T. Rex Album: “Marc Bolan & T Rex”

If there's any one album which encapsulates the legend of Marc Bolan for me, it's the debut "T.Rex" album from 1970. Sure, "Unicorn", "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider" are all masterpieces, but "T.Rex"'s transitional blend of his acoustic and electric sides gives one the best of both worlds, and it just so happens that his voice, lyrics and guitar playing were reaching a peak at this time. Put it all together, and you have one amazing ride. Some people call this the last Tyrannosaurus Rex album, seeing as how it was the last with the two-man lineup, and even features re-recorded songs from the 60s as well as the last time Bolan fully immersed himself in his Tolkien-esque fantasy world. Songs like "The Visit", "Suneye", "The Time Of Love Is Now" and "Root Of Star" all adhere to the melodic, elegant acoustic sound of the past, although there is some evidence of change when a wah-wah guitar gracefully punctuates the gorgeously fragile "Root Of Star" (and who can deny lyrics like "a root of star I gave to thee, from the canyons of the sea; a jewel of frost that was lost in days of dreams when we were free..."--enough to melt your heart!).

However, "T.Rex" can also rightfully claim to be the first T.Rex album, as the transition to the electric pop sound of "Electric Warrior" is clearly in evidence on the bopping "Beltane Walk", "Is It Love", "One Inch Rock", "Childe" and "Jewel". The album featured understandable vocals for the first time, the lyrical bent was shifting to first-person, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman (so essential to the sound of "Warrior" and "Slider") appear on backup vocals for the first time on "Seagull Woman", and strings and drums make their first appearance. When it all comes together on a catchy, rocking tune like "Beltane Walk", one feels the inevitability of "Electric Warrior". Most of the other rockers are somewhat rawer, with only Finn's congas to provide a backbeat,

I've been a huge Marc Bolan/T.Rex fan for almost 30 years,and own almost every Bolan disc, but this is the album I would put as my #1 desert island disc. The combination of acoustic and electric is fantastic. Every song is truly a "Jewel". Marc Bolan's death affected me deeply. He deserved to be a huge star here, and I am always saddened that classic rock stations only play "Bang a Gong".

Nobody could capture a persona to tape like Bolan could, or pen melodies as breathtaking as his...

This is the stage in his career when he was merging his nutty pop-folk with touches of electric guitar, right before he abbreviated the band name and reinvented himself with Electric Warrior. Personally, I find Beard of Stars, Unicorn, and T-REX to be flat-out amazing work. Many choose to ignorantly pin these albums as just the material that lead to Electric Warrior, but those people are really missing the heart that is present in the songwriting.

Check out these lyrics to "Root of Star":

"a root of star/ I gave to thee/ from the canyons of the sea/ a jewel of frost/ that was lost/ in days of dreams when we were free

a shield of bronze/ a thousand gongs/ that calls the queen of dreams to me/ a mask of jade/ was surely laid/ to the formal finery"

There is a certain mystical power at work here not present in his later (more renowned) albums.

This record is a perfect blend of Bolans two characters he created. One is a hippie poet who sings songs about elves, goblins, wizards. The other is a glammed out, glitter soaked rocker. This a record that sounds like it is in transition. Some of the songs have the old feel to them, namely "The Visit, Summer Deep, Suneye" and others have the Bolan Boogie to them "Beltane Walk, One Inch Rock, Jewel". All in all, just a great record.

Strongest Cuts: Suneye, Beltane Walk, The Visit, Summer Deep

Mickey Finn shaves his beard of stars, and Marc Bolan plugs into electric warrior land. One Inch Rock is a compressed dinosaur 1 inch tall, fuzzy and frizzy form a great Les Paul and Marshall stack combo.David Bowie borrowed that guitar to try to capture that sound but had to return it after Marc,s death.Beltane Walk again has a great guitar sound and swampy backbeat. The Wizard, Jewel,and the rest all mix and swirl like a great mystical brew, and what a spell they cast."And in the morning you'll know all you know!" Some of Bolan's best guitar riffs & lyrics.Close your eyes and watch the pictures. This is the sound of old T.Rex that The Who was talking about.