Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Marc Bolan & T Rex

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 28, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1974
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000001EQV
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #146,913 in Music (See Bestsellers 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. Carlisle 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. Avengers (Superbad)

14. Leopards Featuring Gardenia and the Mighty Slug

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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

8 of 9 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 and 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!

3 of 3 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 and 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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unfair, in true pop fashion., December 16, 1999

By	Erik Blood "shizzam" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this album, knowing it would be a little different from his previous works, but knowing that Tony Visconti was still the producer. After being blown away by Tanx, I assumed that all of the rumors that The Slider was the last great T. Rex album were false. And again, Zinc Alloy proves them wrong.

It's no where near classic T. Rex, but it's far from bad. The addition of Gloria Jones (as backup singer, but sounding more like co-vocalist) is alarming, but quite nice at points, adding authenticity to the new soul direction Marc wanted to go in. The guitar experiments are sometimes shocking, sometimes unpleasant, but overall, they work.

The lyrics are weird, but they've always been weird. This time there's someone else singing them, too, which makes it more odd, but whatever! It's T. Rex!

If you're only interested in the material you may have heard on the radio, stick to Slider and Electric Warrior, even Tanx. If you like T. Rex, and want to know where they were headed, check this out with an open mind. Some artists grow, while some digress. Marc was growing, and I'm looking forward to finding out how much further he got.