Album review: MARC BOLAN & T.REX – Born To Boogie The Concerts

MARC BOLAN & T.REX - Born To Boogie The Concerts

Edsel [Release date 17.06.16]

Filmed at the height of T.Rextasy, and directed by Ringo Starr, the Born To Boogie film – centring around Wembley Empire Pool concert footage, a studio jam session with Ringo and Elton John, a four-song acoustic set filmed in the grounds of John Lennon’s mansion which yielded new versions of ‘Jeepster’, ‘Hot Love’, ‘Get It On’, and ‘The Slider’, and rather dated surreal Magical Mystery Tour-style linkage pieces – is getting the Edsel reissue treatment. It’s an extensive push with vinyl, DVD, Bluray and CD releases.

We’ve seen the single disc Motion Picture DVD which has fresh packaging, but not as many extras as the 2005 release. Here you get just the movie, the trailer, and two short pieces – fly on the wall ‘Marc and Ringo backstage’ footage and some faded 1972 on tour cine film.

We’ve also heard the complementary double CD which captures both Wembley Empire Pool sets on 18 March 1972, the latter from which the movie footage was culled. The tickets may have been a ‘steal’ at only 75p, but only 12 numbers were played at each show (and we thought the recent Heart sets were short!).

So there’s not a lot ‘new’ here, although the packaging is nice – both come with 20 page booklets. The film – which I can’t recall having seen before, captures Bolan’s on/off stage charisma, the jam and acoustic sessions are of testament to the fact that he wasn’t just a pretty face, and the sound is excellent for the vintage.

The CDs, which have identical sets, again are a nice collectors’ pieces, but it’s hard to imagine either would be on anyone’s regular play rotation. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

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