Rhino / Wea
2002
Precious Star (The Alternate Zip Gun)
About This Album
Having reinvented himself as a bionic soulboy across the course of 1974's Zinc Alloy, Zip Gun was less a reiteration of Marc Bolan's new direction, than a confirmation of it. Much of the album returns to the understated romp he had always excelled at: The delightful knockabout "Precious Star," the unrepentant boogie of "Till Dawn," and the pounding title track all echo with the effortless lightheartedness which was Bolan at his most carelessly buoyant, while "Token of My Love" is equally incandescent, a playful blues that swiftly became a major in-concert favorite. But the essence of Zip Gun remains firmly in the funky pastures which characterized Zinc Alloy, with the only significant difference lying in the presentation. Out went the plush production which so diluted the earlier set, to be replaced by a sparser sound that emphasized the rhythms, heightened the backing vocals, and left rock convention far behind. "Light of Love," "Golden Belt," and the heavyweight ballad "I Really Love You Babe" may not be Stax-sized attractions, but they have an earthy authenticity nevertheless, while bonus tracks on the Edsel remaster include single-only stabs at "Dock of the Bay" and "Do You Wanna Dance," further indications of just how seriously Bolan was taking his new role -- and how far he'd moved from the bopping elf of three years earlier.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,3,4,12 and 13)

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Disc 2 (try track 7)

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