Carlos Cavazo Interview

Just today, I got a reply to an email from Carlos Cavazo. If you must know, Carlos Cavazo is the guitarist for Ratt currently. Cavazo is probably best known for his time served in Quiet Riot in the 1980’s. This interview has taken a long peroid of time to conduct. Before I go into the interview, I want to thank Carlos and Vicki (aka Rockin’ Queen) for replying to my interview. Hope you all enjoy!

1. Since the time I’ve first contacted you, Ratt will officially release a new album in
March called Infestation. Do you know when a tour will follow?

We contstantly work with flyouts & play a few shows a month, but a long tour won't happen until summer.

2. I find it interesting that Quiet Riot and Ratt both came out at the same time and now 25 years later, you’re a member of Ratt. How well did you know the band then back in 1983 or 1984?

I knew Robin Crosby before I knew any of them & hung around Stephen Pearcy in the early 80's , and got to know the rest of them through out the years.

3. At what age did you begin to play guitar? Who were your influences or favorite
bands?

I started playing guitar at the age of 9. My favorite bands were Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, and Iron Butterlfy.

4. From what I know, you were in Snow before you joined Quiet Riot. Can you remember
the first time you met Kevin and Frankie? When did they ask you to join Quiet Riot?

I went to audition for QUIET RIOT back in end of 1981.

5. Did you know who Quiet Riot were when they started out originally in the late 1970’s?

I knew who Kevin was, but the band was called DUBROW at that time, and we changed it to back to QUIET RIOT after we got signed.

6. Just curious: Did you ever get to know Randy Rhoads?

I have met Randy a number of times at parties and shows that my band SNOW did with them. And Randy was always very nice.

7. The song “Metal Health” is credited to you, Kevin, Frankie, and your brother Tony. What
was the inspiration for the song and the chours?

Kevin had heard the term from Randy about kids head banging over in Europe so he wrote lyrics about it, and the music was a SNOW song titled " No More Booze”, Kevin and I changed some of the music.

8. I’ve heard the funny story about how you guys didn’t want to record “Cum On Feel the
Noize”. When it did become a hit, you obviously had to play it live. What do you think of the song now?

We were always fans of SLADE but we didnt wanna play a cover tune & the producer thought it would be a good song for us. So we recorded it.

9. Condition Critical didn’t do as well as Metal Health, nor did the albums after.
For you, what is your favorite Quiet Riot album? Song?

Their album is Metal Health and song is “Bang your Head”.

10. Another curious one: When Quiet Riot became popular 1983, there was already a band from
New York simply called Riot (who I’m getting into. So far, I have Fire Down Under,Thundersteel, and Shine On). From what I’ve read, they disappeared for a while because of the confussion. Back then, were you guys aware of this?

Yes, we were aware of them & they were a good band and still are.

11. When Kevin was fired, you and Frankie continued. What made you want to continue?( I
ask this because when you look back in the 1970’s Kevin was the only original
member left…although a lot of people thought Quiet Riot were new in the 1980’s)

We still had the record deal, and Kevin didnt want any part of it, so we continued on without him.

12. Is it true that you and Kevin reformed the band? How did that happen? When did
Frankie rejoin?

Kevin and I reformed the band beginning of 91' Frankie rejoined in 93'

13. Can you tell me a little more about Kenny Hillary?

Kenny worked with the band for a few years & left the band. A year later he passes away.

14. Rudy explained to me why Quiet Riot ended in 2003. When Kevin and Frankie reformed
in 2005, you weren’t there. If you can, could you tell me why?

I didn’t want to reform without the original band.

15. Do you have a favorite memory of Kevin?

My favorite memory of Kevin was being on stage with him.

16. Do you keep in contact with Rudy or Frankie?

I keep in touch contact with Rudy.

17. What are you looking forward to this year in 2010?

I’m looking forward to working with RATT on this new record and
spending time with my beautiful girlfriend Vicki (aka ROCKINQUEEN)
and my family.

Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti is 35

Led Zeppelin

Physical Graffiti

1975

Rating: ****

By 1975, Led Zeppelin were one of the biggest rock bands in the world. The band were selling out shows and releasing #1 records. When their sixth album, Physical Graffiti, came out in 1975 it did just the same as any of their albums. However, the album is a bit different from Zeppelin's other releases. For one thing, it was the band's only double album. The album's material consisted of songs that dated back to 1970 sessions for the Led Zeppelin III album.

For the first disc, you got six great songs. "Custard Pie" is a simple rocker while "The Rover" hopes that we can "just join hands". "In My Time Of Dying" is definetely one of the blusiest tracks the band ever recorded as the slide guitar played by Jimmy Page is sweet. "Houses of The Holy" should've been on the 1973 album of the same name while the band gets funky for "Trampled Under Foot". The first disc ends with the magicial "Kashmir".

The second disc consists of older material. "In the Light" is a nice song while "Ten Years Gone" could easily rank as one of the best Zeppelin tracks ever recorded with its lyrics and its brilliant sounding guitars. For those who like straight-forth rockers, "The Wanton Song" and "Sick Again" are for you. If you like something a bit more bluesy, the band's jam session with Stones keyboardist Ian Stuart, fittingly called "Boogie With Stu", might suite you better. These are just some of the highlights of the second disc.

Bon Scott (1946-1980)- 30 Years Later

Bon Scott

July 9, 1946-February 19, 1980

http://www.flickr.com/photos/offchurch-tam/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Note: I know I'm two days late. I totally forgot the date so better to get this done now.

Friday marked 30 years since AC/DC singer, Bon Scott, passed away. Without a dobut, Scott was one of the greatest rock n roll frontmen of all time. His voice was unique and made those early AC/DC albums what they were. Bon was a bad boy on the stage as he roamed the stage shirtless, showing off his tattoos. Musically he and Malcolm and Angus penned some of the greatest AC/DC songs. Not only are they good AC/DC songs but they are some of the best in rock. Bon died on February 19, 1980 after a long night of drinking. His AC/DC bandmates threatened to break-up but with the approval of Bon's family, the band went on with singer Brian Johnson. Their album, Back in Black, is the second best selling album of all time. Today, Johnson is still with the band. Still, fans remember the greatness of Bon Scott.

Rest in peace, Bon.

Beatles History For Sale: EMI puts Abbey Road Studios up for sale

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blisspix/ / CC BY 2.0

If you haven't already heard, EMI has put Abbey Road Studios up for sale. I just heard the news today so I don't quite know why EMI has decided to put the studio up for sale. I'm going to repeat what thousands are already saying right now: don't sell Abbey Road Studios. Simple folks will know that the studio shares the same name as the Beatles' 1969 album. While this is true, Abbey Road Studio is so much more than that. Not only did the Beatles record a bulk of their classic albums there but other artists have recorded masterpieces there as well. Ever heard of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon? That was recorded there along with countless other masterpieces. Other articles will tell you that the studio serves for more than music studio. During World War II, the studio was used to record propaganda for the British Government.

I wouldn't worry about the studio going anywhere. Andrew Llyod Weber has said he's very interested in buying the studio. Paul McCartney is even helping out to save the studio.

The Knack's Doug Fieger (1952-2010)

Yesterday Doug Fieger, lead singer of the Knack, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Fieger penned the Knack's big hit, "My Sharona", in 1979 which stayed at #1 on the Billboard Charts for six weeks. The band's debut album, Get the Knack, sold a little over 3 million copies thanks to "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't".

Rest in peace, Doug.

Behind the Music Remastered: A Wishlist

Recently, VH1 Classic has been airing updated versions of Behind the Music. The channel has already shown Metallica and Judas Priest. From what I know, Genesis will be the next episode and Def Leppard and Motley Crue are coming up. This has inspired me to make a wishlist of episodes that I'd personally like to see "remastered".

Quiet Riot
First aired: 1999
What's changed: The band broke up in 2003 only to get back together in 2005 and release Rehab the following year. Also, Kevin DuBrow died in 2007.

Guns N Roses
First aired: 2004
What's changed: Chinese Democracy is out.

The Mamas and the Papas
First aired: 1998 and 2002
What's changed: Denny Doherty passed away in 2007

AC/DC
First aired: 2000
What's changed: Black Ice

Aerosmith
First aired: 2002
What's changed: Honkin' On A Bobo, Guitar Hero game, and Steven Tyler's future with the band

The Who: Live At Leeds gig 40 years later

The Who

Live At Leeds

1970

Rating: **** 1/2

It was forty years ago today when the Who rocked the University of Leeds. The album was actually released on May 16, 1970 but the actual show was 40 years ago. What is it that makes this performance so special? The Who were at their peak: they had a killer rock opera out called Tommy the year before and were playing honest rock n roll music. As far as live albums go, there probably isn't any other live album that's as live and raw as Live at Leeds.

The Who were one of the most successful rock bands in the late 1960's. Now in 1970, the band was on tour promoting their latest album, Tommy. The band wanted to have some live document of the tour. To avoid listening to hours of recordings, the band picked two gigs to record. On February 14, the band performed at the University of Leeds. The second gig in Hull wasn't recorded due to technical issues. When first released, Live At Leeds contained only six songs: "Young Man Blues", "Substitute", "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", "My Generation" and "Magic Bus". It wasn't until 1995 when a remastered version of the album was released with eight more songs. However, this still wasn't the entire performance. Apparently, the band performed most of the Tommy album right after playing "A Quick One and While He's Away". In 2001, the entire performance was released.

"Heaven and Hell" is the first song played at the gig. This song, written by John Entwistle, was never released as a studio track. The band also performed "Fortune Teller"at raw power. The band also gets blusey during "Young Man Blues". The band then proceeds into a string of early hits. "A Quick One" is very amusing while "Summertime Blues" is another highlight from the show. "My Generation" actually goes on for fifteen minutes as it goes into other songs such as "See Me, Feel Me". The show ends fittingly with "Magic Bus".

If you own Live at Leeds, what are you waiting for? CRANK IT UP!

Satan's Coming 'Round the Bend: Black Sabbath’s debut album turns 40

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath

1970

Rating: ****

The end of the 1960’s saw bands making music about peace, love, and happiness. There was never a bad moment. It was make love, not war. However somewhere in England, a new rock group was surfacing on the scene. They were different from other bands as their music was dark and heavy. That band was Black Sabbath and 40 years ago, their debut album was released. The album was ignored and panned by critics alike when it was released on February 13, 1970 (which happened to be Friday the 13th ). Now four decades later, Black Sabbath are seen as one of the first heavy metal bands.

Black Sabbath was originally formed as Earth in 1968. The band consisted of singer John “Ozzy” Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Terence “Geezer” Butler, and drummer Bill Ward. The band got their name from the 1964 horror movie of the same name. The band’s dark music was inspired by what they were reading and seeing at the time. One night, the band read the Tibetian Book of the Dead and was creeped out. The next day, Butler described about a nightmare he had where he saw this black figure. As he described it, the band wrote a song about it. That song, “Black Sabbath”, was added to the band’s setlist. As the band remembers, the hippies in the crowd would run away every time they played the song. The band figured that scary music sells. The band’s career was put on hold after Iommi got injured in a freak accident. Iommi was working at a place where they made guitars. Accidently, Iommi’s fingertips were cut off from a blade. Doctors told Iommi his career as a guitarist was over. They were wrong. Iommi came up with an idea to place caps on his fingers while he played. He made these caps by ironing caps from soda bottles until they were a rubbery substance that could be place over his fingers. As a result, the band’s sound became heavier. Eventually, the band was signed to Vertigo Records in 1970 and recored their debut album.

Before this, the term of “heavy metal” was being used to describe heavier bands. The term was first used in Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild”. The first time the term was used was in an issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, which was in a negative review on Humble Pie’s debut album. Led Zeppelin were also being dubbed “heavy metal” at the time. People weren’t ready for Black Sabbath at all…

All you can hear is the sound of rain on the self-titled track of the debut album. After hearing a church bell ring, the music starts and plays this evil music. Osbourne’s vocals sound as if he’s scared, especially when he cries “Oh no! Please God help me!” The lyrics for “Black Sabbath” are clever and well written. “Is this the end, my friend?” sings Osbourne. “Satan’s coming ‘round the bend”. “The Wizard” is musically a departure from “Black Sabbath” but still, the lyrics deal with supernatural elements. Believe it or not, there’s some harmonica playing on the song. The next track is actually four songs in one (“Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/ Basically/ N.I.B.). Of them, “N.I.B.” is probably the best. The main riff is very metal and very heavy. The lyrics, once again, explore dark themes (“My name is Lucifer/Please take my hand”). “Wicked World” is probably the blusiest sounding on the album. Iommi’s rapid guitar playing is impressive. “A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/ Warning” is a fitting closer that contains three different songs. Osbourne’s vocals are great and the album comes to a rocking finish.

Black Sabbath’s debut album was the first of many albums. The band’s second album, Paranoid, was released later that year in 1970 (the review for this album will be up later this year). Paranoid is seen as the stronger album as the song actually had a hit single with the self-titled track. Today, Black Sabbath are still performing. The original line-up is taking a break for now but the line-up containing singer Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice tour under the name Heaven & Hell. Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne has recently released an autobiography. Back in 2009, Osbourne filed a lawsuit against his bandmates in Black Sabbath over song royalites.

The release of Black Sabbath stands out as one of the important events in the history of heavy metal. It didn’t create the genre nor did it destroy the genre. It did start the career of Black Sabbath and influenced other people to go form their own heavy metal bands. Without this album, almost half of the heavy metal out today wouldn’t be out. It should be celebrated for that reason alone.

We're All Humanary Stew: Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare 35 years later

Alice Cooper

Welcome to My Nightmare

1975

Rating: ****

For the first half of the 1970’s, the Alice Cooper band dominated the world. Their image and their music had parents wanting less and their kids wanting more. However by 1975, the band broke up. The band’s singer, Alice Cooper, (which was the stage-name for Vincent Furnier, born February 4, 1948) would start a solo career. His first album would be the conceptual album Welcome to My Nightmare. 35 years later, the album is still considered one of Alice’s best. Usually, fans will tell you that 1971’s Killer is Alice’s best. While Killer is a great album, Welcome to My Nightmare is still my personal favorite of his.

Welcome to My Nightmare isn’t your typical concept album. Like a few albums before it, the album’s concept is very loose and doesn’t tell a clear story. What is clear is that the album’s main character is a boy named Steven. The average listener may get the idea that Steven is a boy who is afraid of growing up. The album is Steven’s nightmare as he’s a serial killer. Someone may find another way of telling the story. Producer Bob Ezrin had helped Cooper produce many of his other albums. Ezrin is known for being a producer who makes things bigger. So, there are orchestras in some songs.

If you’re spine is tingling at the start of the album, it might be from the spooky opening guitar from the self-titled track. This song is a pretty basic hard rock song and a perfect starting track. The lyrics are clever (“A nocturnal vacation/ A necessary sedation”) and this is probably my favorite track off the album. Next is the hard rocking “Devil’s Food”, which could be used to describe Steven’s lifestyle. Towards the end of the song, you can hear Vincent Price give a creepy narration to introduce the next song, “The Black Widow”. The song is very rocking and very creepy. When played live, Alice has a big spider on the stage. “Some Folks” shows a somewhat jazzy side to Alice while “Only Women Bleed” is probably the big hit from the album. This is the first of Alice’s string of power ballads (others including “I Never Cry” and “You And Me”). Of all his ballads, this is the most moving as it talks about an abusive relationship (possibly Steve and his wife). “Department of Youth” is an anthem of rebellion. Like “School’s Out” before it, the song uses a children’s choir. Listen careful at the very end when Alice asks the kids who “gave them the power” (and laugh when they respond Donny Osmand). “Cold Ethyl” is a stone-cold rocker about necrophilia while “Years Ago” dives deeper into the concept of the album about the fear of growing up. “Steven” is the answer to the previous track while Steven finds a trail of crimson spots in “The Awakening”. It’s implied that Steven finds out he murdered his wife. All he can do now is to “Escape”, ending the album.

Welcome to My Nightmare would be the start of Alice’s solo career and the albums that followed it. A loose sequel called Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (or Goes to Hell) was released the following year. The theme and character of Steven has continued to be the backbone on some of Alice’s other albums. Alice’s 1994 album The Last Temptation spawned a graphic novel of the same name. In the comic, the main character is named Steven. Also the booklet of 2008’s Along Came A Spider shows Alice holding a book that says it belongs to Steven. Overall, Welcome to My Nightmare is one of Alice Cooper’s most important albums for sure.

Deep Bands- T.Rex

Picture: The album cover for 1972's The Slider. Marc Bolan is on the cover.

There are some bands that are more popular in one country than they are in another. When it comes to a band like T.Rex, they are probably one of the best examples. No matter what the case may be, T.Rex has been an influence on countless musicians. Singer/songwriter Marc Bolan was the fearless leader of the band and not having him in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is a crime and a sin against God.

Marc Bolan was born Marc Feld September 30, 1947. Growing up, Feld became hooked on rock n roll music. Feld was given his first guitar at the age of nine and at fifteen, he formed a skiffle group. After a short career in modeling at seventeen, Feld later found himself back into music. This time, he was influenced by the folk rock scene. Marc Feld soon changed his name to Marc Bolan and started writing songs in the style of Bob Dylan and Donovan. One of his first songs, “The Wizard”, became his first single. It did little but managed to get him in the band, John’s Children. The band didn’t last long and broke up after a few singles. Bolan wasn’t into electric rock at the time. He was interested in psychedelic folk-rock. With him on guitar and percussionist Steve Peregrine Took, Bolan formed Tyrannosaurus Rex. After meeting with a young New York producer named Tony Visconti, the duo recorded their first album. In 1968, My People Were Fair and Had Stars in Their Eyes…But Now They are Content to Wear Stars on their Brows was released. It was a minor success with the single “Deborah”.

Tyrannosaurus Rex were one of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel’s favorite bands. Peel played Bolan’s music all the time and as a result, the band had an underground following. Peel and Bolan even became good friends. Bolan and Took released two more albums (Prophets, Seers, Sages: The Angels of the Ages and Unicorn) until 1969, Took left the band after one too many arguments with Bolan. Bolan and Visconti tried looking for a replacement and found one in percussionist Mickey Finn. Finn wasn’t that great of a player, Visconti recalled years later, but he was extremely good-looking and just fitted in with Marc. As a result, Finn got the job. With Finn, A Beard of Stars was released in 1970. The album’s closer, “Elemental Child”, saw Bolan playing an electric guitar. Some of Bolan’s fans feared the worst as it was considered not cool to switch to electric. For the fifth album, the Tyrannosaurus Rex name wasn’t working. Legend has it that Visconti got so fed up with writing the band’s name on the master tapes, he wrote “T.Rex” instead. Either way, the duo changed their name to T.Rex and released a self-titled album in 1970. Bolan also had ideas to expand the group from two people to four people. His ideas would make him famous.

In 1971, Bolan hired drummer Bill Fifield to expand his group. However, Bolan decided that Fifield’s new name would be Bill Legend. Visconti stayed on bass for a while until bassist Steve Currie was haired as the fourth member. The band recorded the single “Ride a White Swan”, which became a hit and went to #2 in the British charts. The follow-up, “Hot Love”, did even better and stayed at #1 for a few weeks. T.Rex then started to record what would become 1971’s Electric Warrior. The album would include the poetic “Cosmic Dancer”, the whimsical “Life’s A Gas”, and the rocking “Jeepster”. However, the biggest hit off the album was “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”. It was so big that the band had a hit in the US. Electric Warrior became a hit record and by this time, T.Rex were big in the UK. Soon enough, glam rock was becoming a popular genre. David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Slade, and many others were getting a boost in their career. As a result, Marc’s old friends (such as John Peel) weren’t happy: Bolan had sold out.

T.Rex were the most popular in 1972. That same year, The Slider was released. The album may’ve not been as good as Electric Warrior but it was collection filled with glam rockers such as “Metal Guru”, “Spaceball Ricochet”, “Buick Mackane”, and “Telegram Sam”. Like Electric Warrior, The Slider was also a hit. In the UK, critics called the popularity of T.Rex “T.Rextasy”. No one had seen anything like T.Rextasy since the days of Beatlemania. Speaking of which, Ringo Starr decided to direct a movie on T.Rex. Starr filmed two shows (a matinae and an evening performance. The evening show made the movie while the other show wasn’t seen until 2005 on DVD) the band performed at the Wembley Pool. Along with concert footage, the movie would feature a jam session with Starr and Elton John. The movie also had a taste for the bizarre: in one scene, Bolan is being given a ride in a car by Starr (dressed as a mouse). Another scene includes Bolan as the Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland, hosting a tea party for nuns who are eating hamburgers and hot dogs. In 1972 the movie, Born to Boogie, was released. The movie was panned by film critics but was loved by the fans as it captured T.Rex at their best.

In 1973, T.Rex were enjoying their success. The band now had another hit single with “20^th Century Boy” and a new album called Tanx. Unlike the band’s last two albums, Tanx wasn’t much of a hit. Also at that time, Bolan added guitarist Jack Green and some back-up singers. One of them was Gloria Jones. Jones was best known for writing the song “Tainted Love”, which was later a hit for Soft Cell in the 1980’s. Bolan and Jones had an affair and when Bolan’s wife June Child found out, the couple divorced. After the release of the minor hit “The Groover”, Bill Legend and Jack Green left the band. Legend was replaced by Davey Lutton while keyboardist Dino Dines was added. In 1974, T. Rex released Zinc Alloy & The Hidden Riders of Tomorrow. The album flopped and was seen as a rip off of David Bowie’s The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Mickey Finn left the band as his bongo drumming couldn’t be heard anymore. Tony Visconti also left as Bolan’s producer, citing later on that bolan had become hard to work with (Visconti went on to produce several albums for David Bowie). Bolan kept T.Rex going and released two more albums (Bolan’s Zip Gun and Futuristic Dragon) that were also flops In 1975, Bolan became a father as Jones gave birth to a baby boy named Rolan. In 1977, Bolan hired a whole new T.Rex band consisting of session musicians such as Herbie Flowers, Miller Anderson, and Tony Newman. Dandy in the Underworld was seen as a “return-to-form” album and because of this, the album did fairly well. By September 1977, Bolan ended his short-lived television show Marc. The show’s last episode ended with a failed jam with David Bowie.

On September 16, 1977 Bolan and Jones were at a party. On the drive back, Jones decided to drive while Bolan sat in the passenger seat. Suddenly, the car crashed into a tree. Jones had several minor injuries and survived. Bolan, however, was crushed and killed from the impact. He was only 29 years old. Bolan’s death shocked the music world. It seemed as now people liked Bolan more than ever. Gloria Jones was instantly blamed for Bolan’s death and had nasty things said about her. Jones and Rolan (Bolan and Jones’ child) relocated to the US to avoid the press. Bolan’s death was the first in many passings of former members to follow. In 1980, Steve Penegrine Took died after choking on a cherry cocktail while under the influence. Bassist Steve Currie was killed in a car crash the following year. In 2003, Mickey Finn passed away after battling liver cancer. Before Finn passed, he and one-time member Paul Fenton reformed T.Rex. This version still tours as Mickey Finn’s T.Rex in the memory of Marc and Mickey. In 2004 keyboardist Dino Dines passed away from a heart attack.

In 2005 Marc’s son, Rolan Bolan, helped get the long lost Born to Boogie movie released on DVD. The DVD set featured the movie, another concert, and a few bonus features. One of them includes a short feaurette on Bill Legend, the sole suriving member of the classic T.Rex line-up. Today, people still remember Marc Bolan and T.Rex. In fact, a T.Rex fan group (T.A.G.- T.Rex Action Group) set up a memorial by the tree that Bolan died near. The memorial, simply known as The Tree, is still visited by many to honor the man and his music.

Recommended albums: Electric Warrior and The Slider

Personal thoughts on the albums: These are the two albums that everyone should own. Both are pretty easy to get. Electric Warrior can be purchased on CD and on iTunes while The Slider can be found at any place that sells music.

Recommended songs: Elemental Child, Ride a White Swan, Comsic Dancer, Hot Love, Bang a Gong (Get It On), Jeepster, Life’s a Gas, Metal Guru, Buick Mackane, Spaceball Ricochet, Telegram Sam, Ballrooms of Mars, The Slider, Baby Strange, Children of the Revolution, Solid Gold Easy Action, 20^th Century Boy

Recommended Compilations: There are a lot of these out there. If you do see one, I would get it no matter what. Make sure that “Ride a White Swan” and “Bang a Gong” are on it. I think the best one out there is one called 20^th Century Boy: The Ultimate Collection. It’s missing a few songs but it’s the best $14 you’ll spend on T.Rex!

T.Rex/Tyrannosaurus Rex

Line ups

Tyrannosaurus Rex I (1967-1969)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Steve Peregrine Took- percussion

Albums

My People Were Fair and Had Stars in Their Eyes…But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968)

Prophets, Seers, Sages- The Angels of the Ages (1968)

Unicorn (1969)

Tyrannosaurus Rex II/ T.Rex I (1969-1970)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Mickey Finn- percussion

Albums

A Beard of Stars (1970) as Tyrannosaurus Rex

T. Rex (1970)

T.Rex II (1970-1973)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Steve Currie- bass

Bill Legend- drums

Mickey Finn- percussion

Albums

Electric Warrior (1971)

The Slider (1972)

Tanx (1973)

T.Rex III (1973)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Jack Green- guitar

Steve Currie- bass

Bill Legend- drums

Gloria Jones- keyboards/backing vocals

Mickey Finn- percussion

T.Rex IV (1973-1974)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Steve Currie- bass

Davey Lutton- drums

Dino Dines- keyboards

Gloria Jones- keyboards/backing vocals

Mickey Finn- percussion

Albums

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow (1974)

T.Rex V (1974-1976)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Steve Currie- bass

Davey Lutton- drums

Dino Dines- keyboards

Gloria Jones- keyboards/backing vocals

Albums

Bolan’s Zip Gun (1975)

Futuristic Dragon (1976)

T.Rex VI (1976-1977)

Marc Bolan- guitar/vocals

Miller Anderson- guitar

Herbie Flowers- bass

Tony Newman- drums

Dino Dines- keyboards

Albums

Dandy in the Underworld (1977)

Rest in Peace…

Marc Bolan (1947-1977)

Steve Peregrine Took (1949-1980)

Steve Currie (1947-1981)

Mickey Finn (1947-2003)

Dino Dines (1944-2004)