Marc Bolan: Born to Boogie

by Chris Welch, Simon Napier-Bell

Marc Bolan burst onto the music scene in the late 1960s, an elfin hippie who sang otherworldly tunes about unicorns. Two years later, he formed legendary band T. Rex and pioneered glam rock in Britain. Co-written by Bolan’s first manager, this definitive biography traces Bolan’s life from the early struggles to his emergence as a teen idol on par with the Beatles, to his untimely death at age 29. Written with the cooperation of the Marc Bolan Fan Club and Bolan’s first wife, this book covers every corner of a blazing, too-brief life.

Genres: Music, Biography

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Eoghan Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only knew a little about Marc Bolan before reading this and he always seemed like an interesting character so I picked this up second hand to find out more. It's very much written from a fan's perspective so it's a bit too gushing and in awe at times but overall it gives a pretty good general overview of his career without really giving any great insights into the man himself, though I suppose that's to be expected when dealing with someone who created so much fantasy and mystery about himself. There are lots of photos, all in black and white, which help to capture the era but also do make it seem so very long ago and don't really make it feel that Glam at all.
So overall it wasn't great but it wasn't bad so 2.5 stars would be appropriate but I'll give it 3 stars instead of 2 as I'm now more informed about this somewhat forgotten icon of his time and also because he's Marc Bolan so he deserves that extra star.

[Draven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marc Bolan is my spirit animal. What an indomitable soul for such a tragically short life but he lived every day on 11. Some chapters of this bio can feel out of sequence but not in any bothersome or terribly confusing way. Please give this book a read, whether you’re a T.Rex fan or just a casual observer. Marc was so wonderfully unique and special that everyone should revel in his immortal afterglow.