Universal Int'l
2004
Unicorn (Bonus Tracks)
About This Album
Like the other 2004 expanded edition releases of the first five T. Rex albums, this is bulging with extras, the original album joined by 15 bonus cuts and historical liner notes by Marc Bolan biographer Mark Paytress. Change was slow to come to Tyrannosaurus Rex in the early days, and while there was some expansion of the sonic and instrumental range of their mildly psychedelic folk-rock on Unicorn, hard to penetrate fantastical musings and simple childlike melodies and percussion remained the base. There was a slight move toward more songwriting and vocal concision on Bolan's part, as well as a slightly greater prevalence of more conventional riffs, that if only in retrospect hinted toward his eventual move into electric rock & roll. The bonus cuts are what will be the big draw for fans, of course, including three songs from singles of the period ("Pewter Suitor," "King of the Rumbling Spires," and "Do You Remember"); alternate takes of all three of those songs; and alternate takes of nine of the 16 songs from Unicorn itself. It demands a lot of patience from even many T. Rex devotees, however, as the differences between the alternates and the officially released versions aren't extreme, although "Romany Soup" is a good four minutes shorter in its alternate version (and "Iscariot" is almost a minute shorter in its alternate state). There are, of course, some alternates boasting more differences than others; some of the high pinging noises and backwards effects are missing from the alternate "Warlord of the Royal Crocodiles," and the alternate of "Do You Remember" is acoustic in mood, whereas the single B-side version had a riff-driven proto-glam electric arrangement. The bonus singles are the most notable extras: whoever thought the inconsequential ditty "Pewter Suitor" was a potential hit was downright dotty, but both "Do You Remember" and "King of the Rumbling Spires" (which were paired on a 45) have the fuzz guitar and lean, elementary tunes that would be hallmarks of T. Rex's early-'70s rock sound. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 and 16)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.