T. Rex - "Electric Warrior" (1971)

A glam rock classic that has just managed to come to my home. I've been looking for a while but it has been difficult to find in Uppsala's vinyl record stores. So while visiting friends in Quebec this summer, I of course visited the city's record dealers, and in a shelf named "Rare vinyl" I found it! Imagine I would have to go all the way to Canada to find this album.

I have no greater knowledge of Marc Bolan's and T. Rex earlier (or later) works. In my CD collection there is a greatest hits album which I haven't listened a lot to, so I find it hard to compare Electric Warrior to other albums they did. But I understand from what I've read online that this was the band's final step into the glam rock world, from a more hippie folk rock world. It was their sixth album (the second under the name of T. Rex, they called themselves Tyrannosarius Rex the first four albums). Many think that Electric Warrior is T. Rex best album and that it largely laid the foundation for, and started, the whole genre of glam rock. A true classic that also made the band famous in the United States, which is usually all artists big dream. At least in the 60's and 70's.

I think it's a good album. I have never listened to much glam rock and honestly don't really know what the genre sounds like, but I guess it sounds like Electric Warrior. The songs are of high quality and are fun to listen to - kind of half druggy, semi whimsical creations that Bolan sometimes seems to sing with a little smile on his lips. You never know if he's serious or joking. It's a lot of guitar, mostly electrical ones, but the acoustic version can also be heard. For example the beautiful song Girl has a more acoustic sound.

I should I complain about something I think the production, the sound, is a little dark and drab, almost a bit lo-fi. Besides the aforementioned Girl the sound is quite the same in all songs, Bolans voice contributes to this since it's easily recognizable and sets a clear stamp on the songs. The last number Rip Off is a bit odd at the album where Bolan and T. Rex approaches punk long before the birth of punk.
 

The album contains T. Rex's biggest hit Get It On. On my Canadian edition the song has the title Bang A Gong (Get It On) to distinguish it from Chase's song Get It On which was released at the same time. Jeepster was also a hit from the album. That's definitely two good songs, but according to me there are even better ones on the record. One of my favorites is Planet Queen. Electric Warrior reached number one on the UK charts and became 1971's best-selling album in England.

There's really no weak tracks on Electric Warrior (OK, I'm not so fond of Lean Woman Blues) so I can definitely recommend this album. But T. Rex has a sound that is easily recognizable and which one can not hide from, so if you don't like the sound you'll probably not like the album. I have a soft spot for the 70's music, one thing that was better compared to today's music was that even commercial music, as T. Rex must be deemed to have been, wasn't always so commodified. I get the feeling that Bolan did music mainly based on what he thought was groovy and the way he wanted it, and didn't let his songs go through a mass producing filter that would make it more accessible to people. There was greater room for individuality.

Yes, I know this may just be a romantic illusion I have, but I let it be a truth in my life. That makes music from the 60's and 70's more interesting than today's commercial music.


Tracklist

Side A
1. Mambo Sun 3:38
2. Cosmic Dancer 4:26
3. Jeepster 4:10
4. Monolith 3:45
5. Lean Woman Blues 3:01

Side B
1. Bang A Gong (Get It On) 4:24
2. Planet Queen 3:11
3. Girl 2:29
4. The Motivator 3:57
5. Life's A Gas 2:23
6. Rip Off 3:38