There was a big and obvious change to
Tyrannosaurus Rex on their fourth album, A Beard of Stars, as
Steve Took was replaced by
Mickey Finn, with Marc Bolan remaining the true captain of the duo act as singer and songwriter. Of more significance was the change in the band's sound, moving into far more electric rock territory with much greater use of electric guitar, though Bolan's songs were still often grounded in the fairytale-like musings of his earlier work. It was still a ways off from his glam rock approach, but it was definitely more accessible than the relatively homespun elflike folk-rock of the earliest
Tyrannosaurus Rex albums. It also made some effective use of organ and somewhat more pop-friendly, conventional tunes like "By the Light of the Magical Moon," "Elemental Child," and "A Daye Laye," though weirder items like "Wild Cheetah" and "Dove" bore a slight similarity to some of
Syd Barrett's gentlest compositions. [A Deluxe Edition was released in 2014 and added a second disc of bonus tracks, various takes on the songs, home demos, and live recordings from BBC appearances.] ~ Richie Unterberger