Greatest Hits - Marc Bolan & T-Rex

Another T. Rex compilation? Initially that was what I thought but when I discovered it was a double album, things changed substantially.
Unfortunately I never quite found a perfect T.REX compilation and ended up buying several to get hold of various tracks which always seemed to be missing on some CDs but featured on others (especially the seminal track 'Hot Love' which to many was the ignition for the UK Glam Rock phenomenon and also a huge ...
...such a thing as a perfect compilation but had the present compilation been around 8 years ago when I first got into T-Rex, I would have been one satisfied customer indeed! Between 1968 and 1977, T.Rex/Marc Bolan scored an impressive 18 top 40 hits in the UK, so essentially these could all fit perfectly onto one CD. However, this was far from the case until now. Each of these 18 hits is present (comprising most of disc 1) and there is no shortage ... more

Another T. Rex compilation? Initially that was what I thought but when I discovered it was a double album, things changed substantially.
Unfortunately I never quite found a perfect T.REX compilation and ended up buying several to get hold of various tracks which always seemed to be missing on some CDs but featured on others (especially the seminal track 'Hot Love' which to many was the ignition for the UK Glam Rock phenomenon and also a huge #1 single.)

I doubt there is such a thing as a perfect compilation but had the present compilation been around 8 years ago when I first got into T-Rex, I would have been one satisfied customer indeed! Between 1968 and 1977, T.Rex/Marc Bolan scored an impressive 18 top 40 hits in the UK, so essentially these could all fit perfectly onto one CD. However, this was far from the case until now. Each of these 18 hits is present (comprising most of disc 1) and there is no shortage of classic T. Rex album tracks on disc 2 to hopefully wet your appetite to look further into T.Rex's discography.

DISC 1:

As mentioned, disc 1 contains every top 40 UK single recorded by T. Rex/Marc Bolan, including an impressive 4 #1 hits ('Hot Love,' 'Get it on,' 'Telegram Sam' and 'Metal Guru') and therefore it is fair to say it is the stronger of the two discs because undoutedly most will know at least one or two tracks given the wide use of their music on TV adverts and soundtracks like Billy Elliott in recent years. In short, disc 1 provides a wealth of catchy choruses and great music to drive/sing along to.

T. Rex songs are very simple, soft rock/pop with occasional soul and disco influences in some of their later material but timeless classics all the same. The compilation starts with Marc's signature tune '20th century boy,' which is surely one of the defining anthems of the 1970s and Glam Rock in general. This is followed by 'Get it on,' (a huge hit in the USA as well) which has been covered no end of times and even had the main riff ripped off by Oasis several years ago. I wouldn't call 'Get it on' an anthem but it is a top song and sets the tone for the rest of CD 1 nicely.

Following on from 'Get it on,' disc 1 gets stronger with no shortage of energetic top 20 hits with a few more anthems like 'Children of the Revolution' along the way and a song that will make you want to get out of the driver's seat and on to the dancefloor in 'We love to boogie,'
that was famously used to advertise a brand of squash.

Around track 11 (New York City) there is a bit of a turning point and many of the lesser well known singles appear, most of which are comparably more laid back than the previous 10 which all seem to jump out as instant pop classics. Nevertheless from track 11 onwards CD1 still provides good, harmless fun. There are a few weak tracks after New York City admittedly when compared with the classics like 'Get it on' but this could be down to personal taste and I feel out of 20 songs, I can safely say there is only one true weak track in 'Dreamy Lady.' The title of the song is apt although compared to the sometimes risque lyrics and driving guitars of tracks like 'Jeepster,' 'Dreamy Lady' is a bit of a wishy washy pop love song.

CD 1 is nevertheless full of surprises and forgotten gems such as 'New York City' and the very early single 'Debora' will jump out at anyone old enough to remember. For many years 'Debora' was often not included on compilations which was a pity because it demonstrates Bolan's folk roots and was the first UK chart hit that Bolan scored which should have guaranteed its place on just about any Marc Bolan compilation. The inclusion of 'Debora' therefore is something that changed my initial perception of this compilation and I would argue that for those seeking a more comprehensive look at Marc Bolan's music, this compilation is the one to go for!

I shall now briefly give my personal rating out of 10 for each of the track and for tracks I think are really worth listening to, will provide some additional commentary.

20th Century Boy - 10/10 - as earlier stated, this is undoubtedly a rock anthem which stands the test of time. Quite a heavy sound in comparison to a lot of Marc's work. The intro alone is enough to warrant a posthumous award in recognition to Marc's contribution to British music.

Get It On - 9/10 - This is about as good as harmless pop/rock fun gets though the title and the lyrics perhaps reveal the cheeky side to T.Rex. The US title for the song was Bang a gong so who knows? Personally I think the song definitely has sexual connotations but nevertheless it is innocent in comparison to much of today's music. A very nifty guitar riff which has been imitated by so many other artists. Like 20th century boy, this song stands the test of time.

Metal Guru - 9/10 - Perhaps not as instantly catchy as the likes of 'Hot Love' but nevertheless a defining T. Rex track that made the top spot in the uk chart. I often go through stages with this song where I'll happily sing along to it and other days where I'll get a bit bored with it.

Ride A White Swan - 10/10 - This is an amazingly popular song and an example of a song that should have been a #1. A very catchy, summery tune that will uplift any rainy day. The tune and guitar riff are both infectious, the lyrics are simple, largely nonsensical yet effective - a singalong classic on a par with other early 70s classics like 'Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes.)'

Hot Love - 10/10+ - Widely regarded as the song which sparked the Glam Rock craze, this is my ultimate favourite T. Rex song. Perhaps one of the most simple songs of all time, but it is undeniably one of the most accessible songs on the entire compilation. I personally think this is the best song on the CD.

Jeepster - 8/10 - Marc has a running theme of comparing women to cars - both racey at times I guess! Like 'Metal Guru,' I go through stages with this song where I love it and then find it a bit repetitive. However 'Jeepster's' tempo is far more driving than 'Metal Guru.' The chorus isn't the best although the infamous "girl I'm just a vampire for your love and I'm gonna suck ya" line never fails to make me grin.

Telegram Sam - 8.5/10 - Worth a listen. I much prefer Telegram Sam to Metal Guru for example - it has a lot more substance to it. No idea who the characters of 'Jungle Faced Jake' and 'Telegram Sam' are and like quite a few of Bolan's songs, the lyrics are nonsensical but always fun.

I Love To Boogie - 10/10 - This marked a bit of a move towards the disco sound that was bursting into the charts at the time. I love this track because it is a fantastic example of using the rock and roll 12 bar blues for a range of musical styles and naturally it is an ideal party song.

Children of the Revolution - 9.5/10 - Rock Anthem! Marc was a true poet and the lyrics on this track, simple though they may be, display an enviable ability on Mr Bolan's part to come up with a good rhyme. A fairly slow paced track but this is well placed on the compilation as a way to build up to the next track.

Solid Gold Easy Action - 10/10 + - I think this is one of the most underrated T. Rex songs... ever. An exciting blast of 70s rock that set the tone for 20th century boy - can't believe the pathetically awful Little Jimmy Osmond's 'Long haired lover from Liverpool' deprived this song of #1 status. This is an ultimate driving song.

New York City - 10/10 - Underrated. A completely different T. Rex sound and an even more simple song than Hot Love. The unique sound of this tune is what sets it out from a lot of 70s songs - very hard to describe which musical genre to place it in. Basically this song only has four lines repeated throughout and relies on the instrumentation, some quite odd electronic sound effects that could fit in on the first 'Star Wars' film and perfect back up vocals yet still manages to go somwhere unlike a lot of the contemporary chart hits.

Debora - 9/10 - A completely different era from T. Rex - this was released in 1968 when Marc was trading as Tyrannosaurus Rex, a folk duo. This is a nice folk song, very simple, not quite as sophisticated as Simon & Garfunkel but still a good pop song and was a sign of things to come with nonsensical rhymes combined with simple melodies that matched perfectly. Really recommended.

One Inch Rock - 9/10 - a bit similar to Debora though with far more lyrics. Another nice little pop/folk ditty - would sound very good alongside 'Feelin' Groovy' by Simon & Garfunkel.
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Celebrate Summer - 7/10 - Marc was on the verge of going back to his prime with this track and I often wonder what he would have released had he not met his untimely demise in 1977. This song was frequently played on Marc's TV series Marc, which is where I first heard it. I think it is a really good pop song and a return to a more T. Rex sound.

Teenage Dream - 5/10 - A hugely popular song that could be semi-autobiographical given Marc's popularity was declining at the time. Worth a listen to - it's a nice ballad with a soul influence, greatly aided by Gloria Jones's vocals.

CD 2:

CD 2 displays a flavour of the days when T. Rex was Tyrannosaurus Rex, a folk duo by all accounts rather than the Glam Rock giants of the 1970s. There are some rather weird and wonderful tunes (many of which I love) and I recommed listening to cd 2 because Marc's 1960s work tends to be overlooked and it is fair to say he is a fine acoustic guitarist.

CD 2 is worth a listen to alone for 'Cosmic Dancer,' which caught the public imagination when featured on the 'Billy elliot' soundtrack - it was a key album track on 'Electric Warrior' and is a beautiful, sentimental song. I would also recommend 'Life's a gas' which was from the same 'Electronic Warrior' album that displayed another tranquil side to Marc's music when compared to the driving 'Get it on,' and 'Jeepster' rock sound.

CD 2 will probably appear weaker and in reality, I would sooner put CD 1 on when driving in the car but had this not been a 2 disc compilation, I fear many tracks would be missing.

On a final note, I would say out of every T Rex compilation on the market (and there are loads) this is undoubtedly the most complete you can get for under £20. It is a bargain! 

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