The Who's John Entwistle Dead
crazyj was among several Slashdot readers who, knowing my obsession with the greatest band of all time, submitted that The Who's John Entwistle died. His death occured one day before the start of their
summer tour. The Ox was an amazing bassist, and I'm glad I got to see him play. Those fingers would just fly up that fretboard. He'll be missed.
(n/t)
Loneliness is a power that we possess to give or take away forever
I picked up a bass guitar when I was in College from 1997 to 1981 because of players like John Entwistle. I will miss him. I had to sell it in the summer of 96 when I was out of work, and needed to eat. I get a chuckle every time I see the video for My Generation. When Moon, Townshend, and Daltrey start smashing things, John cradled his bass like a baby, and stepped away from them. Rest in peace, Ox.
The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
Some may say that this is not a slashdot topic.
I agree.
But the editors have determined that this is appropriate for the slashdot audience.
I agree.
It's another sad day. It's another hero that I'll miss.
Best of luck to you John.
Jon Postel I undertand; Stevens makes sense. But how does a guy who played the Bass qualify as News for Nerds?
Fare thee well John.
"Boris The Spider"
Look, he's crawling up my wall
Black and hairy, very small
Now he's up above my head
Hanging by a little thread
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
Now he's dropped on to the floor
Heading for the bedroom door
Maybe he's as scared as me
Where's he gone now, I can't see
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
There he is wrapped in a ball
Doesn't seem to move at all
Perhaps he's dead, I'll just make sure
Pick this book up off the floor
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly
He's come to a sticky end
Don't think he will ever mend
Never more will he crawl 'round
He's embedded in the ground
Boris the spider
Boris the spider
There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
Nerds listen to music. A lot of nerds have listened to THE WHO, so yeah this is news for nerds.
Truly an amazing bassist. Pity he didn't write more.
"My Wife"
My life's in jeopardy
Murdered in cold blood is what I'm gonna be
I ain't been home since Friday night
And now my wife is coming after me
Give me police protection
Gonna buy a gun so
I can look after number one
Give me a bodyguard
A back belt Judo expert with a machine gun
Gonna buy a tank and an aeroplane
When she catches up with me
Won't be no time to explain
She thinks I've been with another woman
And that's enough to send her half insane
Gonna buy a fast car
Put on my lead boots
And take a long, long drive
I may end up spending all my money
But I'll still be alive
All I did was have a bit too much to drink
And I picked the wrong precinct
Got picked up by the law
And now I ain't got time to think
Gonna buy a tank and an aeroplane
When she catches up with me
Won't be no time to explain
She thinks I've been with another woman
And that's enough to send her half insane
Gonna buy a fast car
Put on my lead boots
And take a long, long drive
I may end up spending all my money
But I'll still be alive
And I'm oh so tired of running
Gonna lay down on the floor
I gotta rest some time so
I can get to run some more
She's comin'!
She's comin'!
"I won't mod you down - I feel the need to call you a twit explicitly, rather than by implication."
due to someone perhaps being in public schools reading this I dare not say Heaven
Excuse my hostility, but comments like this annoy me. When will people realize that shoving God down one's throat is exactly like prohibiting public mention of God?
Freedom of speech goes both ways. Do not force one to speak or not speak. Say Heaven or God or whatever strikes your fancy, but don't force others to say it with you. Is that such a hard concept to grasp?
The web is a dominatrix. Everywhere I turn, I see little buttons ordering me to Submit.
Do you guys think that The Who will find a replacement bass player for the tour?
And where, pray tell, could they find someone to replace him? There's just not many (any?) of his calibre.
I picked up the bass because of players like John Entwistle and Chris Squire...
A sad day, indeed.
In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.
-- Yun-Men
Many people said The Who couldn't replace Moon, but they continued off and on for 24 years with replacement drummers. I doubt they'll do their current tour, but I wouldn't be surprized to see them tour again.
A great bassist, yes, but this isn't news for nerds. If Geddy Lee died, that would be news for nerds.
Or Chris Squire, Greg Lake, John Wetton, maybe.
"My friends are dead! They may be your fucking icons but they're my fucking friends!"
Everyone is hung up on Quadrophenia, but if you haven't already you should check out "Live At Leeds"... it is a fantastic album and really highlights The Who's ability to invoke raw emotion in an audience. Reminds me of Jim Morrison in that way, music that can shake you down to your bones...
std::disclaimer<std::legalese> sig=new std::disclaimer; sig->dump(); delete sig;
John Entwhistle died today.
After the end of period when the Beatles could
still channel my adolescent angst and rage
(a period doubtless extended with a fixation on
John L.) and the start of the period
when I realized the punk and arty new wave
were the dynamic movements (or moments) of my generation
and the place where I wanted to be, I had The Who.
John Entwhistle was the first rock musician who
inspired me (not that the inspiration took)
purely in a musical sense. He
was the only rock bassist to turn the bass guitar
in a solo instrument thru sheer virtuosity
(McCartney's bass, the only other bassist
that ever made an impression on me*,
could stand out by virtue of its melodiousness).
He was a musical Atlas on which the band rested in part,
and rhythmically he was an integral unit with the legendary
Keith Moon. And this integration was necessary given that Moon,
a great innovator,
was turning the drums themselves into a kind of melodic instrument.
I find it odd that some of the most grounded seeming of
Sixties Rock Icons (John E. and George Harrisson) are dying
off at these relatively young ages. They avoided the
extravagance that killed off the Glorious Dead (Hendrix, Jones,
Joplin, etc). Of course, maybe appearing low key in an art
form based on explosive expressiveness implies that one has
one of those unhealthy personalities that holds too much in.
Or maybe it doesn't imply anything except, to quote Auden,
"all the instruments agree, the day of his death was a dark
cold day."
* the one exception is Tony Visconti playing on Bowie's
The Man Who Sold The World, especially songs like Width Of A Circle
and Black Country Rock.
It is by coff... er, will, alone I set my mind in motion...
No, go out and buy the album.
I've got a fever and the only prescription is more COBOL.
Entwistle was fantastic to watch during The Who performances. I had the privilege to see them twice (1982 and 1989, Folsom Field-Boulder, CO) and both times, Entwistle just appeared to be the foundation for Daltry and Townsend's chaos. It is sad that the popular media is not attributing him with his most autobiographical song, "The Quiet One". It is a great some that help me find some identity as a "loner youth". The final stanza seemed to sum up his role in The Who. I ain't never had time for words that don't rhyme My head is in a cloud I ain't quiet - everybody else is too loud
It is bullshit that the Who did indeed Sell Out quite a bit after their final "break up" but who cares? I would have liked to see a "A Quick One While He's Away" for my own eyes.
Carl
Vote Libertarian