Other Mixes By CASETTA
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Theme
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Pop
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Rock Snob Encyclopedia Tt T-REX
| Side A | ||
| Artist | Song | |
| T-Rex | Ride A White Swan | |
| T-Rex | Beltane Walk | |
| T-Rex | Hot Love | |
| T-Rex | Jeepster | |
| T-Rex | Planet Queen | |
| T-Rex | Cosmic Dancer (acoustic) | |
| T-Rex | Main Man | |
| T-Rex | Metal Guru | |
| T-Rex | Ballroom Of Mars | |
| T-Rex | Telegram Sam | |
| T-Rex | 20th Century Boy | |
| T-Rex | Children Of The Revolution | |
| T-Rex | Solid Easy Action | |
| Side B | ||
| Artist | Song | Buy |
| T-Rex | The Groover | |
| T-Rex | Mad Donna | |
| T-Rex | Dandy In The Underworld | |
| Dib Cochran & The Earwigs | Oh Baby | |
| Marc Bolan | The Wizard | |
| Marc Bolan | The Third Degree | |
| John's Children | Sara Crazy Child | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | Mustang Ford | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | One Inch Rock | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | Cat Black (The Wizard's Hat) | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | King Of Rumbling Spires) | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | Dwarfish Trumpet Blues | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | The Friends | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | By The Light Of A Magical Moon | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | The Woodland Bop | |
| Tyrannosaurus Rex | Elemental Child | |
| T-Rex | Spaceball Ricochet (acoustic) | |
Comment:
T-Rex was the mask behind which Marc Bolan, peacock prince, rhymer, showman, and charlatan, became one of rock's greatest pop-tarts. Boldly declaring "I have five years, that's all I got to make it", the prolific musician, cramped with a severe lack of technique and overall musical knowledge succeded and proved his major skill was one of catalyst. He ushered in what was termed "Glam-rock", a return to the fundamental spirit of rock and roll. Following the twin apex of Electric Warrior and The Slider, Bolan quickly fell into recycling his own ideas. His turn at the motivation wheel was lost. He didn't progress. He ran out of disguises. Creative stagantion was brought on by rampant egomania. Ultimately he was outmoded, superceded, cut-off. Unfairly numbered as pap confectionery, he failed to comprehend the innovations of the likes of David Bowie and Roxy Music, and this is the thing, he opened the door for them all, he stepped through first. Bolan ended up stranded between the two poles he catalyzed; a combo of both, belonging to neither. The simplicity of mainstream British pop renaissance of Slade, Sweet, Suzi Quatro and Mud on one hand, and the subtlety and sophistication of the pre-new wave experimentalist on the other. Bolan remains an important figure, fundamental to what has transpired since. Attitude, style, and the ability to craft fresh, stirring, jubilant rock/pop and when it's done best nobody is let down. The tape features T-Rex as well as pre T-Rex cuts of early Mod singles, John's Children, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Dib Cochran and The Earwigs (a one shot single collaboration of Bowie and Bolan).
Feedback:
Casetta has done it yet again, everyone. I was curious what Tt would bring and I never expected T-Rex. Only six more letters to go. I'll be sad when this series ends. Maybe you could start all over and do other artists/genres/et cetera? T-Rex is one of the music world's great (guilty?) pleasures. Although I must admit I have not heard any of the early stuff pre-Electric Warrior. *sings* I'm just a vampire for your loooooove...
I think this is an amazingly accurate description of Bolan's work and indicative of a much larger question in the rock world--how much is too much? Eventually Bolan became a parody of himself--that much is certain and yet for most of us, we wish that he hadn't, since, as you said, he opened the door. I see this same sort of behavior out of the punk rock kids that I know--I always want to tell them that the moment has passed, that it's become passe and pastiche, but how do you destroy someone's dreams?
As always, Casetta has shown through his latest Encyclopedia entry what the concept of a single-artist mix is all about, while providing a wonderful education for those just getting started in music obsession. Great choice for "T", Casetta, as always. And Brandt and Casetta are certainly right about Bolan becoming a parody of himself, while still affirming the greatness of his early work.
Aaahh. Nice. I would have found room for "Teenage Dream", but given I have only about half this stuff I probably would have had room anyway. I found this excellent chronology of glam rock in terms of British radio and chart success the other day, while searching for information about Hawkwind: http://www.doremi.co.uk/glam/ It's written by someone who was actually there and it indicates pretty definitively that Bolan was the Fountainhead of that era (it begins with "Ride a White Swan" in 1970).
wow this tomuch for me to take in right now. When I finish taking in this Strokes CD I will return for comment.
I'm enough of a fan that it saddens me to agree with most of your assessment of Bolan's career. I would like to have seen at least one track each from Zinc Alloy and Futuristic Dragon, but then what would you drop...