They didn’t call him “Thunderfingers” for no reason. John Entwistle was one of the most underrated members of the famed hard rock outfit The Who. Which is surprising, considering he was the only musician in the band to have a formal musical training background. More often than not, it’s the quiet ones that don’t get all the limelight. But Entwistle had no shortage of talent, and that talent was later appropriately recognized.
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Today, Entwistle is regarded as one of the greatest rock bass guitarists of all time, and those accolades are deserved. He played the bass with a pentatonic lead line and utilized a treble-soaked sound, which wasn’t that common in rock music during the 1960s and 1970s. He was inventive and classically skilled all at once.
What better way to really drive home how talented Entwistle was as a bassist than with an isolated guitar track? Fortunately, an isolated bass track from the song “Baba O’Riley” is floating around, and it really showcases how impressive Entwistle really was.
You can listen to John Entwistle’s isolated bass track from The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” below.
John Entwistle Was a Bassist’s Bassist, and His Skill Was Evident on “Baba O’Riley”
The track in question was recorded in May of 1978 at Shepperton Film Studios in London, specifically for The Who’s concert.
“Baba O’Riley” is the opening track of The Who’s famed 1971 album Who’s Next? According to lore, Pete Townshend originally penned the song for the group’s Lifehouse project, which was later abandoned. Fortunately, they salvaged it, and “Baba O’Riley” has since become one of The Who’s most enduring and famous songs. And Entwistle’s bass contribution to the track is part of what makes it so incredible.
Entwistle’s solo career was also similarly successful. He was the first member of The Who to release a solo album, titled Smash Your Head Against The Wall, in 1971. The album, known for its dark humor, earned Entwistle a bit of a cult following. Numerous solo records would follow, each of them unique in its own right. And Entwistle’s bass-playing ability never wavered. He was truly one of the greats and an inspiration to bassists everywhere, even today.
We lost John Entwistle in 2002 at the age of only 57. I can’t help but think he would still be pounding the bass like it was easy today, had he been given more time.
Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images
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