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Sorry for large files, only found this album in FLAC in some obscure site years ago. Please help me seed and keep Ox's music alive! Hope you enjoy!
MBID: 68c5d336-c14c-3cfe-976d-b4d7e20ae311
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Description by Greg Prato, from allmusic.com:
As evidenced by the songs John Entwistle wrote for the Who ("Boris the Spider," "My Wife," "Success Story," etc.), the group's bassist had a knack for penning straight-ahead hard rockers. But those expecting Entwistle to stick with hard rock on his subsequent solo outings were in for a surprise, as evidenced by the double-disc collection So Who's the Bass Player: The Ox Anthology. Covering his entire solo career (1971's Smash Your Head Against the Wall through 2000's Music from Van-Pires), The Ox Anthology is a fine overview of Entwistle's unpredictable work outside the Who. Kicking things off with unquestionably the finest Entwistle solo track of them all, "My Size" (which really deserved to have found its way onto a Who album), the collection soon presents the many musical faces of the Ox. Included are such unexpected styles as laid-back acoustic-based tunes ("What Are We Doing Here?"), tributes to Entwistle's '50s rock & roll roots ("Do the Dangle," "Roller Skate Kate"), Broadway-like tunes ("I'm Flash" and "Space Pirates," both of which feature vocals by Alice Cooper), and synth ballads ("Too Late the Hero"). Also featured are quite a few live renditions of Entwistle/Who favorites -- "905," plus the aforementioned tracks "Boris the Spider," "My Wife," and "Success Story" -- and a surprisingly sedate reading of "Heaven and Hell" (which was a barnstorming rocker in the hands of the Who, as evidenced on Live at Leeds). Since his solo albums weren't always consistent and some titles are becoming difficult to locate on CD, So Who's the Bass Player: The Ox Anthology is all the solo Ox most Who fans will need in their collections.
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Description by CDuniverse.com:
Many of the best songs are taken from Entwistle's debut solo album, SMASH YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL, including the Black Sabbath-like sludge-rocker "My Size" and the hard-rocking in-concert Who favorite "Heaven and Hell." However, the collection reveals that even 1981's oft-ignored TOO LATE THE HERO contained its share of gems, particularly "Talk Dirty," which features manic, overdriven bass and wonderfully sleazy lyrics that, in retrospect, seem like a sly parody of Kiss's Gene Simmons. In addition, SO WHO'S THE BASS PLAYER? treats listeners to blistering live versions of the Entwistle-penned Who classics "Boris the Spider" and "Whiskey Man." Known as "the Ox," John Entwistle had an on-stage presence that also evoked images of the obelisk from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY--a motionless beacon of quiet power. By contrast, his nimble bass lines seemed to explode from the eye of the Who's raging storm. In addition, astute fans loved Entwistle's pitch-black (some would say seriously warped) sense of humor. It was on his rare solo recordings that these two elements often combined most effectively. SO WHO'S THE BASS PLAYER? collects the best of these under-appreciated moments, featuring tracks originally released between 1971 and the musician's untimely death in 2002. Live Recording Personnel: John Entwistle (vocals, keyboards, bass guitar); Robert A. Johnson (vocals, guitar); Jim Ryan , Joe Walsh (guitar); Geoff Daly (saxophone); Tony Ashton, Mike Deacon (keyboards); Joe Vitale, Zak Starkey, Graham Deakin (drums). Rolling Stone (p.79) - 3 stars out of 5 - "BASS PLAYER collects his finest solo moments....Clearly, he was an Ox to remember." |
