Record Reviews

T. REX ~ T. REX (DELUXE EDITION) A&M 600753473221 (Barcode: 600753473221) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the British group T. RexFind albums by this artist, which in fact is a second incarnation of the duo Tyrannosaurus RexFind albums by this artist, founded by singer / guitarist / songwriter / poet Marc BolanFind albums by this artist. Initially it included only Bolan´s partner from Tyrannosaurus Rex, Mickey FinnFind albums by this artist, but was later expanded to a quartet. This edition of the album includes a plethora of bonus tracks, including radio broadcasts, home recorded demos and alternate takes of the album tracks and more than triples the playing time of the original album. The music on this album presents the transformation of the group from its almost anarchistic roots of Psychedelia, poetic suites with complex verses and lots of weirdness into a wide audience oriented sleek hits producing machine and fashion setting Glam act, which the group was to become in its immediate future. Although the album itself does not include any hits, the bonus tracks include the first hit single, which brought T. Rex (almost) to the top, "Ride A White Swan", which reached number two on the British charts. From now on everything was a rollercoaster with Bolan at the steering wheel, writing all the music and the lyrics. He managed to stay at the centre of attention right up to his tragic and unnecessary death in 1977. Bolan´s friendship with David BowieFind albums by this artist and their occasional musical cooperation was not incidental. They both shared a love of the eccentric and both were trend setters. Bolan and Bowie also shared their manager (Tony HowardFind albums by this artist) and producer (Tony ViscontiFind albums by this artist) which made things easier. Bolan was among the first British stars to expand the usual Rock appearance with the vaudeville tradition, wearing colorful, often outrageous garments and using heavy makeup, similar to what Bowie and slightly later Elton JohnFind albums by this artist would also do as part of their act. Therefore he is often credited with the initiation of Glam Rock movement, which later on contributed also to the formation of the Punk culture, as means of protest against the glittering decadence. Musically this album is a bit weaker that the four Tyrannosaurus Rex albums, which were completely innovative and uncensored, taking the listener by complete surprise if not giving him a shock treatment. The slicker production tricks, overdubs and improved vocals made everything definitely easier to swallow but at the same time much of the magic was lost in the process. On the other hand the songs themselves don´t have the zest and catchiness which was part of the later material. As stated earlier, a transitional album, which is a historic document more than it is a source of musical delights, but certainly worth revisiting.

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TYRANNOSAURUS REX ~ A BEARD OF STARS (DELUXE EDITION) A&M 600753473290 (Barcode: 600753473290) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2014 This is the fourth and last album by the British duo Tyrannosaurus RexFind albums by this artist, founded by singer / guitarist / songwriter Marc BolanFind albums by this artist after his previous band called John`s ChildrenFind albums by this artist collapsed. The duo, which included Bolan and percussionist Steve Peregrin TookFind albums by this artist, recorded the three earlier albums, and Took was later replaced by Mickey FinnFind albums by this artist, who appears on this album. This edition of the album includes a plethora of bonus tracks, including radio broadcasts, home recorded demos and alternate takes of the album tracks and more than triples the playing time of the original album. The music of Tyrannosaurus Rex was a strange amalgam of Folk, Psychedelia, Avant-Garde and Rock, completely outlandish and different from almost anything else on the British scene at the time. Bolan, who had one of the prettiest faces among his musical peers, which resulted eventually in his idol status among the young ladies of the time, was also blessed with probably the most appalling voice, which could wake dead listeners and sounded off tune at all times. And yet, as the saying goes, that peculiar voice was so ugly it became beautiful. On this album the music is slightly more accessible that the earlier material, with extensive usage of electric guitar, which also sounds quite weird by the way, and more Rocky rhythms, resulting in more listeners getting interested in the group´s music, which would later turn into a raging success, after Bolan changed the name of the group to T. RexFind albums by this artist and released several highly successful albums in the early 1970s, which pioneered Glam Rock and even Punk to some extent. The Tyrannosaurus Rex recordings are a wonderful example of the times they were recorded in, when Major record labels recorded completely non-commercial material and supported the artists all the way. The freedom of artistic expression was never in better shape and sadly disappeared soon after when the corporate management methods started to call the shots. In retrospect this was a musical experiment more than anything else. Regardless of the actual musical value of this music, its historical importance signifies open-mindedness, experimentation and courage to express your ideas, all the qualities that contemporary music lacks so badly.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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TYRANNOSAURUS REX ~ A BEARD OF STARS (EXPANDED EDITION) A&M 9822512 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2004 This is the fourth and last album by Tyrannosaurus RexFind albums by this artist. It marks a certain change in the stylistic approach, being closer to rock and using electric instruments. Mickey FinnFind albums by this artist replaced the original percussion player on this album and additional instruments were used to create a richer sound, but the link to the acoustic material and the mystical / Avant-Garde approach is still very strong of course. Some of the songs are somewhat more accessible, but the overall effect remains unique all-Mark BolanFind albums by this artist craziness. Following the release of this album Bolan took a sharp turn, when he renamed his band to T. RexFind albums by this artist and became a most successful artist in the early 1970’s, being one of the pioneers of Glam Rock. However, his Tyrannosaurus Rex years are still a beautiful musical experiment in retrospect and the reissue of this album is most welcome. The expanded edition more than doubles the contents of the original album and is definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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TYRANNOSAURUS REX ~ UNICORN (DELUXE EDITION) A&M 600753539170 (Barcode: 600753539170) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2014 This is the third album by the British duo Tyrannosaurus RexFind albums by this artist, founded and led by singer / guitarist / songwriter / poet Marc BolanFind albums by this artist, and the last to include the founding member, percussionist Steve Peregrin TookFind albums by this artist. Bolan was one of Britain´s most idiosyncratic and prophetic Pop stars and his short stay on this earth (he died tragically in a car accident a couple of weeks before his thirtieth birthday) was comparable to a comet passing us by. Released again just a few months after its predecessor, this album marks a continuous process of development and gradual change in the duo´s sound and aesthetic approach. The most obvious change is the use of electric guitar by Bolan and a full drum set by Took, as well as introduction of other instruments, like the piano, harmonium, bass guitar and studio sound effects. All these new elements create a bigger and more diverse overall sound, slightly moving away from the initial folksy / acoustic ambience. Overall this album is solid effort, definitely more accessible to a wider audience than the first two releases, with more of clear melodic content, vocal harmonies, instrumental hooks and so on. However this was still highly individual and original music, which had no parallel on the scene. The group enjoyed commercial success and toured heavily, playing bigger venues. This took a tall on the relationships between Bolan and Took, eventually leading to Took´s departure, who was replaced by Mickey FinnFind albums by this artist. The three albums Bolan and Took recorded together remain as some of the most interesting, original, unique music ever recorded and in retrospect are a document of a brief time slot, which never again allowed for an explosion of creativity of such magnitude. This Deluxe Edition includes a plethora of bonus material, almost quadrupling the original album´s contents, including BBC sessions, interviews, stereo version of the original mono album, alternate takes, demos for the next album, singles, etc. The accompanying booklet includes an essay by Boland´s biographer Mark PaytressFind albums by this artist, the album´s songs lyrics and a many wonderful photographs, justifying the reissue effort in full.

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TYRANNOSAURUS REX ~ UNICORN (EXPANDED EDITION) A&M 9822511 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1968 - 1969 Released: 2004 This is the third album by Tyrannosaurus RexFind albums by this artist and the last to feature the original Mark BolanFind albums by this artist / Steve Peregrin TookFind albums by this artist lineup. Shortly after this album was released and then toured the US for the first time the tensions between Bolan and Took resulted in Took being replaced by Mickey FinnFind albums by this artist. The band expands the basic sound by Bolan using electric guitar for the first time and Took using the full drum set in addition to the percussion instruments. The musical formula remains similar to the previous albums – a mixture of folk, Psychedelic influences and Fantasy (Bolan’s obsession with the writings of J.R.R. TolkienFind albums by this artist). It is all a strange brew, esoteric and enchanting, absolutely unique and sounding surprisingly fresh after all those years. The expanded edition more than doubles the contents of the original album and is splendidly remastered.

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