torch girl of the marshes

"Stone eyes drill for wealth lies"
Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart 1969

The time when the whimsical poet starts to marry the lyrics to a rock beat. Electric guitars feature prominently and there are many subtle harmonic touches. Live performances were likely to explode at any time into meandering thunderous jams.

A friend of mine was at the Isle of Wight Festival & heard an incredible din from backstage. He wandered out to see what was causing this aural assault, only to discover Marc masquerading as a Hendrix tribute band. He couldn't believe it. It was pretty convincing, he recalled years later. And this was the final stages of Tyrannosaurus Rex, with a new conga player.

At Cologne in April 1970 there is a set where some gentle whimsical stuff washes over the well-behaved throngs. Suddenly out of nowhere there is an extended version of By the Light of a Magical Moon which explodes into an unrecognisable noise of psychedelic funk, as if the guitar's on speed. It's bewildering because of the stark contrast with what's just gone before.

It's all much more impressive than the oft-quoted Elemental Child.