The Ox, Paul Rees
The Ox, Paul Rees
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The Ox
The Authorized Biography of The Who's John Entwistle

Author: Paul Rees

Narrator: Thomas Judd

Unabridged: 9 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 04/07/2020


Synopsis

Unearth a piece of music history with this definitive, no-holds-barred biography of John Entwistle, The Who's legendary bass guitarist.

It is an unequivocal fact that in terms of rock bands, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who represent Year Zero, the beginning of all things, ground-breakers all. To that incontrovertible end, John Entwistle—The Who's beloved bassist—remains an enigmatic yet undeniably influential figure. However, unlike his fellow musicians, Entwistle has yet to be the subject of a major biography. In the years since his death, his enduring legacy has been carefully guarded by his loved ones, preventing potential biographers from writing the definitive account of his life-until now. For the first time, and with the full cooperation of the Entwistle family, The Ox shines a long overdue light on one of the most important figures in rock history.

Drawing on his own notes for his unfinished autobiography, as well as his personal archives and interviews with his family and friends, The Ox gives readers a never-before-seen glimpse into Entwistle's two very distinct poles. On the one hand, he was the rock star incarnate—larger than life, self-obsessed to a fault, and proudly and almost defiantly so. Extravagant with money, he famously shipped vintage American cars across the Atlantic without having so much as a driver's license, built progressively bigger and more grandiose bars into every home he owned, and amassed an extraordinary collection of possessions, from armor and weaponry to his trademark Cuban-heel boots. But beneath this fame and flutter, he was also a man of simple tastes and traditional opinions. He was a devoted father and family man who loved nothing more than to wake up to a full English breakfast or to have a supper of fish, chips, and a pint at his local pub.

After his untimely death, many of these stories were shuttered away into the memories of his family and friends. At long last, The Ox introduces us to the man behind the myth—the iconic and inimitable John Entwistle.  

About Paul Rees

Paul Rees has written about music for more than twenty years. He has interviewed everyone from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna to Bono, Take That, and AC/DC. His work has appeared in many publications, including the Sunday Times Culture, the Telegraph, the Independent, and the Evening Standard. He was also editor of two of the UK's most successful and long-standing music publications, Q magazine and Kerrang!, for a total of twelve years. He lives in England.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jen

As biographies go, this one was a touch thin on actual material on Entwistle himself. His personal notes that were included definitely had his wit and intellect. There just wasn’t enough. His first wife also provided such genuine insight. Precious few other sources in the book had anything real to o......more

Goodreads review by Chloe

Honestly, kind of a sad read. John Entwistle lived a hard, fast life, partying from the beginning of his rock career straight through to the very end. One could argue that while he didn’t have a ton of control over himself at any point, things became much worse after the passing of John’s best frien......more

Goodreads review by Kate

In my love of rock bios and memoirs, I've read Who Am I by Pete Townshend, Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite by Roger Daltrey, and now, The Ox, which is the authorized biography of John Entwistle (all members of The Who). As soon as this book was announced, I knew I had to read it--just because. As a mu......more

Goodreads review by Michael

I was taking guitar lessons as a 13 year old in 1979 when I went with cousins to see 'The Kids are Alright' ... and within a month I'd bought myself a bass and a small amp and had switched my lessons to playing the bass - all because of watching what John Entwistle was doing in that film. So I was an......more


Quotes

VINYL, "The Top 20 New Music Books"

"A rollicking new biography reveals."—Daily Mail

"A must for any Who Fan, and a highly entertaining read."—Houston Press

"if you're looking for something worthwhile to read...Hachette Books has just released THE OX."—No Treble