The Early Years
stuntweasel | 01/01/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Of the seemingly endless number of Marc Bolan and T.Rex collections out there, this one is just about the best as far as covering the early years up to and including Electric Warrior. Here we get a good overvue of Bolan's metamorphasis from mystical, Tolkien-obsessed hippie, through the genesis of T.Rex as an electric hit-maker. Definitely 5 stars for any Bolanite. Maybe 4 stars for the casual listener, depending on how much you buy into the somewhat esoteric folkie-bongo stuff. Tracks 1-13 focus heavily on the first 4 acoustic albums, highlighted by Bolan's first single, "Debora." There is also the re-make of "Cat Black", with the lyrics changed to fit the mythical motifs of early Tyrannasaurus Rex. Once you hit track 14, you start to get into the transformation with Bolan shedding the hippie schtick and returning to his roots with electricity. Here we have the first electric T.Rex song, "King of the Rumbling Spires." Also present are the 2 singles that lifted T.Rex from cult status to stardom: "Ride a White Swan" and "Hot Love" - the first and second in a long string of hits that kicked off Bolan's incredible run on the UK charts. And, for those who don't own Electric Warrior (shame on you), you get "Cosmic Dancer", "Jeepster" and the obligatory "Get It On." But for Bolan aficionados, the special treat here is the final track, "The Children of Rarn Suite" - just a sketch of what would have been Bolan's most ambitious project. Culled from old demo tapes with some light accompaniment added by long-time T.Rex producer Tony Visconti, this was Bolan's great unfinished work. Recorded at the peak of his power, arounded the time of Electric Warrior, this 15-minute-plus opus details an ancient, mystical, Tolkien-esque civilization of "Dworns" and "Lithons." Unfortunately the project got burried amid the avalanche of T.Rex stardom, but Bolan had great plans for "The Children of Rarn", including an animated film. So sit back, put on the headphones, and imagine what might have been..."
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1