Until now the legendary band, Zolar X, has been shrouded in mystery. Most were not privy into the inner workings of the band until now. They lived it (Ygarrist and Zenith) and tell the entire, unadulterated story with Raidii X navigating the ship serving as architect and engineer. Edited by Chris Walter, one of Canada's most prolific and outspoken literary voices, it's seasoned with the wit, grunge and glory we've come to expect of a punk rock writer. Capturing freeze frames and rarified elements of the 70s the reader will get the ride of his (her) life. Planet Earth was not ready for Zolar X when they landed in 1973. With their pointed hairstyles, Spock eyebrows, and wobbly antennae, the zany Zolarians astounded Hollywood and confounded staid record company executives. When few bands wore costumes on the street, the band must have seemed like actual aliens to shocked Californians. Although more technical, Zolar X foreshadowed the punk movement that would follow years later. Out of this World: The Story of Zolar X harkens back to a place when skimpily dressed teens wasted on Quaaludes copulated in the washrooms at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. In this promiscuous environment, Zolar X prowled for record deals and unattached females. Surrounded by well-meaning sycophants and greedy hustlers by the score, the skilled musicians lived the rock n' roll dream to the hilt. Rock was king in the 70s and all they needed was one radio hit. Zolar X amassed a strong local following, but record companies were harder to convince. Showcases flopped and sponsors bailed even as the band's fan base grew. Calamity followed calamity until the ship went down with all hands-on deck. Willing to change with the times, the guitarist and lead vocalist abandoned their dreams of superstardom, and each formed a new band, punk and pop. They had more practice running from angry jocks and construction workers than their underground counterparts. Naive and arrogant, yet talented and original, Zolar X has become the stuff of legend and folklore, the band that could have gone all the way to the top. If there's one thing that history has shown us, it's that fate has never been kind to the forerunners.
