T.rex

20th Century Boy- The Ultimate Collection
Rock | 1CD | Mp3 320Kbs | 138MB | HF&FF

Recorded between 1968 & 1976. Includes liner notes by Dave Thompson.

Marc Bolan & T. Rex never troubled the pop culture radar in the US beyond one minor hit single, making them perhaps the biggest UK stars to never leave any significant stateside impression. As a result, their catalogue has rarely been properly served by US labels, with the songs that made Bolan's name remaining out of print for years at a time while UK labels large and small released every tiny scrap of rehearsal tape, often multiple times.

After Mitsubishi Motors used the stomping "20th Century Boy" in an ad campaign (somewhat ghoulishly, considering that Bolan was killed in an auto accident) in 2002, Universal's Hip-O reissue imprint took the opportunity to rectify the poor state of Bolan's catalogue with the solidly impressive 20TH CENTURY BOY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION. Thoughtfully, the set starts with five tracks from Bolan's lesser-known early psychedelic period as Tyrannosaurus Rex, including the spectacularly weird "King of the Rumbling Spires," before laying out the classic string of '70s glam-rock boogie hits ("Bang a Gong [Get It On]") and a few choice B-sides. For those wanting to stick to a single T. Rex disc, this is the one to choose.

Having reinvented himself as a bionic soulboy across the course of 1974's Zinc Alloy, Bolan's Zip Gun was less a reiteration of Marc Bolan's new direction than a confirmation of it. Much of the album returns to the understated romp he had always excelled at – the delightful knockabout "Precious Star," the unrepentant boogie of "Till Dawn" and the pounding title track all echo with the effortless lightheartedness which was Bolan at his most carelessly buoyant, while "Token of My Love" is equally incandescent, a playful blues which swiftly became a major in-concert favorite. But the essence of Zip Gun remains firmly in the funky pastures which characterized Zinc Alloy, with the only significant difference lying in the presentation.

Marc Bolan & T. Rex - Unchained: Unreleased Recordings 1972-1977 [8 CD Set] (2010) {Edsel Records}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.51 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.07 Gb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 294 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2010 Edsel / Demon Music | EDSB 4005
Rock / Glam Rock / Proto-Punk

Between 1995 and 1997, Edsel released eight full-length CDs of Marc Bolan's previously unreleased demos, alternate takes, unused and abandoned songs and unfinished recordings. These CDs were deleted in 2001. Since then, copies of the rare original individual releases have changed hands for foolish amounts of money and sellers on Ebay have offered to pirate the entire set! Edsel is now proud to announce the re-issue of all 8 CDs in a limited edition bound book set, with extensive brand new annotation by Mojo writer Mark Paytress, author of the acknowledged definitive Bolan biography “Bolan: The Rise and Fall of a 20th Century Sperstar”.

Over the past couple of years, the Alternative Singles vinyl issues have become highly popular amongst fans with different recordings of each single and sometimes tracks that weren't actually singles at the time being issued as such. Most of the recordings are taken from overseas broadcast, rehearsal sessions, discarded mixes and unused demos versions but all of them fascinating. Here we have gathered together all the A & B sides plus some extra bonus tracks.