#188 T. Rex, 'Electric Warrior' (1971)

Previously #160

T. Rex’s sixth record saw a major shift in their sound from folk rock to a flamboyant new and more poppier sound, which would come to be known as Glam Rock. The genre is said to have been born when the band appeared on Top Of The Pops 5 months before the release of the record. Marc Bolan was adorned in glitter and satin. This pre-dated his close friend, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character by a few months, a project that would help pioneer Glam Rock.

The album opens with the Glam slow jam, ‘Mambo Sun,’ going into ‘Cosmic Dancer,’ which could totally be a David Bowie song. It’s no surprise to discover then that the album was produced by longtime Bowie collaborator, Tony Visconti; “I danced myself right out the womb/Is it strange to dance so soon?... I danced myself into the tomb/Is it strange to dance so soon?” The album really picks up at track 3 with the effortlessly cool ‘Jeepster,’ a song we’ve seen in, amongst others, Tarantino’s ‘Death Proof’ and the Netflix series, ‘Sex Education.’ ‘Monolith’ reminded me a bit of Velvet Underground. In fact, a few times throughout the record Bolan’s voice reminded me of Lou Reed’s. The Velvet Underground was a major influence on Bowie. I think it’s safe to assume they were a major influence on Bolan too. Out of nowhere we get the bluesy ‘Lean Woman Blues,’ and then, almost out of nowhere, we hear the muted guitars of ‘Get It On,’ AKA ‘Bang A Gong (Get It On), a song that is bigger than the artist. It’s got the swagger of The Stooges and The Stones, the attitude of a young Elvis. Yes’s Rick Wakeman made a guest appearance on piano and Hammond organ. The sound has been used in countless ads and films over the past 50 years. It’s timeless. The album went to #1 on the UK Charts and sold half a million copies in the States. Bolan would sadly die in a car accident 6 years later, 2 weeks shy of his 30th birthday.

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