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The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle
The definitive, no-holds-barred biography of John Entwistle, The Who's legendary bass guitaristIt is an unequivocal fact that in terms of rock bands, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who represent Year Zero; the beginning of all things, ground-breakers all. To that incontrovertible end, John Entwistle-the Who's beloved bassist-remains an enigmatic yet undeniably influential figure, renowned as much for his immense talent as for his gloriously oversized-seeming character. However, unlike his fellow musicians, Entwistle has yet to be the subject of a major biography. In the years since his death, his enduring legacy has been carefully guarded by his loved ones, preventing potential biographers from gaining close enough access to write a definitive account of his extraordinary life-until now. For the first time, and with the full co-operation of the Entwistle family,
The Ox
shines a long overdue light on one of the most important figures in rock history.
Drawing on his own notes for an unfinished autobiography that he started before his death in 2002, as well as his personal archives and interviews with his family and friends, The Ox gives readers a never-before-seen glimpse into the two very distinct poles of John Entwistle. On the one hand, he was the rock star incarnate-larger than life, self-obsessed to a fault, and proudly and almost defiantly so. Extravagant with money, he famously shipped vintage American cars across the Atlantic without having so much as a driver's license, built exponentially bigger and grandiose bars into every home he owned, and amassed an extraordinary collection of possessions, from armor and weaponry to his patented Cuban-heel boots. But beneath this fame and flutter, he was also a man of simple tastes and traditional opinions. He was a devoted father and family man who loved nothing more than to wake up to a full English breakfast, or to have a supper of fish, chips, and a pint at his local pub.
After his untimely death, many of these stories were shuttered away into the memories of his family and friends. At long last, The Ox introduces us to the man behind the myth-the iconic and inimitable John Entwistle.
Drawing on his own notes for an unfinished autobiography that he started before his death in 2002, as well as his personal archives and interviews with his family and friends, The Ox gives readers a never-before-seen glimpse into the two very distinct poles of John Entwistle. On the one hand, he was the rock star incarnate-larger than life, self-obsessed to a fault, and proudly and almost defiantly so. Extravagant with money, he famously shipped vintage American cars across the Atlantic without having so much as a driver's license, built exponentially bigger and grandiose bars into every home he owned, and amassed an extraordinary collection of possessions, from armor and weaponry to his patented Cuban-heel boots. But beneath this fame and flutter, he was also a man of simple tastes and traditional opinions. He was a devoted father and family man who loved nothing more than to wake up to a full English breakfast, or to have a supper of fish, chips, and a pint at his local pub.
After his untimely death, many of these stories were shuttered away into the memories of his family and friends. At long last, The Ox introduces us to the man behind the myth-the iconic and inimitable John Entwistle.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2019
87 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
May 6, 2020
After reading this book I made a pact with myself to only ever read autobiographies again in my life. Ive always been a huge fan of John Entwistle and have looked forward to this book for over a year, but this was a hard read. At first: There is no real information on his musical inspirations, idols, techinques, creativity and so on. John Entwistle is known for his virtuoso like bass playing but that is ironically not whats the book about. We get tons of information about how much he spent here and there and on what and in which pub he went instead. You can also clearly see in which direction the author wanted to go and at the half of the book it turns into a depressing horror story with basically no positive information. Also Pete and Roger get depicted like complete assholes all the time, which I´m sure they were sometimes, but this is over the top in my opinion. Plus I know they reacted differently to certain events, which really irritated me.
The autobiographical bits was the only fun in the book, also I enjoyed Alisons, Maxenes and Christophers first hand stories.
He has a tragic story with a sad ending and yes I knew that before I bought the book, but this book was too much and too black for me at some point. Thats why I can only recommend it for the autobiographical bits and the early years of his life, that I knew nothing about before reading the book.
The autobiographical bits was the only fun in the book, also I enjoyed Alisons, Maxenes and Christophers first hand stories.
He has a tragic story with a sad ending and yes I knew that before I bought the book, but this book was too much and too black for me at some point. Thats why I can only recommend it for the autobiographical bits and the early years of his life, that I knew nothing about before reading the book.
October 18, 2024
As biographies go, this one was a touch thin on actual material on Entwistle himself. His personal notes that were included definitely had his wit and intellect. There just wasn’t enough. His first wife also provided such genuine insight. Precious few other sources in the book had anything real to offer. I’ll put his son in that group, too. Another sad tale of a rock star “man child”.
And that is hard for me to say. I’ve been a huge fan of The Who since the 70s. I always dug John for his humor (on the dark side), songs (on the dark side), intellect, his desire to play harder rock and his sheer virtuosity on bass. I certainly have nothing against a rock star living the rock star lifestyle, but yet again, another emotionally detached so-called adult that never had a concept of real life away from the stage.
And to top it off, his disdain for Townshend and his songs...get a grip. One of the best lines I ever read about Entwistle is ... “he was unfortunate to be a good songwriter in a band with a great one”.
Undoubtedly one of the most talented and influential bass players that ever lived, but wasn’t often a good man. And what makes it even sadder is that John appeared to suffer from depression, was an addict and probably had other emotional/mental disorders. 3.5/5
And that is hard for me to say. I’ve been a huge fan of The Who since the 70s. I always dug John for his humor (on the dark side), songs (on the dark side), intellect, his desire to play harder rock and his sheer virtuosity on bass. I certainly have nothing against a rock star living the rock star lifestyle, but yet again, another emotionally detached so-called adult that never had a concept of real life away from the stage.
And to top it off, his disdain for Townshend and his songs...get a grip. One of the best lines I ever read about Entwistle is ... “he was unfortunate to be a good songwriter in a band with a great one”.
Undoubtedly one of the most talented and influential bass players that ever lived, but wasn’t often a good man. And what makes it even sadder is that John appeared to suffer from depression, was an addict and probably had other emotional/mental disorders. 3.5/5
April 10, 2020
Honestly, kind of a sad read. John Entwistle lived a hard, fast life, partying from the beginning of his rock career straight through to the very end. One could argue that while he didn’t have a ton of control over himself at any point, things became much worse after the passing of John’s best friend and bandmate Keith Moon, and continued its downward descent after his divorce from Alison Wise.
Glad that there has finally been an authorized biography done, because it was lovely to get some perspective on his life and legacy from his longtime love (and first wife) Alison, as well as his second partner Maxine. Son Christopher also provides extensive commentary on his father’s life as a member of The Who and other touring groups.
Though we now have insight into what his home life was like, I think it’s best to remember him as one of the best rock bassists of all time, instead of dwelling on the ocean of booze and beach’s worth of coke he imbibed in his lifetime.
Glad that there has finally been an authorized biography done, because it was lovely to get some perspective on his life and legacy from his longtime love (and first wife) Alison, as well as his second partner Maxine. Son Christopher also provides extensive commentary on his father’s life as a member of The Who and other touring groups.
Though we now have insight into what his home life was like, I think it’s best to remember him as one of the best rock bassists of all time, instead of dwelling on the ocean of booze and beach’s worth of coke he imbibed in his lifetime.
July 6, 2025
The sentences go well one after the other, there were interviews, and Rees has made up his mind on what's true and what's open to interpretation, so he's not wishy-washy. The picture painted of Entwistle is prone to speak of his genius, as Townshend's memoir did, and is in line with Entwistle's self-assessment on his importance to The Who.
His drug-fuelled behaviour is excessive, as was Moon's, but his life ends more sordidly and isolated with his last partner, Lisa. It's a book that shows how self-aggrandizement and the praise of others, along with multiple purchases of everything from shirts to houses, doesn't do much for inner needs.
His drug-fuelled behaviour is excessive, as was Moon's, but his life ends more sordidly and isolated with his last partner, Lisa. It's a book that shows how self-aggrandizement and the praise of others, along with multiple purchases of everything from shirts to houses, doesn't do much for inner needs.
April 20, 2020
I was taking guitar lessons as a 13 year old in 1979 when I went with cousins to see 'The Kids are Alright' ... and within a month I'd bought myself a bass and a small amp and had switched my lessons to playing the bass - all because of watching what John Entwistle was doing in that film.
So I was an easy target for this book - and enthusiastically bought it and started reading as soon as I finished the one in progress. To say it is a disappointing read is an understatement.
If you are here to get a chronology of his life events in a fairly dry fashion, retellings of little stories which invariably discuss "John was off in a corner not saying or doing much", hearing about him in a third person way through his impact on others rather than his own actions, hearing guesses into his feelings because he never expressed his own, reading the hurt of he co-author about others who enabled his father, and enjoy a "they went here to play this show, then they went to this pub, etc." ad nauseam litany of minutia with little contextual expansion ... well, then this book is for you.
But if you are here as a bass player, a fan of his music, someone who was fascinated with his gear and innovative style ... you will learn nothing here.
Look - I think the word 'Alembic' is there once, and there is also a single mention of the P-bass he used for years, some complaints about the VOX amps they had to use in '67, between Marshall and later Crown amps - but nothing about the amazing Sunn gear he used for ages. Not a single mention of his 'Fenderbird' hybrid bass that was iconic and spoke so much to how much he labored over his sound and style. Nothing about bi-amping ahead of its time. Nothing.
Not only that, there are so many opinions presented as facts, views that contradict stories from other musicians and music journalists, 'reviews' that read like a kid looking back rather than someone who was there at the time ... it is all just very disappointing and since Chris Entwistle was involved and there was actual source material from Entwistle himself I guess I expected more.
I have been a huge fan of Entwistle for more than 40 years now, but here is the bottom line - John Entwistle is simply not a very interesting character for a biography without the musical content. Knowing that he WAS 'the Quiet One' on the road, and led a double life that slowly dissolved into a single path towards self-destruction because of events of his childhood is not particularly revelatory. This stuff has been in generic Who books for decades ... and most of those contain much more interesting stuff about his bass gear, style, and innovations.
I would much sooner recommend Richard Barnes classic 1982 'The Who Maximum R&B' book full of stories and photos.
So I was an easy target for this book - and enthusiastically bought it and started reading as soon as I finished the one in progress. To say it is a disappointing read is an understatement.
If you are here to get a chronology of his life events in a fairly dry fashion, retellings of little stories which invariably discuss "John was off in a corner not saying or doing much", hearing about him in a third person way through his impact on others rather than his own actions, hearing guesses into his feelings because he never expressed his own, reading the hurt of he co-author about others who enabled his father, and enjoy a "they went here to play this show, then they went to this pub, etc." ad nauseam litany of minutia with little contextual expansion ... well, then this book is for you.
But if you are here as a bass player, a fan of his music, someone who was fascinated with his gear and innovative style ... you will learn nothing here.
Look - I think the word 'Alembic' is there once, and there is also a single mention of the P-bass he used for years, some complaints about the VOX amps they had to use in '67, between Marshall and later Crown amps - but nothing about the amazing Sunn gear he used for ages. Not a single mention of his 'Fenderbird' hybrid bass that was iconic and spoke so much to how much he labored over his sound and style. Nothing about bi-amping ahead of its time. Nothing.
Not only that, there are so many opinions presented as facts, views that contradict stories from other musicians and music journalists, 'reviews' that read like a kid looking back rather than someone who was there at the time ... it is all just very disappointing and since Chris Entwistle was involved and there was actual source material from Entwistle himself I guess I expected more.
I have been a huge fan of Entwistle for more than 40 years now, but here is the bottom line - John Entwistle is simply not a very interesting character for a biography without the musical content. Knowing that he WAS 'the Quiet One' on the road, and led a double life that slowly dissolved into a single path towards self-destruction because of events of his childhood is not particularly revelatory. This stuff has been in generic Who books for decades ... and most of those contain much more interesting stuff about his bass gear, style, and innovations.
I would much sooner recommend Richard Barnes classic 1982 'The Who Maximum R&B' book full of stories and photos.
March 23, 2022
In my love of rock bios and memoirs, I've read Who Am I by Pete Townshend, Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite by Roger Daltrey, and now, The Ox, which is the authorized biography of John Entwistle (all members of The Who). As soon as this book was announced, I knew I had to read it--just because. As a musical virtuoso, John Entwistle was a force to be reckoned with . He treated the bass as if it were a lead instrument and pushed it to the forefront of the music so that it was not just a thumping that got lost in the background, but making it stand out as much and sometimes more than the lead guitar. Of course, this is partly due because he was playing off the musical pyrotechnics of Keith Moon (drums) and Pete Townshed (guitar). (Perhaps also because a reoccurring complaint of his fellow bandmembers was his penchant for turning the bass level up to the point that it dominated everything.)
Without a doubt, Mr. Entwistle was a master musician. I was surprised to read of his skill with horns and piano and as a songwriter as well as bass player. (Although I still don't quite know how to process that his writing contribution to Tommy was Cousin Kevin and Fiddle Around, songs I no longer listen to because of their yuckiness and brutality.) However, I was a bit disappointed in this telling of his story. It is a true rock and roll saga of excess, especially as Mr. Entwistle bonded most with Keith Moon who was the king of excess. Mr. Entwistle also seemed to buy into living the life of a rock god, so it was full of sex, booze, women, drugs, conspicuous consumption for the sake of conspicuous consumption, etc. One does not rise to the level of musicianship that John Entwistle had without passion for music, and that's missing in this telling of his life. So I came away from the book feeling rather disappointed and "Meh". This is partly due to the writing which was mostly "this is this, and that is that" kind of style. Many of the stories were retellings from others so it was also lacking freshness.
One thing that did come through was his love for his son and his son's love for him. That part made me smile. Of course while reading this, I had The Who's catalogue of music playing as my background. It truly is amazing and great. Perhaps what blew me away the most about this whole thing is how four musicians in such an intense and ongoing dysfunctional relationship could continue to produce the quantity and quality of music that The Who did. Although I was super excited to read this, it unfortunately left me feeling mostly sad and not really feeling connected to John Entwistle in any way. If that's what you're looking for--just go listen to his music.
Without a doubt, Mr. Entwistle was a master musician. I was surprised to read of his skill with horns and piano and as a songwriter as well as bass player. (Although I still don't quite know how to process that his writing contribution to Tommy was Cousin Kevin and Fiddle Around, songs I no longer listen to because of their yuckiness and brutality.) However, I was a bit disappointed in this telling of his story. It is a true rock and roll saga of excess, especially as Mr. Entwistle bonded most with Keith Moon who was the king of excess. Mr. Entwistle also seemed to buy into living the life of a rock god, so it was full of sex, booze, women, drugs, conspicuous consumption for the sake of conspicuous consumption, etc. One does not rise to the level of musicianship that John Entwistle had without passion for music, and that's missing in this telling of his life. So I came away from the book feeling rather disappointed and "Meh". This is partly due to the writing which was mostly "this is this, and that is that" kind of style. Many of the stories were retellings from others so it was also lacking freshness.
One thing that did come through was his love for his son and his son's love for him. That part made me smile. Of course while reading this, I had The Who's catalogue of music playing as my background. It truly is amazing and great. Perhaps what blew me away the most about this whole thing is how four musicians in such an intense and ongoing dysfunctional relationship could continue to produce the quantity and quality of music that The Who did. Although I was super excited to read this, it unfortunately left me feeling mostly sad and not really feeling connected to John Entwistle in any way. If that's what you're looking for--just go listen to his music.
December 2, 2021
Despite numerous factual errors and the author’s lack of love for The Who’s and John Entwistle’s respective studio albums, this is a pretty good account of JE’s life, particularly his personal life.
The best elements are interviews with Entwistle's family and, best of all, quotes from Entwistle’s abandoned autobiography. I also liked reading most of his pre-fame years.
I first heard about Entwistle writing an autobiography in 1990 when he was interviewed for the TV show ‘Rapido’. From that day, I looked forwards to it release. When Entwistle died in June 2002, I never expected a posthumous book release, as I doubted he’d written enough for publication. Therefore, the writings that do exist are a welcome read within this bio.
Entwistle’s ex-wives Alison and Maxine offer numerous insights to the man behind the rock star, as does his son Christopher. Most of their recollections and anecdotes are new to me. I state that as someone who’s read/listened to/watched a lot of Who history over the past 30+ years.
The Who has been my favourite band since I first bought one of their albums (‘The Singles’) in 1988. Since then, the group and its four members have been my heroes, and I can’t imagine life without their music, including their respective solo work. Therefore, I hoped ‘The Ox’ would be the equivalent to Tony Fletcher’s ‘Dear Boy’ (1996), which is the ultimate bio of Keith Moon.
‘The Ox’, sadly, is not researched to the same extent as Fletcher’s masterpiece. As a boy, Fletcher met Moon, and he’s also a Who fan.
‘The Ox’ didn’t necessarily need to be written by a diehard Who devotee, but it would’ve benefited hugely if one or two fans read through the manuscript before publication. If so, they would’ve spotted all the factual errors.
For example, any real Who fan knows that Billy Idol guested at the 1989 ‘Tommy’ performance that was later released on video and DVD. According to this bio, Billy *Joel* guested. A careless error.
Also, it states that John Entwistle wore his famous skeleton jumpsuit at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival when he in fact wore it at the 1970 IOW festival.
Regarding ‘Tommy – The Movie’, the author states that Oliver Reed was signed up to play Uncle Ernie, while Keith Moon only has a cameo, and that Entwistle only appears in two scenes. In truth, Reed plays Frank Hobbs, Moon plays Uncle Ernie as well himself as a drummer in three scenes, and Entwistle plays in those same three scenes, not two. This suggests that the author hasn’t seen the film, which isn’t compulsory of course, but he could’ve researched it better.
The author further implies that Moon doesn’t play on the ‘Tommy’ soundtrack album whilst adding that Entwistle plays most of the bass. He’s wrong in both instances. Of the 32 songs, Moon drums on seven tracks, while Entwistle plays bass on ten.
Regarding Entwistle’s 1975 solo tour (John Entwistle’s Ox, to be exact), the author states that they included ‘Can’t Explain’ and ‘Cousin Kevin’ among their set. I’d have to hear a recording of Entwistle playing ‘Can’t Explain’ to believe he’d ever play it other than with The Who.
I also doubted he’d play ‘Cousin Kevin’ during the ’75 tour, so I checked The Who Concert File website, which is a great resource. As suspected, it doesn’t list ‘Cousin Kevin’ under the songs played on that tour. Also, I have one official and two unofficial live shows from the tour, and the set is pretty standard.
On a similar note, the author states that on The Who’s 1989 tour, Entwistle only sings lead on two of his songs – ‘Boris the Spider’ and ‘Trick of the Light�� – when he in fact also sang ‘Too Late the Hero’, ‘My Wife’, ‘Cousin Kevin’, ‘Fiddle About’, and ‘Twist & Shout’. He didn’t sing all these at every show, but he typically sang three or four, depending whether they did a large chuck of ‘Tommy’ or not.
One very careless error is, after name-checking ‘I Can See for Miles’, the author mentions “the other ten songs” from 1967's ‘The Who Sell Out’, when there’re *thirteen* in total on the album. How could such a blatant error slip through?
In a similar vein, when mentioning three songs from Entwistle’s 1972 solo album ‘Whistle Rhymes’, the author refers to ‘I Feel Better’ as ‘Feeling Better’. This may not be the author’s fault here, though, as he later refers to it by the correct title. I once wrote a letter to a Who fanzine, which featured three howling factual errors that I’d never have made, so that was down to the editor(s). Could be the case here, but again, it would’ve been beneficial to have a couple of true Who fans read it through before publication to avoid such mistakes.
Although the photo inserts are of excellent quality, featuring some snaps I’ve never seen before, at least two of the photos are accompanied by incorrect text. One shot is described as The Who’s last show with Entwistle at the Royal Albert Hall, February 2002, when the photo was actually taken at the RAH on 27 November 2000.
One photo is supposedly an outtake from the ‘Who Are You’ album cover shoot. Well, to my eyes, it’s identical to the well-known (to Who fans) ‘WAY’ cover.
At times during my reading of this book, I questioned if the author has more than a slight liking for The Who. For instance, he states that the band’s four-song performance at the 2001 Concert for New York City was the band’s ‘first truly great performance in 20 years at least’.
What?! I mean, hasn’t he heard any of the magnificent recordings from The Who’s 2000 tour? Or those wonderful few shows they did towards the 1999 tour? Well, I guess if he has, he wasn’t impressed. Yes, the CFNYC was spectacular, but to state that those four songs are the band’s ‘first truly great performance in 20 years at least’ is a huge insult to The Who, and damned annoying to their real fans.
As noted at the start of this review, the author has little love for The Who’s studio albums. I had to re-read the part where he states that ‘Quadrophenia’ doesn’t have “as many outstanding songs as either ‘Tommy’ or ‘Who’s Next’”.
What?! Over the years, whenever I’ve read polls by fans on what their favourite album is, ‘Quadrophenia’ nearly always wins. It’s always my first choice, and I state that as someone who loves ‘Tommy’ and ‘Who’s Next’. Of the seventeen songs, I’d class sixteen as outstanding (the exception being the atmospheric intro ‘I am the Sea’).
I love all The Who’s albums, except ‘Endless Wire’ (2006), which I like rather than love. I either love or like every song they’ve ever released. Not all diehard fans like every song, and that doesn’t make them less of a Who fan than me, but the author of this book dislikes more than he likes.
After rubbishing Roger Daltrey’s & Keith Moon’s respective songs on The Who’s 1966 album ‘A Quick One’, the author implies that their writing efforts were so bad that they “never wrote more for The Who”. Again, I had to shake my head in disbelief. This is terrible research. Granted, Daltrey only wrote one more completely on his own for the band, and Moon only a few more, but the point is they *did* write more after ‘A Quick One’.
Incidentally, one of the two Moon compositions that the author refers to as crap – or words to that effect – features some incredible drumming. It’s as though the author has listened to ‘Cobwebs and Strange’ once, heard everything excepts Moon’s immaculate drumming, and wrote it off as a waste of space.
It does annoy me when authors of music books state their opinions as facts. I read a bio on Kate Bush in which the author would state that certain songs were good and others were weak, and I often disagreed. Same applies with ‘The Ox.’ It’d be much better to describe the song. Expressing an opinion is fine, but to state as fact that a song is poor makes for frustrating reading when it means something special to you. Who songs are the soundtrack of my life.
The author also rubbishes the 1978 ‘Who Are You’ album, stating that Entwistle’s classic ‘Trick of the Light’ isn’t a bad song, but adds that it “pales next to title track”. Well, I love the title track, but ‘Trick of the Light’ is not only my favourite on this album, it’s my favourite Entwistle-composed Who song. The eight-string bass sounds incredible, and Daltrey’s vocals are sensational.
A few years ago, when I was part of a Who Internet mailing list, someone asked everyone which was their favourite song from ‘Who Are You’. Each of the nine songs received at least one vote. I don’t know which one triumphed, as the results weren’t made known, but the title track, ‘Trick of the Light’, and Entwistle’s other two songs were contenders.
The author of this book, incidentally, states as fact that Entwistle’s ‘Had Enough’ is crap, and that the only thing ‘905’ has going for it is the synth track. Some Who fans may agree. I’m among those who don’t.
While it’s fair to state that ‘Who Are You’ isn’t The Who's best album, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. I love it, as do many true Who fans. Some don’t, but then I’m sure no real Who fan would label it a load of balderdash like this book’s author does.
He also rubbishes The Who’s 1981 ‘Face Dances’ album, stating that ‘You Better, You Bet’ is the only song to “cut the mustard”. Really? Granted, it was a Top Ten hit, owing to its commercial sound, but if I were to list the nine songs on the album in order of preference, ‘YBYB’ would come in eighth.
The author states that Entwistle’s two compositions – ‘The Quiet One’ and ‘You’ – aren’t “any great shakes at a song”. What?! ‘The Quiet One’ is one hell of a rocker, while the exciting ‘You’ is my favourite song on the album. Ask ten real Who fans to write their own list and you’d get ten different orders of preference. Taste is subjective.
The main ingredient missing from ‘Face Dances’ is Keith Moon, who sadly died in 1978. The Who could never be the same, but it still maintained a special chemistry between Entwistle, Townshend, and Daltrey.
After reading what I alluded to above, it came as no surprise when the author went on to rubbish The Who’s 1982 album ‘It’s Hard’. He states that on ‘It’s Hard’, “Entwistle got three songs on the album like he did on ‘Face Dances’”. Eh? Entwistle had *two* songs on ‘Face Dances’. Again, poor research. It’s as though he’s played the album once and later wrote about it from memory.
If I picked this book up as, say, someone who’s heard of The Who but was only familiar with two or three songs, I think this author’s rubbishing of the band’s studio catalogue would put me off buying any of their albums.
One thing I found about The Who whenever I played a song for the first time is that most of them are growers. A lot of tracks don’t hit you after the first few listens, which might be why they never had a Number 1 single in GB or the US. Once you get to know a song, the more you love it – that’s my experience, anyway. Such as ‘Who Are You’, ‘My Generation’, and ‘The Real Me’ wowed me during my first listen, whereas I must’ve played ‘Baba O’Riley’ 20 times or more before I was struck by its brilliance.
The author is as dismissive with Entwistle’s solo albums, calling the ‘Van-Pires’ album “unmemorable”. Well, I remember it. Probably because I've listened to it more than once.
He rightfully praises Entwistle’s first two albums, which I love the most, but pretty much labels everything else as codswallop.
While I don’t have a favourite member of The Who – they’re equally magnificent in my eyes – I do like Entwistle’s solo work better than the other three’s respective output. I had, therefore, hoped to find some in-depth analysis of Entwistle’s albums, as his studio work is barely mentioned in both DVD documentaries about him.
Sadly, in this book, the author typically name-checks three songs per album, offering little insight, with the main focus being on rubbishing the material. I’ve read more detail on Entwistle’s solo work in the accompanying liner notes of the remastered editions of his albums and on a couple of compilations.
Overall, then, I’m disappointed with the criticisms noted above, but the personal accounts from those closest to Entwistle, plus Entwistle’s personal recollection from his abandoned autobiography, along with the photo inserts, make this book worth having.
The best elements are interviews with Entwistle's family and, best of all, quotes from Entwistle’s abandoned autobiography. I also liked reading most of his pre-fame years.
I first heard about Entwistle writing an autobiography in 1990 when he was interviewed for the TV show ‘Rapido’. From that day, I looked forwards to it release. When Entwistle died in June 2002, I never expected a posthumous book release, as I doubted he’d written enough for publication. Therefore, the writings that do exist are a welcome read within this bio.
Entwistle’s ex-wives Alison and Maxine offer numerous insights to the man behind the rock star, as does his son Christopher. Most of their recollections and anecdotes are new to me. I state that as someone who’s read/listened to/watched a lot of Who history over the past 30+ years.
The Who has been my favourite band since I first bought one of their albums (‘The Singles’) in 1988. Since then, the group and its four members have been my heroes, and I can’t imagine life without their music, including their respective solo work. Therefore, I hoped ‘The Ox’ would be the equivalent to Tony Fletcher’s ‘Dear Boy’ (1996), which is the ultimate bio of Keith Moon.
‘The Ox’, sadly, is not researched to the same extent as Fletcher’s masterpiece. As a boy, Fletcher met Moon, and he’s also a Who fan.
‘The Ox’ didn’t necessarily need to be written by a diehard Who devotee, but it would’ve benefited hugely if one or two fans read through the manuscript before publication. If so, they would’ve spotted all the factual errors.
For example, any real Who fan knows that Billy Idol guested at the 1989 ‘Tommy’ performance that was later released on video and DVD. According to this bio, Billy *Joel* guested. A careless error.
Also, it states that John Entwistle wore his famous skeleton jumpsuit at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival when he in fact wore it at the 1970 IOW festival.
Regarding ‘Tommy – The Movie’, the author states that Oliver Reed was signed up to play Uncle Ernie, while Keith Moon only has a cameo, and that Entwistle only appears in two scenes. In truth, Reed plays Frank Hobbs, Moon plays Uncle Ernie as well himself as a drummer in three scenes, and Entwistle plays in those same three scenes, not two. This suggests that the author hasn’t seen the film, which isn’t compulsory of course, but he could’ve researched it better.
The author further implies that Moon doesn’t play on the ‘Tommy’ soundtrack album whilst adding that Entwistle plays most of the bass. He’s wrong in both instances. Of the 32 songs, Moon drums on seven tracks, while Entwistle plays bass on ten.
Regarding Entwistle’s 1975 solo tour (John Entwistle’s Ox, to be exact), the author states that they included ‘Can’t Explain’ and ‘Cousin Kevin’ among their set. I’d have to hear a recording of Entwistle playing ‘Can’t Explain’ to believe he’d ever play it other than with The Who.
I also doubted he’d play ‘Cousin Kevin’ during the ’75 tour, so I checked The Who Concert File website, which is a great resource. As suspected, it doesn’t list ‘Cousin Kevin’ under the songs played on that tour. Also, I have one official and two unofficial live shows from the tour, and the set is pretty standard.
On a similar note, the author states that on The Who’s 1989 tour, Entwistle only sings lead on two of his songs – ‘Boris the Spider’ and ‘Trick of the Light�� – when he in fact also sang ‘Too Late the Hero’, ‘My Wife’, ‘Cousin Kevin’, ‘Fiddle About’, and ‘Twist & Shout’. He didn’t sing all these at every show, but he typically sang three or four, depending whether they did a large chuck of ‘Tommy’ or not.
One very careless error is, after name-checking ‘I Can See for Miles’, the author mentions “the other ten songs” from 1967's ‘The Who Sell Out’, when there’re *thirteen* in total on the album. How could such a blatant error slip through?
In a similar vein, when mentioning three songs from Entwistle’s 1972 solo album ‘Whistle Rhymes’, the author refers to ‘I Feel Better’ as ‘Feeling Better’. This may not be the author’s fault here, though, as he later refers to it by the correct title. I once wrote a letter to a Who fanzine, which featured three howling factual errors that I’d never have made, so that was down to the editor(s). Could be the case here, but again, it would’ve been beneficial to have a couple of true Who fans read it through before publication to avoid such mistakes.
Although the photo inserts are of excellent quality, featuring some snaps I’ve never seen before, at least two of the photos are accompanied by incorrect text. One shot is described as The Who’s last show with Entwistle at the Royal Albert Hall, February 2002, when the photo was actually taken at the RAH on 27 November 2000.
One photo is supposedly an outtake from the ‘Who Are You’ album cover shoot. Well, to my eyes, it’s identical to the well-known (to Who fans) ‘WAY’ cover.
At times during my reading of this book, I questioned if the author has more than a slight liking for The Who. For instance, he states that the band’s four-song performance at the 2001 Concert for New York City was the band’s ‘first truly great performance in 20 years at least’.
What?! I mean, hasn’t he heard any of the magnificent recordings from The Who’s 2000 tour? Or those wonderful few shows they did towards the 1999 tour? Well, I guess if he has, he wasn’t impressed. Yes, the CFNYC was spectacular, but to state that those four songs are the band’s ‘first truly great performance in 20 years at least’ is a huge insult to The Who, and damned annoying to their real fans.
As noted at the start of this review, the author has little love for The Who’s studio albums. I had to re-read the part where he states that ‘Quadrophenia’ doesn’t have “as many outstanding songs as either ‘Tommy’ or ‘Who’s Next’”.
What?! Over the years, whenever I’ve read polls by fans on what their favourite album is, ‘Quadrophenia’ nearly always wins. It’s always my first choice, and I state that as someone who loves ‘Tommy’ and ‘Who’s Next’. Of the seventeen songs, I’d class sixteen as outstanding (the exception being the atmospheric intro ‘I am the Sea’).
I love all The Who’s albums, except ‘Endless Wire’ (2006), which I like rather than love. I either love or like every song they’ve ever released. Not all diehard fans like every song, and that doesn’t make them less of a Who fan than me, but the author of this book dislikes more than he likes.
After rubbishing Roger Daltrey’s & Keith Moon’s respective songs on The Who’s 1966 album ‘A Quick One’, the author implies that their writing efforts were so bad that they “never wrote more for The Who”. Again, I had to shake my head in disbelief. This is terrible research. Granted, Daltrey only wrote one more completely on his own for the band, and Moon only a few more, but the point is they *did* write more after ‘A Quick One’.
Incidentally, one of the two Moon compositions that the author refers to as crap – or words to that effect – features some incredible drumming. It’s as though the author has listened to ‘Cobwebs and Strange’ once, heard everything excepts Moon’s immaculate drumming, and wrote it off as a waste of space.
It does annoy me when authors of music books state their opinions as facts. I read a bio on Kate Bush in which the author would state that certain songs were good and others were weak, and I often disagreed. Same applies with ‘The Ox.’ It’d be much better to describe the song. Expressing an opinion is fine, but to state as fact that a song is poor makes for frustrating reading when it means something special to you. Who songs are the soundtrack of my life.
The author also rubbishes the 1978 ‘Who Are You’ album, stating that Entwistle’s classic ‘Trick of the Light’ isn’t a bad song, but adds that it “pales next to title track”. Well, I love the title track, but ‘Trick of the Light’ is not only my favourite on this album, it’s my favourite Entwistle-composed Who song. The eight-string bass sounds incredible, and Daltrey’s vocals are sensational.
A few years ago, when I was part of a Who Internet mailing list, someone asked everyone which was their favourite song from ‘Who Are You’. Each of the nine songs received at least one vote. I don’t know which one triumphed, as the results weren’t made known, but the title track, ‘Trick of the Light’, and Entwistle’s other two songs were contenders.
The author of this book, incidentally, states as fact that Entwistle’s ‘Had Enough’ is crap, and that the only thing ‘905’ has going for it is the synth track. Some Who fans may agree. I’m among those who don’t.
While it’s fair to state that ‘Who Are You’ isn’t The Who's best album, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. I love it, as do many true Who fans. Some don’t, but then I’m sure no real Who fan would label it a load of balderdash like this book’s author does.
He also rubbishes The Who’s 1981 ‘Face Dances’ album, stating that ‘You Better, You Bet’ is the only song to “cut the mustard”. Really? Granted, it was a Top Ten hit, owing to its commercial sound, but if I were to list the nine songs on the album in order of preference, ‘YBYB’ would come in eighth.
The author states that Entwistle’s two compositions – ‘The Quiet One’ and ‘You’ – aren’t “any great shakes at a song”. What?! ‘The Quiet One’ is one hell of a rocker, while the exciting ‘You’ is my favourite song on the album. Ask ten real Who fans to write their own list and you’d get ten different orders of preference. Taste is subjective.
The main ingredient missing from ‘Face Dances’ is Keith Moon, who sadly died in 1978. The Who could never be the same, but it still maintained a special chemistry between Entwistle, Townshend, and Daltrey.
After reading what I alluded to above, it came as no surprise when the author went on to rubbish The Who’s 1982 album ‘It’s Hard’. He states that on ‘It’s Hard’, “Entwistle got three songs on the album like he did on ‘Face Dances’”. Eh? Entwistle had *two* songs on ‘Face Dances’. Again, poor research. It’s as though he’s played the album once and later wrote about it from memory.
If I picked this book up as, say, someone who’s heard of The Who but was only familiar with two or three songs, I think this author’s rubbishing of the band’s studio catalogue would put me off buying any of their albums.
One thing I found about The Who whenever I played a song for the first time is that most of them are growers. A lot of tracks don’t hit you after the first few listens, which might be why they never had a Number 1 single in GB or the US. Once you get to know a song, the more you love it – that’s my experience, anyway. Such as ‘Who Are You’, ‘My Generation’, and ‘The Real Me’ wowed me during my first listen, whereas I must’ve played ‘Baba O’Riley’ 20 times or more before I was struck by its brilliance.
The author is as dismissive with Entwistle’s solo albums, calling the ‘Van-Pires’ album “unmemorable”. Well, I remember it. Probably because I've listened to it more than once.
He rightfully praises Entwistle’s first two albums, which I love the most, but pretty much labels everything else as codswallop.
While I don’t have a favourite member of The Who – they’re equally magnificent in my eyes – I do like Entwistle’s solo work better than the other three’s respective output. I had, therefore, hoped to find some in-depth analysis of Entwistle’s albums, as his studio work is barely mentioned in both DVD documentaries about him.
Sadly, in this book, the author typically name-checks three songs per album, offering little insight, with the main focus being on rubbishing the material. I’ve read more detail on Entwistle’s solo work in the accompanying liner notes of the remastered editions of his albums and on a couple of compilations.
Overall, then, I’m disappointed with the criticisms noted above, but the personal accounts from those closest to Entwistle, plus Entwistle’s personal recollection from his abandoned autobiography, along with the photo inserts, make this book worth having.
August 9, 2025
(Rock-n-Roll is) the absolute ultimate vehicle for self-destruction.
Pete Townshend
For Who fans, Paul Rees covers a lot of ground already trodden on by other sources and interviews. He follows suit in rising up the ghost of Keith Moon and dusting off his legend to Homeric proportions. He quotes from both Who I Am by Pete Townshend and Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Life by Roger Daltrey. He pulls from recorded interviews with Entwistle as well. What is new for Who fans is that Rees had access to copious notes Entwistle wrote towards publishing his own autobiography. These notes shine a light on a different side of the Quiet One. He looks back at his own life with humor. He’s straight to the point but not mean-spirited. His notes allow insight into a man who staked his reputation on being enigmatic and stone-faced.
What Rees shows us is a man with a wicked sense of humor who pulled all the strings on Moon’s antics and received none of the consequences. He knew how to push Daltrey’s buttons, too, often creating a volatile situation within the band. Daltrey has physically battled with both Moon and Townshend knocking them both unconscious. Yet, Entwistle manages to walk away unscathed.
We also learn of the great respect Townshend had for the Ox (a nickname Entwistle chose for himself. He hated being known as The Quiet One.) John was a real musician playing in his school’s orchestra and moving on to playing trumpet in a big band combo. This lead to jazz and skiffle gigs. Upon hearing his first Duane Eddy single and feeling the power of early rock and roll, he moved to electric bass. He became an innovator of this new instrument and turned the bass into a second lead guitar.
Townshend relied on Entwistle’s knowledge and experience to help guide the Who recordings. It was John who produced the soundtracks to Tommy and Quadrophenia. He had a large role in The Kids Are Alright and compiled the songs for the Odds and Sods album.
John always appeared to be the stone-cold sober one. The drug exploits of Keith Moon are well known. Pete Townshend’s alcohol problems are also public record. What Rees reveals is Entwistle’s own entanglement with drinking and cocaine bingeing. Interviews with his friends and handlers show the lengths John took to hide his cocaine habits. He was a stoic keeping the truth of his addictions secret to all but a few close friends. His cocaine use came to the surface in the mid-Seventies, but it appeared pale in the face of Moon who snorted mountains of the stuff in one day.
This book could appeal to people who are not rock and roll fans or ever heard of The Who. Rees details John’s upbringing and his early foray into drinking hard liquor. How sudden fame led him to drugs. John was a huge collector of clothes and other items including guitars and knights in armor. Although he had a quiet and somber demeanor, his desire to be flashy and to own lots of things spiraled out of control spending more money than The Who was taking in. What was he compensating for? Turning to sex and drugs seemed a normal next step for him. Although it led to divorce, separation from his son and ultimately his life.
Some other notes of worth: This book is very British. If you don’t know a quid from a bob, you might get lost in some of the passages dealing with how much a mountain of cocaine costs in 1976. The interviews are kept in their colloquial tongues. Also, geography might be an issue. He gives an extensive listing of their early tours. How far they traveled to get to a gig from London and back every night meant nothing to me because I don’t know every little shire in the UK.
Also, Rees really makes Roger Daltrey out to be a total tool. I’ll have to read his autobiography Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Life for a balance.
Pete Townshend
For Who fans, Paul Rees covers a lot of ground already trodden on by other sources and interviews. He follows suit in rising up the ghost of Keith Moon and dusting off his legend to Homeric proportions. He quotes from both Who I Am by Pete Townshend and Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Life by Roger Daltrey. He pulls from recorded interviews with Entwistle as well. What is new for Who fans is that Rees had access to copious notes Entwistle wrote towards publishing his own autobiography. These notes shine a light on a different side of the Quiet One. He looks back at his own life with humor. He’s straight to the point but not mean-spirited. His notes allow insight into a man who staked his reputation on being enigmatic and stone-faced.
What Rees shows us is a man with a wicked sense of humor who pulled all the strings on Moon’s antics and received none of the consequences. He knew how to push Daltrey’s buttons, too, often creating a volatile situation within the band. Daltrey has physically battled with both Moon and Townshend knocking them both unconscious. Yet, Entwistle manages to walk away unscathed.
We also learn of the great respect Townshend had for the Ox (a nickname Entwistle chose for himself. He hated being known as The Quiet One.) John was a real musician playing in his school’s orchestra and moving on to playing trumpet in a big band combo. This lead to jazz and skiffle gigs. Upon hearing his first Duane Eddy single and feeling the power of early rock and roll, he moved to electric bass. He became an innovator of this new instrument and turned the bass into a second lead guitar.
Townshend relied on Entwistle’s knowledge and experience to help guide the Who recordings. It was John who produced the soundtracks to Tommy and Quadrophenia. He had a large role in The Kids Are Alright and compiled the songs for the Odds and Sods album.
John always appeared to be the stone-cold sober one. The drug exploits of Keith Moon are well known. Pete Townshend’s alcohol problems are also public record. What Rees reveals is Entwistle’s own entanglement with drinking and cocaine bingeing. Interviews with his friends and handlers show the lengths John took to hide his cocaine habits. He was a stoic keeping the truth of his addictions secret to all but a few close friends. His cocaine use came to the surface in the mid-Seventies, but it appeared pale in the face of Moon who snorted mountains of the stuff in one day.
This book could appeal to people who are not rock and roll fans or ever heard of The Who. Rees details John’s upbringing and his early foray into drinking hard liquor. How sudden fame led him to drugs. John was a huge collector of clothes and other items including guitars and knights in armor. Although he had a quiet and somber demeanor, his desire to be flashy and to own lots of things spiraled out of control spending more money than The Who was taking in. What was he compensating for? Turning to sex and drugs seemed a normal next step for him. Although it led to divorce, separation from his son and ultimately his life.
Some other notes of worth: This book is very British. If you don’t know a quid from a bob, you might get lost in some of the passages dealing with how much a mountain of cocaine costs in 1976. The interviews are kept in their colloquial tongues. Also, geography might be an issue. He gives an extensive listing of their early tours. How far they traveled to get to a gig from London and back every night meant nothing to me because I don’t know every little shire in the UK.
Also, Rees really makes Roger Daltrey out to be a total tool. I’ll have to read his autobiography Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite: My Life for a balance.
July 31, 2020
Essential for Who fans, entertaining and enlightening for classic rock fans. So much perspective on The Who, mostly about the ways in which they hated each other, but that’s how they worked, and many anecdotes about the band apart from John. Roger throttling Keith, Pete laying on his hotel bed every night waiting for word that they got kicked out, etc. Entwistle’s notes for his memoirs are amazing, but ultimately being written by a third party makes for a much more honest look, maybe even more so than Pete and Roger’s autobios. I also liked that it didn’t only focus on John as a member of The Who, and his solo endeavors are discussed too.
And, of course, the book educates about John as a person and the crazy rockstar lifestyle he refused to give up at any cost. Glad we finally have a chance to look behind the curtain.
And, of course, the book educates about John as a person and the crazy rockstar lifestyle he refused to give up at any cost. Glad we finally have a chance to look behind the curtain.
December 18, 2021
The book is well written and laid out, and researched. Given I have recently read Daltry's autobiography, as well as Pete's, there really was not a lot of new information in the book, especially in regards to The Who after they release Tommy. You will learn a lot about John, his upbringing, his loves (and wives), and his properties. In the end, the book was quite sad, given the systemic self-destruction of John and his health due to his poor life choices. I really miss the guy.
July 22, 2020
Well written, interesting, funny, just great!
I learned alot about John as expected but also about the dynamics inside the who. Also I saw how the rock scene evolved in England which was a significant historical and cultural period of the last century. Great stories and a ton of laughs.
I learned alot about John as expected but also about the dynamics inside the who. Also I saw how the rock scene evolved in England which was a significant historical and cultural period of the last century. Great stories and a ton of laughs.
May 26, 2020
This is a great book and it’s good to get a different dynamic of the band and what part John played. He was quiet yet the constant party man I never would have thought. They all had good and bad about them and intimately I loved The Who and glad they continued their journey
July 30, 2021
Focuses on the musical life without neglecting the personal. Well-done.
July 8, 2020
This was a really good read if you are a fan of The Who. The writing is part from John himself and the rest done through good journalism. The author quotes Pete's and Roger's memoirs, as they declined to be interviewed. It also pulls from numerous friends and family. Interesting to see that such a kick ass group really did not get on with one another outside of the band. Not a huge revelation if you have read books on the other members or the band, but always good to get another perspective.
November 6, 2023
This was a really good read. I had the opportunity to meet 3 of the band in 1970 at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. That didn’t include John unfortunately, although he was at the gig.. My friend was an Agent for their Booking Agency and was at the gig to speak with John Wolff. I was an impressionable 16 year old. Pete was my Hero of the time. I was a bit starstruck. They came across as a happy band. Very friendly. All appeared sober and unaffected by substances. The gig, which must have been close to the playing order of Live at Leeds, was outstanding. I was hooked. But I saw John on the stage, and I soon realised that Pete wasn’t the only talented Guitarist in the band. I made a point thereafter of singling out John, when I played any Who track. I grew to realise that he was the best Bass Player I have ever seen. But I sensed a lost soul. This book explained to me, why I thought that. In retrospect, John needed a Jiminy Cricket in his life. Somebody to steer him through the rapids safely. But the book describes him as a mix of headstrong and weak. So maybe Jiminy would be pissing in the wind! But the in-fighting in the band, the violence towards Keith, the onstage wrangling, make them look an ugly and unlikely bunch. As a Fan; and I still am, it was sad to read this. But I’m so glad I did though. I’ve read Roger’s bio. I will now head towards Keith’s and Pete’s. It seems now that Roger and Pete are winding down somewhat. I wish them both well.
June 25, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
The Who were one of my top 5 favorite bands growing up. Bill Wyman rightly suggested that John Entiwistle was the "Jimi Hendrix" of the Bass Guitar. Charles Chandler, the Bass Player for the Animals who "discovered" Hendrix, tried to get Entwistle to leave The Who and play for Hendrix.
And all The Who would agree that he was their best musician. But there were two sides to Entwistle. On stage he was known as the Quiet One because all he did was stand and play while the other three did everything but stand still. And yet Entwistle and Moon the Loon were the only two members of the band who were friends. And so off stage he was probably the second craziest in the band and so like Moon he died "prematurely." Lot's of crazy stories here including the fact that Entwistle bought a house close to his estate just to house his hundreds of guitars and basses. He also played several brass instruments.
The Who were one of my top 5 favorite bands growing up. Bill Wyman rightly suggested that John Entiwistle was the "Jimi Hendrix" of the Bass Guitar. Charles Chandler, the Bass Player for the Animals who "discovered" Hendrix, tried to get Entwistle to leave The Who and play for Hendrix.
And all The Who would agree that he was their best musician. But there were two sides to Entwistle. On stage he was known as the Quiet One because all he did was stand and play while the other three did everything but stand still. And yet Entwistle and Moon the Loon were the only two members of the band who were friends. And so off stage he was probably the second craziest in the band and so like Moon he died "prematurely." Lot's of crazy stories here including the fact that Entwistle bought a house close to his estate just to house his hundreds of guitars and basses. He also played several brass instruments.
April 26, 2020
There’s a great book to be written about John Entwistle, but unfortunately this isn’t it. Don’t get me wrong; it contains all of the facts and stories that you might expect about The Who’s bassist, and did indeed provide some insights into what fueled his creativity and outlandish lifestyle. However, I wish these insights were more frequently intertwined with the narrative. On many instances, the author wrote about the “hole” within John that he tried to fill with consuming and collecting, while on the other hand spoke about what a simple soul he was at heart. I’d like to hear more out this and other contradictions. I’d like to learn more about his musical creativity, about (for example) his lost sci-fi rock opera in the late seventies: why sci-fi? What was his inspiration? The Ox contains a lot of details about his touring schedules, recoding dates, and other events with only minor analysis. That’s fine, but I longed for more.
May 11, 2020
At last we have the definitive biography of the most enigmatic member of The Who, and the greatest bass player of his time. Paul Rees drew much of this material from Entwistle's own notes, an outline for his memoir that he sadly never finished. Rees also had the blessing and collaboration of Entwistle's family and close friends. Combining these sources, he has managed to create a fascinating in-depth vision of the two sides to Entwistle's personality and life: the genius musician addicted to touring and all the periphery, and the family man and father at home, relishing the quiet life of a country gentleman. A gold mine of references regarding the era, this title is an absolute must for anyone interested in The Who, the band's origins, and the milieu surrounding it.
April 16, 2020
The world knew John Entwistle as The Who's quiet, genius bass player. But this biography makes clear that despite his stoic stage presence, he was a party animal and money spender maybe on par with Keith Moon. The book is sometimes fun, sometimes sad, and overflowing with interesting behind-the-scenes tales about his life in one of the greatest rock bands ever.
April 5, 2020
Enjoyedthe book fairly quick read of John's life a boy who never grew up.Did not realise how much he felt pushed to one side by Townshend and Daltrey.John does come to life a little in the book but its not that detailed but as a major Who fan its a must.
April 28, 2021
well done, fair, in depth. sad. a couple of small factual errors jumped out, though: Pete Townshend did not write "Something in the Air," Speedy Keen did. And the producer is Bill Szymczyk, not the grotesque misspelling that appears in the book.
April 21, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"One of the most boys in Peter Pan."
review following.
"One of the most boys in Peter Pan."
review following.
May 15, 2020
Very enjoyable read, shame he couldn't control his addictions, should still be plugging away behind Pete and roger
May 2, 2020
Fascinating book about an enigmatic figure.
May 22, 2020
Whatta guy, what a life...
April 9, 2021
Someday there will be a well written biography of this legend. Sadly, this book is not it.
April 8, 2023
You know, I do appreciate this biography very much. Yes, it has its sloppy errors. Yes, author Paul Rees errors in offering his opinion on this album or that concert as if it were fact. Yet, the author does borrow from other sources which I have already read. However, to best enjoy this most welcome book called "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle," one must consider all of the bright sides involved.
To Paul Rees' great credit, he was not only able to get his John Entwistle "authorized," he was also able to get candid interviews with Entwistle's surviving family and close friends (including Entwistle's two ex-wives, and son) as well as given access to John Entwistle's never-been-published (attempt) at a full autobiography. The result is that The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" succeeds in painting a well-rounded, three-dimensional portrait of the greatest rock and roll bass player of all time.
In their prime during the 1960-1970's, The Who were the most exciting and explosive band in the world. Roger Daltrey out front with blonde locks singing and spinning his microphone and throwing it in the air, Pete Townshend leaping and windmilling his arm around his electric guitar, Keith Moon conducting and combusting an entire orchestra on his drums and cymbals while twirling his sticks and catching them in mid-air...while John Entwistle stood perfectly still and stone-faced, and appeared to be doing nothing more than casually playing his bass guitar...Yet looks can be deceiving.
In truth, John Entwistle was doing everything that Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and Keith Moon were doing...all of the energy and dynamic showmanship...everything, John Entwistle was doing it all...except it was all in his playing. As expressed in "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle," Entwistle was a "peacock," a showoff just like his fellow bandmates, and played the bass like no one else, truly turning his bass guitar a lead instrument. One of the many things that made The Who a great band is that its members were all fighting for attention on stage, with John Entwistle no exception.
True, John Entwistle was the reserved yet powerful "Ox," and was certainly "The Quiet One" compared to Keith Moon, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. Yet as the author makes painfully clear, Entwistle partied harder in the "sex, drugs and rock and roll" lifestyle than almost anyone. He never went to rehab, rarely went sober for more than a month or two, John Entwistle was a highly functional alcoholic with a large appetite for cocaine and loose women. Marriage, fatherhood, domestic duties and the like never stopped Entwistle from partying all night with drink and drugs and lots of women. Sure he knew it was bad for his health and state of being, yet "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" makes a point by illustrating that John Entwistle wanted to live the rock and roll life, all his life, no matter what the cost may be.
And lived John Entwistle did. In addition to his enormous appetite for drink, drugs, and women, "The Ox" was also big spender, who loved to go on massive shopping sprees, and assembly pricey collections of cars, ancient weapons, guitars and whatever else struck his fancy. Entwistle bought more than he could afford, and would soon find himself in serious need of money to pay for his houses, drivers, servants, collections and gold account of Harrod's. Thankfully, Entwistle's family and friends loved him enough to make sure he never found himself in too much financial strain.
Paul Rees' account of John Entwistle's time in and out of The Who, his complex relationships with his Who bandmates, as well as his relationships with wives and girlfriends is very well executed. Very little was known (to the public) about John Entwistle's private life and private thoughts before "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" was published. This alone makes this biography invaluable any Who fan, rock and roll fan.
Sure, the errors and misguided opinions as presented in "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" knocked the biography down a few notches in my book. Yet the author's unprecedented access to John Entwistle's family and close friends, in addition to access to Entwistle's unpublished (unfinished) autobiography, made for an intriguing and entertaining reading experience.
To Paul Rees' great credit, he was not only able to get his John Entwistle "authorized," he was also able to get candid interviews with Entwistle's surviving family and close friends (including Entwistle's two ex-wives, and son) as well as given access to John Entwistle's never-been-published (attempt) at a full autobiography. The result is that The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" succeeds in painting a well-rounded, three-dimensional portrait of the greatest rock and roll bass player of all time.
In their prime during the 1960-1970's, The Who were the most exciting and explosive band in the world. Roger Daltrey out front with blonde locks singing and spinning his microphone and throwing it in the air, Pete Townshend leaping and windmilling his arm around his electric guitar, Keith Moon conducting and combusting an entire orchestra on his drums and cymbals while twirling his sticks and catching them in mid-air...while John Entwistle stood perfectly still and stone-faced, and appeared to be doing nothing more than casually playing his bass guitar...Yet looks can be deceiving.
In truth, John Entwistle was doing everything that Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and Keith Moon were doing...all of the energy and dynamic showmanship...everything, John Entwistle was doing it all...except it was all in his playing. As expressed in "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle," Entwistle was a "peacock," a showoff just like his fellow bandmates, and played the bass like no one else, truly turning his bass guitar a lead instrument. One of the many things that made The Who a great band is that its members were all fighting for attention on stage, with John Entwistle no exception.
True, John Entwistle was the reserved yet powerful "Ox," and was certainly "The Quiet One" compared to Keith Moon, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. Yet as the author makes painfully clear, Entwistle partied harder in the "sex, drugs and rock and roll" lifestyle than almost anyone. He never went to rehab, rarely went sober for more than a month or two, John Entwistle was a highly functional alcoholic with a large appetite for cocaine and loose women. Marriage, fatherhood, domestic duties and the like never stopped Entwistle from partying all night with drink and drugs and lots of women. Sure he knew it was bad for his health and state of being, yet "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" makes a point by illustrating that John Entwistle wanted to live the rock and roll life, all his life, no matter what the cost may be.
And lived John Entwistle did. In addition to his enormous appetite for drink, drugs, and women, "The Ox" was also big spender, who loved to go on massive shopping sprees, and assembly pricey collections of cars, ancient weapons, guitars and whatever else struck his fancy. Entwistle bought more than he could afford, and would soon find himself in serious need of money to pay for his houses, drivers, servants, collections and gold account of Harrod's. Thankfully, Entwistle's family and friends loved him enough to make sure he never found himself in too much financial strain.
Paul Rees' account of John Entwistle's time in and out of The Who, his complex relationships with his Who bandmates, as well as his relationships with wives and girlfriends is very well executed. Very little was known (to the public) about John Entwistle's private life and private thoughts before "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" was published. This alone makes this biography invaluable any Who fan, rock and roll fan.
Sure, the errors and misguided opinions as presented in "The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle" knocked the biography down a few notches in my book. Yet the author's unprecedented access to John Entwistle's family and close friends, in addition to access to Entwistle's unpublished (unfinished) autobiography, made for an intriguing and entertaining reading experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
The Ox is a concise, well-written biography of the legendary Who bassist, John Entwistle. The author, Paul Rees, had access to Entwistle's hand-written notes from which he had intended to compose his autobiography. In addition, he interviewed those closest to Entwistle, with the exception of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. Their comments all come from their respective memoirs. So Rees' sources were impeccable.
I've been an avid Who fan for over five decades, so much of the material about his professional life I was already familiar with. Most of what was new to me in The Ox pertained to his personal life. The vast majority of published interviews with The Who were with either Townshend or Daltrey. Townshend especially has always been open about his personal life. So it was interesting to me to read about John's relationships with his first wife, Alison, his second wife, Maxene, and his unfortunate relationship with his last girlfriend, Lisa. He clearly a proud father to Chris, and seemed to have a good relationship with his son.
The stories of his life on the road juxtaposed against his home life make for interesting reading, and are insightful. He clearly loved Alison and Chris (it doesn't appear that he ever stopped loving Alison, even when he chose to leave her for Maxene) but he also loved the life of a rock star on the road and freely took advantage of all the perks of being a rock star.
The reason I chose to give this book four stars instead of five is twofold. First, I disagree with Rees' conclusions about some of the Who's material. Especially the last two records with Entwistle. I don't think Face Dances or It's Hard are nearly as bad as Rees does. I do agree with his assertion that Entwistle's contributions were the highlights of both records, or at least the most Who-sounding. Secondly, in a couple spots Rees relates events that raise questions that go unanswered. For example, he says that during the recording of the movie soundtrack for Tommy, Townshend tried out several different bassists but in the end, Entwistle did most of the tracks. Which begs the question, why was anyone else even considered when you have the best bassist in the world at your disposal?
There were also a couple of minor inaccuracies that only a Who fanatic was likely to have noticed. So minor that I won't go into them here, but since I'm reviewing the book, it bears mentioning that they exist.
But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though I knew how it was going to end, I was saddened when it did. John Entwistle did indeed meet a fitting Rock Star End, albeit one that's been mythologized at the expense of certain important facts, but it came too soon.
I've been an avid Who fan for over five decades, so much of the material about his professional life I was already familiar with. Most of what was new to me in The Ox pertained to his personal life. The vast majority of published interviews with The Who were with either Townshend or Daltrey. Townshend especially has always been open about his personal life. So it was interesting to me to read about John's relationships with his first wife, Alison, his second wife, Maxene, and his unfortunate relationship with his last girlfriend, Lisa. He clearly a proud father to Chris, and seemed to have a good relationship with his son.
The stories of his life on the road juxtaposed against his home life make for interesting reading, and are insightful. He clearly loved Alison and Chris (it doesn't appear that he ever stopped loving Alison, even when he chose to leave her for Maxene) but he also loved the life of a rock star on the road and freely took advantage of all the perks of being a rock star.
The reason I chose to give this book four stars instead of five is twofold. First, I disagree with Rees' conclusions about some of the Who's material. Especially the last two records with Entwistle. I don't think Face Dances or It's Hard are nearly as bad as Rees does. I do agree with his assertion that Entwistle's contributions were the highlights of both records, or at least the most Who-sounding. Secondly, in a couple spots Rees relates events that raise questions that go unanswered. For example, he says that during the recording of the movie soundtrack for Tommy, Townshend tried out several different bassists but in the end, Entwistle did most of the tracks. Which begs the question, why was anyone else even considered when you have the best bassist in the world at your disposal?
There were also a couple of minor inaccuracies that only a Who fanatic was likely to have noticed. So minor that I won't go into them here, but since I'm reviewing the book, it bears mentioning that they exist.
But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though I knew how it was going to end, I was saddened when it did. John Entwistle did indeed meet a fitting Rock Star End, albeit one that's been mythologized at the expense of certain important facts, but it came too soon.
April 8, 2020
According to Rees, at Woodstock the Who became "the archetypal rock band." Rolling Stones and Beatles partisans may take issue with that, but it would be harder to argue that John Entwistle — who at Woodstock, in Rees's description, was "rigid, implacable, ink-black hair against a brilliant white jacket, their still, mooring point" — wasn't the archetypal rock bassist.
Entwistle more than pulled his own musical weight in the Who; the bassist couldn't stand the band's early cover of "Love Me Do" because the Beatles' harmonica was out of tune and of course every cover version had to match that. A multi-instrumentalist, he not only embraced the challenge of writing parts for a horn section on Quadrophenia, he multitracked himself and played them all. On bass...well, there was a reason his nickname was "the Ox." He never slipped up, and rose to virtuoso brilliance when the opportunity presented itself, as it did on the band's breakout single, "My Generation": a bold solo that helped to define the band's sound.
Yet, he never threatened to steal the spotlight from singer Roger Daltrey or guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend, even though Entwistle was the band's only other songwriter of significance, penning Who standards including "Boris the Spider," "My Wife," and "Cousin Kevin." Even if you're a serious rock fan, you may not be aware that Entwistle had a solo career that included seven studio albums released from 1971-2000. None of them made much of an impact, and the subtitle of his own authorized biography refers to him as "the Who's John Entwistle."
I reviewed The Ox for The Current.
Entwistle more than pulled his own musical weight in the Who; the bassist couldn't stand the band's early cover of "Love Me Do" because the Beatles' harmonica was out of tune and of course every cover version had to match that. A multi-instrumentalist, he not only embraced the challenge of writing parts for a horn section on Quadrophenia, he multitracked himself and played them all. On bass...well, there was a reason his nickname was "the Ox." He never slipped up, and rose to virtuoso brilliance when the opportunity presented itself, as it did on the band's breakout single, "My Generation": a bold solo that helped to define the band's sound.
Yet, he never threatened to steal the spotlight from singer Roger Daltrey or guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend, even though Entwistle was the band's only other songwriter of significance, penning Who standards including "Boris the Spider," "My Wife," and "Cousin Kevin." Even if you're a serious rock fan, you may not be aware that Entwistle had a solo career that included seven studio albums released from 1971-2000. None of them made much of an impact, and the subtitle of his own authorized biography refers to him as "the Who's John Entwistle."
I reviewed The Ox for The Current.
March 29, 2024
I found the text more engaging and punchier than Thanks A Lot Mr. Kibblewhite, but I did have my disappointments with the book. I visited GoodReads before reading the book to see what I was about to get into, and thank God I did. There a quite a few errors, some more glaring than others, and the author's stating opinion as fact was very... well, a terrible thing to put in any text, especially when it's declaring the later Who albums and all of Entwistle's solo material (save for his first 2 albums) are "rubbish."
Even worse is the characterization of the Who. According to one review, some situations presented in the book happened differently and I would not be surprised to learn some involved Roger Daltrey. Contrary to other accounts of his personality, Daltrey comes across in the text as one of the most unbearable people to be around. I know he's certainly no saint and has plenty of moments to pass judgement on, but I found it hard to believe how seemingly a lot of people around the Who couldn't stand him. Text from Daltrey and Pete Townshend's respective memoirs are used to substitute their declining to be interviewed, which I think was a nice touch, even though it does nothing to change how apparent the author dislikes the Who (maybe "dislike" is being too polite).
Outside of these points, I think the text is very straightforward but slow and tried-to-fill-a-word-count at times (which usually happens when Rees mentions the touring, as, without fail, he lists three dates at such-and-such place. I just started skimming over those parts). It's not as casual, loosey-goosey, and a mediocre type of straightforward like I found in Daltrey's book, so The Ox rests between a 3.9 and 4.1 for me.
Even worse is the characterization of the Who. According to one review, some situations presented in the book happened differently and I would not be surprised to learn some involved Roger Daltrey. Contrary to other accounts of his personality, Daltrey comes across in the text as one of the most unbearable people to be around. I know he's certainly no saint and has plenty of moments to pass judgement on, but I found it hard to believe how seemingly a lot of people around the Who couldn't stand him. Text from Daltrey and Pete Townshend's respective memoirs are used to substitute their declining to be interviewed, which I think was a nice touch, even though it does nothing to change how apparent the author dislikes the Who (maybe "dislike" is being too polite).
Outside of these points, I think the text is very straightforward but slow and tried-to-fill-a-word-count at times (which usually happens when Rees mentions the touring, as, without fail, he lists three dates at such-and-such place. I just started skimming over those parts). It's not as casual, loosey-goosey, and a mediocre type of straightforward like I found in Daltrey's book, so The Ox rests between a 3.9 and 4.1 for me.
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