Disco de T. Rex: “Bolan's Zip Gun [Expanded Edition]”

wow. i can't believe my ears. marc, i know most people don't care for this one, but my dear lord. "i really love you, babe", those morricone harmonicas, the lead guitar, the backing vocals! at the very end, that single backing vocal, that distorted vocal of love. heart shattering stuff. i hope you still exist in some form and are still making music wherever you may be.

Disc 1 is essentially the original release of Bolan's Zip Gun with a couple of extra single tracks added on. Disc 2, aslo sold separately as Precious Star: The Alternate Bolan's Zip Gun, is drum'n'bass T. Rex.

If Zinc Alloy, as produced by Tony Visconti, is a syrupy stack of fluffy pancakes, then Bolan's Zip Gun/Precious Star is a raw fistful of granola. The 80% we've heard sonically of Bolan's Zip Gun it its original form (presumably mastered for your average 1975 model stereo system) is now unzipped (pun intended) wide open to decant the extra 20% around the top and bottom, namely in the form of the thumpy, room-reverbed kick drum, the low solidity of the funk bass, and the extra layers of the ladies' choir and wah-wah guitar shimmerings sprinkled over the mixes on offer here. How can you NOT call this the "classic" T. Rex sound?? It's like a peek through the studio window, sitting in on our star-hero's coke-fuelled (allegedly) attempts to get ideas down in rapid succession, chasing the muse and indeed his own relevance while he still had a band and a producer (well, not for long).

Noteworthy songs include more than one nearly- 5-minute jam of Till Dawn; a space age version of Space Boss complete with string machine embellishments that give it a spooky, ethereal quality; and a version of Golden Belt (on which I always hit 'skip' on the original CD) where the drummer just takes the lid off and UNLEASHES, really driving the track along with fury.

This is a GREAT addition to any T. Rex completist's collection.

Or you could just long for the days of "Ride a White Swan," and there you go...

I love just about everything Marc Bolan recorded in his all-too-short career. But even with as big a fan as I am, I have to admit that "Bolan's Zip Gun" is not a very good album, nor is it very good T. Rex.

At the time this album was released (1975), Bolan's star was on the wane. Fans did not know what to make of this album's predecessor, 1974's "Zinc Alloy & the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow." However, it did manage to spawn at least one hit single, "Teenage Dream." And as confused and disjointed as that album was it still had excellent production values. Long-time Producer Tony Visconti had always been a key ingredient of the T. Rex sound, and the bombastic treatment he created for "Zinc" made it the album we T. Rex fans know and love. But Visconti, no longer willing to put up with Bolan's ego and erratic behavior, decided to call it a day, and signed off in late 1974. This left Bolan, rapidly getting pickled in cocaine and alcohol, in total creative control.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way. One of the first things you notice about "Bolan's Zip Gun" is how weak it sounds compared to the albums that came before it. Gone was the T. Rex sound -- the special ingredients (a lush combination of strings, brass, and woodwinds) were discarded in favor of what Bolan described as "Space-age Funk." Sadly, this new direction didn't pay off, often sounding tinny and hollow.

"Light of Love" starts off the album with a whimper: "La, la, la, la, la, la,la,la, laaaa -- the Light of Love..." -- a horrible choice for one of the album's singles. Interestingly enough, when American company Casablanca Records picked up Bolan in 1974, this song became the album's title. Not a good selling point. Although the "Light of Love" album boasts one of my favorite LP covers!

The other poorly chosen single was "Zip Gun Boogie," a sloppy, uninspired mess of a song that Bolan featured on his '74 tour -- sadly, his last-ever tour of the USA. However, it did chart in the UK, proving at the time that something with the Bolan name could still occasionally sell.

What did the music buying public think? Not too much. To Bolan's chagrin the album was yet another miss -- a sign that the UK had put the phenomena of T.Rexstasy behind them.

Other misfires on the album are the unlistenable "Golden Belt" and "I Really Love You Babe." Even the worst Tyrannosaurus Rex song shines brightly compared to either of these two cold turkey burgers. These should have stayed in the demo stage, replaced by "Do You Want to Dance" and Gloria Jones's great version of "Dock of the Bay."

Also of note was the change in Bolan's appearance. Once known as "the Bopping Elf" by the British music press a few years earlier, he had now become the "Porky Pixie." His midsection had indeed grown in size, and his face appeared bloated and swollen -similar to that of a late-70's Elvis Presley. The drugs and booze were definitely taking a toll on his once defined, chiseled features.

Now the good stuff. One hold-over from the "Zinc Alloy" sessions was "Till Dawn," the only song that retains some of the signature T. Rex sound. Visconti received no credit -- however, his fingerprints are all over it. This should have been the first single. You have great Bolan-esque lyrics and full orchestral backing -- cascading violins, cellos, and violas! Wonderful!

"Precious Star" and "Token of My Love" sound like 50's-inspired tracks, the lyrics of which find Bolan occasionally stumbling ("Will you love me, like you said in your let-ter...), but they still come off as enjoyable -- songs that still have that infectious quality to stay in your head long after you've heard them.

In lieu of the backing orchestration, Bolan seems to have concentrated on bits and pieces rather than putting it all together. For instance, he moved the percussion front and center. Drummer Bill Legend (the first to defect from the T. Rex camp in 'late '73/early '74) was replaced by Davy Lutton, who really comes through in tracks like "Solid Baby" and "Think Zinc." 1983 actually saw "Think Zinc" re-released as a 12-inch single. "Think Zinc" is truly one of the highlights of the album. He also overdubbed saxophones on several of these tracks -- "Solid Baby," "Space Boss," "Girl in the Thunderbolt Suit," and the aforementioned "Think Zinc."

As for bonus tracks, you'll get a great re-make of "Dock of the Bay" sung by Bolan's girlfriend Gloria Jones. There's also a decent version of "Do You Want to Dance." Disc 2 has the demo versions of all of these songs -- providing you with different takes, and occasionally alternate lyrics.

As a T. Rex album, I'd give this two-and-a-half, maybe three stars. On its own, I'd only give it one star.

Again, probably my least favorite T. Rex CD, but it still has its bright points ("Think Zinc," "Till Dawn," "Space Boss,"). If you're curious about T. Rex -- this would definitely not be the place to start. I'd go with "Electric Warrior," "The Slider," or their self-titled album, "T.Rex".

It's a hard album to listen to Zip Gun, designed for the american market with an American sound it seems short on that manic Bolan energy. There are some excellent songs, Think Zinc, Till Dawn, Solid Baby, but some songs sound like ideas that should never have been taken beyond the imagination. The last four songs sound like Bolan really has reached a point when he is tired and wants a break. Even as a die hard Bolan fan i can't say this is a must buy, but if you have other Bolan albums and you don't mind its limitations then Zip Gun is worth buying for the songs I have mentioned. Songs like Precious Star and Token of My Love are also worth listening to. So to sum up, worth having for four or five songs, but as a casual listener this perhaps wouldn't be a wise choice as a first buy, there are better overall albums, some classic songs but not a classic album.

I read numerous reviews on this album. Most are unfavorable. Some even say this is Marc Bolans worst album. I will never again take a critics word for anything again. I have all the popular T. Rex albums and decided to branch out. Even with all the negativity thrown at this album, the samples I heard made me decide to purchase it and give it a try. Zip Gun is one of the greatest risks I've taken. As far as I'm concerned, this album rivals The Slider. Even though Bolans popularity was waning and he was questioning his place in the music world at the time, he was able to create a masterpiece-even though he denounced it after it's release. It has a slightly more simplified sound and even has a 50's feel to it in some places. The album rocks where it needs to, but has some of the most beautiful harmonies and compositions he ever put to vinyl. Just listen to Token Of Your Love and you'll get what I'm talking about. I guarantee that if you are a T. Rex fan, you will love this album. It hasn't left my stereo for 3 days-and counting.