Release date: March 11, 1977
Label: EMI
Producer: Marc Bolan
Length: 37:52
Genre: glam rock
Rating: 8.5
“Dandy in the Underworld” was the last album for glam rock icon Marc Bolan and his T. Rex, as the legendary guitarist and singer lost his life in a car crash not long after its release. A whole host of backing singers took part in the record, led by Bolan’s wife Gloria Jones, who survived the fatal crash. Even the album title feels like Bolan sensed he was soon headed for the ancient Greek underworld, which he’d so loved to sing about in some of his early lyrics.
Despite the gloomy title and dark cover, “Dandy in the Underworld” is mostly stuffed with positive vibes. T. Rex had managed to pick themselves up commercially by then, and when they hit the road with punks The Damned in tow, it seemed an exciting future still lay ahead. Nobody had the faintest idea that it would all be over soon after the album came out. At this stage of his career Bolan had grown into a good producer, so the album boasts an exceptionally solid and consistent production. At the same time he started experimenting with new vocal approaches, and you can feel that his encounters with some of the punk bands of the day had rubbed off on him.
The title track, which also opens the album, is packed with a string of splendid backing vocal harmonies. “Crimson Moon” is modernized glam rock that isn’t shy about its punk influences. The nostalgic-playful “Universe” leans mostly on the sound of the Hammond organ. “I’m a Fool For You Girl” is another example of a seemingly simple but brilliantly structured song. Boogie rocker “I Love to Boogie” is a kind of return to the roots. “Visions of Domino,” a prototype T. Rex classic, rides on the wings of Bolan’s excellent singing and is drenched in potency, glamour and epic scale. “Jason B. Sad” is seasoned with a mighty symphonic arrangement, swaying rhythms and a great chorus.
“Groove a Little” also sounds like it was made in the golden era of glam rock rather than the second half of the seventies. “The Soul of My Suit” has a rousing anthem of the kind Bolan cranked out quite a few of in his far-too-short career. “Hang-Ups,” weighed down by a repetitive rhythm, has two good but short guitar solos. The epic “Pain and Love” can definitely be counted among the album’s peaks; thanks to the excellent singing and mighty symphonic arrangements, it’s one of the most mature songwriting moments of Bolan’s career. Here you can feel the influence of punk on his vocal approach even more clearly, especially from hanging out with Generation X and their then little-known singer Billy Idol. It’s very likely Bolan would have gladly ‘grabbed’ the later new wave influences too, had he stayed alive. The last track on the album, “Teen Riot Structure,” is an excellent glam rocker with a distinctly English atmosphere.
With the thoroughly high-quality final T. Rex effort “Dandy in the Underworld,” the life of one of the biggest rock icons of the seventies ended way too soon. Who knows where his musical paths would have taken him had he not died in 1977 from a car crash. He’d probably have kept thrilling people with great music in the eighties, and his reaction to the glam metal scene would have been fascinating. After Bolan’s death T. Rex of course ceased to exist. Bolan’s oldest musical collaborator, percussionist Steve Peregrin Took, died in 1980, choking on a cherry from his cocktail. Longtime bassist Steve Currie died in 1981. Longtime drummer Mickey Flinn stuck with his T. Rex tribute band until his death in 2003. After Bolan’s death, musicians who, with the exception of Flinn, had never played with Bolan tried to revive the band. David Bowie, Roy Wood and Bill Legend petitioned for the whole thing to be stopped. Never say never, though: Legend, the only surviving member of the classic T. Rex lineup, has led his own T. Rex tribute band since 2014, even though that move didn’t exactly thrill most of Bolan’s followers.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Dandy in the Underworld (4:33)
2. Crimson Moon (3:22)
3. Universe (2:43)
4. I’m a Fool for You Girl (2:16)
5. I Love to Boogie (2:14)
6. Visions of Domino (2:23
7. Jason B. Sad (3:22)
8. Groove a Little (3:24)
9. The Soul of My Suit (2:37)
10. Hang-Ups (3:28)
11. Pain and Love (3:41)
12. Teen Riot Structure (3:33)
T. Rex:
Marc Bolan – vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, tambourine
Gloria Jones – backing vocals
Steve Currie – bass
Herbie Flowers – bass
Davey Lutton – drums
Tony Newman – drums
Dino Dines – keyboards
Miller Anderson – guitar
Guest musicians:
Steve Harley – backing vocals
Alfalpha – backing vocals
Nick Laird-Clowes – backing vocals
Andy Harley – backing vocals
Sam Harley – backing vocals
Scott Edwards – bass
Paul Humphrey – drums
Chris Mercer – saxophone
Bud Beadle – saxophone, flute
J.B. Long – violin
