Metal Guru: The Life And Music Of Marc Bolan

A radical reassessment of the life and music of Marc Bolan is long overdue as the 40th anniversary of his death approaches. Author and musician Paul Roland has been one of the most perceptive commentators on the Bolan legacy for many years and is a key contributor to BBC4's landmark documentary on Marc Bolan and T. Rex. Including many rare and unpublished photos and re-working a wealth of biographical sources and years of research, Metal Guru is the definitive portrait of one of the UK's greatest stars. Marc Bolan's music is unique in spanning the rock 'n' roll, Mod, psychedelia, hippie, glam and punk eras - his life was a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, love and loss, triumph and tragedy. Not till now has his genius been fully acknowledged in print, nor the complex, often contradictory and forcefully driven personality that created the timeless hits been so fascinatingly described - including the eerie omens of an early death that tolled like a funeral bell throughout his short life. In Metal Guru , Marc Bolan is finally revealed in all his guises: lovable and maddening; elf-like performer and steely-eyed businessman; shameless opportunist and doomed youth; musician, self-styled 'street-poet' and, above all, rock star.