| Author | Message | ||
| stoney
Intermediate Member Username: stoney Post Number: 186 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hi All, I just visited Rabbit Bundrick's page and he's got a very nice section whereas you can post your thoughts about John. Rabbit also has his own JAE Tribute CD available. Proceeds go to charity. Here's the link for Rabbit's page. Scroll down to "One year on"...A looking back and just follow the links http://www.thewho-rabbit.com/ Just for grins, here are a few pics. One of Rabbit and me, the other of John, Lisa and me.   | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 27 Registered: 7-2003 |
Stoney, thank you very much for this information. John was and is my everytime bass hero and I had the luck to meet him many years ago twice at the Frankfurt Music Fair. The Alembic Exploiters he played in the 70ies and 80ies have ever been my favorite. So it was absolute clear that I had to buy an Alembic Spyder! Many greetings and many thanks Oliver http://alembic.com/club/messages/394/5418.jpg (Message edited by senmen on July 16, 2003) | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 514 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi friends, I just went to take a peep at the indicated web-site. One of the banners on the site contains a low quality video fragment of John playing. Did you see HOW he plays. I remember our all-time moder Mica saying that the action on John's basses was EXTREMELY low. (To quote John on it "the best action for me is when the strings are 'behind' the frets"). Nobody else could play them. He must have had an EXTREMELY soft touch when playing and this even making those agressive LOOKING movements as you can see on the small fragment. Amazing! Paul the bad one | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 29 Registered: 7-2003 |
Paul, I am studying John´s technique for a long time. I also ever thought that he had a hard playing but recently I bought the double DVD Who at the Royal Albert. There is an approx. 3min solo of John and you can clearly study his playing style, even if the took it with a small camera fixed at the headstock of his buzzard. The action is real low and also he has flat fingerboards and you can cleary see that he plays without any big force. But man, he was quick! Unbelievable quick playing! Many greetings Oliver | ||
| stoney
Intermediate Member Username: stoney Post Number: 187 Registered: 7-2002 |
Oliver & Paul (TBO), Glad you enjoyed Rabbit's site. Quite true that John played with a very light touch...Hey, a couple of thousands watts & some effects seem to help out a lot. I wasn't teribly crazy about John's post Alembic sound. It was just too heavily processed for my taste. Oliver...nice lookin' Spider, feed her a regular diet of 32nd and 64th notes!!!! Stoney | ||
| jet_powers
Junior Username: jet_powers Post Number: 38 Registered: 2-2003 |
I was inspired by JAE to pursue an Alembic of my own and he remains one of my top bass gods. Seeing him with his solo band close up in a nightclub where I had performed dozens of times before, I too studied his technique. At Who shows I was usually too far away to see anything good and proper but was always blown away by his performances. At the end of the show I didn't know whether to cut off my fingers and sell my gear or work even more. In retrospect, I'm glad I chose the latter. I just wish it had not taken me so long to realize that a light touch and lots of power was the answer. I had the power part right early on but took a while to develop a light touch. John and The Who have inspired countless musicians to create thoughtful works of art as opposed to mindless, banal pop songs. I, for one, shall be eternally grateful. I, Like Stoney, wasn't crazy about his more recent overly effected sound, but the greatness of his playing is undeniable. He truly is "bassist of the millenium". John Paul | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 30 Registered: 7-2003 |
Stoney, thank you very much for the information and the link. And Jet, I have to agree 100%! I am still very sad the JE had to go last year, but I think and I believe he sees and knows everything about what we are talking on him. Many greetings Oliver | ||
| dnburgess
Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 64 Registered: 1-2003 |
Although having listened to much Beatles, Stones, Tull, Zeppelin, Sabbath, et al The Who have never really been in my musical sphere. Could the Who / Entwhistle fans here recommend the best albums - both from an overall and a bass perspective? Thanks David B. | ||
| rogertvr
Member Username: rogertvr Post Number: 84 Registered: 1-2003 |
Difficult one - some personal favourites of mine are Who's Next, Who's Last, Quadrophenia, The Blues To The Bush and Live At The Royal Albert Hall. | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 31 Registered: 7-2003 |
And of course take the solo albums of John, especially the "Too late the hero". OK, music is sometimes a little bit disco and flashy, but you can clearly hear John playing, better than on other solo albums. Especially the 8strings are clearly obvious. Also a good source to hear his playing separately are the old Bass Masterclass Video and the two matching cassettes. Oliver | ||
| harald_rost
Junior Username: harald_rost Post Number: 22 Registered: 6-2002 |
But what makes me wonder is that he don't play any Alembic Bass or one of his Buzzards on the Video!? Harald | ||
| elzie
Intermediate Member Username: elzie Post Number: 151 Registered: 8-2002 |
This is funny. I remember being in my teens and twenties hanging with all my friends, a lot of whom were musicians. Of course, they all thought that the best bass player around was Geddy Lee, and I take nothing away from him as he is awesome. However, I would tell my friends that one of the top bass players is JE, with the obligatory response: "who?", oh yeah, that guy from the Who. I was always impressed with players like him, you know that when you first hear a song you say, "wow, that sounds good", but after really listening to it you then say, "man, that bass player is reeeaaly good. he not only holds down the bottom end, but he has is own groove going on". I like a bass player, like JE, who can realy play and groove, but it's not right up front and in your face. I can listen to Stu Hamm for that;) Paul TGO | ||
| jet_powers
Junior Username: jet_powers Post Number: 39 Registered: 2-2003 |
David B., Quite understandable that The Who was never part of your musical sphere. I believe they only went to Australia once. A very long time ago, 1968 I think. I'm guessing they were never really big there. I agree with Roger and Oliver. For pure composition Who's Next and Quadrophenia have no equal and Too Late The Hero is a bass player's solo album after all! Two of my favorite Entwistle compositions are on Face Dances, a record the critics hated and even The Who themselves weren't crazy about. The songs 'You' and 'The Quiet One' are fine showcases for JAE's playing and sound. 'Trick Of The Light' from It's Hard is a good study in 8-string. The John Entwistle Band's CD Left For Live has fine examples of his playing as well. Cheers, John Paul (tpo) | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 32 Registered: 7-2003 |
Jet, yep you´re right. Especially the Quiet One is one of my favorites. John must have known me as he wrote this song. This fits very well to me..... :-) Oliver | ||
| jet_powers
Junior Username: jet_powers Post Number: 40 Registered: 2-2003 |
Oliver, He must have known me too! I think many of us bass brothers fit that description. I still use a line from that song frequently: "I ain't quiet. Everyone else is too loud." BTW- Have you put down the Spyder yet?!!! John | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 33 Registered: 7-2003 |
John, the main problem for me at the moment is my normal job I have to do. So it is very hard every morning when I have to leave the house but in the evening........ My wife is already jealous.... :-) Oliver | ||
| stoney
Intermediate Member Username: stoney Post Number: 188 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hi All, Thank you all for chiming in. In my post to Rabbit's tribute page,I paraphrased what John had said to me which is: "I just don't want people to forget who I am." That's obviously not a problem. I certainly agree that Who's Next and Quadrophenia are the real WHO landmark albums but let's not forget Tommy. It is truly remarkable to listen to these three ablums and hear the difference in John's style and approach to the instrument. While being the anchor on nearly all of Tommy, John peaked his head through the "lead instrument" door on Who's next with his riffs on "Bargain" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" but he literally kicked down the "lead" door on Quadrophenia. Face it, how many of you put on Quadrophenia for the first time and were lulled into tranquility by the opening track of ocean sounds, rain, faint background singing and finally Roger starting the song acapella then, like a freight train, John hits his first riff in "The Real Me"....The first time I heard it I just thought, OH MY LORD WHAT HAVE WE HERE!!!! To date, my personal LIVE favorite is STILL "Live at Leeds" (yea, ok, they didn't give John the bass break in Substitute but rarly did in those days) but listening to that incredible free-for-all jam on "My Generation" truly shows how John could fly by the seat of his pants while keeping the other three members of the WHO in line. Thank again, I'm glad that John is so fondly remembered. Stoney PS: For all you 8-string fans, don't forget to listen to "Success Story" from "The Who By Numbers" I'm not sure that Pete played anything on that song. | ||
| jet_powers
Junior Username: jet_powers Post Number: 41 Registered: 2-2003 |
Stoney, Entwistle did indeed leave us with an incredible body of work didn't he? Tommy is truly great with its trailblazing concept and inspired writing and playing by all the members of the group. I do remember the first time I heard "The Real Me". It blew me away. A few years later when I was finally with a band with enough talent, I made the band cover that song. We did it for years. It was kind of strange to see a nightclub audience dancing to that tune, but they did it. Nearly twenty years later, there are people that see me at a gig with different cover bands and still call out for me to play it. Odd how things can trickle down isn't it? Today, with my original band, the only cover we do is "My Generation". You're right, "Success Story" is another fine study in 8-string..... Live At Leeds is my favorite live album as well, though I must admit Rush's "All The World's A Stage' is right up there too. "Leeds" paints a picture of a band in perhaps the peak of its live power, all members very comfortable with one another and just knowing instinctively where each other is going. Oliver: That work stuff does get in the way sometimes, doesn't it? But if it wasn't there, the Spyder wouldn't be there either. If only there were a profitable way to put the two together! Don't forget some flowers for your wife!!!! John (Message edited by Jet_powers on July 18, 2003) | ||
| stoney
Intermediate Member Username: stoney Post Number: 189 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hey John, Certainly not to take anything away from G.Lee, he's a fine bassist but...he had two other very cooperative musicians. John, however, had to controll Moon and play bass leads around Pete's chords all while holding down the bottom end.! YIKES. I happened to catch The Who in London, May 17 1997..a day before Pete's birthday. John did what had to be a 5 minute solo during "5:15." This was the absolute best I've ever heard him play...maybe because it was becase his mom (and Keith's mom) were in the audience. You could have heard a pin drop if there was enough silence between his notes. The audience was totally silent and the sound man kept creeping the volume up. When he finished his solo the crowd was SO LOUD you couldn't hear the band.....at all. Everyone was on their feet. That is no exageration. A most memorable moment. | ||
| kipknee
Junior Username: kipknee Post Number: 34 Registered: 10-2002 |
to dnburgess: I'll jump in here to add my two cents worth. Albums to get: Live at Leeds, Quadrophenia, Who's Next. (In that order.) Also, there are a number of bootlegs available from the Keith Moon days that are even better for hearing/understanding John's playing. The boots also give you a better indication of how HUGE John's sound was. | ||
| tylere
New Username: tylere Post Number: 9 Registered: 7-2003 |
As an alternative, look at the two disk "Deluxe Edition" Who's Next. It's 2CD set, typically priced ~$22. Disc 1: Who's Next + Many alternate takes and songs that didn't make the cut Disc 2: A complete 70 minute live show. | ||
| slugbass
Junior Username: slugbass Post Number: 17 Registered: 3-2003 |
Another must will be "The Kids Are Alright" DVD. The DVD is supposed to be released on 09.30.03. The Ox's Alembic is featured prominently in 2 songs...Baba O'Reily & Won't Get Fooled Again. WGFA was shot with 6 cameras, and I guess on the upcoming DVD, you'll be able to isolate any one of them. A "Pete Cam", a "Moon Cam", an "Ox Cam" etc. I also understand that you can isolate The Ox's bass line during WGFA on the alternate audio stream. The VHS version of "The Kids Are Alright" is badly butchered, with scenes and even parts of somgs missing. The DVD version is supposed to be fully restored & remastered. This is one DVD release I'm REALLY looking forward to. | ||
| adriaan
Junior Username: adriaan Post Number: 35 Registered: 6-2002 |
For some reason those two songs, Baba O'Reily and Won't Get Fooled Again, are also what I remember from The Who live on German television, Rockpalast, sometime in the early 80s. They had an impressive laser show sweeping through the venue, and there were of course the great sights and sounds of Entwistle's Exploiter. Can't remember much about the rest of the show ... | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 35 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hi Adriaan, yes you are right. I have this particular Rockpalast show from 1981 on video tape and this concert is really great. Great shots of John playing his Spyder and especially great on "The Quiet One". Many greetings Oliver | ||
| jet_powers
Junior Username: jet_powers Post Number: 42 Registered: 2-2003 |
Oliver, Any chance you could convert your Rockpalast and Masterclass videos to a format for US use? All expenses paid of course.... John | ||
| bucky
Member Username: bucky Post Number: 69 Registered: 6-2003 |
Hi Guys: I only saw John once - in 1967 - when The Who opened up for Hermans Hermits (of all people!) Needless to say the Hermits didn't even want to come out and play after Pete, John, Keith and Roger had reduced the stage to smoldering pieces of broken gear(-; It was a mind-bending experience for 17 year-old to witness. They all blew me away but Johns playing particularly did. I was just a young kid really but I remember thinking at the time "Johns really the Lead Guitarist in this band. . he AND Keith of course" They really re-invented the white British R&B formula. . truly groundbreaking in their approach. And of course the songwriting was unparalled. Later that evening while we were waiting for the Ferry in downtown Seattle who should show up but a disheveled and boisterous Who! Pete even had his Union Jack jacket slung over his shoulder. Someone had obviously told them where they could find some decent fish and chips after the gig! We were far too shy to converse with these godz but it was notable how well behaved and polite they were to everybody. Only a handful of us knew who they were as I recall - they'd just released "Pictures of Lily" I think. Or maybe it was "I Can See For Miles". . and weren't yet the household name they'd become. I remember Keith was looning around the dock there and John was just looking on bemused. I seem to recall too that Pete and Roger were arguing about something. . what a surpise(-; Those were the days. . Jeff | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 36 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hi Guys, remember this first post of Stoney regarding Rabbits homepage? Well, I visited the homepage shortly thereafter and ordered the John Entwistle tribute CD by Rabbit. Funds go to the teenage cancer foundation. Well, the CD came in yesterday. Personalized and with signature of Rabbit. Wow! I sent him a mail yesterday to express my thanks for this and I also sent him a scan of me with my Spyder bass. So this morning I got a mail back from Rabbit asking me if it would be possible to put on my scan onto his homepage. Guys, soon you will see me and my Spyder on the homepage of the keyboard player of the Who...... Life is crazy isn´t it? Many greetings Oliver (Message edited by senmen on July 24, 2003) | ||
| stoney
Intermediate Member Username: stoney Post Number: 192 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hi Oliver, Glad you got Rabbit's CD. Personally, I've been lazy and haven't sent him my order yet. I WILL do it next week. Rabbit is really good about returning emails. He's a terrific guy, very down to earth and very funny. Let us know how you like the CD. I'll check out Rabbit's page for your scan. I haven't had much luck viewing the comments about JAE. Guess my computer isn't up to date. Stoney | ||
| senmen
Junior Username: senmen Post Number: 37 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hi Stoney, I like his CD very much. It is very melancholic and especially when hearing the first song you get immediate contact to John.... I think my scan is not uploaded on his homepage yet as his webmaster is doing this when he has time. Many greetings Oliver |
