T. Rex (reissue!)
The Slider
Fat Possum
Mainstream Top 40 rock music is in a dire place. All the Nicklelbacks and whatnot trudging out their dispirited mope rock anthems are warping a generation of impressionable minds. What rock music desperately needs now is a cosmic injection of T. Rex, with all the weirdness, sexuality, and groove contained within.
Luckily, Fat Possum Records is attempting to rectify this situation by launching a series of T. Rex reissues on both vinyl and CD. First up is The Slider, T. Rex’s follow up to Electric Warrior. While not as rocking as Electric Warrior, the more relaxed groove of The Slider is an excellent place for beginners to dive into T. Rex’s output.
The more rocking tracks like “Metal Guru,” “Buick Mackane,” and “Telegram Sam,” ( which is basically a rewrite of “Bang a Gong”) will instantly entice the casual listener, but the ballads like “Ballrooms of Mars” will keep them coming back. The production and remastering is excellent, listeners will notice how the songs make great use of empty spaces. In the title track, Bolan’s voice and guitar come out crystal clear, and the strings in the chorus seem to pop out.
Bolan had a knack for writing a great melody, and songs like “Metal Guru” will be stuck in your head for weeks. It doesn’t hurt that the songs have some of the weirdest, most inspired lyrics in rock. Not inspired like Bob Dylan or the Beatles, more like the crazy guy down the street who keeps up a running commentary on girls, cars, and outer space.
Although a bare-bones release for a reissue, The Slider needs to be given out to every sullen teenager who claims to be into rock this Christmas. We have to do something to help the children.
Fat Possum: http://fatpossum.com
