10. ‘Life’s A Gas‘ vs ‘Queen Bitch‘
It’s a massive shame for T. Rex that as soon as an acoustic hits the right tone and sounds like it belongs and has its own identity, Bowie tops it. ‘Queen Bitch’ is cheeky and playful and is extremely catchy. Ultimately, ‘Queen Bitch’ is just much more fun to listen to than the mournful, morose ‘Life’s A Gas’.
Bolan 4-6 Bowie
11. ‘Rip Off‘ vs ‘The Bewley Brothers‘
The last songs on both albums feel slightly out of place. ‘Rip Off’ doesn’t sound like any other song on the album, and ‘The Bewley Brothers’ is more sorrowful and dark than quirky and doesn’t sound like a hit or like a music hall ditty. ‘Rip Off’ is quite flamboyant and fun, and I feel that it’s just a better song than ‘Bewley Brothers’.
Final Score: Bolan 5-6 Bowie
So, that’s it. Bowie has triumphed over Bolan, but the margin is extremely tight. However, Bolan and T. Rex hugely influenced David Bowie; the personality of Ziggy Stardust which Bowie assumed for his next two albums and would bring him fame, was largely influenced by Bolan’s stylish glam rock in both appearance and music. Ironically, as Bowie found increasing fame in the 70’s, Bolan fell into obscurity after making a series of poor albums. He returned to the mainstream with 1977’s Dandy in the Underworld but was sadly killed in a car crash later that year. Personally, I believe both albums are absolute classics, and should be owned by anybody with even a casual interest in music. You should be able to get both relatively cheap, so pick both albums up if you can.
Words by Gabriel Rutherford