T- Rex - Electric Warrior album review

Marc Bolan - Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Percussion, Bass
Mickey Finn - Percussion, Backing Vocals
Bill Legend - Drums
Steve Currie - Bass

Flo & Eddie - Backing Vocals on "Cosmic Dancer"
Rick Wakeman - Piano on "Bang A Gong (Get It On)"
Ian McDonald - Sax

SONG	RATING

Mambo Sun	9.5
Cosmic Dancer	8.0
Jeepster	10.0
Monolith	9.0
Lean Woman Blues	9.2
Bang A Gong (Get It On)	10.0
Planet Queen	6.9
Girl	7.2
The Motivator	6.7
Life's A Gas	9.0
Rip Off	6.7
Ave.	8.4

This glam rock album is a gas, from start to finish. Electric Warrior was the first album put out by the band T-Rex after leader Marc Bolan took the acoustic-driven, hippie folk-rock duo Tyrannosaurus Rex, added two new members (Bill Legend and Steve Currie), and officially shorten it's name (actually first shorten for the single, Ride a White Swan).

The album kicks off with the heavy beating, almost perfect, "Mambo Sun" with it's great catchy lyrics.Then comes "Cosmic Dancer", with Bolan sounding almost Bowie like here, as he does on a few songs on the LP. Next up is perhaps the best tune on the album, "Jeepster", I'm a sucker for a song with a heavy bass, and this little gem got one! "Monolith" is another fine glam tune, then we get to hear the bluesy rocker, "Lean Woman Blues", very heavy! If "Jeepster" isn't the album's best song, then the re-titled "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" is (it was released in the UK as just "Get It On"). It's hard to believe that this song was T-Rex's only US hit, as they put out so many great songs on this album alone.

The rest of the songs that follow on this record are perhaps second tier, just not as strong as the first six, but still, they all sound good. One that is a strong number, is the mellow, "Life's A Gas". I can't help but feel sad these days when I hear Bolan sing "Life's a gas, I hope it's gonna last", as it didn't for him. On "Girl", another fine tune, Bolan goes back to the old acoustic guitar sound that used to dominant the earlier Tyrannosaurus Rex's albums.

Perhaps the only negative bit on this album is that a few songs sound a bit too much alike. "Planet Queen" has great lyrics, but starts off too much like "Mambo Sun", and "The Motivator" plain out sounds like "Bang A Gong" throughout, both musically and in Bolan's delivery of the lyrics.The album's closer, "Rip Off", has a different feel to it than the other songs, it starts off sounding like a punk number, but it's ending is almost Pink Floyd like.

Like so many CDs these days, the reissued Electric Warrior comes with six bonus tracks, all of which sound good, including the great rocking hit "Raw Ramp" - which is another ten for sure; and the number one single "Hot Love", which was recorded by the band before the sessions for Electric Warrior were started, therefore it was kept off the album till now. There is also a twenty minute bonus interview included that closes out the reissue CD, where Bolan talks about the album and future plans, this interview is excellent. Overall, the entire LP is still a joy to listen to, even after so many years!

To listen to some soundclips from ELECTRIC WARRIOR or to purchase it, click on: Electric Warrior