Marc Bolan - Beautiful Dreamer

by John Bramley

Forty years after his tragic death, this homage to Marc Bolan pays tribute to one of the pioneers of the glam rock movement.Marc Bolan was the wizard who brought magic to rock music - his heart beat to the rhythm of rock. Moving from early folk influences and songs on the mythology of Tolkien, he transformed himself into a unique, sparkling and effervescent glam-rock icon. His boogie roots combined with Marc's own natural glitter dust, and propelled him forward on an adventure, with fortunes that were to ebb and flow over a decade. His diamond-studded halo was extinguished on 16 September 1977, at a time when his music was in the ascendancy.The annals of history are strewn with stories of artists who passed away in shocking circumstances of those that died too young, from substance abuse, mysterious illnesses or even murder. Sometimes, the shock of their passing immediately elevates their standing in cultural memory and cements their work in a favourable light. Marc Bolan died at twenty-nine years of age, in a tragic car crash - an accident that could have been avoided. However, it took many years for people to start appreciating what Marc Bolan brought to a rock music scene in the early seventies which had stagnated in some corners after the explosion of creativity in the sixties. Yet, gradually, acclaim has grown for how he enriched the period, bringing colour and humour to an increasingly leaden genre.Much like Hendrix before him, and Cobain after him, his natural charisma and striking beauty have underpinned his status as a dreamlike bard, an enigmatic pin-up whom boys wished they looked like and girls wished they were with. Yet it was his scorching talent as a performer and songwriter which have formed the bedrock for longevity as a legend.Including rare and unpublished photographs, and works of Marc's own poetry, this book is put together by a true, original fan - one who followed Marc Bolan on tour, who bought every piece of vinyl he released and who was fortunate enough to have made Marc's acquaintance during the peak of his career. Published forty years on from Bolan's death, Beautiful Dreamer is unashamedly a book of love, a book that every Marc Bolan fan will identify with, because it paints a picture of the man that the fans idolised, worshipped and continue to cherish to this day.

Genres: Music

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2017

Reviews

[PrettyFlamingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this different from other books I've read on Marc Bolan mainly because it was written by a fan for fans. The basic information as in other biographies is there, but the uniqueness of this is that there are many anecdotes from fans about their times following the band, going to gigs, buying the merchandise and sharing their photos. John Bramley also sets the scene with reference to pop culture of the time and how Bolan and T Rex fitted into that "gap in the market". Marc Bolan appeared to be the master of reinvention and this book is a great addition to the library of biographies out there.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fans book written by fans so it accepts Bolan was not always nice to people he was driven,he was a fantasist we know that, we don’t care, we love the music. At last a self indulgent book about Bolan and what he means to those who still keep a little Marc in our hearts.

[Keith CARTER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously, the first thing you realise is that this book was written by a Bolan fan for Bolan fans. He concentrates on what mattered to Bolan, his music. There is very little tittle-tattle or name-dropping in this book although it becomes blatantly obvious that Marc Bolan had an ego the size of Wales, one of his quotes sums him up perfectly, "if God were to appear in my room, obviously I would be in awe, but I don't think I would be humble, I might cry, but I think He would dig me like crazy". Bolan in a nutshell. A genius of music who died much too early. Well worth a read.

[Stephen King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very much a book for the uncritical fan and as one who would count himself as one of those, this was a joyful, nostalgic romp. Lots of information on the early years with Tyrannosaurus Rex, the brief mega stardom in the UK and Europe although curiously never the US - and the drink and drugs fuelled decline of the mid-70’s. The brief resurgence as an elder statesman in the time of punk before an untimely death. Did I learn a lot - yes, was it at all critical - no. Do I care? Not really

[Geoff Shinkfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanx for the memories!

Thanks John Bramley for this wonderful book on Marc Bolan. As a teenager who discovered T Rex in 1973 this was a great way to learn about the man, the songs, and the stories. A real re-discovery of all that music and more accompanied my reading. This a magical read for all Bolan fans, put together beautifully by one of his greatest fans! 'Beautiful Dreamer' is a wonderful T. Rex primer for all fans, new and old!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the book and the majority of the narrative as you can tell it’s been written by someone who is very passionate and loves Marc Bolan...however, the author often relies on the trope that women were only ever into Marc and T.Rex because of his pretty boy status. Considering the book came out in 2017 this is quite irksome.

[Angeline Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of all over the place. More of a memoir of the author’s experiences at T. Rex shows, with anecdotes and interview excerpts from the likes of June Feld, Mickey Finn, etc. on Marc’s music - all of which is perfectly fine, but I was led to believe that this would be more of a true biography.

[Keith Astbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful Dreamer is not the definitive Bolan biography. That is the Mark Paytress one as far as I am concerned. But if you are a Bolan fan who wants to read as much about the man as you can then will probably enjoy this one. Annoyingly there is the odd error here and there (I Love To Boogie did not suddenly appear in the charts at number 17 a few weeks after release - it entered the charts in the 40's and worked its way up) and Bramley is hardly the greatest writer but nonetheless it is still worth reading for the old reviews, articles, quotes, etc.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved T Rex and Marc Bolan but this is a very lightweight biography telling his story through the rose tinted glasses of a fan. Don’t expects a critical examination of his career.