Born to Boogie

Marc Bolan & T Rex | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 7, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B0009AMSCY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,867 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

David Bowie's glammed-out Ziggy Stardust may have inspired much British critical hype at the dawn of the '70s, but it was Marc Bolan's T. Rex whose infectious blend of rock roots and mystic troubadour conceits were the era's biggest teen-frenzy pop phenomena. Ringo Starr was so enamored of "T. Rexstasy" that he set about making a loose documentary on Bolan and band, one whose loose flights of improvisational cinema seem as dizzy as they do substance-fueled. This double-disc soundtrack to Born to Boogie's painstakingly restored and expanded DVD release is a fascinating, warts-and-all slice of pop history, mixing concert performances of key hits like "Jeepster," "Get It On," and "Hot Love" with live-in-the-studio rave-ups of "Tutti Frutti" and "Children of the Revolution," featuring backing by Ringo and Elton John. The "Tea Party Medley" is one strange soirée of hits, while disc two presents the only complete recording of a T. Rex show, capturing the band's triumphant Wembley homecoming on March 18, 1972, in all its screaming teen glory. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Two CD set from boppin' Bolan and his T.Rex mates. Disc One features the soundtrack to the motion picture Born To Boogie, which was directed by fan (and former Beatle) Ringo Starr. Disc Two features a complete T.Rex live performance recorded during the movie-making experience but never released in it's entirety (it is one of only two full concerts ever recorded with T.Rex). Also featured is the jam between Marc, Ringo and Elton John, where they perform 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Children Of The Revolution'. Prepare to be blown away by a band at the height of their success. Sanctuary. 2005. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent remastering, and a great live T.Rex 1972 concert!, June 9, 2005

By 

Thomas Muckinhaupt (Erie, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Born to Boogie (Audio CD)

I've been waiting for this for a long time. The movie "Born to Boogie" which chronicles the rise of Marc Bolan to superstar status in the U.K. was never released in the US. Marc's success peaked around the time of the original 1972 movie directed by Ringo Starr, and this is a great value. Disc one contains the soundtrack of the movie with a superb earlier take of "Children of the Revolution" with Elton John on piano and Ringo playing drums. But disc two is truly the treasure featuring the full length Wembley concert (3/18/72)which has been lovingly remastered with surprisingly good sound throughout the set. The concert opens with a stunning version of "Cadillac" and concludes with a very electric version of "Summertime Blues". This is an excellent cd and helps clarify what "T.Rexstasy" was all about. Too bad that America just didn't get it. Now they can. As a T.Rex fanatic for 30 years, this is truly essential. Now, I need the DVD!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He was definitely "Born To Boogie", August 15, 2010

By 

Gerald G. Grafstrom "Gerry G." (Lake Alfred, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Born to Boogie (Audio CD)

Marc Bolan certainly had his ups and downs as far as popularity goes. He went through a lot of changes in his music and at times, apparently began to believe the hype a little too much. Having said that, I have to say that I was and still am a big T.Rex fan. I picked up the CD to see if it was worth spending the money to buy the DVD. After listening to the CD once or twice I knew I had to get the DVD. When I got the opportunity to pick up a copy of it and see him perform live for the first time, I jumped at it. I picked up my first T.Rex (and Tyrannosaurus Rex) albums in the early 70s. He never quite hit it as big here in the states as he did in England. Then he was gone. Almost 40 years later, I have the opportunity to see him I never had then. Watching him perform live in concert really shows how much he loved what he was doing. Watching him perform reminded me of such greats as Angus Young and Chuck Berry. I suspect he influenced the former and was influenced by the latter. Rarely have I seen a performer who seemed to be having as much fun. The actual movie gets a bit strange at times, but the version of "Tutti Frutti" rocks with a very young Elton John ripping the keyboards. For me, the two recorded concerts are the gems of this 2 DVD set, with the extras such as the interview with the drummer (the only surviving member) and the story of the restorations with Marc's son being icing on the cake.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite a "documentary.", July 23, 2005

By 

John Smith "Bimkoblerutso" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Born to Boogie (Audio CD)

In all honesty I can't see this being considered a documentary seeing as about half of it is comprised of improvised "hippie" sketches. However, that's not to say these sketches are not entertaining or interesting. On the contrary. They're devilishly self indulgent, but that just makes them more fun to watch (even if it's anyones guess as to what they mean). During the concert, Marc is in top form on all the tracks with the exception of "Get it On" in which he just sounds off most of the time. Considering he had already given a full concert earlier that day, it's easy to see that he was obviously getting pretty tired. He also gives some outstanding performances with Ringo Starr on drums and Elton John on piano. These were some of my favorites, as Elton's piano adds a whole new element to Marc's roots rock n' roll.

What really makes this particular DVD so essential is how well it has been remastered. There's even a special feature that shows the process Born to Boogie went through to finally end up as clear as it did. And boy is it clear. You're not going to find a clearer live T.rex performance anywhere.

Definitely recommended to anyone interested in the band, but also to classic rock fans who really have no idea what T.Rex was all about outside of "Bang a Gong (Get it On)."