John Entwistle's solo albums

[Xenu]

...first things first: Ten Little Friends is about wanking, isn't it?

Secondly: Sundazed's reissues of the first two JE solo albums are OK, but unspectacular. "Smash" sounds OK, but there's some odd digital clicking on some tracks; in particular, the first "What Are We Doing Here?" sounds like it was copied off of the Repertoire CD, subjected to noise-reduction, and stuck on as track 3. "Whistle Rymes" is also OK, but White Fang's right on this one--neither CD sounds much like the LP, which actually has bass.

The thing is, I'm still unable to figure out what happened with the Repertoire CD of "Smash." For one, White Fang's explanation for the mix differences is totally wrong: the Sundazed CD seems to (more or less) correspond to my original US vinyl, while the Track copy I eventually tracked down had a *few* (if not all) of the mix differences. Thing is, why two mixes for an album of this level of relative obscurity? Also--and I'm not sure about this, so I'm going to double-check it when I get home--I'm pretty sure that "wandering guitar" mix of "My Size" doesn't show up on LP at all, making its first appearance on the "Anthology" comp. So is that a remix? Or a lost mix? The hell?

Does anybody care?

-D

PS: White Fang has never redacted his claim that there's an alternate mix of "What Are We Doing Here?" on the Track LP. There isn't. The MP3 he sent me of this supposed variation was just the usual track-3-on-the-CDs version playing slightly slow with the highs more or less rolled off.

[Crummy Old Label Avatar]

No, I don't care, but, you know, this has always bugged me: Debut solo albums from bassists -- both named Jo(h)n -- of illustrious 60s bands. Didn't both LPs come out in 1970? Different sleeve designers too. Very odd. Which came first?



or

[Rspaight]

...first things first: Ten Little Friends is about wanking, isn't it?

One would think. In the liners to "Anthology," he says it was about these ten little gnome figures and a human skull ("Mr. Bones") he had sitting on his piano. Uh huh.

I can't really help on the other questions. I have the Sundazed CDs and the Anthology, but that's it.

Ryan

[krabapple]

is the 'obscured head shot' de rigeur for bassist solo albums of a certain vintage?

[dcooper]

Neither Stanley Clarke nor Jaco Pastorius had come onto the scene yet, so bass players didn't know they were allowed to have personalities when these albums came out ...

It is weird, though, that all three chose the same sort of visual image for their cover art.

[Xenu]

One would think. In the liners to "Anthology," he says it was about these ten little gnome figures and a human skull ("Mr. Bones") he had sitting on his piano. Uh huh.

Yeah, I think he's lying to us. Deserved to die, the deceitful prick!

I can't really help on the other questions. I have the Sundazed CDs and the Anthology, but that's it.

The Anthology presents even more problems. Some of those remixes are so severe as to suggest some re-recording work.

Interesting point re. bassist cover-photos. If someone can make out McCartney's obscured face in that bowl of cherries...

[lukpac]

The Anthology presents even more problems. Some of those remixes are so severe as to suggest some re-recording work.

Really, this is JAE we're talking about. He'd NEVER do such a thing.

[Xenu]

Point taken. I'd suggest, though, that the JAE of 1979 and JAE of 1995 probably had different access to resources, etc., for that sort of thing. Did he have a home studio?

[lukpac]

Well, he was re-recording stuff for the Quad soundtrack back in 1979...

[Xenu]

Right. That's what I'm saying. In 1979, his resources to arbitrarily record new material like that were probably higher. Maybe he did some editing during Van-pires recording sessions?

[lukpac]

Well, yes, I think he did have a home studio in the '90s - he's listening to My Wife with Bob Pridden on the Who's Next DVD in what would seem to be a home studio of some sort. It's not like he couldn't access a studio if he wanted to anyway.