T. Rex

In 2004, Universal gave T. Rex's first five albums (most of which had actually been credited to Tyrannosaurus Rex when first issued) the deluxe expanded CD treatment: digital remastering, comprehensive liner notes by Marc Bolan biographer Mark Paytress, and oodles of bonus tracks. In one respect, however, this expanded edition of Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut is the most disappointing of the lot. For although there are a whopping 16 bonus tracks added to the original dozen, 12 of the extra cuts are simply the stereo version of the album (the mono version of the album comprising the main body of the disc). On the other T. Rex expanded editions in this series, non-LP singles and alternate takes dominate the bonus tracks. Not so here, and while Bolan (according to the liner notes) "always regarded the mono mix to be the definitive version of this album," the two-man band sound of the record was so basic that the head-to-head mono-stereo match doesn't make as much of a difference as it does when many other, fuller rock albums of the period are back-to-backed. Still, both versions are here for the fanatics to savor, though listeners who are not Bolan worshipers might find the record's naïve, whimsical brand of hippie folk-rock (with warble aplenty in Bolan's vocals) too much to hear twice in a row. As more significant bonuses, you do get the single "Debora," which was his first (though small) British chart entry. More intriguingly, there are three demos (not four, as the liner notes say) that T. Rex recorded for esteemed producer Joe Boyd in late 1967, all of them of songs ("Child Star," "Chateau in Virgin Waters," and "Debora") that would soon be re-recorded for official release. These demos have definite differences, "Child Star" and "Debora" being even more basic and folky than the sound that was captured for the debut album, and "Chateau in Virginia Waters" having a more languid pace and nice, prominent bassline that make it sound a tad more commercial and normal than the official version. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide