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Did hubris and ridiculous lyrics doom what could have been a rock 'n' roll sensation?

JL;DR SUMMARY Marc Bolan, son of a Russian-Polish Jewish lorry driver, transformed from his working-class East End roots to a glam rock icon with his band T. Rex. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Cultural Change1970s MusicGlam RockLyricismMusic CriticismMusical InnovationMarc BolanT. RexTanx AlbumAmerican Market

Places mentioned

London, United Kingdom
"The son of a Russian-Polish Jewish lorry driver, Marc Bolan willed himself from a working-class East End existence to musical superstardom in less than a decade."
Belgium
"During a Belgian TV interview early in the new year, Bolan spoke of collaborating with Starr on an upcoming sepia-toned silent movie A very surreal sort of film, very sensual while also expressing his belief that cultural change would only come about with rock stars like himself leading the charge."
Leicester, England, United Kingdom
"T. Rex performs in concert in Leicester, England, 1974."
France
"So while Tanx was recorded at the same studio (Frances Chteau dHrouville) as The Slider, with the same personnel."
Wembley, Brent, United Kingdom
"The year had ended with the celluloid victory lap of Born to Boogie, a film directed and produced by Ringo Starr, which intercut surreal fantasy sequences with studio jam sessions and footage from T. Rexs hysteria-ridden March 72 concerts at the Wembley Empire Pool."
New York City, New York, United States
"T. Rex had found a rabid following in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as in Midwestern rock n roll strongholds like Detroit and Cleveland, but getting through to a wider audience was a real challenge."
Los Angeles, California, United States
"T. Rex had found a rabid following in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as in Midwestern rock n roll strongholds like Detroit and Cleveland, but getting through to a wider audience was a real challenge."
Detroit, Michigan, United States
"T. Rex had found a rabid following in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as in Midwestern rock n roll strongholds like Detroit and Cleveland, but getting through to a wider audience was a real challenge."
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
"T. Rex had found a rabid following in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as in Midwestern rock n roll strongholds like Detroit and Cleveland, but getting through to a wider audience was a real challenge."

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Retrieved 2025-08-08 05:31:11 UTC
Curated 2025-08-08 08:30:58 UTC