing abilities instead of disecting lines from Shakespeare. He's short and small but feisty, and always dressed sharp as a tack. A cross between Jacob Rees-Mogg (look him up) and Stephen Colbert. Mr. Shevlin loves classical music (search RP: Bolero - Maurice Ravel) and he is sure there's no way a rock n roll album could be an opera. He's never heard it. But it's rock n roll. How could it be? Eric dares him to listen to it and Mr Shevlin agrees. Next day, a friday Eric brings the luminescent blue album into class. Mr. Shevlin stuffs it into his leather briefcase and says he'll listen to it over the weekend and let us know the answer next week. Monday comes and we're all sitting at our desks waiting patiently for the verdict. Mr. Shevlin enters the classroom, briefcase in hand. He walks straight over to Eric's desk, unzips the bag and hands the album back to him. "No." is all he says. Eric is crestfallen. We're all disappointed. This is 1970 and we're looking for adult allies in the CounterCulture war. Mr. Shevlin was cool, but he was having no part of this. There was no such thing as a 'rock opera'.