Enjoy John Entwistle in all his glory with this special feature from the DvD edition of the 1979 movie "The Kids Are Alright" John starts playing at 1:25. Tabs by Adrian Holovaty: www.soundslice.... Thanks Adrian!
Being a bassist myself, this is amazing to watch. A classic song played by a master bassist, the way it was meant to be played. It gives me the shivers.
I had the same thought after watching this, so I found one. This one doesn’t have video footage but all you really need is the sound, after all. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DgfiW5XcOUw.html
I met John Entwistle in London, in1968, i think. He was a relaxed guy. He spoke friendly to me. He was a good guy. He was a good human being. I'll never forget him. He was a good person.
I love the fact he always looked like he was in his late fifties! You're a legend John, I hope you can give me a lesson or two on how to really play should we ever end up meeting in the big gig in the clouds
unmistakable sound. Interesting how Entwistle's embellishments have a similar random quality to how Keith Moon played, dancing on top of the rock hammer. Both of them knew what they were doing, but it is weird the unique commonality to their mutual genius, and both of them deeply musical and in command. Entwistle takes that speeded up mess at the end of this song and makes it work.
Bored face? No, concentration. Lack of excitement? No, its 5 senses put into getting the best sound possible. Quiet? No, Its fucking PRESENCE. Not too many people in Rock 'n' Roll are able to stand still and look that fierce. The Ox is the epytome of Cool.
I saw 3 spots where his fingers didn’t cooperate and I could see it in his eyes. Worst feeling ever but he still nailed it. Most rappers these days can’t do what he does.
Alembic Explorer. A beast of a bass. Notice the cool spider web silver inlay. Highly customized by John himself and Alembic. He used Alembics more than 10 years (mid 70s-mid 80s) This is the best sound and tone he ever got, IMHO.
I like this dude, this base line is beast. I love how it starts off simple, yet stylish and develops into a smooth yet powerful, fast beat. Kudos to u John Entwistle.
Ox was a bloke who went in the classic rock star fashion. Which is to say he went too young, highly intoxicated and with a cute, loose woman by his side. As far as his musical talents and his contributions to "The Who" I can't say enough. He took the bass guitar out of the shadows and put it on par with the lead guitar. He has touched me now and forever. Many will come before and after but none just like him. R.I.P. Johnny Entwistle.
***** I can't take your comment seriously when you say "either a fool or a non white racist". JPJ's biggest influence was Motown, and saying that you can't compare bass players because of different genres is bullshit, especially when the comparison here was, as originally posted by Momo D: "John Paul Jones and Geddy Lee are the GODS of BASS and maybe Jamerson". Calling any bass player a "god" and then saying "_maybe_ Jamerson", who is arguably the most influential bass player of all time; is bullshit. Jamerson played on more hit records than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and Elvis combined. Genre doesn't matter; bass playing is bass playing.
Wow. I've never heard his lines isolated before. Obviously he's enormously influential to anyone who plays bass, but this sheds so much light on his talent and ear for music. So much subtlety in his style that I never knew about. Yeah he rocked, but I never knew he was throwing in so much harmony and dissonance at the same time. Thanks for sharing this.
Listen to THAT tone of his! Ohhh!! His style, his crazy lines, his relentless pursuit to be the best bassist around! Love The Ox! Thanks for putting this out there.
Well,I think it's 'cause Entwistle used a lot of gain/distortion at times and played more with His fingers,Chris Squire(Yes) used a pick w/ that clean Rickenbacher sound. Oh well, everyones gotta have their own sound Huh?...I like 'em all!! ~Peace~
anyone able to identify what kind of bass he's playing? I love the look of the thing and the tone is incredible but I think most of that has to do with the Rotosounds plus the Ox's playing style
@Satonica I think this video shows John's technical abilities too, and how he developed one of the more powerful and amazing tones. Also, as a musician in a band, you gotta play what is the best for THE SONG, not for yourself, and this amazingly well played 3 notes is what this song needed, not a crazy bass solo. Sometimes 2 million notes per second doesn't work. Keep watching John videos! I'm sure you are gonna love him, he was the coolest bass player in rock n roll! =- ]
Entwistle is pure class, elegance, quiet fierceness, solid sound and thundering lines. Then you got bassists that think they are playing a fucking guitar. I prefer Clapton over Satriani, Vai and all those amazingly fast guitar players. Faster is not better. You say obsolete, I say classic rock sound.
This is the bass that works best with the Who. It's quite compressed, distorted, in your face. Loads of his double attacks--perfect for this band. I've been playing guitar mixing drums, bass, etc. for decades. It's sometimes horrifying how a sound like this is the right sound. He was one of the first to add treble to the bass and help create Roto Sound Strings. No one plays the bass like a typewriter like he did. This is anthem rock, not funk, blues, blues rock...etc. Listen to it in the mix.
Howard Stern tried to say John wasn't any compliment to The Who and unnecessary! What a jerk he's suppossed to known rock as a radio host! All members of the who were a necessary UNIT and very uniquely talented!John was an extraordinary bass player if you look into it!
Yeah, Stern reveals his enormous conceit, lack of knowledge and limited intellect. He's way out of his league and yet doesn't have a clue as to the inanity of his remarks.
I was fortunate enough to see The Who twice in the early 70s. Very nice to hear his bass line isolated like this. He was certainlyan innovator, and it was amazing to watch his fingers dance all over his instrument, while most of the bass players of the time were content with a simple walking bass line..
it was because of the ox that i picked up a bass anyways and i'm damn glad i did, RIP john the ox entwistle, your music and talents keep inspiring me to this day
this really is d best bit of bass i have an will ever witness he is unbeliavably talanted an musicaly gifted because he was king of all aspects of music there was nothin e didnt no an his techniques is so unique and sounds so amazin der will never b another ox ever he is the embodyment of rock in bass form R.I.P john u will never b replaced
I am an aspiring bass player(Gibson Thunderbird) and I believe it's all about the tone, which is a combination of instrument, strings, pickup settings, preamp EQ settings, speaker cabinet characteristics(ported or sealed) and the player's technique. Many people like the Fender P bass, partly because of its ubiquity and affordability, but it isn't the bass for everybody. If you are an aspiring studio musician you might be better off having the Fender J bass if you could only have one bass, more versatile than the P which is more of a one trick pony.
Goliatron well I am a bass player, and I will take Entwhistle's slop any day over the prefabricated over-processed American Idol corporate conformity masquerading as rock and roll these days. it's like mashed potatoes. the real thing with skins, lumps and all is infinitely better than the visually appealing pearly white goo you get out of a box.
***** I'm not saying _he's_ terrible, I'm that isolating *this* bass line is a terrible idea. Isolate "The Real Me" instead; this is just pointless and a waste of time.
John truly was the one guy that kept it all together for the Who while the others went ape shit. Always talked the others off the ledge and brought them back to earth with his otherworldly playing and right on beat. RIP Ox
you are so correct. I love that bass, it think he even had LED"s on the frets. MY BFF has an Alembic that he will NOT sell. I wonder what John would have sounded like had he used a Rickie 4001 stereo bass.
This is so true !! Anyone can learn bass guitar basics in a few months and get good results. (much faster than, let's say guitar basics). Getting to the level of John Entwistle and many other top players is another matter entirely and takes loads of talent and exercise.
He brought clarity to the bass guitar, and worked with the Rotosound string techs until they developed the set that became the Swing Bass set. The Alembic bass he played in this was thousands of dollars THEN, and he had several. Check out The Kids Are Alright DVD for the scene where he's walking down a stairway checking-out his bass collection.
This epitomizes how low key the bassist role really is... One of the sickest bassists ever, playing for one of the most popular rock n roll bands in history, and I never friggin knew about him until now. Maybe I'm just slow, but I'm thinkin I'm not alone here. It's just ridiculous how he can make two and three note phrases sound sooooo interesting...
Unfortunately there is only two isolated tracks from "The Kids..." This one and "Wont Get Fooled Again". You also have a multiple camera angles feature. Anyway I suspect (and hope) there were more songs recorded that day at Shepperton Studios so we can only pray to Rock Gods and wait for Pete to realease 'em.
John the ox was and still is the standard bass player for the ages, .I can flick, and been doin so since 1982! but john was special . now feel no deal i wish people could av seen them them play in 1962 like my dad did! No feel No deal!......
To some people, talking stupid things about Entwistle on RU-vid comment boxes will be their only claim to fame. That's really, really sad. Listen to what he does. He plays around three notes like no one else could even try. It's magical. And he's not even at his best here. Best rock bassist ever. Period.
Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll check out a few other clips, but 2 b honest I never was much of a Who fan. But I do acknowledge that they r one of the top bands ever.
70's WAS the best era for rock, 80's for metal, 90's for Alternative, and nothing of any real value except the Krause/Plant album has come out in the 00's yet, so I agree with you.
I love how Entwistle calls it like it is, or at least how he feels about it....right after the last note he just drops his arm off the fretboard and then shakes his head, like "welp, that kind of sucked". Meaning of course the band's performance as a whole, especially considering they hadn't been playing together much at this point and Moon, God love him, was becoming a sad shadow of his former brilliant self.
