As The Who navigated their incendiary path through the sixties, John Entwistle, aka The Ox showed that he was a talented songwriter as well as being a formidable musician. Whilst no doubt thrilled to be the bass guitarist of such a successful band, Entwistle had voiced his discontent to others within the greater Who family about the lack of outlets for his songs, and this perhaps informed the decision for their label, Track Records, to sanction a recording budget for a solo album. Entwistle had been writing songs and making demos of them at home, and by the end of 1970, he had enough material for an album, the first CD in this 6-CD box set.
This clamshell box set includes Entwistle’s six solo albums: Smash Your Head Against The Wall, Whistle Rymes, Rigor Mortis Sets In, Mad Dog, Too Late The Hero and The Rock, plus 29 bonus tracks.
Features guest appearances from Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jimmy McCulloch, Howie Casey, Eddie Jobson, Dick Parry and Zak Starkey.
The albums are presented in CD facsimiles of the original gatefold and individual sleeves, and the 28-page booklet contains all the credits and full annotation by Alan Robinson.
DISC ONE
SMASH YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL (1971)
1. My Size
2. Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)
3. What Are We Doing Here?
4. What Kind Of People Are They?
5. Heaven And Hell
6. Ted End
7. You’re Mine
8. No. 29 (Eternal Youth)
9. I Believe In Everything
Bonus tracks
10. Cinnamon Girl (outtake)
11. It’s Hard To Write A Love Song (demo)
12. The Haunted Can Be Free (demo)
13. World Behind My Face (demo)
14. My Size (demo)
15. What Kind Of People Are They? (demo)
16. Pick Me Up (Big Chicken) (demo)
17. No. 29 (External Youth) (demo)
18. Ted End(demo)
DISC TWO
WHISTLE RYMES (1972)
1. Ten Little Friends
2. Apron Strings
3. I Feel Better
4. Thinkin’ It Over
5. Who Cares?
6. I Wonder
7. I Was Just Being Friendly
8. The Window Shopper
9. I Found Out
10. Nightmare (Please Wake Me Up)
Bonus Tracks
11. I Wonder (demo)
12. All Dressed Up (demo)
13. Back On The Road (demo)
14. Countryside Boogie (demo)
DISC THREE
RIGOR MORTIS SETS IN (1973)
1. Gimme That Rock ‘n’ Roll
2. Mr. Bass Man
3. Do The Dangle
4. Hound Dog
5. Made In Japan
6. My Wife
7. Roller Skate Kate
8. Peg Leg Peggy
9. Lucille
10. Big Black Cadillac
Bonus Tracks
11. BP Big Gallon Jingle (‘100 Miles Of Motorway’) (demo)
12. BP Big Gallon Jingle (‘100 Miles Of Motorway’) (with voiceover) (demo)
13. Made In Japan (early take)
14. Peg Leg Peggy (early take)
DISC FOUR
MAD DOG (1975)
1. I Fall To Pieces
2. Cell Number 7
3. You Can Be So Mean
4. Lady Killer
5. Who In The Hell?
6. Mad Dog
7. Jungle (instrumental)
8. I’m So Scared
9. Drowning
Bonus Tracks
10. Mad Dog (single mix)
11. Cell Number 7 (single mix)
DISC FIVE
TOO LATE THE HERO (1981)
1. Try Me
2. Talk Dirty
3. Lovebird
4. Sleeping Man
5. I’m Coming Back
6. Dancing Master
7. Fallen Angel
8. Love Is A Heart Attack
9. Too Late The Hero
Bonus Tracks
10. Sleeping Man (demo)
11. Dancing Master (demo)
12. I’m Coming Back (demo)
13. Love Is A Heart Attack (demo)
14. Overture (outtake)
DISC SIX
THE ROCK (1996)
1. Stranger In A Strange Land
2. Love Doesn’t Last
3. Suzie
4. Bridges Under The Water
5. Heartache
6. Billy
7. Life After Love
8. Hurricane
9. Too Much Too Soon
10. Last Song
11. Country Hurricane
Bonus Tracks
12. Casualty (outtake]
13. Light In The Dark (outtake)
14. Break Your Heart (outtake)
15. Love Doesn’t Last (demo)
16. Heartache (early version)
And . . . The first three albums are also being reissued on 140g coloured vinyl in their original gatefold sleeves.
The Who publish a tribute to John Entwistle on their official website, with the audio of the concert on 15 February 1970 held in Hull.
Made in 1970 for 2024: Following a pretty good night in Leeds yesterday, on this day 15 February 1970 we were at City Hall in Hull doing it all again. Some say we were better than at Leeds, some say not as good. Here's John's 'Heaven And Hell'. https://t.co/b1qMasioih
— The Who (@TheWho) February 15, 2024
