Marc Bolan & T. Rex – Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow Or A Creamed Cage In August

Marc Bolan & T. Rex – Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow Or A Creamed Cage In August

Released in 1974, Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow is one of the more eccentric and underrated albums in the T. Rex catalogue. Issued in the UK on the T. Rex label and distributed by EMI, it followed the enormous success of Marc Bolan's early-1970s glam rock period and found him pushing the T. Rex sound into a more experimental, soulful and psychedelic direction. The album entered the UK chart in March 1974 and reached No. 12.

By this stage, Bolan's songwriting and production were moving beyond the compact glam singles that had made T. Rex one of Britain's biggest bands. Zinc Alloy is a more sprawling and flamboyant record, filled with unusual song titles, layered arrangements, electric guitar, rhythm-and-blues influences and the playful theatricality that was central to Bolan's persona. It sits firmly within the classic T. Rex / Marc Bolan glam rock era, but also hints at the funk, soul and heavier rock directions that would increasingly appear in his later work.

The album opens with the striking “Venus Loon”, followed by “Sound Pit,” “Explosive Mouth,” “Galaxy” and “Change.” The standout “Teenage Dream” is one of the album's most ambitious songs, combining Bolan's glam-rock identity with a more expansive and dramatic arrangement. The original 14-track album sequence is confirmed by contemporary catalogue data and later remastered editions.

Side Two continues the surreal atmosphere with “Liquid Gang,” “Carsmile Smith & The Old One” and “You Got To Jive To Stay Alive - Spanish Midnight,” before moving into the soulful “Interstellar Soul,” “Painless Persuasion V The Meathawk Immaculate,” “The Avengers (Superbad)” and the wonderfully eccentric closing track “The Leopards Featuring Gardenia & The Mighty Slug.” It's an album where Bolan's imagination is as important as the individual songs, making it particularly rewarding for listeners who enjoy the stranger side of his catalogue.

For collectors, Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow represents an interesting point in the evolution of T. Rex and Marc Bolan, arriving after the band's peak glam period but before the later albums became increasingly influenced by soul, funk and American R&B. It is an essential title for fans of 1970s glam rock, Marc Bolan, T. Rex, British rock and psychedelic pop, and a fascinating example of Bolan refusing to simply repeat the formula that had made him a superstar.

Side A

1. Venus Loon
2. Sound Pit
3. Explosive Mouth
4. Galaxy
5. Change
6. Nameless Wildness
7. Teenage Dream

Side B

1. Liquid Gang
2. Carsmile Smith & The Old One
3. You Got To Jive To Stay Alive - Spanish Midnight
4. Interstellar Soul
5. Painless Persuasion V The Meathawk Immaculate
6. The Avengers (Superbad)
7. The Leopards Featuring Gardenia & The Mighty Slug