Electric Boogie Review

07/13/2005 6:58 AM, AMG


Whether on bootleg or otherwise, Marc Bolan and T. Rex have never been treated to a truly stellar live recording, one which not only captures the incandescent energy that went into their concert performances, but which does so in an at all listenable fashion. It is almost as if the only people with the foresight to record the band at its height were the ones with tickets for row Z -- which they'd lost en route to the venue, so they taped the gig from the street outside. Electric Boogie is another addition to that sorry roll call although, in fairness, it is a vast improvement on many of the releases out there. Excerpts from four shows revolve around T. Rex's summer 1971 tour of the U.K. and Europe -- the period, that is, immediately after the singles "Ride a White Swan," "Hot Love," and "Get It On" had confirmed the group as the biggest thing in Britain since the Beatles. Included are six medium-fidelity tracks from the Rotterdam show, plus two cuts apiece from Bournemouth, Lewisham, and Wolverhampton, with the first-named unquestionably highlighted by a nine-minute rendition of "Ride a White Swan" -- and, if you're wondering how a simple three-minute pop song can be so elongated, remember Bolan's guitar-playing skills weren't limited to the brusque, choppy chords which highlighted his studio work. "Elemental Child," from the Wolverhampton gig, makes the same point less surprisingly -- on album, too, that most evocative of Bolan lyrics was set to a ferocious axe murderer. If there is any downside to this set, it is that the packaging is utterly misleading, conveying the impression that the recordings hail from another show that summer, the legendary Weeley Festival bash. Both the cover photo and Bill Legend's liner notes abet the deception, although, in truth, such details probably matter only to the most committed collectors. For the rest of us, a rare chance to hear (and even enjoy) T. Rex at their live peak is simply too good to pass up. A second CD appends a period interview to the main attraction. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide