Mad Dog (album)
Mad Dog is the fourth solo studio album by the bassist for The Who, John Entwistle, and his last for six years, and the debut album by his band John Entwistle's Ox.
| Mad Dog | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1975 | |||
| Studio | Novasound Studios, London, England and Scorpio Studios, London, England | |||
| Genre |
| |||
| Length | 36:39 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Producer | John Alcock, John Entwistle | |||
| John Entwistle's Ox chronology | ||||
| ||||
Mad Dog didn't generate much interest, either in sales or among fans, in what sounded like and is often referred as to by fans as "The Son of" Rigor Mortis a second volume of Rock & Roll pastiches rubbing shoulders with items of dubious taste.
His next solo album Too Late the Hero would become his most successful while Mad Dog was his least successful solo album until the release of The Rock.
The song "Cell Number 7", (which is a close relation to The Who's "Long Live Rock") detailed The Who's then recent brush with Canadian justice in 1974 after a hotel wrecking spree in Montreal while on their Quadrophenia tour.[1]
Critical reception
AllMusic said that the album "Is enjoyable in short bursts, but it also makes a good case for the conventional wisdom that even the best bass players are only so-so as band leaders.",[2] Allmusic also said that "He can't seem to tell his good jokes from the ones that sink without a trace, he sets his best songs right beside numbers that would have been best left in the rehearsal space, and for a guy who was one-third of England's greatest power trio (plus vocalist), he doesn't always know what to do with a large band."[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B–[4] |
Track listing
All tracks composed by John Entwistle, except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Fall to Pieces" | 3:55 | |
| 2. | "Cell Number 7" | John Entwistle, Tony Ashton | 4:02 |
| 3. | "You Can Be So Mean" | 3:55 | |
| 4. | "Lady Killer" | 3:29 | |
| 5. | "Who in the Hell?" | 3:34 | |
| 6. | "Mad Dog" | 5:27 | |
| 7. | "Jungle Bunny" | John Entwistle, Graham Deakin | 4:03 |
| 8. | "I'm So Scared" | 4:01 | |
| 9. | "Drowning" | 4:41 |
Bonus tracks (2005 reissue)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mad Dog" (Single mix) | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Cell Number 7" (Single mix) | 4:07 |
Personnel
- John Entwistle - lead vocals, bass guitar, 8-string bass guitar, synthesizer
- Eddie Jobson - piano, violin
- Tony Ashton - piano
- Howie Casey - tenor saxophone
- Dave Caswell - trumpet
- Doreen Chanter - background vocals
- Irene Chanter - background vocals
- Graham Deakin - drums, percussion
- Juanita "Honey" Franklin - background vocals
- Nashville Katz - string arrangements
- John Mealing - piano
- John Mumford - trombone
- Dick Parry - baritone saxophone
- Jim Ryan - guitar
- Mike Wedgwood - guitar, string arrangements
- Robert A. Johnson - guitar (2, 6, 7)
- Mike Deacon - piano (2)
References
- Arresthttp://www.allmusic.com/album/mad-dog-mw0000020376
- http://www.allmusic.com/album/mad-dog-mw0000020376
- http://www.allmusic.com/album/mad-dog-mw0000020376
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: E". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.