Having recorded as Tyrannosaurus Rex since the mid-1960s, frontman, lyricist, poet and guitarist Marc Bolan entered the new decade with a new sound, a new band and a new, foreshortened name – ‘T. Rex’. In the process, he became Britain’s first new superstar of the seventies, embarking upon a breathtaking run of hit singles and studio albums that demonstrated his restless muse and showcased constant genre-defying creativity.
1970’s ‘T. Rex’ came in the wake of the chart success of ‘Ride A White Swan’ and formed a sonic bridge between the Tyrannosaurus Rex sound and a new electric glam that would bring him superstardom. The follow up, 1971’s all-time classic ‘Electric Warrior’ followed, a classics-packed collection of songs that included ‘Life’s A Gas’, ‘Jeepster’, ‘Get It On’ and ‘Cosmic Dancer’.
1972’s ‘The Slider’ was released at the peak of T. Rex mania (“T.Rexstasy”!) and delivered two UK No. 1 singles in the form of ‘Telegram Sam’ and ‘Metal Guru’, while 1973’s ‘Tanx’ pushed all the glam faders into the red on one of the most exciting rock albums of the decade.
1974’s ‘Zinc Alloy’ saw Bolan’s interest on the move, into a frenetic, more electric-soul glam sound with the introduction of R&B influences including funky keyboards and the gospel-sounding ‘Cosmic Choir’. Moving on again, 1975’s ‘Bolan’s Zip Gun’ caught the prevailing zeitgeist, channelling Bolan’s sound at times with a proto=Punk back-to-basics approach.
1976’s gorgeous ‘Futuristic Dragon’ was a late T. Rex classic, a mature and confident collection of timeless hooks and effortless melodies (including the hit single ‘New York City’). Finally, on further chart singles like ‘I Love To Boogie’ and ‘Light Of Love’ the last studio album before Bolan’s untimely death, 1977’s ‘Dandy In The Underworld’ still stands as a reminder of a huge talent the music world lost way too soon.
1970’s ‘T. Rex’ came in the wake of the chart success of ‘Ride A White Swan’ and formed a sonic bridge between the Tyrannosaurus Rex sound and a new electric glam that would bring him superstardom. The follow up, 1971’s all-time classic ‘Electric Warrior’ followed, a classics-packed collection of songs that included ‘Life’s A Gas’, ‘Jeepster’, ‘Get It On’ and ‘Cosmic Dancer’.
1972’s ‘The Slider’ was released at the peak of T. Rex mania (“T.Rexstasy”!) and delivered two UK No. 1 singles in the form of ‘Telegram Sam’ and ‘Metal Guru’, while 1973’s ‘Tanx’ pushed all the glam faders into the red on one of the most exciting rock albums of the decade.
1974’s ‘Zinc Alloy’ saw Bolan’s interest on the move, into a frenetic, more electric-soul glam sound with the introduction of R&B influences including funky keyboards and the gospel-sounding ‘Cosmic Choir’. Moving on again, 1975’s ‘Bolan’s Zip Gun’ caught the prevailing zeitgeist, channelling Bolan’s sound at times with a proto=Punk back-to-basics approach.
1976’s gorgeous ‘Futuristic Dragon’ was a late T. Rex classic, a mature and confident collection of timeless hooks and effortless melodies (including the hit single ‘New York City’). Finally, on further chart singles like ‘I Love To Boogie’ and ‘Light Of Love’ the last studio album before Bolan’s untimely death, 1977’s ‘Dandy In The Underworld’ still stands as a reminder of a huge talent the music world lost way too soon.
TRACK LISTING
LP/CD1 - T. REX
LP/CD2 - ELECTRIC WARRIOR
LP/CD3 - THE SLIDER
LP/CD4 - TANX
LP/CD5 - ZINC ALLOY
LP/CD6 - BOLAN’S ZIP GUN
LP/CD7 - FUTURISTIC DRAGON
LP/CD8 - DANDY IN THE UNDERWORLD