Tanx [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Marc Bolan & T Rex

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 24, 2006)
• Original Release Date: September 17, 2002
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B000C3H4Q8
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,339 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The 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. Driven by primal grooves, effortless hooks, trippy vocals, and deliciously fat guitar riffs, their music was both infused with hippie spirituality and raw sexuality-a rich, ripe, sonic delight both primitive and evolved. While their music defined an era, their irresistible grooves are timeless, and Bolan's later, more experimental tracks, marrying pop genius with creative expansion and proto-punk power, underscore his groundbreaking artistry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars T. Rex's Tanx (1973), March 29, 2007

By	James Choma - See all my reviews

This album to me represents the last great T. Rex album. This was Marc Bolan's attempt at breaking big in America after having conquered the UK charts. It ranks as my favorite T. Rex album, (actually, my favorite album of all time) with some of Marc's most melodic songs.
After the phenomenal success of "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider," Marc's record company expected big things. What Marc gave them was "Tanx;" an album very different from its predecessors. Unfortunately, the critics and many of the fans didn't like the direction Marc took and the album was deemed a disappointment.

Why is this my favorite album of all time? When I first came upon this album several years ago, after all the bad critical press it got, I was expecting the worst. My thought was, Heck, I loved Electric Warrior and The Slider, how bad could this be? I put the needle down on the turntable and was captivated for the next 40 minutes or so.

"Oh, my darling there are many ways..." The album opens with the guitar boogie and spacey lyrics of "Tenement Lady," a combination of two songs. You'll note on disc 2, it's listed as "Tenement Lady/Darling". Two songs fused together into one great one. Lots of great production work on this one.

"Your mama said, clean out your head, boy..." Next is "Rapids," with lots of guitar slide overdubs. Again, lots of spacey lyrics in a Bolan boogie mind poem.

"I'm just lookin' for a change in my luck.." "Mister Mister" is great light acoustic song with a great sing-a-long at the end. Excellent orchestration by Tony Visconti.

"This is a song that I wrote when I was young..." "Broken Hearted Blues" is, to me, one of the most beautiful songs Marc Bolan ever wrote. Beautiful lyrics, beautiful orchestration, Marc in perfect voice... poetry set to music. Possibly the best song Marc ever put on an album. The only complaint I have it that it was too short.

The rest of the album just flows beautifully. From start to finish, I never skip a song. Plus you get the added bonus of the Marc's singles from '73: "Children of the Revolution," "Jitterbug Love," "Sunken Rags," "Solid Gold Easy Action," "20th Century Boy," and the beautiful "Free Angel".

Disc 2 is made up of alternate takes. It gives you some insight into the workings of the songs a they developed from the rough mix stage to T. Rex classics. These outtakes were once sold separately as "Left Hand Luke: The Alternate Tanx". Here you get the whole package in one.

If you've fallen under the spell of Bolan's words and music, but don't have this album yet, get it now. This album to me is one of the best by the band, and as stated before, one of my favorites of all time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The great underrated T. Rex album, July 12, 2006

By	Frank C. Tortorici (Garwood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tanx is a great album. It's not as great as Electric Warrior, but it's up there with The Slider as Marc Bolan's next best. This album sounds like a mix of The Stones' Exile on Main Street with Elton John albums from '71 to '74, with the important ingredient of Bolan's own electric boogie.. It's amazing that Bolan created so much great music in so many different styles. Buy this one after Electric Warrior and The Slider. It's not really represented on any of the Bolan compilations out there. It's mind boggling and sad that '73 was considered the beginning of a downturn in Bolan's career at the time when he created Tanx and "20th Century Boy" (included here)! The bonus disc of alternate takes is fascinating and a good listen in its own right. This release from Rhino Records marks the first reissue of Tanx in the U.S. since the original 1973 vinyl.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bolan Boogie Goodness, April 28, 2008

By	Lee Saunders (Mexico City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you enjoyed Electric Warrior or The Slider, or both, get this album. I was a recent convert to the glory that is T. Rex. On first listen, i wrote this album off, like most people have/did, as strange, out-of-character, cheesy space pop, or something like that.

Upon a couple more listens, it has ascended to be one of my favorite albums of all time. Really an incredible album. "Born to Boogie" and "The Street and Babe Shadow" really give me that chill like only the screaming soloing Bolan can.

Get this album post haste. It's a must-have for rock music lovers and songwriters alike. Good luck penning one as simply beautiful as "Broken Hearted Blues".