The Who have announce the May 10 release of John Entwistle: The Ox Box Set, available to pre-order now, here.
As The Who navigated their incendiary path through the sixties, John Entwistle, aka The Ox, showed that he was a talented songwriter as well as being a formidable musician. Whilst no doubt thrilled to be the bass guitarist of such a successful band, Entwistle had voiced his discontent to others within the greater Who family about the lack of outlets for his songs, and this perhaps informed the decision for their label, Track Records, to sanction a recording budget for a solo album. Entwistle had been writing songs and making demos of them at home, and by the end of 1970, he had enough material for an album, the first CD in this 6-CD box set.
This clamshell box set includes Entwistle’s six solo albums: Smash Your Head Against The Wall, Whistle Rymes, Rigor Mortis Sets In, Mad Dog, Too Late The Hero and The Rock, plus 29 bonus tracks. Features guest appearances from Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Jimmy McCulloch, Howie Casey, Eddie Jobson, Dick Parry and Zak Starkey.
The albums are presented in CD facsimiles of the original gatefold and individual sleeves, and the 28-page booklet contains all the credits and full annotation by Alan Robinson.
Tracklisting:
Disc One: Smash Your Head Agains The Wall (1971)
"My Size"
"Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)"
"What Are We Doing Here?"
"What Kind Of People Are They?"
"Heaven And Hell"
"Ted End"
"You’re Mine"
"No. 29 (Eternal Youth)"
"I Believe In Everything"
Bonus tracks:
"Cinnamon Girl" (outtake)
"It’s Hard To Write A Love Song" (demo)
"The Haunted Can Be Free" (demo)
"World Behind My Face" (demo)
"My Size" (demo)
"What Kind Of People Are They?" (demo)
"Pick Me Up" (Big Chicken) (demo)
"No. 29" (External Youth) (demo)
"Ted End" (demo)
Disc Two: Whistle Rymes (1972)
"Ten Little Friends"
"Apron Strings"
"I Feel Better"
"Thinkin’ It Over"
"Who Cares?"
"I Wonder"
"I Was Just Being Friendly"
"The Window Shopper"
"I Found Out"
"Nightmare (Please Wake Me Up)"
Bonus tracks:
"I Wonder" (demo)
"All Dressed Up" (demo)
"Back On The Road" (demo)
"Countryside Boogie" (demo)
Disc Three: Rigor Mortis Sets In (1973)
"Gimme That Rock ‘n’ Roll"
"Mr. Bass Man"
"Do The Dangle"
"Hound Dog"
"Made In Japan"
"My Wife"
"Roller Skate Kate"
"Peg Leg Peggy"
"Lucille"
"Big Black Cadillac"
Bonus tracks:
"BP Big Gallon Jingle (‘100 Miles Of Motorway’)" (demo)
"BP Big Gallon Jingle (‘100 Miles Of Motorway’)" (with voiceover) (demo)
"Made In Japan" (early take)
"Peg Leg Peggy" (early take)
Disc Four: Mad Dog (1975)
"I Fall To Pieces"
"Cell Number 7"
"You Can Be So Mean"
"Lady Killer"
"Who In The Hell?"
"Mad Dog"
"Jungle" (instrumental)
"I’m So Scared"
"Drowning"
Bonus tracks:
"Mad Dog" (single mix)
"Cell Number 7" (single mix)
Disc Five: Too Late The Hero (1981)
"Try Me"
"Talk Dirty"
"Lovebird"
"Sleeping Man"
"I’m Coming Back"
"Dancing Master"
"Fallen Angel"
"Love Is A Heart Attack"
"Too Late The Hero"
Bonus tracks:
"Sleeping Man" (demo)
"Dancing Master" (demo)
"I’m Coming Back" (demo)
"Love Is A Heart Attack" (demo)
"Overture" (outtake)
Disc Six: The Rock (1996)
"Stranger In A Strange Land"
"Love Doesn’t Last"
"Suzie"
"Bridges Under The Water"
"Heartache"
"Billy"
"Life After Love"
"Hurricane"
"Too Much Too Soon"
"Last Song"
"Country Hurricane"
Bonus tracks:
"Casualty" (outtake]
"Light In The Dark" (outtake)
"Break Your Heart" (outtake)
"Love Doesn’t Last" (demo)
"Heartache" (early version)
And, the first three albums are also being reissued on 140g coloured vinyl in their original gatefold sleeves on May 10
Smash Your Head Against The Wall (pre-order here):
John Entwistle’s debut solo album, released in May 1971, was the first solo album by any member of The Who. It features John’s own version of his song ‘Heaven And Hell’, a highlight of The Who’s live shows. The album was engineered by Roy Thomas Baker, who went on to produce Queen. Pressed on 140 gram translucent green vinyl, and housed in the original gatefold sleeve design, this is its first time on vinyl since 1981.
Side One
"My Size"
"Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)"
"What Are We Doing Here?"
"What Kind Of People Are They?"
"Heaven And Hell"
Side Two
"Ted End"
"You’re Mine"
"No. 29 (Eternal Youth)"
"I Believe In Everything"
Whistle Rymes (pre-order here):
Entwistle’s second solo album, released in May 1972, features Peter Frampton and Jimmy McCulloch (of Thunderclap Newman, and later of Wings) on lead guitars, and the single "I Wonder". Pressed on 140 gram translucent red vinyl, and housed in the original gatefold sleeve design, this is its first time on vinyl since 1973.
Side One
"Ten Little Friends"
"Apron Strings"
"I Feel Better"
"Thinkin’ It Over"
"Who Cares?"
Side Two
"I Wonder"
"I Was Just Being Friendly"
"The Window Shopper"
"I Found Out"
"Nightmare (Please Wake Me Up)"
Rigor Mortis Sets In (pre-order here):
Entwistle’s third solo album, released in May 1973, was dedicated to rock ‘n’ roll. It features several rock ‘n’ roll covers ("Hound Dog", "Lucille" and "Mr Bass Man") as well as John’s own take on the genre. It also features his own version of his Who classic "My Wife". Pressed on 140 gram orange vinyl, and housed in the original gatefold sleeve design, this is its first time on vinyl since 1974.
Side One
"Gimme That Rock ‘n’ Roll"
"Mr. Bass Man"
"Do The Dangle"
"Hound Dog"
"Made In Japan"
Side Two
"My Wife"
"Roller Skate Kate"
"Peg Leg Peggy"
"Lucille"
"Big Black Cadillac"
