A Beard of Stars is where T.Rex finally says goodbye to the forgettable folk rock elements of the previous albums and gives listeners a taste of some noticeable signs that the band was headed for a change. You can hear this change in both the songwriting and the background arrangements.
"A Daye Laye" is pretty good. A very pretty vocal melody with nice arrangements in the background. I really like how Marc Bolan elevates his vocal range during certain lines, and the "freak out" style of guitar playing reminds me of early Wishbone Ash a little bit. "Woodland Bop" is a depressing dance tune... sort of, ha ha. Definitely do NOT make the assumption that Tyrannosaurus Rex is trying to write dance music here- far *far* from it. It's darn near impossible to describe! I love the dramatic guitar lines during the chorus- it's intense, heavy and leaves a lasting impression.
"First Heart Mighty Dawn Dart" really shows that T.Rex is well on their way to commercial success in about a year. The guitar playing in the background reminds me of the style the band would utilize during their glam rock days in the near future. The guitar sound has finally been established- the signs are there, but subtle obviously (because the music presented on A Beard of Stars is *still* in the psychedelic folk rock style, or rather, in between folk rock and glam rock). Some moments of Marc Bolan's vocal work on "Pavilions of Sun" remind me of his popular work from the Slider album and specifically a song like "Rabbit Fighter". I can hear a resemblance in the verse melody at least- a more emotional higher register in Bolan's vocal range. A great psychedelic guitar solo near the end, too.
"Organ Blues" feature a sound that to me seems to be *drastically* ahead of its time, and reminds me of some of Brian Eno's late 70's experimental work. What beautiful arrangements too! They are incredibly rich and clean- I really like what Marc Bolan was doing here. I admit the songwriting on this particular track isn't up to Marc Bolan's usual standards, but it's forgivable given the fact everything else about the song is just terrific.
"By the Light of the Magical Moon" has easy to understand lyrics, dreamy Hendrix-inspired guitar solos, and just a beautiful vocal melody overall. I have no problem saying this next part with authority- there's NOTHING from the 60's or 70's that sounds quite like "Wind Cheetah". It's indescribable because of the way Marc Bolan changes his singing style in order to make it work. It's unbelievably odd if you ask me. The guitar playing in the middle gives it a distinct haunted house feeling. It actually reminds me of Frankenstein, ha ha. I love it.
The title song is a *perfect* indication that Tyrannosaurus Rex was beginning to change into T.Rex in BOTH the background vocals and the guitar playing. Trust me- the moment you hear those vocals, the realization will set in that the trademark T.Rex sound you have come to love is right around the corner. Actually it's surprising that Electric Warrior wasn't the *next* album because a good portion of this album feels like the prequel to it. "Great Horse" is the next track, and surely you must be a stronger man than me if you're able to hold in your emotions when Bolan sings such a tender vocal melody. "Dragon's Ear" is slightly uplifting except... the uplifting vibe comes with an eerie atmosphere and a deep, ominous singing voice courtesy of Marc Bolan.
This album is seriously a big improvement over Unicorn is every conceivable way. "Lofty Skies" really takes advantage of Marc Bolan's emotional side. Actually, as you can probably guess, the entire album feels extremely personal. I wonder what kind of mood Marc Bolan was in during the recording of this album? The guitar solo at the end of this song is *unbelievably* good. "Dove" takes what would otherwise be considered a relatively simple vocal melody and makes it sound ominous and chilling. The 5-minute "Elemental Child" show the band writing an older, 60's style rock song in the guitar riff (think early Rolling Stones) but with an amazingly catchy vocal melody and a melodic guitar jam at the end.
Overall, A Beard of Stars does THREE things that really stand out to me. One- Marc Bolan really improves as a singer in both his ability to write vocal melodies and especially his ability to be personal and connect with his listeners. Two- the guitar playing is more frequent and interesting than it was a year earlier. Three- the background arrangements that would later be defined as distinctive and highly original have begun right here, on this album. Just a magnificent album the entire way through, seriously. It's better to think of it as a T.Rex album instead of a Tyrannosaurus Rex album. B. E. Jackson
"A Daye Laye" is pretty good. A very pretty vocal melody with nice arrangements in the background. I really like how Marc Bolan elevates his vocal range during certain lines, and the "freak out" style of guitar playing reminds me of early Wishbone Ash a little bit. "Woodland Bop" is a depressing dance tune... sort of, ha ha. Definitely do NOT make the assumption that Tyrannosaurus Rex is trying to write dance music here- far *far* from it. It's darn near impossible to describe! I love the dramatic guitar lines during the chorus- it's intense, heavy and leaves a lasting impression.
"First Heart Mighty Dawn Dart" really shows that T.Rex is well on their way to commercial success in about a year. The guitar playing in the background reminds me of the style the band would utilize during their glam rock days in the near future. The guitar sound has finally been established- the signs are there, but subtle obviously (because the music presented on A Beard of Stars is *still* in the psychedelic folk rock style, or rather, in between folk rock and glam rock). Some moments of Marc Bolan's vocal work on "Pavilions of Sun" remind me of his popular work from the Slider album and specifically a song like "Rabbit Fighter". I can hear a resemblance in the verse melody at least- a more emotional higher register in Bolan's vocal range. A great psychedelic guitar solo near the end, too.
"Organ Blues" feature a sound that to me seems to be *drastically* ahead of its time, and reminds me of some of Brian Eno's late 70's experimental work. What beautiful arrangements too! They are incredibly rich and clean- I really like what Marc Bolan was doing here. I admit the songwriting on this particular track isn't up to Marc Bolan's usual standards, but it's forgivable given the fact everything else about the song is just terrific.
"By the Light of the Magical Moon" has easy to understand lyrics, dreamy Hendrix-inspired guitar solos, and just a beautiful vocal melody overall. I have no problem saying this next part with authority- there's NOTHING from the 60's or 70's that sounds quite like "Wind Cheetah". It's indescribable because of the way Marc Bolan changes his singing style in order to make it work. It's unbelievably odd if you ask me. The guitar playing in the middle gives it a distinct haunted house feeling. It actually reminds me of Frankenstein, ha ha. I love it.
The title song is a *perfect* indication that Tyrannosaurus Rex was beginning to change into T.Rex in BOTH the background vocals and the guitar playing. Trust me- the moment you hear those vocals, the realization will set in that the trademark T.Rex sound you have come to love is right around the corner. Actually it's surprising that Electric Warrior wasn't the *next* album because a good portion of this album feels like the prequel to it. "Great Horse" is the next track, and surely you must be a stronger man than me if you're able to hold in your emotions when Bolan sings such a tender vocal melody. "Dragon's Ear" is slightly uplifting except... the uplifting vibe comes with an eerie atmosphere and a deep, ominous singing voice courtesy of Marc Bolan.
This album is seriously a big improvement over Unicorn is every conceivable way. "Lofty Skies" really takes advantage of Marc Bolan's emotional side. Actually, as you can probably guess, the entire album feels extremely personal. I wonder what kind of mood Marc Bolan was in during the recording of this album? The guitar solo at the end of this song is *unbelievably* good. "Dove" takes what would otherwise be considered a relatively simple vocal melody and makes it sound ominous and chilling. The 5-minute "Elemental Child" show the band writing an older, 60's style rock song in the guitar riff (think early Rolling Stones) but with an amazingly catchy vocal melody and a melodic guitar jam at the end.
Overall, A Beard of Stars does THREE things that really stand out to me. One- Marc Bolan really improves as a singer in both his ability to write vocal melodies and especially his ability to be personal and connect with his listeners. Two- the guitar playing is more frequent and interesting than it was a year earlier. Three- the background arrangements that would later be defined as distinctive and highly original have begun right here, on this album. Just a magnificent album the entire way through, seriously. It's better to think of it as a T.Rex album instead of a Tyrannosaurus Rex album. B. E. Jackson
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