Marc Bloan & T.Rex: Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow (Disc 2: The Alternate Zinc Alloy "Change") CD Track Listing

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Marc Bloan & T.Rex Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow (Disc 2: The Alternate Zinc Alloy "Change") (2002)
Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow (Rhino Deluxe Edition) - Disc 2 of 2\n2005 Rhino Records, Inc.\nT. Rex\n\nOriginally Released 1974\nRhino 2CD Expanded Edition Released November 8, 2005\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: By late 1973, Marc Bolan's star was waning fast. No longer gunning out those effortless classics that established him as the most important figure of the decade so far, he embarked instead on a voyage of musical discovery, which cast him so far adrift from the commercial pop mainstream that when his critics said he'd blown it, he didn't even bother answering them back. Or that's the way it appeared at the time, and today, too, it must be acknowledged that 1974's Zinc Alloy & the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow is not classic Bolan, even if one overlooks the transparency of its title. After all, hadn't Bowie already done the Fictional Someone & the Somethings From Somewhere routine? Indeed he had, as his fans kept remarking at the time, and when the knives began slashing Zinc Alloy to shreds, that was one of the fiercest wounds. Time, however, has healed almost all of them. Indeed, hindsight proves that, far from losing his muse, Bolan's biggest sin was losing his once-impeccable sense of occasion. The world wasn't ready for this latest T. Rex, and the fact that it wasn't interested in the old T. Rex either is just another object lesson in the fabled fickleness of pop fans. How faulty was Bolan's timing, though? As it transpired, he was out by no more than a year, maybe less than six months. The era of disco was coming, and with it the wholesale transformation of a wealth of rocking talents. But while David Bowie was barely dreaming of young Americans' fame, and Bryan Ferry was still road testing the pharmaceutical properties of l'amour, Bolan was up to his neck in American radio, pulling out an album that exceeded his assumed capabilities no less than it shot right over the heads of the kids who once bought all his hits. "The Groover," the spring 1973 single which many regarded as the first sign of Bolan's fall from grace, marked the birth of this new fascination, a simple but solid slab of funk-inflected rock which did, indeed, groove. (The track is one of five bonus tracks appended to the album's Edsel reissue.) The yearning, heavily orchestrated hit "Teenage Dream" hit notwithstanding, the heart of Zinc Alloy, then, simply followed in "The Groover"'s footsteps, an abandoned romp through the R&B influences which Bolan had always acknowledged, but never truly explored -- the solid James Brown drive of "The Avengers (Superbad)," "Interstellar Soul," "Liquid Gang," and the implausibly slight, but impressively groove-ridden "You've Got to Jive to Stay Alive." Into the same bag, one can also throw the period B-sides "Satisfaction Pony" and "Sitting Here" -- both of which have also been added to the album. Deeply soul-soaked songs like these aren't simply a new direction. They are the very signposts which would soon be guiding so many other English rock talents down some very unfamiliar alleyways. Zinc Alloy was released in March, 1974. Bowie began rehearsing his Philly Dogs tour in July. Yet, even with such credentials to uphold it, this isn't quite Bolan's soul album. Those demons would be exorcised on a second record cut with singer Sister Pat Hall and elsewhere in his collaborations with girlfriend Gloria Jones. Besides, the production here was just a little too cautious to truly convince the wary listener. Neither can it be neatly categorized in the same fashion as, say, Bowie's Young Americans -- Bolan looked across the spectrum for his influences, but he never once went to Philadelphia. Rather, it straddles that same pop/rock, funky R&B landscape as early Funkadelic, Sly Stone and Co., neither fish nor fowl, dead fish nor foul, but something somewhere in between. Approach it with caution. But get in there regardless. [The 2002 deluxe two-CD edition adds five songs to the original disc ("The Groover," "Midnight," "Truck On (Tyke)," "Sitting Here," and "Satisfaction Pony") and adds a second disc that has a track-by-track re-creation of the first disc made up of alternate takes, as well as six more bonus tracks appended to those tracks.] -- Dave Thompson\n\nAmazon.com Album Description\nPresented in an eye-catching digipak with a plastic slipcase, disc one features the original album remastered, accompanied by 5 non-album single sides, while disc 2 is a 24-track bonus disc of fascinating 'work-in-progress' versions and demos, which mirrors the original album's running order. The package is completed by a 16-page color booklet, including lyrics, photos and memorabilia, with extensive and updated annotation by Mark Paytress, editor of Mojo Collections, and author of the best Bolan biography available.\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nThe phenomenally popular and influential T.Rex spearheaded the glam-rock movement, a genre owing everything to its quintessential superstar, Marc Bolan. Rivaled only by Bowie, whose own glam period followed in their flamboyant footsteps, Bolan and T.Rex created an incredible vibe and sound whose legacy lives on still. Driven by simple grooves, effortless hooks, trippy vocals, and deliciously fat guitar riffs, their music was infused with both hippie spirituality and raw sexuality-a rich, ripe sonic delight at once primative and evolved. Their classic songs helped define an era, and their irresistible grooves are timeless. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nA Wonderful (Although Disjointed) Album!, January 6, 2005 \nReviewer: James Choma (Brecksville, OH United States)\nMany critics have hailed "Zinc Alloy" as a train wreck. While it definitely is an odd, disjointed album, I find it to be a delightful album. I would caution those not familiar with Bolan's music -- I don't think this is the place to start. I'd give this album a go only after you've heard "Electric Warrior," "The Slider," and "Tanx." \n\nMarc Bolan's star was still in free fall mode when this album had come out. His glory days appeared to be behind him and (check out "The Slider" and the wonderful "Tanx") his muse seems to have all but deserted him. \n\n"Zinc Alloy" was recorded on the run in several different contries during late '73 and early '74. After the critical failure of "Tanx," the pressure was on to continue the streak of hits that, until recently, seemed to flow so freely from Bolan's imaginiation. \n\nDrugs, booze, a lack of focus, and Marc's massive ego all contributed to the problems experienced on this album. Production duties were still in the hands of Tony Visconti - but after his patience was tested, his advice ignored, and frequent arguements, he and Marc parted ways after "Truck On Tyke," a single released during this album's run. \n\nOne, maybe two songs would have been suitable for the radio back in '74. The rest seem like "ideas" Marc had thrown together in an effort to hastily make another album for the fans. Tony's emphasis seemed to be to make the T. Rex sound, bigger, grander, and louder. He has often stated he threw everything but the kitchen sink into the production of this album. These are the moments where the albums shines. Without much to work with, Visconti put a polish on these songs, making them enduring T. Rex classics. \n\nWhile it's hard to say what direction Marc was trying to take - or the statement he was trying to get across, his aim seemed to be to redefine the band's sound as "Interstellar Soul," to put an urban soul/funk into the music. I don't see it myself, but there are some tunes that were left WAY out in left field ("Galaxy," "Change" and "Gardenia & the Mighty Slug"). But there are definitly moments of brilliance: \n\n"Carsmile Smith & The Old One" - Listen to the arrangement - the violins and cellos are expertly arranged and compliment one the the best Bolan solos I've ever heard. \n\n"Teenage Dream" - Another wonderfully arranged piece built around Marc's magical lyrics. The commercial hit single from the album. \n\n"Liquid Gang" - A bizarre song that has one of the most Beatlesque/The Who fade out's I've ever heard on a T. Rex album. It sounds as if they invaided the local Oktoberfest, stole the Oompah Band and booked them for studio time. A stunning ending. \n\n"Explosive Mouth" - I can't say 've ever heard anything quite like this song. If Marc ever wrote a song he considered "Cosmic Punk," this would be it. A T. Rex classic. \n\n"Spanish Midnight" - The tail end of "You Gotta Jive". Two songs merged that should have stayed on their own. While it is repetative, it's a gorgeous song that Marc should have expanded. As Marc says at the end - "Beautiful, I (expletive) love it!" \n\n"Sitting Here" - A single not on the original album. Another beautiful song reminicient of Marc's "Electric Warrior/The Slider/Tanx" era hits. A beautiful acoustic piece. \n\n"The Groover" - Another single not on the original album. One of Marc's last huge hits. "T-R-E-X" is chanted at the beginning - it still sends shivers down my spine. Pure T. Rex boogie/funk/heavy metal. \n\n"Satisfaction Pony" - Early heavy metal showcasing Marc's guitar talents. A B-side that could stand on its own. \n\nThe rest of the songs are really out there and aren't anywhere near Marc's best work. Some of them can be downright irritating - "Nameless Wildness" and "Interstellar Soul" come to mind immediately. \n\nThis was truly a transitional album for Marc. It showed an artist looking to change his sound and image, while alienating his established fanbase and any new fans at the same time. While this was not "the bottom" (that's reserved for "Zip Gun") it did mark the departure of Tony Visconti who added so much to T. Rex's signature sound and success. \n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Tony Visconti \nRecording information: 1973 - 1974.\n\nAlbum Notes\nThe 1997 reissue of ZINC ALLOY AND THE HIDDEN RIDERS OF TOMORROW contains 5 additional tracks that did not appear on the original release; "The Groover," "Midnight," "Truck On (Tyke)," "Sitting Here" and "Satisfaction Pony."\n\nT. Rex: Marc Bolan, Mickey Finn, Steve Currie, Bill Legend, Jack Green, Lonnie Jordan, Danny Thompson, B.J. Cole.\nThe Cosmic Choir: Sister Pat Hall, The Gloria Jones, Big Richard.\nAdditional personnel: Maestro David Katz & The Pop Orchestra.\nIncludes liner notes by Mark Paytress.\nAll tracks have been digitally remastered.\nMarc Bolan & T. Rex: Marc Bolan (vocals, guitar); Steve Currie (bass guitar); Bill Legend (drums); Mickey Finn (congas).\nAdditional personnel: Gloria Jones (keyboards, background vocals); Sister Pat Hall (background vocals); Danny Thompson, Lonnie Jordan, B.J. Cole, Jack Green.\n\nBy 1974, the phenomenon known as T. Rextacy was on the wane. The group had always been Bolan's vehicle, but the departure of some original members, the addition of three backup vocalists, and the name change, to Marc Bolan And T. Rex, signaled a significant new direction for the band.\nThe sound of ZINC ALLOY shows the influence of American soul music, and demonstrates an overall evolution. Where the group's biggest hits were basically gritty, straightforward rock, the sound on ZINC is flashier, more orchestrated, and generally slicker. The prominent string section and heavy echo of the opener, "Venus Loon," recalls Phil Spector. Additionally, Bolan shares many of the vocal duties with his girlfriend, the American singer Gloria Jones. In the record's sometimes operatic settings, the pair occasionally sound like Meatloaf and Karla De Vito. Yet Bolan could still write them like he used to, as songs like "Explosive Mouth" and the vaguely ominous gem "Change" ably demonstrate. "The Groover," a 1973 hit single, is a welcome bonus track.\n\nIndustry Reviews\n3 stars out of 5 - ...Splendidly lithe....this album found Bolan at a crossroads [of funk]...\nQ (10/01/2002)
This rock cd contains 24 tracks and runs 61min 54sec.
Freedb: 600e8018
Buy: from Amazon.com

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