Rock 'n' Roll is Cruel

T.Rex : Jason B. Sad

[Purchase]

   On March 11, 1977 T. Rex released Dandy in the Underworld, the final studio album in Marc Bolan's lifetime. In many ways, it was a return to form for the electric warrior,  who now dubbed himself a dandy in the underworld, "a gypsy explorer of the New Jersey Heights /Exalted companion of cocaine nights". ( He had to change the lyrics to "exalted companion of T.Rex nights" for television). If read as pure autobiography, this may be one of the most tragic songs ever written : "Distraction he wanted, to destruction he fell/ Now he forever stalks the ancient Mansions of hell"

To promote the album Marc Bolan toured with The Damned. "I was introduced to them," Marc would say. "Because one of them had the good taste to wear a Marc Bolan t-shirt".

The album reviews were, for the most part, kind. Sales were good ( reaching UK#26) and there were two singles, the rollicking classic "I Love to Boogie" from the summer before and "The Soul of My Suit", which reminds me of Hot Chocolate a bit.

In six short months, Marc Bolan would die in a car crash. He was just 29.