Unchained: The Unreleased Recordings Vol.7

Volume 7 differs from previous UNCHAINED releases. While others were organised strictly chronologically, this one jumps around in chronology, from Bolan's 1977 home demos to song ideas for a 1975 musical that never saw the light of day, to the demos for T. Rex's record that were scrapped when Bolan died in '77. The lovably scattershot collection has a documentary quality. The songs often contain the germ of a great song idea, and occasionally they sound like spontaneous moments where you had to be there.
The home demos find Bolan paying homage to the Supremes ("Freeway") and Elvis Presley ("Memphis Highway"). Elsewhere Bolan indulges in his signature cosmic blues style. ("Decadent Priestess" contains the lyrical puzzler: "homosexual dock of the bay/what I say.".. while the songs from the would-be musical: "Funky London Childhood" and "London Boys" contain some of the Bolan magic (although "Bombs Out of London" sounds a bit like "Saucy Jack"-era Spinal Tap). "Love Drunk" shows Bolan returning to early rock & roll for inspiration. "Mellow Love", with its pronounced Swinging London feel, is another highlight.|