Read Review of Electric Warrior [Remaster] by Marc Bolan & T. Rex
Review Summary
About the Author
T. Rex: Brit-Pop Done 1970's Style
Apr 14 '03 (Updated Apr 15 '03)
Pros Amazing songs, fun melodies, memorable vocals...
Cons Sometimes nonsensical lyrics...
The Bottom Line Worth every penny of a full-price purchase, Electric Warrior is an incredibly invigorating album.
Full Review
T. Rex is the apparent catalyst that forever changed the face of British music. The 1970’s band drew an audience largely because of their appealing blend of rock, folk, and pop music. Marc Bolan and company recognized the need for high-quality creative songs specifically assembled with the goal of entertainment in mind. So, while peers were busy making statements with sweeping, epic albums T. Rex set themselves apart by recording brief, catchy, and in the end chart-topping songs.
Today, many British pop bands (or Brit-Pop as they are usually known) refer to T. Rex as a great influence on their style. It is in modern successful acts like Suede, Pulp, Blur, Oasis, and even Radiohead that their influence can be most obviously felt. And while the band had just one hit in the United States (Bang a Gong (Get It On)) and four top ten and twenty two in total in Britain T. Rex remains a consummate force in music. It is possible this reputation is in part due to Bolan’s deathin 1977. As with many bands, the death of the front man often propels them to unexpected, unwavering fame. But even if this is the case it is impossible to deny that T. Rex did something for the world of music that was then and today equally necessary. They made it okay for bands to have fun, make good music, and sit atop sales charts all at the same time.
T. Rex formed in 1967 and lasted until 1978 when they disbanded following Bolan’s tragic death in a car accident. At their peak in the early 1970’s, T. Rex consisted of Bolan (vocals, guitar), Mickey Finn (bongos, percussion), Steve Currie (bass), and Bill Legend (drums). During their decade in existence, the band released more than ten full-length albums. Those that made the biggest impact were 1970’s A Beard of Stars, 1971’s Electric Warrior, 1972’s The Slider, and 1973’s Tanx. And of those four offering, it is Electric Warrior that is clearly the band’s opus.
Electric Warrior is an incredible album with something to offer to both rock and pop fans alike. First things first, leave your preconceptions of the term “pop” at the door. T. Rex should certainly be considered popular music, but this is not a knock. They know what they are doing. Without a whit of pretension, the band managed to record an incredibly fun, creative, and appealing album. What is even more impressive is the timlessness of the recording. It doesn’t seem dated or cliché, rather Electric Warrior’s eleven songs are just as nifty today as they were in the early 1970’s (four-to-five years before my own birth).
As mentioned, there are eleven tracks up for grabs on this album. Tony Visconti, famed producer of such acts as David Bowie, Badfinger, Moody Blues, and Thin Lizzy, manages to lend a talented hand to the already gifted band. His production isn’t overbearing, and as such T. Rex comes across as a thoroughly thoughtful and intelligent act. Visconti’s hollow, wide sense of sound blends neatly with the distinctive, theatrical “glam” tendencies of Bolan and company. Great production, songs, vocals, instruments, and catchy (although often nonsensical) lyrics make for an overall very pleasurable experience.
Consistently good from start to finish, Electric Warrior does have a few standout tracks. Songs like Jeepster, Bang a Gong (Get It On), Girl, and Mambo Sun are my personal favorites. With that said, there are of course other good songs…hell, all of them a good. Don’t just fast-forward to that one song you most appreciate, this is an album worth hearing from start to finish. There’s something good to be said for each track.
Beginning strongly with Mambo Sun the album make an immediate impact. But digging a bit further I find that Jeepster is the clear front-runner in my mind although most people will likely connect with the hit Bang a Gong (Get It On). The former probably my favorite because of the stop-and-go beat usually reminiscent of a modern day sparkling rockabilly. And with the usual T. Rex elements like Finn’s bongo and strangely enough a flugelhorn, the overall appeal is fantastic. Not to mention the fact that it is incredibly upbeat, sexual, and rousing.
Bang a Gong (Get It On) is a wholly different experience. Saxophone, cowbell and bluesy melody in hand, T. Rex rips it up and down and puts together a song that couldn’t be any better. It is easy to see why this of all songs was a hit in America. Why the rest of this album and other songs from the band weren’t is one of those unanswerable questions. I guess maybe for Americans, much of what T. Rex put together wasn’t easily defined and as such it couldn’t as easily carve out an audience stateside.
A few tracks later, Girl is a light, haunting, acoustic song. Something about Bolan’s writing is uneasy. His words are difficult to comprehend, and as such it is most necessary to just enjoy the songs rather than dissecting what he has to say. He is clearly troubled here as also on Cosmic Dancer and Monolith. But with that said, none of these quirks detracts one bit from the excellence of Electric Warrior. Bolan’s rich guitar also makes for a magnificently inspiring overall experience.
Considering there is just one song that is less than stellar here, Electric Warrior is clearly an incredible album. That song, The Motivator isn’t even that bad. In fact, it is still better than average in the entire scope of music. It just lacks the requisite catchy melody and lyrics and direction. Don’t forget to check out the end of the album with offerings including Life’s A Gas and Rip Off. The former is a melodic, lovely, folky track while the latter is a loud, strange, proto-punk rock n’ roll song.
Electric Warrior is without hesitation an important and necessary addition to any collection of music. T. Rex and front-man Marc Bolan are clearly the point to which modern Brit-pop bands can refer to as inspiration. They are fun, creative, and just beneath the surface strange. And this barely shrouded strangeness is what I find particularly important. Highly recommended album.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Mambo Sun
02. Cosmic Dancer
03. Jeepster
04. Monolith
05. Lean Woman Blues
06. Bang a Gong (Get It On)
07. Planet Queen
08. Girl
09. The Motivator
10. Life's a Gas
11. Rip Off
Muze: Copyright 1995 - 2008 Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Electric Warrior [Remaster] by Marc Bolan & T. Rex](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/97/8c/cf/2001991999-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.