John Entwistle had been writing tunes since the Who's second album, the majority of them coming out as album cuts or as B-sides of singles. But in the early '70s, with the Who becoming even less of an outlet for his songwriting talents, Entwistle forged ahead with his first solo album, Smash Your Head Against the Wall. Musically, it has much of a Who flavor to it, with the strong guitar work, lumbering drums and basslines that define the music. But Entwistle's many talents (he contributes an entire horn section to "Pick Me Up") surface on this debut disc, and his preoccupation with darker subject matter ("Heaven and Hell," "My Size," and "You're Mine") is well to the fore. Compared to this, Townshend's grimmest Who material sounds like a romp in the park. Potent stuff. ~ Cub Koda

Rovi