How do you rating Marc Bolan as a guitarist?

It's interesting that you mentioned that. I thought I heard somewhere that Bolin was actually taking lessons from Clapton prior to Ride a White Swan. I don't know to what extent or even if that was true, but I found it funny because I wouldn't have connected Clapton with Bolin in the slightest.

I saw T-Rex once at the Hollywood Palladium during the Electric Warrior tour and later again for a live taping of "In Concert" at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I thought they were OK live, but not incredible. I liked T Rex's songs but they started to all sound the same after a while.

 

Bolin is a different guy, of Deep Purple fame

Marc Bolan could be full of **** in interview Probably sat with Clapton once and it turned into "taking lessons from Clapton". I don't know to what extent it's true, but i've heard the story many times. I'd say it's a typical Bolan hyperbole.

You're lucky to have attended two T.Rex shows! I wasn't even born then.

 

I know people who went to the concert and they reckoned it was fantastic and Marc and Mickey almost caused a riot teasing the audience. Both Ian Meldrum and the woman who wrote the review (Helen Thomas??)were backing down and changing their opinion when the backlash (almost a page of letters praising Marc) started.

 

Notice how the lead guitar on this Serge Gainsbourg track sounds exactly like Bolan c Beard of Stars/T. Rex. Even Mick Ronson copied Bolan's Prettiest Star solo note for note.

 

Creative, original front man with great ideas and enough guitar chops to get it done.

 

Gainsbourg named T.Rex in one of his tracks. He loved "x" sounds in his lyrics and used the trick in many songs (Françoise Hardy's "Comment te dire adieu" is a perfect example).

6:10

 

That's right Ex Fan of the Sixties. There's a rare version in English on the Birkin boxset.

 

Oh that's right! So he did it twice then.

 

Don't know how good he was technically, but I always loved his playing. I think Johnny Marr talks about what a big impact he was on his playing. A real guitar freak. Might be the same song over and over as some say, but what a song!

 

Mmm...This is pretty much how I feel about the Smiths actually, even if i like them to an extent.

I know there are exceptions, you know...Piano driven tracks, or "London", but overall I hear the same song over and over...Marr arpeggios and (yodel yodel) life is hard and I don't fit in, (yodel yodel).

 

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!

 

it serviced his music...

 

Fantastique. Agree

 

That video is everything that's great about Bolan. The Hall of Fame should be forced to watch it.

 

Brilliant. Why? Because I can hum his lead parts, I hear 'em in my head. And the way he played the chords - sliding into them in a very unique and mischievous way - that style supported his songs so well. You know it's Marc Bolan - he created an identifiable style.

 

I'll have to learn how to spell his last name.

 

Where in my post did I write that it WASN'T ok to be proficient

 

I think Visconti mentioned that he took him round to Clapton's house a few times and they may have jammed. I don't know if it went as far as lessons, probabaly just musicians with guitars and a joint jamming. I am sure Eric was happy to play over simple three chord rock and roll as anyone! Visconti said that he kept expecting Bolan to make a jump up to the next level as an artist like Bowie but it never happened as Marc just didn't put the work in. I mean he had become a huge star with the talents he had so I suppose he didn't see the reason to change? Oddly if he had lived he may have had a resurgence anyway as his basic skills came back into fashion.

 

When you watch this "Pop 2" show, it features some of his best live playing IMO. Quite focused.
Someone mentioned cocaine, and it makes me wonder indeed - if excess and unprecedented success made everything blow up, from his head to his soloing! lol

 

This song is so HEAVY. I love his tone on this. Totally vicious on the verses!

 

I heard a White Stripes live tape once and cannot agree. Messy as heck.

 

I was therein 1973, Adelaide - about a 75 min set, and they played a total of 7 or 8 songs, everyone of them stretched out into an extended jam.

 

I know I mentioned him before and don't want this to turn into a Cobain thread, but he also had a way of playing his chords and his riffs, a kind of rythmic strumming with very quickly muted strings now and then...I've NEVER EVER heard people cover Nirvana songs and play the riffs the way Kurt did. Honestly. They don't go from one chord to another the way he did, even on something as seemingly basic as "Rape Me". My favourites have an identifiable style that served their songs.

 

Oh please. There is no comparison. Bolan was a decent songwriter but a mediocre guitarist.

 

He was competent but no more than that. He might have been suitable to play in Big Brother and the Holding Company (and that's meant to be a backhanded compliment).