Mentre gli Who percorrevano il loro percorso incendiario attraverso gli anni Sessanta, John Entwistle, alias The Ox, dimostrò di essere un cantautore di talento oltre ad essere un musicista formidabile. Anche se senza dubbio entusiasta di essere il bassista di una band di così grande successo, Entwistle aveva espresso il suo scontento ad altri all'interno della grande famiglia Who per la mancanza di sbocchi per le sue canzoni, e questo forse ha informato la decisione della loro etichetta, Track Records, di sancire un budget di registrazione per un album solista. Entwistle scriveva canzoni e ne faceva demo a casa, e alla fine del 1970 aveva abbastanza materiale per un album, il primo CD in questo cofanetto da 6 CD.
Questo cofanetto a conchiglia include i sei album solisti di Entwistle: Smash Your Head Against The Wall, Whistle Rymes, Rigor Mortis Sets In, Mad Dog, Too Late The Hero e The Rock, oltre a 29 tracce bonus.
Presenta le apparizioni di Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jimmy McCulloch, Howie Casey, Eddie Jobson, Dick Parry e Zak Starkey.
Gli album sono presentati in facsimili su CD della copertina originale e delle copertine individuali, e il booklet di 28 pagine contiene tutti i crediti e le annotazioni complete di 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
