Flyback-Best of T.Rex. (LP
1971, CD 1997. The original
Tyrannosaurus Rex compilation now only retains novelty value)
Dreadfully
slated at the time of release, this album was cited as the worst possible kind
of quick cash in on the new T.Rex girl reaction. That it is called ‘Best of T.Rex’ disguises the fact this is a
wholly Tyrannosaurus Rex album - and not such a bad one at that.
This is
the Great-GrandDaddy of all Bolan compilations covering the 68-70 Regal
Zonophone period, ‘Best of T.Rex’ was the first with the tracks most commonly
used ever since. And it represented
decent value for a quick compilation too.
Four songs only released on 45 were put on album for the first time, as
were two previously unreleased tracks from the ‘Beard of Stars’ sessions.
However,
it is the sequencing that wins the day capturing the playful spirit of
Tyrannosaurus not T.Rex. Combined with
eight well chosen album tracks it doesn’t attempt to document anything - you
just slap it on the hi-fi and enjoy.
Surprisingly the stern by comparison ‘Definitive Tyrannosaurus Rex’ uses
the same tracks (all but one) for its core material.
In the
days of programmable CD players the sequencing advantage of ‘Best of T.Rex’
disappears into the programmability of the ‘Definitive Tyrannosaurus Rex’. That means the original cover art but
otherwise basic packaging of the A&M CD ‘Best of T.Rex’ pales in comparison
with the complete rarities and copious sleeve notes of ‘Definitive Tyrannosaurus
Rex’. Therefore the original vinyl copy
may be all that’s required for collectors.
Hi-fi
buffs may also like to know that the A&M release of ‘My People Were Fair …’
was flawed by a reversed stereo image.
The two ‘My People Were Fair …’ tracks presented here correct that
fault.
Of the
two ‘all new’ tracks, ‘Once upon the Seas of Abyssinia’ stands out as minor
classic. It feels as though some of
Steve Took’s work is retained (It is supposed to have been erased and
re-recorded) and serves as an indication of where the original duo might have
gone after ‘Unicorn’. There is an
enormous otherworldly sound that is as much about ancient Earth legend as of
strange civilisations on distant planets.
However,
you can’t help feeling the ‘Best of T.Rex’ suffers from what it lacks. Principally no ‘Pewter Suitor’, or ‘Warlord
of the Royal Crocodiles’ (the album track used as its b-side) nor is there ‘Do
you Remember’ (b-side of ‘King of the Rumbling Spires’). Another minor gripe is the absence of the
last Tyrannosaurus Rex single ‘By the Light of the Magical Moon’.
Taken
as a whole this is an enjoyable collection of mostly ‘Took-Rex’ material and
should be the ideal companion to the ‘Finn-Rex’ ‘Bolan Boogie’. Unfortunately it is defined as much by what
is missing as by what is present, and with too great an emphasis on the ‘Beard
of Stars’ period (five out of fourteen tracks) an otherwise worthwhile album is
demoted to the merely not essential.
Track list (in original running order): Debora, Child Star, Cat Black (the wizards hat), Conesuala, Strange Orchestras, Find a Little Wood, Once upon the seas of Abyssinia, [side two]: One Inch Rock, Salamanda Palaganda, Lofty Skies, Stacey Grove, King of the Rumbling Spires, Blessed Wild Apple Girl, Elemental Child.