Unchained: The Unreleased Recordings Vol.8

rc Bolan made these recordings in 1977, during the last year of his life. It was a time of relative tranquility. He and Gloria Jones, his girlfriend and the backup vocalist in the latter-period T. Rex, were busy raising their child and avoiding the limelight. The 33 tracks comprising the final entry in the UNCHAINED series have a snapshot quality to them. They provide a private glimpse of a relatively content Marc Bolan, domesticated and writing songs of love.
On tracks like "Teenage Angel" and "Every Single Day", Bolan sings in a hushed, confessional style that recalls the quieter numbers from John Lennon's early solo work. Like Lennon, Bolan made the most of his poignant-sounding upper register, an eerie falsetto that expressed wistfulness and vulnerability. Lighthearted pop confections like "When Will I Be Loved" and "21st Century Stance" indicate that Bolan could toss off catchy singalongs in the old style with little effort, while "Purple Prince of Pleasure", a primitive cousin of "Runaround Sue", shows that Bolan never lost his love of early rock & roll. On ragged romps like "Auto Destruct" and "Stay Hungry", Bolan rocks out with the pizazz of his glory days.|