Customer Reviews

Smash Your Head Against the Wall

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The WHO had it all backwards, the drummer and the bass player were the two lead players. Beyond all the glorious noise these guys made on record and on stage and the production of Kit Lambert, we rarely got to hear how great John Entwistle was as a musician.

By 1970 John had just too many songs stored up and needed another outlet to being on the B side of the Who's latest single. So he began his first solo LP in November. Cy Langston was recruited from the Who's roadcrew for his guitar ability that sounded much like Pete Townshend. The rumor at the time was it WAS Pete working under an allias, but Dave (Cyrano) Langston was a real person. Jerry Shirley from the great group Humble Pie had some time- off and was drafted to sit behind the drumkit, so begins 'Smash'.

"My Size", the opening number sounds like a love song for a anger-mangement class, it's heavy and a great begining with all the power chords in the right places. The Who should have played this in concert as it would have fit well. "Big Chicken" is about the demon alcohol while "What Are We Doing Here", was based on an incident in Canada when again the member's of The Who were hassled for the length of their hair (John was in a suit, and never dressed like stinkin' hippy). The mix on this one is a bit different than on the original release. "What Kind Of People Are They?" has a super horn section supplied by John. "Heaven & Hell" is way close to the version recorded by The Who, and was the show opener for that band in 1970-71.

Side two of the LP started off with the great tune "Ted End", that has a real Beatles type charm to it. This would have fit in on "Abbey Road" quite nicely. On "Your Mine", John gets to play the Devil himself , with lyrics Cousin Kevin would be proud of. "No. 29" is a drum based rocker that has the fastest runs on bass guitar heard on record (up till this point in time). The closer "I Believe In Everything", sounds cheerful untill you check out the lyric sheet and see that John is being sarcastic once again.

Nine bonus tracks are added to this release with Neil Young's, "Cinnamon Girl" given John's, 'Heavy' treatment of production AND it's SLOWER than Neil's version. "It's Hard To Write A Love Song" "The Haunted Can Be Free" and "World Behind My Face" are O.K. tunes, but being demo's you tend to wonder what they could have sounded like given the full band treatment. Who Freaks will be very happy to see these tracks getting an official release. And to my knowledge the bootleggers never got their hands on these ditties either. An early take of "My Size", is included and it's got the bass mixed right up front with the guitars moved more to the background and a different vocal take. This is track one mixed in reverse but still interesting. The last four cuts are demo's of "What kind Of People", "Big Chicken", "No. 29" and "Ted End", with John playing all the parts.

This recording along with "Whistle Rymes" are John Enwistle's finest releases. There are five pages of notes on the making of this masterpiece and all the lyrics are here as well. JOHN LIVES....FIVE STARS

This album is a must for any Who/Entwistle fan!
The world has lost a truly amazing bassist who was second to none! I met Mr. Entwistle back in 1987 in a tavern in Los Angeles, where he offered me a seat and a glass of wine from his bottle. I asked him about bass stuff and he was more than pleased to speak with me regarding his playing style, basses, equipment etc. He was truly one of the nicest guys I have ever met! That evening was a truly inspirational highlight of my life as a struggling musician/bassist, that I will never forget! Learning his chops were paramount growing up as a young bassist. As well as all the other countless fans around the world, I am truly saddened by the news of his death. To me, he was one hell of an inspiration as a bassist, as well as one hell of a nice guy! The world has lost a true legend and pioneer of electric-bass. Thanks for your brilliant playing Mr. Entwistle. You will be sorely missed.

John Entwistle is perhaps the most underrated and overlooked songwriter in all of rock. To prove this point, get "Smash your head against the wall." as soon as you can. This is a landmark album, a *fantastic* collection of songs from a prodigious musician.

Yes, the songs are "dark" (read: dark humor), bordering on the first smidgens of "goth" rock. But it's just what you should expect and be delighted about from John Entwistle:

"My Size" is one of the great unknown rockers, borne from a play on the riff of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" (which is also featured as the bonus track on this album). It is a really rockin' song, written from a spider's perspective (imagine that!). It has great lyrics: "I'm gonna bring you down to my size, smash your head against the wall!" Good to hear when thinking about your least favorite person...

"External Youth" is a scathing parody of the superficiality that is so prevalent in the "industry" and features both Neil Innes (of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Rutles/Monty Python fame) and Keith Moon on percussion! "Ted End" is a touching song about a lonely man's quiet death and has a very nice brass interlude provided by Entwistle himself, of course! "Heaven and Hell" appears as well, 'though much slowed down than the version by you-know-Who.

Indeed, when you listen to songs like, "What Kind of People Are They?", "You're Mine" and "What Are We Doing Here?" (and much of the rest of the album), you are going to scratch your head and wonder how and why they were never included in any Who offering. You will think things like, what would have "My Size" sounded like with Keith Moon's frenetic drum work and Townshend's blistering guitar?

Just don't automatically think it would have sounded better. It would have been The Who, but not completely Entwistle. And that would have been a real tragedy.

Man, this album has so much going for it, it's almost as fun to listen to as Who's Next. Well, I mean, maybe I am overexagerating slightly, but come on, if you like Who's Next and you like the Who, but you don't have any of John's solo stuff, then start with this album. "My Size" rocks out like the Who and even ends with a little riff from Boris the Spider!! "Pick Me Up" is just a great rock song with a good riff and good starts and stops. Excellent melody. Same goes for "What Kind of People Are They." "What are we Doing Here" is the "Behind Blue Eyes" of Smash Your Head, just a lovely ballad that could easily have been on Who's Next in favor of,say, "Gettin' in Tune." "Ted End," with its haunting lyrics, now almost a premonition, "he died in his sleep- didn't know a thing." "You're Mine" is another good song, with that great dark sound that the Ox was doing on this whole record, kind of like a more rocking version of All Things Must Pass. Phil Spector should have produced this, just think how even more creepy this album would sound than it already does. "I Believe in Everything" is really a fine little song, but breaks into Rudolph at the very end and just completely ruins the whole thing!! Think- the Who ending "Won't Get Fooled Again" with the chorus of Jingle Bells. I don't think so. As a reviewer of rock music I have to really recommend this album because it just is really good. His other stuff is more aquired taste, but then I'm lying because anybody hearing "Apron Strings" from WR will just get chills when hearing it for the first time.

If you like songs like "In the Meantime/ Some other Time" by Badfinger, "Long Flowing Robe" by Todd Rundgren, "Junior's Farm" by Wings, "Riki Tikki Tavi" by Donovan, "Let it Down" by George Harrison, "Can You Travel in the Dark Alone" by Gandalf, or "Child of the Universe" by the Byrds will like this album just fine. Surely.

I'm not going to get sentimental now because Pete and Roger seem to be holding up really well and are getting on with the tour, so I just want to rock out to albums like this and keep his memory alive. This album is one of my favorites of all time. (Along with any Who album or Who solo album released between '67 and '73).

I also think Mad Dog and Rigor Mortis are neat albums, mostly for the way they sound, dark and murky. The songs start to suffer a bit on these and my friends always say I'm crazy for liking John's later stuff, but I can get off on Peg Leg Peggy and the Mad Dog title song just as much as anything on Tommmy. No, wait, not Peg Leg Peggy, I meant "Made in Japan." I think my friends even say they like that song, too.

I was a lad of 16 when this album was first released and it has always been one of my favs. Over the years, I was tempted many times to pick this up on CD but never got around to it.
When I read that this was being re-released yet again, this time w/ 9 bonus tracks, I had to have it.
The original LP has held up very well, but it is a little shocking to hear some tracks (What are we doing here, in particular) with a different mix (read the CD booklet to find out the reason). The bonus tracks are great. While many of them are rough demos,it is great to hear John in this way as he was always a perfectionist changing his parts until they met his criteria. It really makes you appreciate his tremendous talent and humor. Although Cinammon Girl has been previously released it is a real treat to find it included in this package.
Essential OX.
RIP John, in Heaven and Hell or wherever you may be, because I Believe In Everything.

John Entwistle's first solo project away from The Who, "Smash Your Head Against the Wall," comes as a revelation of sorts; while his songs had been sporadically featured on Who albums up until its release, Entwistle wasn't quite given the songwriting kudos he deserved (his bass playing certainly wasn't an issue!) This album changed THAT notion, for sure..;) It's 100% solid, and a lot darker than the contemporary "Who's Next;" in fact, just imagine 9 songs of the general spirit of "My Wife," and you've got yourself an idea of what this album contains subject-wise.

An important thing to note: there're two separate issues of this on CD--this is the REPERTOIRE issue--and bizarrely enough, both versions of the album are VERY different from each other. The mix availible on this Repertoire CD sounds almost like a rough mix; it's VERY dirty (which is actually not a bad thing), and three songs in particular--My Size, Ted End, and You're Mine--sound VERY different. It's up in the air as to which one you'll prefer (personally, I prefer the SUNDAZED issue, which sounds more polished and which also contains as a bonus track a much superior version of "What Are We Doing Here").

Enjoy anyway.

This is one of those CDs that I enjoy more and more with each listen--and surprise surprise, I'm a woman in my mid-20s despite the fact that some people cannot believe girls can like the Who or anyone similar. I get an adrenaline rush while I rock out to "My Size" and love the funky grooves (and of course, satirical lyrics) of "Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)" and "No.29 (External Youth)"--in fact, "External Youth" is a pretty good predictor of the future. You think Botox could use it in a commercial?

The lovely "What Are Doing Here" surpirsed me at the first listen the way "Sunrise" from "The Who Sell Out" did when I first heard it. This is a beautiful haunting song, and I agree with other posters that this could have easily taken the place of other less-than-wonderful Who ballads like "Gettin' In Tune." "Ted End" has a simliar haunting mournful melody but is injected with John's droll humor.

Personally I enjoy the sexy, raw live version of "Heaven and Hell" from the Who "Live at the Isle of Wight" album, but this version is chilled out and fun. "You're Mine" is vicious, and John practically screams at his victims, like "Sympathy for the Devil" but much angrier. Think "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" updated to the 20th century. "I Believe in Everything" plays on irony with the sweet naivete in the lyrics and melody but as another poster said, he ruins it by going into "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" at the end! (maybe it's because I don't like Christmas music....)

Great cover of "Cinnamon Girl" as a bonus!!

(Also, the liner notes are a fun read for any JAE fan. As a former French horn player I cracked up at his comments about the "embouchure" and the headaches of playing the difficult brass instrument.)

This is a must-have for any Who fan!! Happy listening! Miss you, John!

This is easily the best of all the Who solo albums and quite honestly, better than some of the who band recordings. Now I know this is going to make Who fans crazy (I have been a Who fan since 1965 ) but when this came out around the same time as Who's Next, I liked this better and I still do. This solo album is all John and he shines. The songs are incredibly well written and the musicianship is all John except for guitar and drums. Only one of the these songs was done by the Who, Heaven and Hell, and it is totally different here. It's amazing how John got this big, almost heavy metal sound with absolutely stunning melodies. If you're a Who fan and have listened to all of their cds and need more, definitely get this. The songs on this album are more attuned to his earlier who work, albeit a bit heavier. I'm not really sure what happened to John after this album, because all his solo work just went downhill. Loss of melody and vitality. The demos are ok and Cinnamon Girl is your bar band take, but the original songs from the LP are stunning.......

I really like this album. While it's not really fair to compare the music on this John Entwistle album to the stuff the Who was doing at the time, you can't help but notice the vibe and atmosphere is quite similar to the Who's Next album.

To me that's a GREAT thing. Even more, for someone who loves discovering lost gems from the early 70's because of the spiritual energy that seemed to flow through all the music at the time, this is EXACTLY the kind of album I was looking for. I believe you'll notice the same vibe upon first listen.

Would I be out of line if I said some of these vocal melodies might be even BETTER than most of the stuff from Who's Next? I probably am, but I just can't help it!

Great songwriting, fantastic hooks, and just a musician who had so much talent it was only a matter of time before he ended up releasing a solo album. I recommend this album to Who fans, and fans of 70's rock.

[note: This review is intended to address the 2005, Castle Records reissue of the album with eighteen tracks. As amazon occasionally shifts reviews around, this may end up where it doesn't belong.]

I love "Smash Your Head Against the Wall." In fact, I love the thing so much that I've reviewed both previous CD iterations of it on amazon! Consequently, I will begin by presenting a quick'n'dirty summary of those reviews: great album, Entwistle at his best, impeccable songwriting, superbly moody and dark production, etc.

Here's the thing, though. "Smash Your Head Against the Wall"--an album not high on anyone's radar, I'd think--has had *two previous CD iterations*. That's a lot for a solo album from The Who's bassist, right? Consequently, this 2005 Castle release needs to deliver something new, or it has little reason to exist. And it delivers...somewhat.

This edition of "Smash" is based on the "rougher" of the two mixes available, the same one that showed up on the old, Repertoire CD. My promo copy of the disc doesn't have a mastering credit, but whomever was responsible did unfortunately boost the levels somewhat. It isn't too bad, but the original Repertoire disc does sound a bit better thanks to its lower level of compression.

The big deal of this reissue, though, isn't the album, but the copious amount of bonus tracks included. While most of them sound more than a little wonky (probably as a result of overprocessing, although if some come from acetate sources it's somewhat understandable), they're also pretty fantastic from a content-standpoint; while Pete Townshend's songwriting process has been meticulously documented from both official and unofficial angles, John's creative path was always far more shrouded. While most of the demos included on the disc are clearly inferior to the finished tracks, they serve to demonstrate how John went about building up his tracks. "What Kind of People Are They" is essentially just bass and horns, while "Pick Me Up" and "No. 29" both feature an interesting drum (machine?) accompaniment. I'd gladly buy a boxed-set of stuff like this. Please?

The previously unreleased songs are more of a mixed bag. "The Haunted Can Be Free" and "World Behind My Face" are fun, but nothing special. "It's Hard to Write a Love Song," (no relation to "Drowning") though, is a real treat...it rambles, but it sounds like it could've easily fit on the album had it received an arrangement.

So why not five stars? Because while the bonuses are nice, it's the *album* that matters most. For one, sound-quality issues keep this from being the best iteration of the album. Additionally, the decision to go with the "rougher" mix of the album is puzzling, as I find the more polished mix of "My Size" on the Sundazed disc to be far superior to this version. Would it've been so hard to include both mixes where they differed? Worse yet, like the Repertoire CD before it, this is *missing* the "soft vocal" version of "What Are We Doing Here," which resides as a bonus track on the Sundazed disc (and is the version used on Rhino's hits comp). What the heck? Why isn't it here?

Verdict: The bonus tracks are nifty. That said, if you don't particular care about Entwistle scraps...well, do yourself a favor, and track down the Sundazed version of the album, which is probably a) cheaper, b) easier to find, and c) a better *album* than this.