The Ox

Ten years ago today, the music world lost one of the true Maestros - John Alec Entwistle, aka "The Ox."


It is impossible for me to adequately relate the impact JAE had on my life; suffice to say it was considerable.  Along with the late great Dee Murray, John was literally my introduction to the symbiotic relationship between bassists and drummers.  The first two records my brother and I ever owned were Who's Next, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and both were to have enormous impact on me as I matured.


JAE quite simply re-defined the bass as an instrument of the virtuoso, rather than merely being a slightly more melodic version of the drums / basic timekeeping instrument.  His singing, songwriting and black-humor skills were not lost on me either, and all would eventually manifest in my own makeup as I got older.  I soon picked up on John's contemporaries and disciples, which is how I came to know and love the likes of Jaco Pastorius, Jack Bruce, Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones - and even {gasp!} Carole Kaye.


Since virtually all the bassists mentioned worked with top-shelf drummers, I had all the basic materials I needed to embark on my master's course in musicianship, a wonderful education that continues to this day.  Then as now, JAE remains near the epicenter, the key that originally unlocked and opened the door for me.  Although I don't play the same instrument, I have nonetheless gleaned a large chunk of my musical knowledge and understanding at the foot of John's impressive body of work.  I was also fortunate to see him in concert several times before he passed away, both with The Who, and on his own.


Ironically, John's passing sparked off an amazing period in my  life that led me to Love and a resurgence of my own musical endeavors.  I quietly attended my first-ever play at Back Street a weekend or two after the Ox died, but didn't really follow up on it.  I think it had something to do with the lack of response my then-guitarist and I got from playing "Summertime Blues," and "Listening to You {See Me, Feel Me}" just as the Who did - loud, fast, and crazy.  Buffalo Bob didn't say anything about it at the time, but I'd like to think he at least appreciated the gesture - he certainly has no complaints about my mess today!!


I miss the Ox just as much now as I did ten years ago.  John died just four months after I lost my own Father, and I still bear the many scars from both losses.  However, in yet another ironic twist, this 10th anniversary of the Ox's passing coincides with the beginnings of what could likely be another powerful resurgence within my personal and musical life.  The process has already begun, but there's still a l-o-n-g way to go before I'll be reasonably settled.  My online time here and on Facebook will remain somewhat sporadic for the next several weeks at least, but there's a lot more hope and optimism than when I last posted a couple days ago.



As such, I'd like to ask all and sundry here to please be patient, and keep your eyes peeled for new postings.  I'm working as hard and as fast as I can to achieve a measure of stability.  The next few weeks will be the hardest, but there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.  In the meantime, why don't y'all join me in celebrating John's memory the good old-fashioned way - with THIS:

More shortly.........................