Dandy In The Underworld (studio album) by T. Rex

A shame that Marc Bolan died in the September after this release as this is him returning to form

Bolan's last album before his car crash. Well received and largely regarded as a return to form, it has songs reminiscent of those on Electric Warrior, though lacks the energy, imagination and pizazz of that album. Indeed, it's best known song, "I Love To Boogie", is a copy of Webb Pierce's 1955 rockabilly hit "Teenage Boogie", though done very much in a recognisable Bolan style. On the whole a listenable and mostly competent album, but it's not doing anything that Bolan has not done before and better.

Dandy is ok, I Love To Boogie best track followed by Pain And Love, didn't rate tracks 13-17 as these are bonus tracks.

From Tamthebam 03/02/2016 16:26

Regarded as a return to form after Futuristic Dragon this the last T.Rex studio album before his untimely death finds Bolan on good form. I Love To Boogie & Soul Of My Suit are the best tracks here. The title track Groove A Little & I'm A Fool For You Girl are good the rest is o.k. Not his best but not his worst.

Full-disclosure: I'm a die-hard fan, but it's inconsistent. The embarrassing stuff ain't as quite embarrassing as on "Futuristic Dragon," (and nowhere near as boldly terrible as parts of "Zip Gun") but the really quality stuff ain't quite as quality either. It makes for an uneven listen, and due to the roller-coaster of peaks and valleys, finding the words for evaluating "Dandy in the Underworld" don't come easily.

It's about half very good songs, (the title cut, for example - which sounds so much like the Phil Spector song "To Know Him is To Love Him" that I'm surprised no one brought a lawsuit... At least when Marc borrows from the past's masters, he borrows the best of their best. Other worthy additions to Bolan's songbook include "I Love to Boogie," "Pain and Love," "Hang Ups," and "Teen Riot Structure,") but that said, "Dandy" is about a quarter filler, and a quarter that's aged about as well as an opened carton of milk.

Listening to some of the many songs Marc Bolan left unreleased - brilliant stuff like "Foxy Boy," "21st Century Stance," and about a dozen others on the level of his classic T. Rex albums, you can't help but wish he lived long enough to make the classic LP he could've, should've, would've.

From meccalecca 04/15/2013 19:03

It's not on the same level as Electric Warrior or The Slider, but Dandy In the Underworld is still a much better record than it's given credit for. It's inconsistent, but there are some great songs.