Smash Your Head Against the Wall

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Smash Your Head Against The Wall
Studio album by John Entwistle
Released	May, 1971
Genre	Rock
Length	37:34
Producer	John Entwistle
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
John Entwistle chronology
Smash Your Head Against the Wall (1971) Whistle Rymes (1972)

Smash Your Head Against the Wall is the debut solo album by John Entwistle of The Who, released on Track Records. Its bizarre cover strangely resembles an Egyptian sarcophagus - but it is in fact Entwistle wearing a death mask while looking through the chest X-ray of a lung cancer patient, a parody of anti-smoking advertisements of the era.

The album itself offers a more downbeat and aggressive view of life than even the Who had to offer at their most pessimistic, as witnessed in the title track (aka "My Size"), and the closing track, "I Believe In Everything", which ends with a seemingly impromptu chorus of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", to end a sometimes uncompromising album on an unexpectedly happy note. The album also features a remake of Entwistle's Who classic "Heaven and Hell" with Who roadie Cyrano Langston providing some acid-drenched guitar. Who bandmate Pete Townshend once said about the album, "We learned more about John from him making an album than we did in all the years he'd ever played bass with us", a reference to both his quiet demeanor and his then-mostly unknown capabilities as a songwriter.

The demo of the song "It's Hard to Write a Love Song" that is included as a bonus track on the 2005 reissue, would later develop into the song "Drowning" on the 1975 album, Mad Dog.

Keith Moon, Vivian Stanshall and Neil Innes all make guest appearances.

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Entwistle; except where indicated

1. "My Size"
2. "Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)"
3. "What Are We Doing Here?"
4. "What Kind of People Are They?"
5. "Heaven and Hell"
6. "Ted End"
7. "You're Mine"
8. "No. 29 (External Youth)"
9. "I Believe in Everything"

Bonus tracks

10. "Cinnamon Girl" (Neil Young) (Previously released out-take)
11. "It's Hard to Write a Love Song" (demo)
12. "The Haunted Can Be Free" (demo)
13. "World Behind My Face" (demo)
14. "My Size" (early take)
15. "What Kind of People Are They?" (demo)
16. "Pick Me Up (Big Chicken)" (demo)
17. "No. 29 (External Youth)" (demo)
18. "Ted End" (demo)

Personnel

• John Entwistle - Lead Vocals, backing vocals, Bass, Brass, percussion, Piano, keyboards
• Dave "Cyrano" Langston - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals
• Jerry Shirley - drums, Percussion
• Keith Moon - Percussion, Backing Vocals
• Neil Innes - Percussion, Backing Vocals