Daily Archives: February 9, 2012
09/02/12 Marc Bolan & T. Rex
Alright, I know we usually cover new songs on the blog, but today I’m gonna change it up a bit. After watching this documentary about Marc Bolan a few days ago, my love for T. Rex has been rekindled. Everyone in the U.S. knows him for his hit “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” but for me, T. Rex was so much more than that. I remember when I first heard Electric Warrior all the way through and how amazed I was by the fuzzy guitars and the wispy wavering voice of Bolan. There aren’t too many albums that I can claim have changed the way I thought about music, but this album did it for me. I hadn’t heard anything like it and I don’t think there will be an album quite like it again. I mean, it was the first glam rock album ever and it’s hard to imagine all the different bands it influenced (though I you can definitely hear some influences in Ty Segall and Bowie took most of his Ziggy phase from this style). But T. Rex weren’t a one album wonder and there’s a reason that they were considered the new Beatles (even Ringo agreed) as a wave of T-Rextacy swept Europe. The next two albums to come were also beautiful and played on repeat countless times on my iTunes. And on stage, they got the crowd roaring as Marc tromped around the stage with feather boas and glitter under his eyes wailing on his guitar with that distinct T. Rex distortion. Sadly, the group lost popularity in the mid-70s and they never quite regained their fame. And, in 1977 Bolan died in a terrible car crash that ended the music forever. Luckily, he left behind an amazing musical legacy with songs like “Mambo Sun” “Rabbit Fighter” and “The Slider.” I can’t think of what my life would be like without the influences of T. Rex’s music and where they took me. For just a taste, hear some of my favorites below. But it’s hard to capture such a unique band in a few songs so, if you have a chance, get yourself a copy of Electric Warrior and start yourself on a journey through the distorted ambiguous bliss that is T. Rex
-M. Kauf
T. Rex – Mambo Sun:
T. Rex – Ballrooms of Mars:
T. Rex – Cadillac:
Tags: Glam Rock, Marc Bolan, T. Rex
- Leave a comment
- Posted under T. Rex
