Search - John Entwistle :: Whistle Rymes

Amazing second effort by The Who bassist

David Goodwin | Westchester, NY United States | 02/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"(the star rating is indicative of reissue quality, and not necessarily of musical quality. If I were ranking WR based on music alone, it would easily get a five out of five)



John Entwistle's first solo album, the lumbering, so-dark-it-might-as-well-be-Black-Sabbath "Smash Your Head Against the Wall," was an unqualified artistic success. It's to his credit, then, that he didn't repeat the same formula for "Whistle Rymes," his second and (unfortunately) last truly excellent solo effort.



The other reviewers have covered the musical bases thus far, so I'll avoid travelling the same path. In brief, however: the production is more varied, the sidemen are excellent, and the songwriting is superb, ranging from one of the greatest break-up songs of all time ("I Feel Better") to the rollicking "Ten Little Friends." If you're at all a fan of Entwistle's efforts for The Who, you will absolutely adore this record.



The Castle/Sanctuary 2005 reissue of "Whistle Rymes" marks the third time the album has seen CD format: competing discs by Repertoire and Sundazed (which were practically identical) were the prior entries in the marketplace. Thanks to a moderate dose of compression applied to this release, the two prior efforts sound a bit better, and none of the three compact disc issues quite mimics the bass-heavy sound of the original LP.



The chief attractions of this reissue, though, are the new liner notes and ample bonus tracks. The liners are fun, although my disc's booklet puzzlingly omitted a lot of punctuation marks (specifically, apostrophes and whatnot). The bonus tracks continue in the vein of those from the "Smash" reissue by mixing demo tracks (FINALLY!) with some genuinely unreleased songs, albeit also in demo form. Here, we get a sparser "I Wonder," and rough versions of "Back on the Road" and "Countryside Boogie" (the latter two would be recorded in superior versions in the late 1970s). The true gem here, however, is "All Dressed Up," an absolutely astounding track--with a great pun in its conclusion--that really should've made the actual album.



Verdict: Whistle Rymes is a great album, and those without specific sound-quality quibbles will be well-served by this reissue, which presents the most complete package thus far. Don't junk your Sundazed/Repertoire discs just yet, though."

Dated, but still good

Jeremy Diringer | Fredonia, New York, USA | 04/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought John Entwistle's first solo album, and I discovered I had unearthed a rare hard rock gem--a great album by a man who had been stuck in the shadow of his group's more established and prolific songwriter (see George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" for another example). After buying the sub-par "Rigor Mortis Sets In" (and regretting it), I gave this album a try.



While not as strong (or hard-hitting) as his solo debut, "Whistle Rymes" is still a good album, and those who enjoy Entwistle's wit and shout-singing style won't be disappointed. The reverb-heavy and overly-shiny production and rinky tink piano haven't aged too well, and the occasional indulgence slips in; the cheesy synth-bass on "Thinkin' It Over" detracts from an otherwise fine exercise in black humour. Some listeners may find the album improved if they skip "Nightmare"--a rather unfortunate culmination of clonking piano and irritating faux-spooky synthesizers that drags on for six excruciating minutes. Much like the lyrics, "it doesn't feel like it's ever gonna stop."



In spite of these complaints, it's still a good album and worth a listen, and most likely a purchase by any Who fans. The lyrical wit is as dark as ever, from indecisive suicide jumpers ("Thinkin' It Over") to the portrait a self-pitying mama's boy ("Apron Strings"), to one of the most vitriolic break-up songs ever set to record, with such lyrics as "When I'm feelin' sad/I remember you were the worst lay/I ever had, and I feel better" ("I Feel Better"). And there's a situation we've all experienced: trying to explain to a girl how we didn't really think she was a prostitute when we tried to pick her up ("I Was Just Being Friendly").



Overall, this is less of a hard-rock album than the debut, sounding more like the kind of warped pop of 'Nilsson Schmilsson/Son of Schmilsson' than an early, rough-and-tumble Who album. I would recommend buying 'Smash Your Head Against the Wall' first, and if you're willing to accept a slightly of-its-time sound with the same dark lyrical wit, you'll find this album worth your money."

They just don't make 'em like this anymore....

Tony Musto | Pittston, PA United States | 07/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion, and I've owned this on vinyl since it was released in the early 70s, this album is just as good, and in many cases even better, as anything in the entire Who catalog. Entwistle really sang and played his heart out on this release, with keen songwriting and some stellar guest performances. John Entwistle came up with a magical gem here...not to be missed by any fan of the real thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"