Tyrannosaurus Rex (13 March 1970) A Beard of Stars – Bucks Examiner “Discorner” Review

1970

Mar 12, 1970

2 min read

Publication: Bucks Examiner Date: 13 March 1970

Country: United Kingdom

Section / Page: Discorder / Disc Review Column

Format: Regional Album Review

Overview

A rare and revealing regional‑press reaction to A Beard of Stars, offering an unfiltered, small‑town perspective on Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn’s final Tyrannosaurus Rex album. The Bucks Examiner’s Discorner column approaches the record with curiosity, admiration, and bewilderment — praising its lyrical beauty while questioning its musical direction. This is one of the few surviving non‑London reviews of the album, making it a valuable snapshot of how Bolan’s evolving mysticism landed outside the major music‑press ecosystem.

What the Clipping Shows

• Small regional‑press column titled “Discorner”, typical of early‑1970 local‑paper design. • Brief review referencing the album’s sleeve dedication — Bolan’s mythic lore invoking “Priests of Peace,” “Horse Lords,” and “the King of the Rumbling Spires.” • Mentions of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn by name. • Description of the album as “complex,” with “very beautiful” lyrics but questionable musical execution. • Early‑1970 typography: narrow columns, justified text, minimal graphic elements. • Tone: puzzled, earnest, and unpretentious — a critic encountering Bolan’s myth‑language without the context of London’s underground scene.

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• Additional entries listed in the scrapbook tag index

Source Details

Publication: Bucks Examiner

Date: 13 March 1970

Format: Album Review (Discorner Column)

Provenance Notes:

• Based on a rare regional‑press clipping

• Summary only — no copyrighted text reproduced

• Contextualised from the surviving excerpt

The Story Behind It

In early 1970, Tyrannosaurus Rex were in a state of metamorphosis. Bolan’s writing had grown more electric, more symbolic, and more ambitious, while Mickey Finn’s presence was reshaping the duo’s sound. A Beard of Stars would become the final Tyrannosaurus Rex album before the transformation into T. Rex and the glam‑rock explosion that followed.

The Bucks Examiner’s review captures this moment from outside the London bubble. The critic opens with Bolan’s sleeve dedication — a swirl of invented lore and mythic imagery — and admits confusion, suggesting that those fluent in Bolan’s symbolic language will gain more from the album than the average listener.

The column describes the record as: • “A complex album” • A collection of short underground‑folk songs • Lyrically “very beautiful” • Musically lacking “strength” or “quality”

This reaction is emblematic of the period. Bolan’s shift toward electric textures and mystical imagery was beginning to alienate some folk‑scene purists while attracting a new audience that would soon propel him into superstardom.

The Bucks Examiner’s perspective — critical yet sincere — is historically valuable. It reminds us that even legendary albums were once heard through the ears of listeners who didn’t yet know what was coming.

All original newspaper text and artwork remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This scrapbook entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.