Record Reviews

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 ~ MY PEOPLE WERE FAIR AND HAD SKY IN THEIR HAIR… (DELUXE EDITION) A&M 600753538876 (Barcode: 600753538876) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2014 This is the debut 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, which also included 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. Blessed by a highly unusual voice Bolan was involved in music since his early school days, first coming to wider attention as a member of the short-lived group John`s ChildrenFind albums by this artist. After the group fell apart Bolan formed Tyrannosaurus Rex, a duo playing and singing a weird mixture of Folk and Psychedelia, which was completely unique and Avant-Garde, even for the Flower Power era. "Adopted" by the American (who just moved to England) producer Tony ViscontiFind albums by this artist, who encouraged Bolan and produced almost all his albums, the duo recorded four sensational albums before shortening their name to T. RexFind albums by this artist, which later became one of the pioneers of British Glam Rock and brought Bolan fame and fortune. The fact that albums such as this one were released by a major record label and even managed to achieve chart success is a wonderful document of the short period of time, when anything could happen on the music scene and of course the incredible musical creativity that flourished at the time. Some critics see in this album the last part of the great Psychedelic Trilogy, which started with DonovanFind albums by this artist´s "A Gift From A Flower To A GardenFind albums with this title" and continued with Pink FloydFind albums by this artist´s "The Piper At The Gates Of DawnFind albums with this title". This might be a little exaggerated, but the days when such Avant-Garde music, which featured bizarre vocals, chanting, gibberish, associative poetry and a full blown Psychedelic aura was accepted as "normal" by the majority of listeners were definitely miraculous and sadly very short-lived. Because of its uniqueness the music on this album is completely timeless and lost absolutely nothing of its effectiveness and beauty over time. Of course if it was released today, the number of people ready to give it an ear would probably be infinitesimal. This Deluxe Edition includes a plethora of bonus material, almost quadrupling the original album´s contents, including BBC sessions recorded before the debut album was recorded and other BBC material, stereo version of the original mono album, home demos 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.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

TYRANNOSAURUS REX ~ PROPHETS, SEERS & SAGES THE ANGELS OF THE AGES (DELUXE EDITION) A&M 600753538234 (Barcode: 600753538234) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2014 This is the second 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, which also included 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 just a few months after the debut, this album is a natural continuation of the stylistic and aesthetic approach initiated there, but in many respects it offers a more focused, better recorded and certainly better written material. Bolan´s unique voice and the duo´s unprecedented delivery has crystallized with this second outing, eliminating the "one hit wonder" status that many music critics tried to apply to the duo with the release of their debut. Both musically and textually the duo´s material remains completely unconventional and uncompromising, as appropriate for true Avant-Garde. A mixture of Folk, Psychedelia and Bolan´s weirdness, the music is dissimilar from anything happening at the time on the British scene, and it precedes the ComusFind albums by this artist debut album, which is the closest kin of this music, by a couple of years. Bolan´s lyrics / poetry developed swiftly and his tests are definitely more complex and intricate then on the debut album, still including Fantasy references, but becoming more and more personal. Overall this album is a more solid effort than the debut, but of course it lacks the element of surprise and novelty that the debut created. In retrospect it is still a gem worthy of revisiting and an important document of the time when it was created, which was about the only time such bizarre material had a chance of acceptance and even certain commercial success. This Deluxe Edition includes a plethora of bonus material, almost quadrupling the original album´s contents, including BBC sessions, interviews and other BBC material, stereo version of the original mono album, alternate takes, 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.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

TYRANNOSAURUS REX ~ PROPHETS, SEERS & SAGES THE ANGELS OF THE AGES (EXPANDED EDITION) A&M 9822510 ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2004 This is the second album by one of the most interesting UK groups Tyrannosaurus RexFind albums by this artist, sadly quite neglected as far as most Prog fans are concerned. Formed by singer / guitarist / songwriter Marc BolanFind albums by this artist after leaving his first group - John`s ChildrenFind albums by this artist, Tyrannosaurus Rex was basically a duo: Bolan and percussion player Steve Peregrin TookFind albums by this artist (a pseudonym of course and a character in J.R.R. TolkienFind albums by this artist’s novels). They played a completely unique kind of British folk heavily spiced with Psychedelic influences. Their usage of Avant-Garde techniques (loops, backward tracks, random noises, gibberish, nonsense, etc.) puts them on the forefront of the most adventurous music makes of the era. Bolan’s unusual voice and singing / phrasing remain unmatched to this very day (the closest that comes to mind is the gorgeous debut album by ComusFind albums by this artist). The lyrics, mostly based on mystery and literature (Bolan must have been the first musician to be obsessed with Tolkien’s work), are often incomprehensible, which of course makes then even more enjoyable. In short this is a lost classic, finally available again – the expanded edition more than doubles the contents of the original album. Highly recommended to the more adventurous listener.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

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.

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend