20th Century Boy: The Ultimate Collection

Husband wanted it. He was happy that it was shipped fast. Arrived in good condition. He is very happy!

For a one-disc overview of a career, this is about as good as it gets. I was familiar with Tyrannosaurus Rex in the days when they were a folk duo, saw them morph into an electric band and finally emerge as the leading glam-rock act of the early 1970s. This collection does a remarkable job of capturing the essence of their career on a single disc, though fans will want more and a 2-CD set would have been easy to fill.The early years saw Bolan groping for an identity. He was never really a folkie and it didn't take long before his more manic side took over. Listen to his playing on 'Elemental Child' and you can hear the exhibitionist trying to get out. Although the band had some minor success in the 1960s, it wasn't until 'Ride A White Swan' in 1970 that T-Rex, as it was then called, hit it big. Pretty soon Bolan was in full make-up, androgynous clothing and the glam-rock star was born. Unlike Gary Glitter, the other big glam-rock star (Bowie was too multi-faceted to be pigeonholed in that way), Bolan was a genuine musician and his recordings had some staying power, although as you can hear, they did become somewhat formulaic in the search for big sales.This CD takes you through the band's (essentially Bolan's) various incarnations. It might be all you need to hear, although those who enjoy his style will want more and his albums are available, testament to his impact over a brief career. Bolan was unfortunately killed in a car crash in 1977, just before his 30th birthday. No doubt, with his musical ability and flair for showmanship, he would have emerged in another style following the withering of glam-rock and its replacement by its antithesis, punk. Bolan as a punk rocker is an intriguing thought! Alas, we'll never know.

Not his best , ( the Slider , Electric Warrior ) but a very good release.This would be a good compilation album.

Growing up in the 1960s, you look back to the artists that made musical changes. Jimi, Janis, the Beatles, Iron Butterfly. Marc Bolan & T. Rex was huge in England but only known here for "Bang a Gong (And Get it On)." But the glam movement started on the songs collected here. Some are iffy to me today, while others are first-rate. Depends on your taste, but you should at least give it a listen.

When I was a young lad (72-73), I listened almost exculsively to, on the rock and roll side, to Led Zep, T Rex and the Stones. On the r and b side, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Al Green. This T Rex comp is fabulous, going back to their acoustic beginnings in the late 60s asTyranisoris (?) Rex to the hit material from Electric Warrior, The Slider and Tank period. The biggest shame, of course, is that Marc Bolan left this world way too soon (29) in that awful crash and, no, I don't blame his wife Gloria Jones for his death, it was an accident; I know something about car crashes, I almost died in one myself! 20th Century Man is a killer cut, no wonder they used it for that tv commercial!

Good but missing a few staples. The sound quality is very clean for the age of the original master tapes.

This is an amazing cd, a compilation of the best songs from an iconic and super talented band. I would consider it a classic, Marc Bolan’s best work.

I didn't have any T.Rex, or Marc Bolan, in my CD collection and wanted to buy a single disc set that had a good selection of hits and album tracks. This one looked like a good deal, and after buying it and listening to it repeatedly, I can safely say that it certainly is a good compilation. Plenty of songs for the money and the selection covers a lot of ground, from the early folkier days to the popular glam-rock period. If you're looking for a good starting point on your T.Rex journey, this is a great entry.

T-Rex, Marc Bolan. Genius.

if you are a fan of greatest hits albums, this has all of marc bolan and t rex hits on it. it will take you back to the 70s, and the billy Elliot movie. great to sing to in the car [ or listen to if you cant sing ]

Several tracks unreadable

Good sound quality

I'm really not sure how many T. Rex compilations I have bought since I first discovered them as a child as Tyrannosaurus Rex, via "Bolan Boogie" (will this ever be remastered and re-released?) and the classic "The Slider", but the amount is great. I still love the voice of Marc Bolan, and this "Ultimate Collection" is probably the DEFINITIVE - loads of great songs collected - this is IT!