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Ride A White Swan |
| Produced by Tony Visconti | |
| Released on October 1972 | |
| no chart information | |
| Find it at GEMM | |
| MFP 5274 cover |
I read somewhere (Goldmine?) that this was the first record Johnny Marr of The Smiths owned. He turned out all right, so how bad can Ride A White Swan really be? Well, it ain’t no Electric Warrior, that’s for sure. This is a compilation of the material that led up to Bolan’s electric reinvention, which is to say acoustic hippy music that sounds like Mungo Jerry’s “In The Summertime” over and over and over. Not to suggest that the seeds of greatness aren’t evident some of the time: “Stacey Grove,” “Ride A White Swan,” “One Inch Rock” and “Debora” presage the subsequent masterworks, “King of the Rumbling Spires” is already there. Of course, back in the day this music was likely more transcendent since Bolan was just so beautifully inscrutable. Throwing aside substance is easy when the surface of “Elemental Child” and similar tracks is so satisfying. Bolan didn’t trouble himself with reason any more than the caterpillar in Through The Looking Glass, so why should you? The sound quality is all right considering the source; “One Inch Rock” and “Debora” were even “electronically enhanced” (ooh!) to simulate stereo. Its role in the Marr mythology notwithstanding, there really isn’t a compelling reason to own this record today. The Tyrannosaurus Rex releases have been reissued on CD with superior sound, and countless compilations wrap up the early singles in more appealing packages. Ride A White Swan is very much a product of its time, drunk with optimism as T. Rextasy reached its orgasmic apex, and likely to find a kindred spirit mostly in those who remember when.
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| MFP 5274 back cover |
TRACK LISTING
CREDITS
Bernard Allum -- sleeve design
return to T. REX discography
| REGION | RELEASE DATE | LABEL | MEDIA | ID NUMBER | FEATURES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK/NET | October 1972 | Music For Pleasure | LP/CS | MFP 5274 |
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