At the time of release I didn't like this at all. Used to Bolan's happy, simple melodic glam of the previous LP:s I couldn'd grasp the dark, more complicated images he was painting. There had been tendences towards this on the -73 Tanx album, but here he took one full step ahead to a new sound. The result is hard to describe. Ground is a kind of white soul with ingredients of hard rock and psych, still with some glam traces. The melodies are simple and catchy, but the layout and production more complicated with tempo changes, odd vocals and elaborated orchestral arrangements. All those things I didn't like back then is what makes me appreciate it now. It's pretty unique - his special voice, guitar figures and soul backing, kept together by Tony Visconti's arrangements and production, sounds rather appealing today. This was the first time a UK glam artist tried a US soul outfit, recorded almost two years before Bowies "Young Americans". However the album didn't go well with the record buyers and hardly made any lists, while the '45 "Teenage Dream" halted at #13 in the UK - the first in over two years not to hit top 10. It was the beginning of a downward spiral for Bolan and the group and although there were a few more charters before his death 1977, they never fully recovered. Not released in America, but three of the songs showed up on the US only "Light Of Love" (Casablanca NBLP 7005). Very first UK (promo?) issue came in an exclusive triple folded lattice cover. Shown here is early stock release with matt foldout cover and yellow lyric/credit inner. (RÄX*)
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