Umm... Keith Moon and Pete Townsend were terrible at their roles?
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What's so special about John Entwistle?
- Thread starter FunkyYeti
- Start date
What's so special about John Entwistle?
For one, this:
For one, this:
Had my itunes on shuffle and had Whistle Rymes - his second solo studio album - come up. Haven't listened to it in years. Great tone and very musical. I'm not the biggest Who fan but he definitely had something to say with his bass. I think in general that's what makes well known bass players or musicians or artists just that - a voice of their own and something to say.
+100
The Who had a fantastic and distinctive sound, and his bass work is a completely integral part of that. I appreciate Entwistle as one of the greats for how he blends in to make a greater whole, not how he stands out for his individual virtuosity.
They were contemporaries. I'm curious as to who influenced whom, or if they both just took off from the same points.
Yes Keith Moon and Pete Townsend are terrible.
A drummer that can barely keep time, has a massive kit only for show and to store towels on. The bit about his kit is from an interview with him that I read.
By his own admission he barely knows how to play the highhats.
A guitar player in the golden age of guitar heroes that can barely string a solo together, yes terrible when compared to his contemporaries.
A drummer that can barely keep time, has a massive kit only for show and to store towels on. The bit about his kit is from an interview with him that I read.
By his own admission he barely knows how to play the highhats.
A guitar player in the golden age of guitar heroes that can barely string a solo together, yes terrible when compared to his contemporaries.
Pete can't solo any good but he sure can write a song!
I guess the most important thing here is when you put them all together, they made one heck of a band!
What's so special about John Entwistle?
This, Little Manhattan
This, Little Manhattan
Yes Pete can write a song, which is probably why he becoming more of a songwriter than a guitar player.
That’s fine. I don’t like jazz. But I can still see that Jaco was an amazing talent.
so in all honesty if you don’t think Enwhistle was an amazing skilled bassist I don’t think you’re paying attention. It’s easy to do. He liked to stay in the back almost completely still while the others were going nuts around him.
so in all honesty if you don’t think Enwhistle was an amazing skilled bassist I don’t think you’re paying attention. It’s easy to do. He liked to stay in the back almost completely still while the others were going nuts around him.
I've read through this thread and have nothing to add. John was/is unique and an innovator in his day. Not everyone's cup of tea I suppose but those are the reasons he's so highly regarded. 
I feel very fortunate I was able to see the man play with The Who in 1989. He was thunderous!
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Come on dude! You have got to be joking! I understand not caring for their individual styles or techniques. I can understand not liking them as people. But, that just seems like such an ignorant statement to me.
For me all I can say is Live at Leeds.
It was no secret that the vast majority of the music was worked out and organized by Entwistle.
Entwistle was far more than just the bass player. He was also their arranger and scored a lot of the parts that had to be played by session guys.
Doubling down, he also PLAYED most of the horn work on their tunes throughout their career.
It was a major coup when he agreed to join the band.
There's more than a few interviews where every member of the band basically admits Keith wasn't really there and often had to be re-taught how to play his own songs.
Pete had to rely heavily on Shel Talmy for a lot of his work. So much so that Shel basically took over Track records because Pete couldn't produce himself out of a paper bag.
Entwhistle was unique in several ways. One thing I don't hear people mention is that The Who did some nice vocal arrangements (Tattoo for example), and I think the reason they (usually) worked was largely due to the three distinctly different voices John, Pete and Roger had. John Entwhistle had a remarkable sounding voice; deep, gritty, snarling almost. (Not to mention that "What's for tea, daughter?" Boris the Spider voice.) Listen to his solo albums; his version of Heaven and Hell (which he wrote) is way more in character with the song, much better than the Who version I think.
I saw The Who twice, and he had powerful presence on stage. Made it look so easy.
So, what's so great about a player who put bass on the map, had outrageous chops, good writing skills and a memorable voice? Oh, and could stand Keith Moon? You tell me.
Tom
I saw The Who twice, and he had powerful presence on stage. Made it look so easy.
So, what's so great about a player who put bass on the map, had outrageous chops, good writing skills and a memorable voice? Oh, and could stand Keith Moon? You tell me.
Tom
Not a fan either but bass players that make it look easy and play the right thing every time are a notch above those who don't.
Pete didnt need to solo...The Who was oppositte of Led Zeppelin...LZ had a tight rhythm section and a sloppy guitarist (who was ironically clean and precise on acoustic guitar). That tight Zep rhythm section allowed that sloppy Zep guitar player a lot of room and they made him sound better - the perfect mission statement of any rhythm section
The Who had a sloppy rhythm section that hardly played anything together. The guitarist role in that band was to hold it all down by emphasizing the "One" of the bar as often as possible like a hammer hitting a nail. I cant imagine any guitarist trying to pull off a solo with that underneath it. For the record, that sloppy rhythm section was part of The Who's charm: I cant imagine "Wont Get Fooled Again" executed with ToTo like musical perfection and be near as fun to listen to....Im not crazy about Entwistle's playing in The Who at all and I was in the "I dont get it" camp either...However, his playing is very tight and groove worthy on his solo stuff, like Too Late The Hero, so he can really lay down phat grooves even though the bulk of his career he was in a band where that wasnt being done
$.02
The Who had a sloppy rhythm section that hardly played anything together. The guitarist role in that band was to hold it all down by emphasizing the "One" of the bar as often as possible like a hammer hitting a nail. I cant imagine any guitarist trying to pull off a solo with that underneath it. For the record, that sloppy rhythm section was part of The Who's charm: I cant imagine "Wont Get Fooled Again" executed with ToTo like musical perfection and be near as fun to listen to....Im not crazy about Entwistle's playing in The Who at all and I was in the "I dont get it" camp either...However, his playing is very tight and groove worthy on his solo stuff, like Too Late The Hero, so he can really lay down phat grooves even though the bulk of his career he was in a band where that wasnt being done
$.02
