The Who - John Entwistle Albums

CDs Sampled: Repertoire (Germany) (Note: The Japan release is the same as the Germany, except with Japan packaging)

Other Comments: This album was John Entwistle's first CD release of songs from his original LPs. Several of these tracks have been remixed from the original versions and some of the changes are pretty cool!

Track Listing: My Size, What Are We Doing Here?, I Believe In Everything, Ten Little Friends, Apron Strings, I Feel Better, I Wonder, The Window Shopper, My Wife, Roller Skate Kate, Peg Leg Peggy, Made In Japan, Drowning, Mad Dog, Fallen Angel, Dancing Master, Too Late The Hero, Red Red Robin

Album: King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents, (Boris The Spider in Holland), (John Entwistle Greatest Hits Live USA Reissue), (From The Front Row Live USA DVD-A)

CDs/DVD-As Sampled: King Biscuit Entertainment (USA), King Biscuit Entertainment (UK), Sony (Japan), Disky (NL), Silverline (USA)

CD Comments: This is a great CD! All of the original (3) three versions (USA, UK, Japan) sound about the same. The 2001 (Disky) overdubs audience/crowd noise onto the tracks. The 2003 USA Reissue boosts the volume output (See DVD-A comments below).

Other Comments: This CD was remixed by Andy Macpherson, who also mixed "Live At Leeds". As a result, this CD sounds like, "John Entwistle: Live At Leeds". A very powerful performance and a great recording.

KBFH: Heaven And Hell, Whiskey Man, My Size, Boris The Spider, Not Fade Away, Cell Number Seven, Who Cares?, Give Me That Rock And Roll, My Wife, Interview

Boris The Spider: Boris The Spider, My Size, Whiskey Man, Who Cares, Give Me That Rock 'n' Roll, Cell Number Seven, Not Fade Away, My Wife, Heaven And Hell

FROM THE FRONT ROW... LIVE! (DVD-A version of "The King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents John Entwistle)

DVD-A Comments: Same concert (and tracks) as "King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents" with yet another variation of the track list order.

Other Comments: While the 5.1 mix offers the opportunity for greater separation of instruments (and some of that is noticeable), unfortunately, the mix on this DVD-A is inferior to the 2-channel "King Biscuit" CDs. Especially notable are the drums which are mixed more like "tin cans" than the great drum sound on the CD versions. Another oddity about the 5.1 mix is that it is balanced poorly. The center channel is about 16db louder than the front and rear speakers, and has to be turned down in order to make the DVD-A sound "normal".

The DVD-A also features photos of John Entwistle for each of the tracks (if you play the disc with a TV monitor connected).

Track Listing: Cell Number Seven, My Size, Give Me That Rock And Roll, Heaven And Hell, Whiskey Man, Not Fade Away, My Wife, Who Cares?, Boris The Spider

CD Comments: As is, this is one of the worst sounding CDs I've ever heard (all versions) *. The J-Bird (USA) was released in 1999 and the mastering was so "thin" that it just sounded horrible. To compensate for this problem, the EastWorld (UK) CD is "overmastered" to tone down the high end. Unfortunately, the result of the frequencies shifting causes the vocals to become muffled. Even with the high end is toned down, the high end peaks are too loud, including a terrible digital distortion in "The Darker Side Of Night" which could potentially damage the tweeters in your speakers. The Koch Records [Deluxe] version suffers from shrill top end on many of the songs and the mastering seems to differ from song to song (The newly added songs seem to sound slightly better than the previously released songs).

Other Comments: Sadly, there are some great performances buried here. There is so much distortion, dropouts and loud cymbals in this recording that ruin this CD (a result of poor recording & mixing as well as bad mastering). The drums are recorded as if someone is banging drum sticks against a bottle (which is ironic since the producer is the band's drummer).

Before its release, the band went back to the studio to "fix" some of these songs. However, you can hear the overdubs as if they were "layered" over the existing recording. This is especially evident on the vocals of "905" and the harmony vocals of "Cousin Kevin" (Deluxe version).

Compare this album to the 1975 King Biscuit release for what a live John Entwistle CD should sound like.

Summary: If you had to make a choice between these 3 releases, I would recommend the "Deluxe" version since it has extra tracks, which oddly enough sound a little better than the previously released tracks.

* Note: To "semi-fix" this album to greatly improve the sound, you need to convert it to MP3s. The compression from the conversion softens the harshness and transforms this into a listenable album (sound samples to compare - coming soon!)

Left For Live: Horror Rock, The Real Me, Darker Side Of Night, Success Story, 905, I'll Try Again Today, Under A Raging Moon, Endless Vacation, Too Late The Hero, Had Enough, Shakin' All Over, Young Man Blues

Left For Live Deluxe: Bogey Man, Horror Rock, The Real Me, Sometimes, My Size, You, Darker Side Of Night, Love Is A Heart Attack, Success Story, Trick Of The Light, Cousin Kevin, Under A Raging Moon, Boris The Spider, 905, Had Enough, Endless Vacation, I'll Try Again Today, Whiskey Man, Too Late The Hero, Young Man Blues, Shakin' All Over, Heaven & Hell, Summertime Blues, My Wife

Note: "Bogey Man" is not a live version, but rather an audience recording of the ending of the studio version (from "Van Pires") played through the PA. "Horror Rock" is also credited incorrectly (on the Deluxe version) as "Horror Rock (Nightmare)". This is misleading as "Nightmare" is the last song on "Whistle Rymes" and "Horror Rock" is the first song on "Van Pires" (i.e. two completely different songs).

Non-album Tracks: There is a limited edition CD single of "When The Sun Comes Up" and "Horror Rock", which features the versions of the songs from Versions #1 & #2.

Other Comments: This is another CD with a "long story" associated with it. The original concept behind it was a soundtrack to a kid's TV show. However, after several years of delays, the TV show was long forgotten and the album finally got released.

The first recording sessions produced some great songs, which ultimately got rejected by the TV show because they were a little too "strong" for a kid's show. "I Wouldn't Sleep With You" was one of those songs as it featured John's "sick humor" lyrics at their finest. Another track, "Left For Dead" was re-recorded with different (toned-down) lyrics.

One of the more interesting aspects of this album is that it features Keith Moon's drums on the track, "Bogeyman". Apparently this track was intended for the "Who Are You" album, but rejected. The 1978 unfinished track had vocals, bass, horns and drums. For "Van Pires", the John Entwistle Band added guitar, keyboards and backing vocals to complete it.

The album had basically gone through 3 revisions. Versions #1 & #2 featured a different song order as well as the following changes:

Version #1: "When The Sun Comes Up" features Alan St. Jon on lead vocals and a different mix than Version #3, "Horror Rock" has backing vocals, which were removed from version #3, "Don't Be A Sucker" features Steve Luongo on lead vocals, "Face The Fear" features a different, more grittier lead vocal than version #3.

Version #2: Has the same versions of "When The Sun Comes Up" and "Horror Rock" as version #1, "Rebel Without A Car" features lead vocals from Billy Squire. The mastering has less bass than Versions #1 or #3. "Face The Fear" is the same version as #3.

Track Listing: Horror Rock, Darker Side Of Night, Sometimes, Bogeyman, Good & Evil, When You See The Light, Back On The Road, Left For Dead, When The Sun Comes Up, Rebel Without A Car, Don't Be A Sucker, Endless Vacation, I'll Try Again Today, Face The Fear

CD Comments: The studio and live King Biscuit tracks are clean, but suffer from too much compression - which is not present on the original source CDs (or LPs where relevant). Whereas this additional compression makes the sound quality suffer on these tracks, it actually helps on the tracks taken from "Left For Live" whereas the original source CDs there were virtually unlistenable.

Note: Both UK and USA (Promo) copies have identical sound quality.

Summary: A nice compilation, but most of the songs sound much better from their original source(s).

Other Comments: A fairly comprehensive track listing, spanning entire John's solo output. "Made In Japan" is missing the "Dinner Is Served Sir" ending. Unfortunately, some of the artwork used in this CD was taken from this website without permission or credit.

Track Listing: My Size, Pick Me Up Big Chicken?, What Are We Doing Here?, Heaven And Hell, Ted End, Ten Little Friends, Apron Strings, Thinking It Over, Who Cares?, I Wonder, I Was Just Being Friendly, Do The Dangle, Made In Japan, Roller Skate Kate, Peg Leg Peggy, Lady Killer, Mad Dog, Cell Number 7 (Live), Whiskey Man (Live), Boris The Spider (Live), My Wife (Live), I'm Flash, Space Pirates, To The Chop, Blast Off, Try Me, Talk Dirty, Too Late The Hero, Love Doesn't Last, Life After Love, The Real Me (Live), Success Story (Live), 905 (Live), Had Enough (Live), Bogeyman, Back On The Road, When The Sun Comes Up, Don't Be A Sucker

CD Comments: Mostly a good sounding album. (2) Two of the new tracks ("Left For Live" (Alternate Version) and "I Wouldn't Sleep With You" are slightly duller sounding than the rest of the tracks. Note: Not credited is the original <previously unreleased> vocal track of Don't Be A Sucker (Steve Luongo lead vocals) vs. the released "Van Pires" version with Leslie West's vocals.

Summary: n/a

Other Comments: This is a combo studio and live album of mostly previously released material from "Music From Van Pires" (above), including (2) two great outtakes ("Left For Dead" - which features very different lyrics and "I Wouldn't Sleep With You" (classic John Entwistle lyrics)) and (2) two demos for the album. One of the demos, "Where Ya Going Now" suffers from buried vocals (MP3 Sample). I remixed the demo and brought the vocals out (MP3 Sample). The live tracks are from the "Left For Live" (Deluxe Edition) album, but significantly remastered (and edited). The results are a huge improvement. The remastering of the "Van Pires" tracks was unnecessary (since "Van Pires" sounded perfect "as is"), but it was probably necessary to remaster the studio tracks in order to fit the live tracks together in a coherent fashion. Some of the advertising for the album, referred to the demos as "Who demos". They're not. "Bogie Man" was originally a 1978 demo for The Who, but completed by the John Entwistle band circa 1998.

Another oddity is in the credits (or lack of). On the inside front cover it says, "The John Entwistle Band" and lists its members. Original keyboard player (and vocalist) Alan St. Jon gets one asterisk (*) next to his name, Chris Clark gets two (**). However, nowhere does it state what the asterisks actually mean. Perhaps what it was supposed to state was, * studio tracks, ** live tracks (which would almost make sense) except... In-between Alan and Chris, was Gordon Cotton, who was actually the keyboard player on the album's live tracks! Notably absent are any liner notes or song-writing credits.

Track Listing: Bogey Man, Darker Side Of Night, I'll Try Again Today, When You See the Light, Back on the Road, Left for Dead (Alternate Version), I Wouldn't Sleep With You, Don't Be a Sucker (Uncredited Alternate Version), Life Goes on (Demo), Where Ya Going Now (Demo), Trick of the Light (Live), Under a Raging Moon (Live), Shakin' All Over (Live)

CDs Sampled: Edsel (UK) (Reissues of: Smash Your Head Against The Wall, Whistle Rymes, Rigor Mortis Sets In, Mad Dog, Too Late The Hero & The Rock)

CD Comments: Disappointing reissue. Several of the CDs were "too bright" and others were "way too bright". You can check out the sound samples <under their respective titles> and compare with the previously released versions.

Other Comments: This collection of CDs is based on the versions and bonus tracks of the 2005/2006 Castle (UK) and Sanctuary (USA) releases (vs. the original LP versions). The remastered high frequencies on these CDs are just too bright and make them unlistenable. What's the point of releasing a CD that you can't play because it hurts your ears? The liner notes seem to pull data from common information, although the author seemed to be complete unaware that 1996 USA Griffin label release of "The Rock" was not its first release. No mention (or inclusion) of the "Mad Dog" poster.

CD Comments: Distortion and high compression throughout affecting the listening experience negatively.

Other Comments: This album features the remaining studio tracks from the 2000 "Music From Van Pires" album, sans the Godfrey Townshend penned tracks (see "Rarities Oxhumed - Volume One" above). The studio tracks are remixes, which are actually pretty good, except the high level of compression and some distortion kills the good. The description for "When The Sun Comes Up" as "single remix" is misleading, because the original single featured Alan St. John (on lead vocals) and the "Van Pires" album version features Steve Luongo on lead vocals (Steve replaced Alan's vocals with his own when Alan left the band). So in essence, it's a remixed album version, not "single version".

The live tracks are actually pretty good performances, but unfortunately suffer from the save excessive compression and distortion as the studio tracks. There was some internet chatter about "Tommy-Eminence" (Live) as to what it is. Basically, it's "Sparks" with some "Eminence Front" mixed in during the second half of the song.

A shame to have such good music ruined by poor mastering.

Track Listing:

Studio Tracks: Endless Vacation, Sometimes, When The Sun Comes Up, Horror Rock

Live Tracks: Tommy-Eminence, Young Man Blues, <The> Real Me, Long Live Rock, Boris Blues (Extended Version), Whiskey Man, Had Enough, Heaven And Hell

Sound Samples (HD 24/44 & CD 16/44):

Rebel Without A Car (HD) Rebel Without A Car (CD) Also compare to original, unreleased, 1998 version: Rebel Without A Car (16/44)

Tommy-Eminence (HD) Tommy-Eminence (CD)

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