TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS IN CURRENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : ****Excellent ***Good **Fair *Poor : COMPACT DISCS

“History of T. Rex: The Singles Collection 1968-77.” Marc (three CDs; import). Each volume contains more than 20 tracks by the unique British band led by Marc Bolan in the ‘70s. The late singer-writer-guitarist’s career can be divided into three stages: (1) mystical folk/fairy lore, (2) glam-rock stardom and (3) the pathetic last years when the wizard lost his magic touch. So it would have made sense to divide these CD packages chronologically. Instead, the order is haphazard--an obvious ploy to make fans buy all three discs. For those who must choose one, Volume 1’s 21-tune mix includes the two best-known hits, “Get It On” and “Jeepster,” plus a couple of the more charming early songs, “Deborah” and “Raw Ramp.” But all three CDs are sullied by the later junk. 1/2