The Who’s true lead guitarist, according to Pete Townshend
Bass guitarists are rarely afforded the same reverence as their six-stringed counterparts, particularly within the world of rock and roll. Generally, the attention is placed upon the lead guitarist and singer rather than the lowly rhythm section hanging around at the back of the stage. This reductive view of the musical landscape means that certain figures, such as The Who’s pioneering bassist John Entwistle.
It was Pete Townshend who took the bulk of notoriety when it came to The Who, and it is easy to see why. Not only did Townshend have a strong, recognisable image and captivating performance style, he also penned the majority of The Who’s biggest hits, including early triumphs like ‘I Can’t Explain’ and ‘My Generation’. Although every member of the band pitched in on the songwriting at one point or another, it was Townshend’s efforts that put The Who on the musical map.
With his windmill guitar strumming and tendency to destroy his equipment at the end of every gig, Townshend quickly became one of rock’s defining guitarists, inspiring countless future generations to pick up a six-string and cause some destruction. In contrast, John Entwistle was rarely afforded a similar reputation.
While the rest of the band destroyed and blew up their equipment on that famous appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967, Entwistle can be seen at the side of the stage clutching his precious bass from the destruction. Despite this image of Entwistle as an overlooked aspect of The Who, his bass playing was an utterly essential aspect of the band’s enduring success.
Even on those early records, like ‘My Generation’, the bassist’s solo forms a core part of the track’s appeal. Throughout the band’s discography, Entwistle furthered these incredible bass licks and even wrote some fan-favourite tracks like ‘Boris The Spider’, yet he remained largely overlooked aside from a cult following of bass fanatics.
Townshend himself recognised the ridiculousness of this image discrepancy. Speaking in a 1980 issue of Sound International, the iconic guitarist declared, “John is the lead guitar player and, although I’m not the bass player, he does produce a hell of a lot of the lead work.” Seemingly, Entwistle was as essential to the legendary guitar riffs of Townshend as the guitarist himself, and the bassist’s influence permeated through every aspect of the band’s existence.
Continuing in his glowing praise of his friend and bandmate, Townshend highlighted the band’s 1976 single ‘Dreaming From The Waist’ as a key example of Entwistle’s excellence. “It’s really funny to this day where you get a song like ‘Dreaming From The Waist’ when John is doing this blinding bass solo and making Alvin Lee look like he plays in slow motion, and I’m just standing there strumming a chord.”
While Townshend is certainly at risk of downplaying his own importance within the band during that quote, it is true that Entwistle seemed to evade the spotlight despite being an arguably more exciting player than Townshend. Still, he remains an essential aspect of the band’s beloved sound and continues to be hailed as a god by bass fanatics to this day.
