Tyrannosaurus Rex and T Rex

[GoogaMooga]

Just been listening to the Sanctuary budget comp, "Born to Boogie - The Collection". They have licensed tracks from 67 to 71, so we get a chance to sample the early incarnation, that crusty duo, Tyrannosaurus Rex. Even in the 60s they seemed odd and hopelessly out of step with their minimalist elfin boogie and raga-influenced blather.

When I first got into CD's 30 years ago, I was well familiar with T Rex, so I thought I'd buy a CD reissue of an old Tyrannosaurus Rex album. But it was much too crusty and dippy hippy for me, so I got rid of it and went about collecting all the T Rex on the Fly label instead. I've got the Bolan Boogie run except for Futuristic Dragon, which I am planning to get in Deluxe.

But back to the comp - it gives you a good idea of what the early years were all about, with just a few of the duo tracks added - the ones that are most listenable. They blend in rather well.

[Mike Boom]

That is actually a great compilation, it got me into the Tyrannosaurus Rex stuff. I had all the T Rex albums, but had foolishly ignored the earlier stuff which I have since come to love, its a real goldmine, and I was then forced me to go back and get all the early stuff too. I love it now as much as I do the later T Rex stuff. A real gateway compilation worth getting if your curious.

[C]

Give me Tyrannosaurus Rex any day

A Beard of Stars is a magnificent album closely followed by Unicorn with the others not far behind

T Rex was the beginning of the end.

The others that followed are absolute nonsense





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[Charlie O.]

My own "first Bolan", back in the early '80s, was a friend's double-LP that was about two-thirds Tyrannosaurus, followed by an 8-track comp purchased from a cut-out bin that was approximately the same ratio. I fell for that stuff pretty hard.

I think he was really on fire from Unicorn through Electric Warrior. You can hear the rot (read: the cocaine) beginning to set in on The Slider, which is a pretty great album anyway, but after that the drop-off is unmistakable. Dandy In the Underworld, flawed though it is, suggests that he really was pulling his artistic plane out of its death-dive, which makes his accident that much more tragic.

[Walk In My Shadow]

As a 14 year old I came home with their first album and playing it for my cousins. I got laughed at with a ferocity that only other kids my then age could muster.
At that moment I felt ashamed as they (and I) could only hear the bleating voice and a couple of bongos.

But in the solitude of my room I persisted and came to like that album after repeated plays.

However, I never bought the second one or the one after.

It was only with The Slider I picked up the thread again. But it was like a whole different band and no way one could compare that to the earliest work.

From The Slider onwards I followed Bolan untill the end. But it was dimishing returns.

[Walk In My Shadow]

nuttin'

[Mike Boom]

T Rex was the beginning of the end.

Time for a re evaluation C ?

[C]

T Rex was the beginning of the end.

Time for a re evaluation C ?

I have tried.

I listened to Electric Warrior about 3 years ago and couldn't get through it.

Jeepster, Telegram Sam, Metal Guru, 20th Century Boy, Zip Gun Boogie, I Love to Boogie....

Good stuff?

I think not

[My loss, I know]



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[Mike Boom]

T Rex was the beginning of the end.

Time for a re evaluation C ?

I have tried.

I listened to Electric Warrior about 3 years ago and couldn't get through it.

Jeepster, Telegram Sam, Metal Guru, 20th Century Boy, Zip Gun Boogie, I Love to Boogie....

Good stuff?

I think not

[My loss, I know]

Still plenty of acoustic stuff - Cosmic Dancer, Ballrooms of Mars, Main Man
Still one can but try !

[kath]

electric warrior is one of my fave albums of all time, mwhaha.

er... just thought i'd add that.

edit: i'm tryin to remember. do you ever go glammy, c?

i think i recall yer sayin sumthin about loving early mott, before they got too glammy.

maybe i dreamt it.

[GoogaMooga]

Interesting to note that the whole glam era only lasted four, max five years, c. 72 - 76. You'd think they could have gotten more mileage out of that, but then punk happened.

[Carlisle Wheeling]

Give me Tyrannosaurus Rex any day

A Beard of Stars is a magnificent album closely followed by Unicorn with the others not far behind

T Rex was the beginning of the end.

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I'm in total agreement with C here... with the exception of Electric Warrior, which is an excellent album. They lost me after that.

I was always drawn to Zinc Alloy - I think it's the chemistry teacher in me - but it just confirmed the decline.

A Beard of Stars really is wonderful, though.

[Mike Boom]

Give me Tyrannosaurus Rex any day

A Beard of Stars is a magnificent album closely followed by Unicorn with the others not far behind

T Rex was the beginning of the end.

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I'm in total agreement with C here... with the exception of Electric Warrior, which is an excellent album. They lost me after that.

I was always drawn to Zinc Alloy - I think it's the chemistry teacher in me - but it just confirmed the decline.

A Beard of Stars really is wonderful, though.

The Slider and Tanx are both excellent in my book, to me The Slider is even better than Electric Warrior - after Tanx things went downhill to me.

[robertff]

This is the only one I really liked, the transition album. Actually saw them play live at this time, pretty good. Have got some of their other albums either side of this one but not much bothered about them.


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[kath]

This is the only one I really liked, the transition album. Actually saw them play live at this time, pretty good. Have got some of their other albums either side of this one but not much bothered about them.


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this is the tyr rex album i won off the radio, and i don't even recall a track from it.

i need to explore all this more over the weekend. (scribbles it down in her notebook. old school, people.)

[Charlie O.]

As I hear it, the first T. Rex album is really the last Tyrannosaurus Rex album. They changed the brand name, but not the approach so much.

[Carlisle Wheeling]

The Slider and Tanx are both excellent in my book, to me The Slider is even better than Electric Warrior - after Tanx things went downhill to me.

I'll give The Slider a few plays over the next few days. I guess it's never too late.

I don't have Tanx now so I'll take it a step at a time.

[slightbreeze]

God, he was just a Devendra Banhart wannabee.

[The Slider]

Charlie speaks sense

[C]

edit: i'm tryin to remember. do you ever go glammy, c?

i think i recall yer sayin sumthin about loving early mott, before they got too glammy.

maybe i dreamt it.

I was never a glam man kath - my loss I suppose [correct about Mott]

The nearest I got was during the Strawbs' brief quasi-glam period





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