What's so special about John Entwistle?

[Bagelish]

What I learned from this thread:

1. If you need help understanding something, don't ask questions. Quit.
2. Keith Moon wasn't exactly a great drummer.

Hopefully that's not what you've actually learned, if it is than something seriously got lost along the way.
I grew up learning to play bass listening almost exclusively to the Who and The Ramones, two extremely different bassist but both styles very important that you can actually learn a lot from. Playing Who songs is pretty natural for me after 35 + years, but the solid Ramones type playing is just as important if not more so. Also in all honesty, Entwistles sound was less bass towards the end than it was distortion and effects swirling together losing a lot of what he was doing sound-wise in my opinion.
I personally don't care for Jaco, but I totally understand why people are influenced by him.
You don't have to like Entwistle or get why so many others do, that's fine, play what you want and enjoy it.
I will say that playing and singing "The Real Me" is a bit of a pain.

 

[dr doofie]

Are you asking for an objective justification of his musical value? I don't like The Who. I don't like white chocolate either. But other people do. That's the nature of individuality.

"White" chocolate? Please let's not make race an issue in these sensitive times

 

[dr doofie]

The thread title was begging for subjective opinion, in my opinion.

 

[dr doofie]

To me, Entwistle was a freakin force of nature—a true monster of a player whose raw power was a big part of shaping the evolution of rock. However, if he doesn't resonate for you as a player, I don't imagine anything anyone else says is going to change how you experience him. I would just suggest that you not I've up on him yet. Dig into some of the material that has been suggested in previous posts beyond the radio standards and see if it changes your thinking. If it does, great! If not, you still get points in my book for being open to exploring music in a genre that isn't typically your cup of tea. There are probably some death metal bassists out there who are seriously talented players, but I'll never recognize that or get to appreciate them because death metal doesn't blow my skirt up and I'm not putting in the effort to broaden my horizons like you are. I truly wish that I was more adventurous about exploring music outside the genres I'm naturally drawn to.

The Cannibal Corpse guy is absolutely amazing on bass
If it weren't for some link from here to a tutorial of his, I would have never heard it
And I'll never listen to the music
But I can sure appreciate the skill

 

[TonyP-]

 

[Mike Sorr]

I'm a huge Who fan and Entwistle is one of the reasons I play bass. He was among the first, if not THE first, to use roundwounds, he took the bass and made it a lead instrument before anyone else in rock music, and he inspired generations of kids to pick up the bass. Entwistle is an icon of the instrument. Now, having said that, I always thought his live solos were so much finger wiggling with distortion.

 

[lokikallas]

Never been a big fan of Townsend. The Who do have quite a few great songs, but they also have a bunch of not so great songs IMO. Entwistle on the other hand was a very good bassist, playing great bass lines. I never really noticed growing up, just hearing songs on the radio, but after some critical listening I was really impressed. On the other hand I always thought that while Moon was a great drummer, I felt he over played (constant fills).

 

[stringthrough]

I get his originality. I get that he has very good rock chops. I never liked his sound or his choice of lines and fills. For my ears his sound was too trebley and lines too often too busy.

 

[Spirit of Ox]

What did he say about your pick guard?

In a drunken laugh, he held it up and said hahhaaha another Jazz bass!

 

[Cutter8]

The Cannibal Corpse guy is absolutely amazing on bass
If it weren't for some link from here to a tutorial of his, I would have never heard it
And I'll never listen to the music
But I can sure appreciate the skill

Thanks for the heads up. I'll try to find the tutorial and check him out.

 

[davec]

Play "the real me"
Not listen to it, play it and then get back to me.

 

[Element Zero]

Ah yes... let the butt hurt flow...

 

[dougjwray]

I honestly don't know if this was my own thought, or someone else's, but...
It's possible that John's right hand technique came from his earlier experiences playing the valves on trumpet and French horn. I think that's an interesting notion.
Anyway, he seems to me like one of those musicians who completely ignored the tradition of the instrument and brought something from outside. (Which can be a great thing.)

 

[RichardW]

You're not required to like his playing, but I think any bass player would be required to respect him for his unique tone (no one else sounds like him), his technical chops, his influence on other players, and the simple fact that he played on albums that sold millions of copies worldwide and was a core member of one of the biggest and most influential rock bands in history.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

He didn't run over his driver's head.

 

[dougjwray]

Now, having said that, I always thought his live solos were so much finger wiggling with distortion.

I agree, and I've always heard his performance on "Live at Leeds" as "finger wiggling without hearing the other members of the band." (Actually, Townshend and Entwistle often couldn't hear each other onstage.) For me, the beauty of that album lies in Townshend and Moon communicating with each other. Moon listened very closely to Townshend and always shadowed him, very musically. To me, Entwistle was somewhere over on the side, wiggling those fingers. But there's no doubt that his *sound* was an essential element.

 

[Lagado]

It is well known, that Entwistle had mastered the art of the perfect soufflé.

 

[gazzatriumph]

 

[Spectrum]

I had the great luck of seeing The Who at Veteran's Stadium in Philadelphia in 1989. I was back home visiting family, called up a high school buddy at random, and he tells me he has an extra ticket for the Who the following night. FRONT FREAKING ROW!

We drove to my buddy's aunt's house in Philly the next day to park, drank a few beers, and walked down to the Vet.

I've read a lot of posts here disparaging Pete and Roger's talent, etc. Whatever. Pete was windmilling right in front of me, not 20 feet away, while Daltry swung the mic cable around and the Ox was kicking ass to my left. There was two big displays, similar to jumbotrons, on either side of the stage, and at one point they flashed an image of the US flag and UK flag superimposed on each other in a strobe-like fashion, and the band was loud as F, and the crowd was going crazy. I think I was half deaf for a day or two. Worth it.

Hate the Who all you want. I'm glad I experienced them.

 

[Kevorargh]

I love the Who and Entwistle is one of my favorite players - he could be melodic and busy in the same song (Love Ain't for Keeping), could provide some nice counterpoint basslines (Pinball Wizard), and knew how to create dramatic tension in an overlong song by keeping things simple (Sparks/Amazing Journey, Underture). His tone and playing on Live at Leeds is astounding - Young Man Blues is a masterclass on how to jam a rock song - Moon, Entwistle, and Townsend have some great moments of locking in and Entwistle, although amazingly busy, never flags or loses the rhythm. I find it fantastic to listen to.

When produced correctly (Who's Next) - Entwistle's tone was stellar - just enough high end to cut through and a beefy low end that sparkled because of round wound strings. Later videos of him playing are bummer - way too much high end clack for my taste.