After the thrilling rush of 1972, during which
Marc Bolan and
T. Rex ruled the musical world with a glittery fist, 1973 proved a different kind of year. Tired of glam and looking for a new sound,
Bolan turned to the sounds of America for inspiration. Determined to become a star there, he led the band on a number of tours and along the way understood that fans wanted harder and less poppy music; he also fell in love with the soul and funk beaming out over the nation's airwaves.
1973: Whatever Happened to the Teenage Dream? is a four-disc set that captures what happened when
Bolan and the band turned away from glam and went in search of something else. It contains both the
Tanx album, which was recorded in late 1972, and 1974's
Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, recorded in 1973. Alongside them are non-LP singles, demos
Bolan made at home,
Zinc Alloy outtakes, the 1973 single credited to
Big Carrot, and the aborted sessions for a
Sister Pat Hall record.
Neither of the two studio albums were huge leaps away from the template already established by the band; the changes were small but significant. On
Tanx, some elements of harder rock like slide guitar, straightforward songcraft, and simpler lyrics are implemented, but at the same time
Tony Visconti's production often sends the album into the cosmos, especially when the phasers kick in and the backing vocals levitate.
Zinc Alloy adds the intense backing vocals of
Gloria Jones and
Pat Hall, swings a bit more loosely, and even gets funky on a few tracks. Any
T. Rex fan wouldn't be shocked by the small alterations, though, and both
Bolan's strut and sadness are amplified in interesting ways. It's often seen as a transitional period in the group's career, and some prefer to focus on the brilliant non-LP singles like "Children of the Revolution" and "20th Century Boy," but to ignore
Tanx and
Zinc Alloy in favor of earlier or later work is ill-advised and would mean missing out on some strange and wonderful music.
The demos and outtakes have all been released before, and they are uniformly brilliant, proving that
Bolan didn't need glitter or volume to get across the genius contained in his melodies and words. The
Big Carrot single is a gas, with the rollicking "Black Jack" letting
Jones and
Hall take the lead and "Squint Eye Mangle" showing off
Bolan's guitar heroics in joyously ramshackle fashion. The
Sister Pat Hall album is a nice addition to the set, and while her voice can get a little strident at times, it's fun to hear
Bolan give the
T. Rex sound a funky twist. Like the
1972 set that preceded it, there are no real, previously undiscovered, rarities here, but the comprehensive view it gives to a year that was difficult, yet triumphant in its own way, is something that is of use to any
T. Rex fan, be they obsessive or new. ~ Tim Sendra
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