| T-REX - CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION An Introduction to Marc Bolan | |
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Double CD compiled by 'The Blow Monkeys' Dr. Robert.Maybe I was a bit harsh on '20th Century Boy' for my interviews on the 'Inside T-Rex' DVD Boxed Set, by saying it wasn't one of Bolan's best. This album kicks off with '20th Century Boy' and it's a great 'power' opener! Terrific! It sets the tone for this new double album "T-REX - Children of the Revolution". The sub-title is 'An Introduction to Marc Bolan' and the compilation is the work of Dr. Robert, of 'The Blow Monkeys ' fame. It's an unusual selection of tracks for a 'compilation' album of Bolan's music. Most of these 'compilations' concentrate on the singles (A & B-sides), 'fillered' with a handful of album tracks, usually off the 'hits' 'Electric Warrior' and 'The Slider'. These sell well because they contain 'the hits'. But there have been so many over the years- and they have a nasty 'sameness'. This is NOT something you can say about Dr. Robert's collection! This is a condensation of Bolan's work put together, not by some suit wearing marketing executive looking at record sale 'statistics' to make a 'pile the hits high' compilation to get quick £££'s, but by a man who's actually 'into' Bolan's work.
The tracks bounce around Bolan's albums and singles and the tempo changes are very nicely done. After some great 'power songs', the tempo slows down for long enough for the listener to 'catch their breath' and really enjoy the slower tracks, before picking up speed again. In that respect the whole experience is a roller coaster with some wonderfully gentle 'free rolling' before the 'climb' to the 'whoosh' of the loop-the-loop. The inclusion of 'Solid Gold Easy Action' is strange for me to hear. It always will be. Not just because it was Bolan's current single on the jukebox in Western-Under-Penyard when I visited his house there (referred to as his house on the Welsh Border). The line "As easy as picking FOXes from a Tree" will forever be poignant to me as TAG founder since we were given ownership of The Tree that the Mini registration number 'FOX' hit which ended Bolan's life less than five years after the single was released. My favourite forty five tracks wouldn't have been entirely the same ones of Dr. Robert. My interest lies in Bolan's earlier work with Took in Tyrannosaurus Rex (yes, the 'hippy dippy' stuff!). Dr. Robert's collection presents very 'electric' Bolan. I have to admit I haven't heard some of the tracks in a long while so it's a fabulous 'listening experience' as they flow by like 'old friends' I'd forgotten I liked so much! Dr. Robert has included some of the most amazingly underrated Bolan songs from his less commercially successful releases. There are a couple of tracks on CD Two which could have maybe stayed where they were though. But then it's impossible to please 'all the people all the time', so a couple out of forty-five is pretty good going. CD Two kicks off with 'Venus Loon' which is not as strong an 'opener' as '20th Century Boy'. New York City is a welcome inclusion. OK the lyrics are banal, but the beat's right! 'Think Zinc' follows and in the same vein works. Is it possible not to find your foot tapping to this track? CD Two generally contains music from later in Bolan's career more Gloria Jones' & Pat Hall's input. Some of Bolan's tracks suffer from a bit of an excess of backing vocals although Dr. Robert has picked ones where they sound 'balanced' with the lead Vox and instruments. The surprise for me was the inclusion of 'Blackjack'. This single was released NOT as 'T-Rex', but as 'Big Carrot'. It's years since I've heard this. At the time I certainly couldn't appreciate this song. As a 1970 'inductee' to the world of Bolan I'd already been 'asked' to take on board Marc's work with Tyrannosaurus Rex which initially came as a rather big shock compared with the 'Glam Hits' I was used to! Then relatively quickly Marc asked his fans to take on board his latest change in direction towards US Soul Music. For me it was one change too many! For quite a few Bolan fans it was a direction they couldn't cope at the time either. So it's interesting to listen to Dr. Roberts choices for this part of Bolan's career with the benefit of thirty or so extra years which have expanded my musical horizons from the narrower ones us 'original T-Rex Fans' had as teenagers. So back to 'Blackjack': The guitar is unmistakably 'Bolan'. The rest isn't and that makes a pleasant change. So, Yeah Dr. Robert - Good Choice! The packaging is reasonable. The eight pages open up to give a double sided four page 'spread' on the one side culminating with one of Keith Morris's most memorable Bolan photos - the one the girls magazine 'Jackie' split into three parts and made us all wait three weeks to get the 'head' section to complete the poster! I'd have liked to see longer liner notes by Dr. Robert. On a personal level seeing Keith Morris's credit & Email address reminded me of the hole Keith has left in many lives, my own included. Life is Strange! In conclusion, this double CD Collection is a 'compilation' streets ahead of the 'usual suspects'. Dr. Robert has produced a very fine "Introduction to Marc Bolan. CD One is 'Bolan Electric' and CD Two shows the more Soul influenced side of Bolan. For people like me, CD One may well get more 'spins' than CD Two. But many people who have never heard the Soul side are sure to find some interesting new 'gems' on CD Two. Especially if they give the CD a couple of plays. 91/2 out of 10 Above: The final line from Dr. Robert's Liner Notes.
Read them all at www.drrobert.net
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Track Listing
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The double album has forty five tracks so there is scope for the inclusion of songs many people won't have heard - unless they were an avid enough Bolan fans to have continued to buy his albums after 'The Slider', as Dr. Robert, obviously was.