T REX レコード& CD

Review: Their latest release in the Marc Bolan Songwriter series, following on from the success of Songwriter: 1970 and Songwriter: 1971, Demon Records are introducing Songwriter: 1973 to their catalogue. An intimate, vinyl-only look into the influential artist's prolific output, Songwriter: 1971 delves into a period of change during which Bolan was more active than ever, recording music incessantly in recording studios in both the US and Europe - an era in which the distinctive T Rex sound was becoming increasingly limiting for the artist. Over the course of this in depth sixteen-track compilation, featuring a fascinating selection of finished recordings and working versions, this next chapter charts Bolan's attempts to develop and ultimately move away from the sound he had invented for himself.

Review: This is the only complete recording of Marc Bolan's summer tour of 1972, when the artist scoured most of the UK following the smash success of his first albums, not to mention his first movie ('Born To Boogie') and record label. A popular zeitgeist of "T. Rexstasy" followed, with Bolan's appearances at venues such as Wembley Empire Pool (now Arena) and the Capitol Theatre cementing his gargantuan live sound, all driven home by his joyous grin and all-encompassing mop of hair. This appearance by Bolan in Newcastle's City Hall in May of that year is raw and unfiltered and as ever textured by the sound of screaming fans below.