Left for Live: Deluxe
Before there wasMarilyn Manson,Rob Zombie, or evenAlice Cooper, bassist extraordinaire John Entwistle was casting dark jollities like "Boris the Spider" and "Whiskey Man" into theWho's early repertoire. This live 24-song double-disc chronicles the final incarnation of the John Entwistle Band on its typically bannered Left for Dead--The Sequel Tour of ‘98-‘99. The complete set documented here leans heavily on his considerable Who contributions, with Entwistle and band (Steve Luongo on drums, Godfrey Townsend on guitar, and Gordon Cotton on keys) powering their way through a rumbling set that reaffirms Entwistle's status as the gleeful Godfather of Gloom. If the music sometimes seem stuck in '80s big-guitar rock, its sheer fury and occasional prog-ish reworkings of staples like "Boris" make it a compelling, in-your-face eulogy (Entwistle died on the eve of the Who’s ’02 tour) for the otherwise quiet man who was arguably rock's greatest bass player.--Jerry McCulley