John Entwistle!

[budman]

I wonder who they'll get to play John in the movie. Looks like Mike Myers is already signed up to play Keith Moon.

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[Motorhead Mark]

Just watched that video...damn, I need to go practice now!

Alot of English players are at the top of my "list", John Entwistle, Lemmy, Steve Harris, Geezer...Some may be busy players, some aren't, but all still top notch. And when they get busy (John) there isn't that 'flash', ie, they don't seem like they are showing off, but just playing, unlike alot of players that I find today.

 

[Kink Rimson]

Try listening to Dancing master from 'Too late the hero' if you want to hear his best bass solo work!

It is such a great solo, and the tone is AMAZING, but the song is pretty horrific...

The whole 'Too Late The Hero' hasn't aged very well but the bass sounds that John makes are astounding. And very loud.

 

[Mystic Michael]

A lot of English players are at the top of my "list", John Entwistle, Lemmy, Steve Harris, Geezer...

Me too. Including Chris Squire, Jack Bruce, Paul McCartney, Bruce Thomas, Paul Denman, Pino Palladino, Mick Karn...

MM

 

[Philbiker]

The whole 'Too Late The Hero' hasn't aged very well but the bass sounds that John makes are astounding.

"hasn't aged very well"? That album was dreadful when it came out.

 

[Mystic Michael]

BTW, I attended a show of Entwistle's band at Irving Plaza in New York several years ago. So I could see all the action, I got right up in front of the stage - right in front of his rig - and like a fool, without wearing any earplugs.

Man, my ears were seriously ringing for nearly a week after that. I was realy scared I might suffer permanent hearing loss...

MM

 

[iamthebassman]

Check out our tribute to The Ox, a live radio broadcast a few days after his death. The pressure was on, I felt I owed it to my hero to nail it.
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Scroll down to "My Generation".

 

[cowsgomoo]

i'd argue that modern rock bass started when the world heard 'My Generation', loud, wiry, in-your-face bass, with a bass solo for good measure... it was really the first example of a bass guitar as opposed to what his peers were doing (McCartney, Wyman etc) which were sounds and styles with firmer roots in traditional rock n roll acoustic bass

Entwistle always claimed the wiry rasp of Duane Eddy's guitar was his biggest sonic influence and you can spot this instantly

people have obviously since gone further, faster, louder, more tonally evil sounding than John Entwistle, but it's truly a case of 'standing on the shoulders of giants'... The Who were always THE rock band as far as I was concerned and John Entwistle was always THE rock bass player

 

[Stingrayz]

Hello,


I was wondering if John Entwistle ever used a pick when recording or playing live, because some songs have a pick like sound.

 

[Ian Perge]

Off the top of my head I can't name any specific ones, but he did indeed when the pick sound was called for.

It's good to see that even the best of the fingerstyle players will switch techniques when it suits the song.

 

[nysbob]

Not much, but when it was called for.

My favorite pick sound ever on a recording is when he enters on Magic Bus on Live at Leeds. Gawd what a sound.

 

[bassist15]

HE used pick half the time and he used fingerstyle half the time . He was very talented with both. I think in the late 60's early 70's he used pick alot then as time went on he started using it less and less.

 

[paul n]

He used a pick a lot early on, and a bit less latter. He was very open to different techniques.

Songs I know he used a pick on:

Summer Time Blues
My Generation (though he plays the solo with his fingers)
A Quick One (depending on the movement)

And a bunch of other songs I, just can't bring to mind right now. I'm not a on a Who kick right now, so their catalog isn't on my mind at the moment. If any one else can name so more tunes, go for it!

~Paul

 

[nysbob]

Happy Jack definitely.

 

[Kink Rimson]

He tended to use a pick on songs with palm muting. Think Happy Jack, Pictures of Lily, etc.
He also used one on his 8=string numbers.
I think a lot of it was down to how he felt at the time, I've seen many live versions of 'My Generation', and it's about 50/50 pick to fingers.

 

[jerry]

Isle Of Wright has a lot of pick playing. IIRC

 

[darthplagis]

on the early to middle who era records he used a pic on all of the pic sounding songs (my gen, half of tommy, my wife) but when the 70's kicked in he was tapping(right hand 1st middle and ring like type writer) most of the songs that needed the pic sound (like magic bus as seen on albert hall dvd).

isle of white was a LOOOOOONG gig so as good as his fingers were he needed help with the pick so a lot of non pick songs were picked. also when a song needs a pick sound for a few passages he didnt always use a pick he flattened his thumb and 1st finger as if he had a pick (he did this a lot on tommy songs like sparks)

 

[The Lurker]

the freaky thing is, he'd switch from pick to fingers and back again within the same song

 

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you can see him playing with a pick on "Substitute"

 

[corinpills]

From what I recall, he used a very small pick and kind of held it in a unique way where he pivoted form the wrist and he would definitely switch between pick and fingers throughout a song. The greatest thing he ever added to the pick lexocpn was the multi- octave zoom down into a note. It was super effective when played through his rig at massive volume.