Bolan: The Rise and Fall of a 20th Century Superstar

by Mark Paytress

Book Overview

Now fully updated and with new material exploring the self-styled 20th Century Boy, Marc Bolan. Packed with interviews ' including friend and DJ John Peel, brother Harry, and band members. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1846091470
• ISBN13: 9781846091476
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Omnibus Press
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Definitive

This sumptuous biography of Marc's career covers countless angles with a number of classic key interviews. Pride of place must go to Paytress' evocation of the 60s and mod culture in general. Although he clearly admires and respects Bolan it is refreshingly objective in places and very well written.

Re-vised & even more detailed and insightful !

Mark Payress's original book from 1992 has long been consider by many in the Bolan community as the "Bolan Bible" Ok their words not mine but is surly was the most detailed and well researched book at the time. I had hoped Mark would one day find the time to update the book as Marc Bolan as an icon and respected musical figure has grown by leaps and bounds since then, along with a new treasure trove of unearthed material that had been locked away. That in itself was enough to update the book but also on the personal side of Marc's life the past 10 years saw Marc's only son Rolan come into his own and in turn opened the doors for other family members to add to the Bolan story. This truly is a MUST Have book for any Bolan Fan

excellent account of bolan's life

marc bolan expert mark paytress has produced a superb revised edition of this definitive account of the life of the t. rex star. bolan's childhood, his various early bands like john's children and solo outings, his hippie- era career with tyrannosaurus rex and the far more popular t. rex, and his interactions with other famous performers like david bowie, elton john, and ringo starr are explored with great detail and informative tidbits of trivia. while not every recording of bolan's was meritorious or interesting, paytress describes all facets and periods of bolan's all too brief life with clarity, depth, and fascination. this is the best chronicle of bolan's carreer to date, and is a superbly readable and engaging book on this diverse performer, a musician whose very best work( quite a bit of the tyrannosaurus rex stuff, the early 70's albums ELECTRIC WARRIOR and THE SLIDER, and singles like CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION and 20TH CENTURY BOY),are first rate recordings. important colleagues and supporters like producer tony visconti and legendary british d.j. john peel offer illuminating testimononials and insights. a fascinating reminder of a vital British artist who provided some of the best late 60's / early 70's rock, and whose catalogue remains quite underrated in the U.S.A.

Bolan, from 1960s "ace face" to 1970s T Rex superstardom

This is a well-researched, detailed biography. Paytress captures the excitement developing in 1960s Britain as the mod scene sweeps Mark Feld -- a sometime photo model and guitar-strumming minstrel with an obsession for Dylan and Donovan -- into the role of a self-made rock'n'roll icon. It's not a smooth transition. Often ignored and put-down in his earliest efforts, Bolan eventually finds success through the support of radio maverick John Peel; his subsequent rise to stardom, fame, and the eventual excesses that lead to failure is the stuff of countless rock briographies. What sets Paytress's book apart from the usual sad story is Bolan's star-making drive -- first as a brash upstart and self-promoter, then as a performer whose real talent lay in crafting the perfect three-minute pop song. The book goes a great way to renovating Bolan's tarnished image as a 70s rock'n'roll curiosity, and while his work may not be the equal of his contemprary David Bowie, Bolan was as much a craftsman in image and music as Ziggy himself. Paytress writes the T Rex story with a blast of glam energy from start to finish.