Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow [Original recording remastered]

Marc Bolan & T Rex | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 28, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000001EQV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,643 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Venus Loon

2. Sound Pit

3. Explosive Mouth

4. Galaxy

5. Change

6. Nameless Wildness

7. Teenage Dream

8. Liquid Gang

9. Carsmile Smith & the Old One

10. You've Got to Jive to Stay Alive - Spanish Midnight

11. Interstellar Soul

12. Painless Persuasion V. The Meathawk Immaculate

13. The Avengers (Superbad)

14. The Leopards Featuring Gardenia and the Mighty Slug

Editorial Reviews

This edition has been digitally re-mastered from the original analog master tapes. Included are non-album singles following the original record's order. There's also a newly produced bonus CD with a "work-in-progress version" of the album. These songs are rare versions (previously unreleased in the U.S.) arranged to mirror the original running order of the record. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Creamed Cage In August, March 12, 2001

By 

Joh Bridge (West Sussex, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow (Audio CD)

First of all the album title is not such a copy of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust. Marc Bolan can be quoted as saying in the late 1960's that when he reached the top of his fame he would change his name to Zinc Alloy. Also the album was intended to be called A Creamed Cage In August, by Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tommorrow, but his record company insisted the name T.Rex was on the front cover and so the album became known as Zinc Alloy. On the music side of things this is a very different sound to previous T.Rex albums. I get annoyed when people claim Bolan stuck to a formula and didn't experiment with new sounds. This album sounds a lot like Tyrannosaurus Rex electrified and futurised. I call the sound on this album Bolan's Cosmic Rock. Zinc Alloy is definatley a progression and a very enjoyable listen where individual songs are not important as they all blend together perfectly for the benefit of the album. The extended play on the reissue contain two singles and two b-sides that also work well with the original set. There is a lot of reflection in this album on songs like 'Change' and 'Sound Pit'. The album is a very bold change of direction for Bolan, highlighted I think, by the album cover, with the bold blue eyes daring you to explore his new sound. The songs have a spacey feel and I think the production is fine. I believe this is a much mis-understood album and definately worth buying.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An album that got sold short!, December 9, 2005

By 

Josh Z. Bonder "a sound painter" (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zinc Alloy & The Hidden Riders of Tomorrow (Audio CD)

While most people who are familiar with T. Rex will probably tell you the best albums are "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider", they aren't totally wrong. They probably didn't think twice about albums like this one though, as well as "Bolan's Zip Gun", albums that were far ahead of their time. The T.Rex sound is further augmented on this album, particularly through the dominant placement of backing vocals by Gloria Jones. It also has a funkier and more over the top production than the aforementioned albums, anticipating funk and electronic music yet to come. The result is an album which somehow manages to be both "psychedelic" and quite danceable at the same time.

In all, I would say that this is a very listenable and strong album, and would have probably received five stars if not for the somewhat superfluous bonus disc (weaker/unfinished alternate takes of most of the songs). The second half of the album also tends to sag just a bit thanks to one or two less interesting tracks. In all these don't deter from the quality of the other songs and the over-the-top experience that makes this album so unique within the T.Rex catalogue. If you like this, check out "Bolan's Zip Gun" as well, time is only now catching up to the accomplishments of these albums!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The first signs of the T.Rex decine., January 26, 2006

By 

Geoffrey Warner (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zinc Alloy & The Hidden Riders of Tomorrow (Audio CD)

I have bought every T.rex album since Electric Warrior on both vinyl and CD and this was the first one that sounded like Marc Bolan was running out of ideas and getting tired. Although the album starts of promising, with powerful songs like "Venus Loon" and "Sound Pit" the album begins to weeken in the middle and never really recovers.Some of the tracks are rather plain and the style is a little bit all over the place.
A lot of it sounds over produced in areas, and the Gloria Jones backing vocals are overdone and uneccessary at times.It was always going to be hard to follow albums like Electric Warrior and The Slider and even Tanx,but Bolan needed a killer at this point in his career and this wasnt it.Having said that it is the last of the Tony Visconti productions and still has some worthwhile moments, although I wouldnt introduce T.Rex to anyone who hadnt heard them, via this album.