I Wasn't Into THE WHO...Until NOW! Bass Teacher REACTS to John Entwistle on "Won't Get Fooled Again"

[@LowEndUniversity]

I did NOT realize this was Keith Moon's last performance with the band until just now after going back to the video. Whoa. I do a little research before these (not too much), but enough to get an idea of what the band is about. Really tragic after reading about his death. As a Mike Portnoy follower for a long time, I always loved how much he shared his love for Keith Moon, and I can see why Keith was such a unique, anomaly of a drummer. I can see his tendency to "react" to the energy of the other 3 on stage, instead of being the "anchor". It's like he's feeding off of Pete and Roger, versus the other way around (like most bands). It's a really unique way to shift the energy around the ensemble. I appreciate all your comments! 💙

[@heathcoffield1923]

that performance is the finale of the 1978 rockumentary The Kids Are Allright. On disc 2 of the special edition DVD bonus features you can watch the entire song with just the OX cam and with the isolated bass. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmHHpKylZ7SrY5I

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

The Who had the most unusual instrumental roles of any popular rock group. I seem to recall that Pete Townshend stated that they had a drummer who played like a keyboard player, and a bass player who played like a lead guitarist; so he had function as the rhythmic center at all times. However, it helped make them what they were. (Cream had three soloists, so they also had a bit of that as well, but studio Cream and live Cream were different. The Who were like that in all environments.)

[@paulobrien4694]

They’re often described as a band with four lead players.

[@paulobrien4694]

Just for timeline purposes, this song was released four years before Rush made their debut album.

[@TheZappawizard]

Keith was a mess by this point, this is far from his best work. You need to hear Live at Leeds to truly hear this band at peak performance

[@acfiv1421]

Look for the youtube video of this song, including "Isolated Bass" in the title. The camera is on John the whole time, and you will see why they call him Thunderfingers. Brilliant technique for the time - and he did not rest on his laurels either. He was playing faster and with more technique in the last few years before he died than when in the 70s and 80s.

[@DaveDefoe]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmHHpKylZ7SrY5I This is the best - amazing!

[@jonathanmoon86]

Yes it is amazing! He's just chillin jamming out while Pete is all over the place! Coke has different effects on different types 😂

[@cougarhunter33]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmHHpKylZ7SrY5I fucking life-changing

[@MrWidestripes]

came here just to type the same, amazing playing

[@peterbetts858]

@@jonathanmoon86 if it all boiled down to coke , i suggest you buy a big bag before your next gig .

[@ronaldwilliams6927]

Listen to Quadrophenia with headphones you will be blown away by the late Entwhistles bass playing.Guaranteed!

[@kwpres]

and listen to his album "Whistle Rhymes" Great horn player as well...

[@thirdcoast5755]

“The Real Me”

[@budo1968]

John Entwistle is the man. How you have never got into him as a bass player is mind boggling. But now you have heard of John Entwistle and have been educated.

[@bladeaddison3189]

Agreed! John Entwistle was/is a legend. Loved seeing them live and he NEVER disappointed. The Who was special because it was influential talent on each instrument. Moon, Townshend, Entwistle were all legends and Roger was right there as a front man who put on an amazing show. Who, Stones, Rush, Zep, Eagles etc... those groups were all full of legends. The Who definitely predated Rush and Geddy was surely influenced by John who was 10 years older.

[@davidschecter5247]

Entwistle came before the others by a long shot. He influenced the others you mentioned.

[@WesFanMan]

Can’t believe he didn’t know that. A little research before making a video perhaps?

[@smythharris2635]

​@@WesFanManI can, lot of people think nothing important happened before 1990.

[@peterbetts858]

@@WesFanMan ahh these kids on the world wide web with their history facts . if they dont know the story , they make it up .

[@denroy3]

@@smythharris2635 nothing important, for the good anyway, after 1990...lol

[@discernment8963]

At least he acknowledged that. He didn't come off trying to be authoritative about it like So Many Do across the board on subjects on You Tube. When often times they're just a shallow fanboy, and don't know shit!

[@senacht]

Entwhistle was also a french horn player. Something that factored into his unusual (for the time) approach to bass playing. He was instrumental in the development of Rotosound Swing Bass roundwounds. He also used all four fingers of his plucking hand. The bass in this video is an Alembic custom made for him. Prior to that he first used a JB and later on his Fenderbird” - a Gibson Thunderbird he modded by installing a Fender Jazz neck on it. Entwhistle’s influence on the sound of electric bass is huge.

[@jonchilds1637]

He was also one of the early protagonists of Maxima gold-plated strings - if you remember that far back!

[@bostonaudi]

Live at Leeds - if you want hear Entwistle and the band completely unleashed this is the album. Many feel it’s the most intense live recording of all time.

[@kromkake666]

Great album, but it's not really a live recording is it

[@trajan6927]

Considered the greatest live album, and The Mighty Who set the bar very high for live albums and certainly live performances. From 1967 to 1975, The Who dominated the stage.

[@pariaheep]

I grew up with that record!!!

[@danpettinger1353]

My home town! :)

[@Frank-sm9yl]

Exactly. They didn't release another live album.

[@lancevaughn432]

John Entwhistle, The Ox, or Thunderfingers. Under appreciated by the media. True Who fans, and musicians, knew how great he was. My favorite Who albums, Who’s Next, and Quadrophenia.

[@5jerry1]

~ There's no h in the name Entwistle. Bugs the living crap out of me.

[@AnyRoadAnyTime]

John Entwistle is the man. I've always liked watching him play. None of us will criticize you for doing more Who reaction videos.

[@douglasennis7291]

They started in 65'

[@csoanes01]

Also: in their early days they hung out at a music shop owned by a drum teacher named “Jim Marshall”. Townshend in particular was constantly complaining that he wasn’t loud enough, so Jim created an amp by reverse engineering the Fender Bassman amp and souping it up - The Marshall amp was born……

[@shanecabbage2187]

​@csoanes01 thanks for sharing!

[@LowEndUniversity]

Thank you! I'm just late to the game, and it was really cool finally witnessing THE band who influenced all of my other favorite bands.

[@gasaholic47]

@@douglasennis7291 Earlier than that.

[@ChrisKyle-om5wi]

John was very well established by the time Rush and Yes came along. He was first to do bass solos and bass lead. He was one of the first to use round wound strings and helped develop Rotosound ‘66 which became the standard. He was first to stack amps, and he and Pete were heavily involved in development of the Marshall sound. They also made an art form of controlled feedback and distortion. Pretty much every rock band owe something to The Who.

[@gregjones9807]

Watched a documentary on The Who once where Noel Gallagher referred to the band as having 4 leads: lead singer, lead drummer, lead guitar, and lead bass. Think that's a pretty good way to look at The Who.

[@discernment8963]

Heard similar said by quite a few in description of The Who. I'd agree, and what's more they make it work!

[@craig2347]

Same as Led Zeppelin.

[@frederickglasser5617]

Greg, I don't know if you're old enough to have seen them. I did, LA Sports Arena 1979, and LA Coliseum 1981 (with the Clash opening for them). They were so, so great live.

[@frederickglasser5617]

Usually referred to on LA KLOS and KMET as The Mighty Led Zeppelin.@@craig2347

[@ramsey6681]

​@@frederickglasser5617Oh, stop showing off! That's nothing. I saw Sigue Sigue Sputnik live in Cardiff in '86. 😂

[@stringcus]

Keith can play the drums whith face expressions alone.

[@davecarroll9831]

There are some great isolated bass videos on You Tube that are truly worth checking out. John Entwistle was a monster!!!

[@davecarroll9831]

This is the link to the isolated bass track and isolated video for the same song!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmHHpKylZ7SrY5I

[@davecarroll9831]

Also there is the same type from the same show for Baba O'Riley, well worth a visit

[@davecarroll9831]

Okay, sorry this will be my last one but if you love bass you need to see this one, just copy and paste in to the search. John Entwistle - Throwback Thursday from the MI Vault

[@brib9716]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmHHpKylZ7SrY5I

[@SaintedDemon]

I'm sorry, but how do you, a bass teacher not know Entwistle preceded and influenced Squire and Lee by at least half a decade?

[@folioio]

The bass solo in My Generation was played in 1965. Chris Squire bought his very first bass in 1965. Rush debuted in 1969.

[@SaintedDemon]

@@folioio 1968, actually. If you're going to be pedantic, at least get your dates right.

[@trance9158]

Entwhistles isolated bass tracks are phenomenal. Those Alembic basses and his sound is unique and out of this world.

[@johnmichaelson9173]

I couldn't agree more and a fine French horn player. John was a proper musician, terrible with money but one of the all time greats of British rock & roll.

[@mysterysurf4554]

The production is so good because this was filmed at Shepperton Studios specifically for the documentary The Kids Are Alright.

[@littlejimmy7402]

"Quadrophenia" is probably the album I'd point you to first. "The Real Me", "5:15", "Drowned" I love the whole album, but these will let you feel it. JE also plays horns on this album. It is a concept album, I think it's their best.

[@gordonwalley1116]

Great suggestions! JE was probably the most trained musician in the Who. Too bad he went down the way he did at that age.

[@maxlevett7474]

watch the movie "Quadrophenia" if you can find it

[@adelaideloop9732]

@@maxlevett7474 Ehhh. The soundtrack has some stuff replaced, especially the bass. I’d stick with the 1974 Quadrophenia release rather than the 1979 Quadrophenia movie.

[@keefterry2155]

Watch the film THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT and I believe that you will witness the genesis of rock bass playing. Great reaction BTW. Cheers!

[@adelaideloop9732]

@@keefterry2155 Agreed. From those amazing runs on My Generation to the excellent Shepperton footage (Baba O’Riley and Won’t Get Fooled Again.) The Kids Are Alright is just fantastic.

[@johndrx165]

John Entwistle was very instrumental in the progression of bass sound in rock. He helped develop the RotoSound roundwound Swing Bass string. He played lead bass with lots of tone. The Who were one of the best live rock bands ever!

[@scatpack440]

The Who was a band with lead bass and rhythm guitar. John Entwistle is so under appreciated. Check out 5:15 (the song) live!

[@keithprice5719]

The Who also had a lead drummer.

[@gregoryeatroff8608]

The Who had a lead singer, a lead guitarist, a lead bass guitarist, and a lead drummer. They were all totally capable of stealing the show.

[@markdraine3571]

Yeah , you can watch The Who 5:15 Top of the Pops 73. It doesn't showcase Ox all that much, but it's not bad. Showcases Moon pretty well.

[@ramalama9650]

Which they did and the Rolling Stones did not like it at all! Search 'The Who - A Quick One (While He's Away)' @@gregoryeatroff8608

[@David-iv6je]

I think Townshend defies definition. Rhythm? More than that. lead? Eh, not quite. Some weird combination of the two, with all kinds of odds voicings and synchopations. And then he wrote almost all their instrumentations.

[@davids.2317]

How can a professional bass teacher not be aware of the ox ??

[@dafterite]

It's more humorous than I expected watching some guy try to mimic Entwistle.

[@JoachimPaulNE]

Man, its an Alembic. Brutal sound. Played through a set of Sun Coliseum amps. Entwistle had up to 3000 Watts only in the backline.

[@jonathanroberts8981]

The center pickup, as I recall, is there just to cancel hum - if you look you’ll see it’s set deeper into the body. Correct me if I’m wrong.

[@adelaideloop9732]

@@jonathanroberts8981 That is correct. The mid pickup is a hum cancelling dummy pickup.

[@dantesinfernopurgatory7826]

Alembics were considered the Rolls Royce of basses.

[@timscarrow9151]

You should see what they want for those now.@@dantesinfernopurgatory7826

[@alangurneysmall3052]

His Alembic basses tended to have the Series 1 electronics

[@Goldsteinphoto]

This is one song from a show staged in a movie studio for filming. That's why the cinematography and sound is so good. I am 72 years old and listening to this now brings me back to my teenage years jumping up and down in my bedroom to "I Can See for Miles." This performance epitomizes what it is to be a rock star and why we all played air guitar. I guess I'm reliving my youth because I still strap on a guitar and jump up and down with Pete and strum along. ..pretty damn influential, eh?

[@chanceroberson7517]

God this performance is literally perfect. That actual definition of the word. Everything about it is captivating and so inspiring

[@LowEndUniversity]

Raw, unfiltered, all-out. If we send one video into space for the aliens to show them "rock n' roll", this might be the one. I just love the production quality for its time.

[@chanceroberson7517]

@@LowEndUniversity the production is insanely crisp considering the time. Definitely one of the things that surprised me on the initial listen. Great analysis and reaction

[@LowEndUniversity]

Appreciate that, Chance!!

[@adelaideloop9732]

Almost perfect. Townshend flubs the rhythm badly coming out of the B bridge. He shakes his head and smiles, and looks at Roger for his reaction.

[@adelaideloop9732]

@@LowEndUniversity Almost perfect. Townshend flubs the rhythm badly coming out of the B bridge. He shakes his head and smiles, and looks at Roger for his reaction.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I love that you've got these three showboaters all acting like maniacs and Entwistle just standing there, all chill and groovy, playing away like nothin's nothin.'

[@LowEndUniversity]

Babysitting the kids 😅

[@williethebeerman]

John said he was not a bassist, he played bass guitar. There is a video where he demonstrated what he meant. He used a lot of treble and distortion. Amazing musician.

[@Arfursmallpigeon]

Let's face it he played lead and rhythm bass at the same time!

[@mustangmikep51]

can you see the real me? if your a bass player...this song will BLOW YOU AWAY!!

[@julianthesmooshyhusky8976]

Playing along with live at Leeds as a freshman in high school pretty much set the foundation for my bass playing style. I didn’t know “lead bass” was a thing until then.

[@loosilu]

Live at Leeds is one of the best live albums every record. The quality of the sound system has to be heard to be believed.

[@clank4001]

right with you brother, same

[@13_13k]

I met John Entwistle back in the late 1980s or early 90s we had reserved VIP tables next to each other at The China Club in Hollywood for a sold out comedy show starring the late great Sam Kinnison. The Ox (Entwistle) was very cool we spoke briefly a couple times and what a great hilarious show by Kinnison.

[@KnightOnBaldMountain]

My best friend in high school took me in 1981 to a midnight showing of The Kids Are Alright. This live performance at Shepperton Studios was filmed for the movie. It was an electrifying experience to see it on the silver screen. I was instantly transformed into a fan of The Who.

[@thomasoday7828]

I heard it said once, and I have seen it referenced in the comments. "The Who was a lead singer, lead guitarist, lead bassist, and lead drummer. All playing at the same time and they just made it work." (not and exact quote btw but close ;)

[@Daddy53751]

“The Real Me” or A”My Generation” really shows Entwistle in his groove! John is not in your band, you’re in his. One of those guys that really showed what could happen if the bass comes out of the background. (Hear a good deal of Geddy fills as well)

[@robertsaul234]

They shot this performance specifically for their documentary "The Kids are Alright". Great Roc doc.

[@BSD0614]

Moon played the breaks rather straight and most often accented the vocals and power chords. As others have commented give “The Real Me” (from their 1973 album Quadrophenia) a listen. The bass lines in that song are the first take…. The FIRST TAKE. Entwistle was mucking about in the studio trying sort out the bass riff for the song and that’s what he developed for it. Absolutely stunning.

[@photoscottsb]

If there's one song that captures the quintessential Entwistle and Moon, "The Real Me" is it. The Who is kind of the opposite of how most bands work--the drums and bass are soloing while the guitar holds down the rhythm.

[@Rawkstar1960]

I really like your take on this song. I recently started playing bass after trying to fill spots while I sing. Was doing backing guitar but we could fill that spot easier. I never realized how tied in Moon and Entwistle were until I started listening to songs with a bass centric mindset.

[@fruitloups]

There's an isolated bass track to this vid. Highly recommended. Also, the entire Quadrophenia album is John Entwistle going off starting with The Real Me. (Which was done on the first take)

[@garethgriffiths1674]

Probably the first record by The Who to show off Entwhistle's bass skills was "My Generation" from 1965, when Squire would have been 17 years old and Lee 12 yesrs old.

[@ImYourOverlord]

We know who influenced who, and the answer is right there with The Ox. Every bass guitarist since his pioneering approach to the instrument, and to its role in a band context, who rolls the same way was either directly or indirectly influenced by John, and rightly so!

[@TheDivayenta]

He definitely influenced Jonesy.

[@mariotribunella9141]

This album was the first use of a synthesizer in rock music. They also were the first band to use lasers in concert. They were pioneers and led the way for many future bands.

[@senormedia]

no, it wasn't. Beatles and Monkees and probably others came first.

[@MaskedRiderChris]

The bass is an Alembic Spoiler with seriously hardcore active electronics, especially for the time. Entwistle was a pioneer who was on the vanguard of bass gear and sound; in fact, we owe roundwound strings to his work with the James How company and Rotosound. He pioneered biamping as well, using guitar amps for the high end and gain. Also, his background in playing piano and French horn influenced his approach to the bass, and we also owe their manager in the 60's, Kit Lambert, a debt for telling John at rehearsal "It's well and good you're playing all those notes, but I can't hear what you're playing! Try turning up the treble?" Between that and John really liking Duane Eddy's signature twangy guitar sound, that's how a legend was born. I'm sure I'm missing a couple of details, there, but that's the gist of it.

[@batterytestchannel-v4v]

The bass is actually an Alembic Spyder - note the sterling silver spider web inlays. As noted elsewhere, a play on Boris the Spider.

[@MaskedRiderChris]

@@batterytestchannel-v4v Ah, you're right, too!

[@keithlegge6848]

@@MaskedRiderChris the bass was old at auction after John died. Fetched about £3,000..00 very cheap for what it is.

[@loosilu]

@@keithlegge6848 They should hve waited longer to sell them. I think he may have had debts when he died so they didn't waste time.

[@keithlegge6848]

@@loosilu You are correct he did in fact have a tax liability. The UK tax authorities do not like to be kept from their money and that is why some of his possessions were auctioned.

[@mickfoil]

John Entwistle helped develop the Rotosound bass string, because he wanted a sound that was more like that of a piano than a bass guitar. Also, he loved to crank the treble in his tone. He was one of the first to split his signal into separate bass and treble. Billy Sheehan and Steve Harris were also influenced by John Entwistle

[@davescurry69]

Entwistle was definitely the first to play in that style. He was the guv'nor. He would occasionally play with a pick too, but more often with his incredible and revolutionary finger technique. And in that outro there he's playing chords. In my humble opinion, John Entwistle is the #1 bassist in rock history. Check out the WHO'S NEXT album, or QUADROPHENIA, or LIVE AT LEEDS for starters.

[@davescurry69]

@drobichaud1000 What? Where the fuck did you get that from? How about you do some proper research before spreading completely false information. Not only is it not true it was also never alleged. By anyone. Ever. Crawl back under the rock you crawled out of.

[@smythharris2635]

Stanley Clarke?

[@davescurry69]

@@smythharris2635 Plays a completely different style. Clarke used that slap and pop technique. Entwistle never slapped. His method was almost like tapping on a typewriter. And Entwistle's career began earlier. Plus they were in mostly different genres.

[@bbtb785]

A bass teacher not knowing who John Entwistle is like a basketball coach not knowing of Michael Jordan. I weep for your generation. Guess what...Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix are pretty good on the guitar.

[@rodables7264]

You said it all.

[@bbeneb]

Not knowing Entwhiste as a bassist is sad. And sounding almost condescending is really sad. Learn your subject.

[@StormChaserJeremy]

Sounding like a condescending douche is really sad too so maybe calm down

[@eduardoribeiro383]

It's amazing ignorance.

[@PCH847]

I was thinking exactly the same thing…

[@d.s.9692]

You gotta react to these other Who songs: 1) The Real Me 2) Eminence Front 3) A Quick One While He's Away (the live version from Rock & Roll Circus). Entwistle is so foundational to modern bass playing for so many reasons, not the least of which is that Rotosound made their first set of roundwound bass strings by his specific request.

[@otispresseau9246]

The Rock-n-Roll Circus is a must!

[@bassmanpedro1]

I always used flatwounds until I heard John on My Generation back in '65. That was the sound I wanted and I got some Rotosounds as soon as the local music shop could get them in. We were born on the same day in 1944 but, unfortunately for me, he got all the talent!

[@davidprice9689]

Rotosound 'Jet Bass' strings made for Jet Harris' Fender Bass VI were round-wound and date back to about 1962

[@bigdave8437]

I'm 66. The 1st LP record I ever bought was The Who, Live at Leeds recorded on a 4 track of their live performances over a year I believe 1969 to 70. Somehow the engineers/producer managed to capture the energy of the band. One of the best live recordings ever. On the original record the bass was left channel, guitar on the right & the drums and vocals mixed in the middle. I used to pan the balance to iso Townshend & Entwistle to learn the guitar & bass parts. John Entwistle played a Fender Jazz bass on those recordings. Townshend played a '63 Gibson SG with P-90's I believe. I saw them twice in Toronto with Moon in 1976 I think. Best live rock band I ever saw (original line-up) & I saw a fair few (including Rush & Yes multiple times).

[@robertlear2712]

I saw The Who in concert in 1970, 1980 and 2019. So I saw this song twice. They are my favorite live band.

[@ShaunHensley]

Loudest band live

[@marvinBrown-y4f]

Being a Bass player now 45+ years,I can't believe you never of Mr.Entwhiste...

[@ImYourOverlord]

Entwistle favored this EQ on a bass amp: Low at 3:00, Mid around 11:00, High "almost full out" which is between 9 and 10 on the dial (as opposed to clock positions). Presence/Brite engaged (all the way up, if adjustable). He recommended first turning lows on the instrument all the way down, and setting the highs to taste first, then adding the lows until you get a well-balanced tone. Fine tune from there. Monster sound that helps you get the most from your instrument.

[@HandOfDoom9349]

Which amp is this referring to?

[@jhunt4761]

You need to check out "My Generation" by The Who for some classic John Entwistle. Thanks for the videos and deep dives.

[@gordonwalley1116]

Dude as a bassist since the 80's and a watcher on YT of most things bass, you are actually KILLING this space and far better imo than anything else. I really appreciate all of the effort you put into these videos! CHEERS!

[@gordonwalley1116]

Additionally, You Sir are a MONSTER BASSIST as well imo. You have def put the work in and THANK YOU for that!

[@gordonwalley1116]

YES PLEASE DO GENESIS! As surprised as I was The WHo was new to you, early Genesis was new to me up until about two weeks ago. I took the deep dive and glad I did. You will be to.

[@Maggooster]

Dude.... I was a child when my older sisters would play The Who. My Generation. Listen to that song. Released in 1965. The solo in that song is a bass solo. Who did that in the 60's? I met a guy that was a roadie for a Who tour. He told me that Entwistle had 32 channels on the mixer for just bass. When they played, Pinball Wizard, Townsend played the acoustic, and Entwistle came in as the distorted guitar on the intro. I think you can hear it on "Live at Leeds". The 32 channels were used for FX and such for the bass. Another interesting fact, Roger Daltry used to play guitar, but because he worked in a sheet metal factory, he cut up his hands so many times that he couldn't play well enough to keep up with it. Loved this band. I've listened to Tommy and Quadrophenia many times. Can any band today produce a rock opera? Please?

[@billc.5861]

John Entwistle is basically considered the best bassist in contemporary music. He literally played lead bass, such a full sound. Since you’re a Warwick artist I’m sure you’re familiar with Angeline Saris. She’s a monster talent and a complete sweetie pie

[@13_13k]

@billc --- It's very nice to hear people who are familiar with Angeline Saris and her talent as a bass player. She and I were very close friends for many years while I lived in Marin County, 2001- 20012. It's been great watching her progression into a very well respected, and influence in the bass world. I'm back living in L.A. again, my home city, and a lot of my friends are famous and or accomplished musicians, always have been, in L.A. and Marin County. I don't want to start dropping names. Hahahaha but trust me, you have heard of all of them.

[@Parpl22]

This is a top 20 all time classic rock song. How have you never heard this before? Jeez!

[@TheTruth-pl3mk]

Ok, I'm sure you've been told many times since you posted this video. But Entwistle is THE one who inspired your heroes Geddy Lee, Chris Squire and hundreds more. All this talk of "spawning" around the same time is a moot point; The Who were around while Lee and Squire were still in school and Entwistle was doing this kind of progressive bass playing in the early 1960s, never mind 1978.

[@muskyman1018]

I’m quite amazed at the quality of that 1978 recording, probably the most high end equipment money could buy you. Cool that it exists.

[@johnjohn37371]

It's a somewhat silly song, but Boris the Spider features Ox on vocals, with what some refer to as the first use of a death metal growl in the chorus...and his playing, particularly on that and on 905 is awesome...

[@hermandadams8376]

oh so true to true to be sure

[@trajan6927]

Trick Of The Light

[@bricktopperheadon5490]

The Quiet One! 🙂

[@ClaireBevan-gm3vf]

Love Boris the spider 🕷️ growing up all spiders were called Boris - yeas my dad was a massive who fan especially John

[@robertm7071]

You mentioned Rush. They are NOTHING compared to the absolutely huge presence of The Who in the 60s and 70s. They were also the greatest live band - see their stunning performance at Woodstock. I don’t think younger people understand that modern groups just do not have the global impact that these older groups had. They were pioneers unlike modern groups who are just churning out second rate and very tired music that has all been done before….and BETTER.

[@jakemore2024]

Awesome post..The Who were awesome

[@tonygriffin_]

Saw them live in 1975 on their 'Who put the boot in' tour of football stadiums. This song should be played on a loop for 24 hours before any election!

[@patrickhughes4914]

He played the bass like it was a lead and rhythm guitar. He filled in all the sound and gave Pete a lot of freedom to do whatever he wanted without leaving gaps in the sound

[@wrobinson1702]

The Who pre-dated Rush and Yes by quite a bit. They got together as a band in 1964, and had their 1st hit, "Can't Explain" in 1965. Yes evolved into their definitive lineup in 1971, while Rush did not reach their definitive lineup until 1974.

[@freespyrit]

What Do You mean by definitive lineup in '71?

[@trajan6927]

The Mighty Who in some form or another started in 1960. High Numbers, The Who, The Detours and finally The Who again. 1964 is the final line up when Moonie joined. The rest is history.

[@trajan6927]

Moonie joined in 1964 and that completed The Who that we know and love. Actually The Who, The High Numbers, and The Detours from 1960 to 1964, all predated the 1964 Who line up with Moonie.

[@alexanderwilliams3955]

This was shot for the film 'The Kids Are Alright' and it's actually (I think) takes from two takes edited together- I think the 'join' is at the breakdown. It was filmed at Shepperton Studios, btw and the band's stage lasers were borrowed by Ridley Scott for use in 'Alien'' which was being filmed next door!

[@alanmarsh3039]

Pete Townsend said he derived great confidence as a guitarist hearing the full, rich sound of Entwistle’s bass coming from the other side of the stage.

[@Morbid0007]

Check out 'My Generation;' it features one of the earliest bass solo/breaks ever recorded.

[@dingleberryhandpump802]

The Ox is a legend. I love his fills and additions into Pete's riffs. I'd love to see you react to and dissect their song The Real Me. That one's a real treat for bassists.

[@jfg1356]

rare is the musician who can't appreciate the innovative attack each member of The Who brought to their music - keep going! lots of different tunes to get into with this super influential group

[@tommonk7651]

A couple of things...Entwistle was the only one in the Who with real music education. He was a trained trumpet player. His incredible ability to fill out the song gave Townsend the freedom to not have to play rhythm so much. Also, when the Who was in their early stages, they were playing a show with a different drummer. Moon was in the audience, and in keeping with his personality he told them their drummer sucked. The guys cynically asked him if he wanted to sit in. Moon started playing, and Daltrey said it felt like a jet engine was behind him, and The Who had a new drummer.

[@JoneyJefe]

Coincidentally Mark is an accomplished trumpet player also

[@tommonk7651]

@@JoneyJefe Cool. I think Flea was a trumpet player as well.

[@TyeDyeGuyRV]

Not just trumpet, The Ox could play the entire brass section, Quadrophenia is filled with it!

[@ericmalone3213]

".Entwistle was the only one in the Who with real music education." Not accurate. Townshend's parents were professional musicians, & he knew his music theory. Keith Moon took lessons with Carlo Little.

[@tommonk7651]

@@ericmalone3213 Just because Townshend's dad was a saxophonist and his mother was a singer does not mean he was a trained musician. Though his father taught him a couple of chords, Townshend was largely self-taught on the instrument and never learned to read music. Lacking the requisite grades to attend university, Pete was faced with the decision of art school, music school, or getting a job. He ultimately chose to study graphic design at Ealing Art College, enrolling in 1961. At Ealing, Townshend studied alongside future Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Townshend dropped out in 1964 to focus on music full-time. And yes, Moon took lessons, but no one taught him to play the way he did. And he didn't know anything about chords or music theory. Neither had music education to any degree....

[@RDog4484]

Definitely check out the isolated bass from this performance!

[@johnsmithers5044]

Yes,saw that recently on YT.Mind blowing.

[@douglasstrother6584]

John Entwistle and John Paul Jones are my two favorite bassists.

[@SteveJohnsGuitar]

I grew up with this music. The Who was the first band to crank up the gain, volume, and feedback and use it in the music. Entwistle was an innovator doing things on the bass and bringing it to the forefront, with the song My Generation.

[@jonathanschadenfreude9603]

Recently was listening to old music i had and came across the band LIVE pain lies across the riverside....their bassist gives me goosebumps when i hear him play!

[@davescurry69]

There's a couple of great live clips that are well worth checking out too: "Young Man Blues" and "Water" from the 1970 Isle Of Wight festival, and to get an example of some live early Who, check out "So Sad About Us" from the Marquee Club" from 1966. And a couple of studio gems: "Melancholia" from 1968, which must be one of the earliest examples of that galloping bass rhythm, if not the first; "Getting In Tune" from the as-close-to-perfect-as-rock-album-can-get WHO'S NEXT album; their incredible live performance of "A Quick One While He's Away" which blew the Stones off their own stage in late 1968.

[@TheRyguy79]

I literally get tingles every time I watch this footage when they come back in after the laser show.

[@mightyV444]

"What's he doing there?! Come on, cut to the bass!" - There's actually also a video of this same performance which shows only John and has his isolated bass track as audio! 😉👍 By the way, that Alembic bass has _two_ pick-ups, with a hum-cancelling dummy coil between them 🙂 Great video too, mate! 😀👍

[@CasualShootersPodcast]

As others have said, there are 4 leads in this band. Pete is an absolute musical genius to write these songs and music. The four of them are magical. There is no band better than the sum of the four in this band.

[@alexguitarwatson3215]

You started off with the BEST footage from The Who, IMHO. What an epic performance. I watched this clip probably 100 times ... The quality of the video and audio is unbelievable, like it was recorded a week ago 🙂

[@CasualShootersPodcast]

I am giving you a thumbs up but I'm not sure I agree 100%. So many epic live performances. A Quick One for Rock n Roll Circus is every bit as epic as this, maybe more.

[@macronencer]

The Charismatic Voice (opera singer reaction channel) had a great way of describing Keith's drumming style. She said it looked like he was sword-fighting all the time, like in a film or something :D She also described John as the older sibling, patiently allowing the other three to muck about while he stood aloof, which was pretty funny to me, as I'm the second child of four...

[@Salguine]

The bass was custom made for him by Alembic. There's a clip floating around on KZbin of this performance with Entwistle's bass track isolated. It's worth searching out.

[@jamess3150]

There's a great video of The Real Me live at Royal Albert Hall that really shows Entwistle playing

[@fidge54]

I saw the Who from front row center at the Garden State Arts center. I was blown away mesmerized watching Entwistle's fingers on his bass

[@JoneyJefe]

Great bassist! I had no idea how good he was until I saw the bass play through of this song.

[@TT3roxdublin]

This was live at shepperton studios. They were filming live music for ‘The Kids are Alright.’ The movie ‘Alien’ was being filmed next door. Folks from the movie came to watch The Who. They were so impressed by the laser show that they used those lights in ‘Alien’.

[@wadebarton4111]

To this day, I have yet to see a band live that's better than The Who with Moon. You absolutely need to check out more. They started in the early 60s along with the Stones and Beatles, so yeah, they influenced a lot of bands. Moon was Peart's idol.

[@willstacey5847]

Absolutely agree - I saw most of the major bands of the 'seventies but The Who were by far and away the most exciting both for their stage presence and the depth of their catalogue - everything from the singles through the Tommy/Quadrophenia material to the major tracks from Who's Next was pure class.

[@allabouttheU1662]

Ever hear of Led Zeppelin?

[@wadebarton4111]

@davidcollins8529 yes. Not even close to The Who live. They were inconsistent and Page was often sloppy.

[@H0kieJoe]

@@allabouttheU1662 The Stones and Zep were blues rock inspired. Both phenomenal bands. However, the Who are the most unique band to come out of Britain in that era; and they're my favorite of the three.

[@jakemore2024]

@@wadebarton4111of course loved Bonham and Jones..but not as fun to watch

[@deanlester3967]

Thanks

[@LowEndUniversity]

Oh wow, thank you so much! Very generous of you!

[@deanlester3967]

@@LowEndUniversity Thank you, I enjoyed your breakdown of the Bass part, it’s always interested me how melodic it sounds, best wishes, Dean

[@saskafarian]

Alembic made that bass to John's spec. The spiderweb inlays are sterling silver, homage to Boris the Spider, the first Who single he wrote and sang. Pretty sure he's wearing the black glass spider pendant here. The Ox had style.

[@jaybowden2658]

It wasn’t a single

[@stevenrobinson2381]

DUDE. Really. I was 17 when that flick came out-and I STILL get goose bumps hearing & seeing it. When the Bloody 'Oo was on-as they were there at Shepperton-the energy present could power a medium sized city-FOR A WEEK. It HAS to be played as LOUD as possible ! As stated earlier-the maker of the film-guy by the name of Jeff Stein-full blown Who freak-remastered it in the 2000's to include several out takes-including what he called "Ox Cam"-the cam that was assigned to John. You need to watch it. It will blow your socks off.

[@johnpeek2122]

I saw The Who in 1975 at the Dane County Colosseum in Madison, WI. They played for over 3 hours and their encore was Magic Bus. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen 🎸🤘

[@CasualShootersPodcast]

OMG what an ending that had to be. If they ever invent a time machine, I will use it to go back and watch The Who.

[@norcalkatonk7875]

The first time I heard John Entwistle’s genius was in “My Generation”, which was way back in 1965. Nobody was doing those lead-like bass fills then. This was came much before the Who’s Next album.

[@l.rongardner2150]

I attended dozens upon dozens of concerts in the 70s, and saw lots of the big-name groups, and the Who is the best live band I've ever seen.

[@iamajediirl6444]

The fact that it is going through 2 layers of compression. That is you watching the video and me watching you. And I can still hear his bass tone through my phone speakers is exactly why he is called thunder fingers.

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

John Entwistle and Jack Bruce were probably the two most important bass players to emerge in the 1960s. (Of course, McCartney was a huge presence as well, and Jack Casady, as well). But Entwistle and Bruce REALLY stood out as inspirations to rock bass players in particular. Moon never played a high hat or used it, if at all, like another crash. The Who were around and recorded several years before Rush and Yes emerged. The Who's My Generation featured a bass guitar solo (around 1965), so I think it's fair to say the influence comes from Entwistle to everyone else, except for Jack Bruce, because Jack had a jazz background and developed a different style from Entwistle.

[@ircreg8639]

Bruce isn't in the same league as Entwistle imo.

[@darrenmills9832]

Erm.. James jamerson?

[@DavidGray-f1i]

You have probably found this out by now, but this invitation only concert was specially filmed and recorded for the documentary film "The Kids are Alright". If you go onto KZbin you will actually find John Entwistle's isolated bass track from this performance so you can see and hear specifically what he is doing. Also, check out his solo on My Generation, recorded in 1965 when he was only 20 years of age. He turned the bass guitar into a solo instrument in pop/rock music before anybody else which is one of the reasons he was (and remains) so influential.

[@SCOTTEDWARDS111]

I was just like you about not knowing all about the Who. In my first band, we did play My Generation. I was more about Chris Squire and Geddy Lee. Loved your video!

[@michaelsmeltz2363]

Great reaction to an epic live performance. Growing up, I was kind of like you. My niche was Prog, and the groups I listened to included Yes, Genesis, Rush, King Crimson and Pink Floyd. And The Who was the favorite group of my best friend (which meant I heard a lot of their music, even if it wasn’t one of my go to groups) I played bass, and of course was familiar with Entwistle’s amazing talent, so this reaction really resonates.

[@GooseOfDojima]

“They're quite right. I think I'm original, at least. I think I play like nobody else does. I always wanted to be John Entwistle, but since that place was taken, I became a lesser version.” - Lemmy

[@ИосифСталин-л6з]

There is a video on KZbin of this performance isolated on bass and with the camera focused on John Entwistle.

[@chadgnagy1574]

There is a solo u have to check out. From a tour they took Ringo's son as their drummer.

[@ianbrooke6342]

Fabulous. There are some multi-camera versions of this performance, so the screen is quartered and each band member is shown in his own section, that way you can watch John all the way through.

[@sukie584]

No one was better live then The Who. Not The Stones, not Zeppelin. They never disappointed.

[@DirectDemocrat]

As a bass player of 45 years, I cannot believe that you had never listened to John Entwistle. He was the man who took bass playing from being a guy playing root notes to it being the essential instrument it is in rock music. As a kid my Aunt lived in Wilton Ave in Chiswick and I used to listen to The Who rehearsing in a house across the street in the early 60s, before they got famous. There is no rock bassist that Entwistle didn't influence.....none. As for the Warwick Buzzard. Warwick made that bass for him to his design. I believe he gave one to John Deacon, who also used one in a show.....don't tell me that you don't know who he is either. Entwistle was hugely important to the development of bass playing