T. Rex - The Best Of T. Rex (1998)

Originally released back in the very first flash of T.Rexstacy, in an age (hard to imagine now) when the shelves did not overflow with Bolanic compilations, the irresistibly budget-priced Fly Back: Best of Marc Bolan & T. Rex was many newfound fans' first exposure to the music Marc Bolan was making before he hit fame – and what a shock it was. Drawing from all four Tyrannosaurus Rex albums released between 1968-1969, plus a couple of unissued outtakes and single-only sides, Fly Back remains one of the most inspired, and illustrative, of all the collections out there. From the psychedelic folk of "Debora" to the guitar extravaganza "Elemental Child," from the proto-rock of "King of the Rumbling Spires" to the sweet insanity of "Strange Orchestras," Fly Back touches upon all the duo's musical facets, while weaving some of Bolan's most compulsive melodies into the framework, "Child Star," "Lofty Skies" and "Stacey Grove" included. With the full Tyrannosaurus Rex catalog now readily available in unexpurgated form, and sprawling compilations filling every corner of the collection, Fly Back looks like pretty slim pickings today; it's a mere 13 songs long, with minimal packaging. But play it and the magic comes flooding back regardless. All compilations should be this good.

~ Dave Thompson, All Music