John Entwistle's solo albums - unfairly ignored?

At one show Entwistle screwed up the beginning of a song and the band stopped. "If we stop every time I make a mistake we'll be playing in Morse code," he quipped.

 

As far as resistance from the record label goes, keep in mind that Track Records was The Who's own boutique label, much as Swan Song was Led Zeppelin's. So the thinking was probably that Entwistle was one of "the bosses", and so there wasn't going to be much pushback from that corner.

I just accept it as a given that there was quite a bit of racism in British culture at the time -- which doesn't endorse or justify it, but it's not something that can be altered either. Jimi Hendrix had so much difficulty finding a landlord in London willing to rent a flat to him that he wound up sharing an apartment (for a short time) with Ron Wood, who didn't have the same kind of difficulty, if any.

As far as British humour of the time being offensive, it's too easy to find examples, and I won't belabour them here. Finally, it bears mentioning that Entwistle's bandmate (and best friend) Keith Moon enjoyed strolling around in a Nazi uniform. Keith was NO Nazi, but he knew it was a quick way to "get up people's noses", which was a favorite pastime of his. I don't think Entwistle and Moon would have been best friends if John didn't share, at least to some extent, Keith's pleasure at upsetting people. Obviously not to the extent of dressing up as a Nazi, but clearly not put off at the idea of offending people.

Finally, back to the point of resistance from the record label, it occurs to me that we don't know much about the "Jungle Bunny" track at all. It's possible that the tune originally DID have lyrics, and the lyrics were removed with the title kept intact as a compromise. That's pure conjecture, of course, but a possibility nonetheless. I know that Gary Duncan told me that the classic instrumental "Gold & Silver" that he wrote that appears on the first Quicksilver Messenger Service album originally had lyrics (that he wrote) that were not used. No offensive lyrics there (Duncan sang some of the lyrics to me when I visited him in the studio one day), but it illustrates that sometimes tunes that are only known as instrumentals can have lyrics that were ultimately unused.

 

IIRC, Track was not owned by the band, but by Lambert and Stamp. Swan Song was something else entirely.

 

There is a book by one of the folks who worked on The Kids Are Alright movie in which they allege that John was drawing antisemtic caricatures of them - and didn’t see an issue when called on it, stating it’s “a joke”.

I try really hard to not think about it. I really don’t want it to be true.

The song title in question seems to fit the alleged pattern a bit, sadly.

 

What's the title of the book?

By the way, I'm Jewish, so if Entwistle was really anti-semitic, it'd be problematic for me. Still my favorite bass player though!

 

Its “Twilight Of The Gods” by Tony Klinger, I believe. Was just looking for my copy, I can’t find it, but when I do I’m happy to post at least the page number where this information appears. Again, it hurts my heart to even remember this, I just hope it was all a total misunderstanding.

 

My guess is that Entwistle used that racial slur as the title of his song as a joke, as black humor. I imagine his goal was to shock people, nothing more. I doubt very much that his use of the term reflected any underlying racism or prejudice. Back then, it was much more commonplace for people to use racial slurs and racial stereotypes in humor... people did not give a thought to how such usage might negatively affect those at whom the term is directed, even if the usage is not meant maliciously. In a way, it's analogous to Townshend's use of the "n-word" in the deleted verse of I Don't Know Myself. I suspect Townshend (like many other "hip" white writers of the day) did not give any thought to how usage of the word by a white person is different than usage by a black person. But in both cases, I believe it was thoughtlessness rather than racism at work.

 

I own all of John Entwistle's studio albums in my music collection. I am a completist.

I do not think his music is underrated, ignored or forgotten. They are what they are.

I do not revisit.

 

I've just read a review on Amazon -- OUCH!

I thought I'd seen pretty much every book on The Who (my fave band). I'll have to try to get a copy of this.

 

not really unfairly ignored at all.

ignored because, most likely, they just were not very good.

 

Reminds me of this comment from another Who thread:

It was John Entwistle who responded to Marc Bolan's son's enquiry as to whether he'd known his father with "No, but I knew the tree".

 

I played 'Mad Dog' today for the first time in years. It's still fun. Lyrics are a tad juvenile, but it was 1974 . The Chanter sisters, Howie Casey and Eddie Jobson shine throughout it.
Saw him at Sheffield City Hall as John Entwistle's Ox in '75. Fabulous set.

 

At least regarding the first two albums, I don't think that's a sound argument. Making my way through the new Ox biography, and a good argument is made that the first two were sabotaged and then John just didn't take the ensuing albums *as* seriously.

Quality is always in the ear of the beholder, but those first two solo albums are especially hard to find fault with!

 

I really like those first two albums. How were they sabotaged? I saw them in cutout bins for years and years...

 

I haven't finished the book, but skimming those parts - paraphrased, the powers that be at Track Records *may* have seen danger in John getting "ahead", and when WR tanked with sales, John (reportedly) took it very, very hard and felt powerless.

Again, I've not finished the book, so there's likely a lot more at play than I'm even considering here.

 

I'm very curious about this book, to the extent that it might shed light on Entwistle's solo work and career outside the Who. If I have reservations, it's that the promotional stuff I've seen seems to emphasize the sex/drugs angle, and I've kind of had my fill of depressing biographies emphasizing rock and roll debauchery and self-destruction.

I keep seeing this clickbait headline teasing how the Who once heard the Beatles use naughty words on stage. Yawn.

 

Could have put this up on the 'Caines' thread, but works just as well here. Was also pondering placing it on the 'What are you listening to now' thread, but here seems more relevant. As said previously, my favourite Entwistle album.
Bought it immediately after seeing his show at the City Hall. Couldn't miss the opportunity of seeing an 'Oo. Truth told, I didn't actually know a lot of the material. Sure, the Who stuff, 'Boris', 'My Wife' etc, but as it was a solo show there was a lot of material from his 3 solo albums, of which I owned zero. But he did other material too, like a kick-a**e version of 'Not Fade Away'.

Loads to love about this album. Lyrics are very 1974. You know as well as I do that if he tried to call a Shaft pastiche 'Jungle Bunny' today his lawyers would drop dead of fright and he'd probably get arrested. In fact, he'd also be pulled for the line in 'Cell Number Seven' after he had been arrested when he implores the Montreal police "C'mon Froggies, let us go..".

Some of my favourite musos are all over this too. One-time Strawb John Mealing plays piano. Eddie Jobson's on 5 tracks (smashing/infectious violin on the yee-haw "Who In The Hell?'). The Chanter sisters get all Ronettes on the gunfight showdown song 'Mad Dog'. Very reminiscent of Duane Eddy's 'Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar'. (Just thinking, was that the only time I ever saw the Chanter sisters live I wonder?).
Tony Aston's involved, as is Howie Casey. Stellar buddy-get together project. Still smile at the doctor's advice to the teenage lad about girls in 'Lady Killer'; "No sense in chasing them. Let them run after you...". Still relevant today .

Nostalgia IS what it used to be after listening to this.

 

"When I Was A Boy" is a beautiful track, it is a pity it wasn't included on a proper album, being a B-side instead. Another song I really like that hasn't been mentioned so far is "We Close Tonight". It was an outtake of "Quadrophenia", released on the expanded "Odds & Sods".

 

I forgot about We Close Tonight. I agree it’s a good one (did John write it?).

 

No, he just sang it, and it's SUCH a great song, and John's vocal SO good, I really wish they'd made room for it on the original LP.

 

Anyone know anything about this upcoming rerelease? Never heard of the "Classics France" label.

John Entwistle Smash Your Head Against The Wall / Whistle Rymes on ImportCDs

 

Back in the '00's, both Entwistle and Daltrey's solo catalogs were reissued on CD, but went out of print much too quickly, and the disc now have high asking prices. (Not sure if anybody's paying those jacked=up prices, but that's a separate issue.)

I wouldn't be surprised if both of these Entwistle albums didn't fit on a single disc--but only if most or all of the bonus tracks were dropped.

 

i still have my cassette copy of "smash your head against the wall" and picked up a vinyl copy years ago as well. had whislte rhymes when it came out as well.

 

Most likely? Are you saying that you haven't heard them?

 

"Back On The Road" is a hell of a song.. I also like "Thinkin' It Over"