VIDEO-John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale

John Entwistle died on June 27, 2002 at the age of 57. He had fucked a stripper named Alycen Rose and did some cocaine which caused him to have a heart attack. It was a totally rock and roll death and a glorious way to go out. But you won't hear that detailed in John Entwistle: An Ox's Tale.

Entwistle was the remarkable and revolutionary bassist for The Who. He is attributed with the first bass solo on a record with his work on "My Generation." Entwistle was a hellacious bass player and took the instrument to new levels. He was easily the most talented member of The Who as a multinstrumentalist playing brass, singing lead vocals, writing songs, and being the first member of the band to record a solo album. He also liked to party and earned the "Ox" nickname from having such a strong constitution when it came to drugs and drink. He was also the bosom buddy of the hard partying Keith Moon who would fall to his own rock and roll death much earlier.

This video celebrates the life of Entwistle, but it is flat and not very good. It doesn't satisfy the musician's curiosity about how good of a bassist Entwistle was. A lot could have been added about Entwistle's gear, his sound, style of play, etc. No really good solos are included in the video which is a shame. The guy could flat out play.

There are also some sour grapes from a critic who blasted Townshend and Daltrey for continuing on without Entwistle as The Who. I think this criticism is unfounded and petty. Bands shouldn't ended when one member dies. You grieve, you remember, and you carry on.

I was also interested in Entwistle's lifestyle which was quite large. He lived in a large manor and collected many instruments and cars. Pete Townshend made a note that he and Daltrey downsized long ago while Entwistle had not. The other notable fact about Entwistle was that he loved to play live and was a bit of a workaholic. The man would play with his own band when The Who was not out performing.

Overall, the video is decent and will be of interest to Who fans and bassists. But it is an incomplete work and does not do full justice to the man. Entwistle was one-of-a-kind, and he is missed.

Posted in: