The
Slider was the seventh studio album released by 70s UK glam
rockers T Rex. Released in 1972, it was the second of their releases which showcased
their new found glam sound, after releasing their first few albums as a folk outfit
in the late-60s. The timing was perfect for the band to completely change their
image and sound, with Britain in the midst of a glam rock revolution in the
early-70s with artists such as David Bowie, Slade, and Roxy Music tearing up
the charts. But aside from Bowie, it would was Marc Bolan and his merry men who
would blow all others out of the water with their often hard-edged and incredibly
catchy pop/rock style.
Sound-wise, well The
Slider tends to follow on from the bands previous effort, the very successful
Electric Warrior album in what is a
mixture of anthemic bubble-gum rock, downer folk, and glam ballads. Vocally
there is plenty of high-pitched falsettos, while lyrically the songs move from
sort of mystical folk themes to often overtly sexual lyrics. The songs are held
down by a very sturdy rhythm section of Steve Currie on bass, Mickey Finn on
percussion, and Bill Legend on drums, but it is clear from the outset that Bolan
is the star attraction out front and centre with his vocals, guitar playing,
and overall theatrical take on pretty much everything. It is also pretty clear
throughout the album that Bolan loves a good groove as there are plenty on
here, with the guitar and bass providing the impetus on many of the tracks with
some great rock and roll riffs.
As for the tracks themselves, well the album kicks off
with the Bowie-esque glam anthem “Metal Guru”, the albums single which ended up
topping the charts in the UK at the time. Although it’s a nice rousing
sing-a-long start to the album, musically speaking it is nothing special and
tends to be a wee bit repetitive, but hell, at least it gets you in the mood
for what’s to come. “Mystic Lady” is next, a slow folk ballad which again fails
to capture my imagination, while “Rock On” ends what is a very slow and un-exciting
start to the record. However, thankfully things being to pick up from here
starting with the slow riff rocker “The Slider” and the catchy bubble gum rock
and roller “Baby Boomerang” with its 50s guitar and falsetto-laden vocals.
After another blip on the radar with “Spaceball Ricochet” the band turn things
up a notch again with heavy rocker “Buick Mackane”, a stomping guitar track
which would notably be covered by Guns n’ Roses years later. Then there is
perhaps the album standout “Telegram Sam”, a song that epitomises glam rock
with its riffs, falsettos, elicit lyrics and even some cheeky sax thrown in for
good measure. “Rabbit Fighter” is another ballad, but this time the band do a
better job with a song that also showcases Bolan’s rough and ready guitar
playing, proving that he was also a pretty good guitarist in his own right
despite being not technically great. Things move along with more riffage on “Baby
Strange” with its somewhat playful and explicit lyrics “I want to call you, I
want to ball you”, I guess it is glam after all? And the album finally winds
down with the best of the folk ballads on the album “Ballrooms of Mars”, “Chariot
Choogle” and the double-tracked falsetto album closer “Main Man”.
In conclusion, The
Slider is probably T Rex’s most complete album considering they were on the
most part a singles band, with there being plenty of standout tracks mixed in
with some lesser moments to. It’s the folk ballads where the album tends to
fall a bit on the way side, with these tracks not really living up to the more
up-tempo rockers in intensity and what I would describe as overall zing.
Despite containing mixed results there is still plenty of good material on here
to remind that Bolan was a star lyricist, vocalist and overall showman, and as
an album certainly The Slider ranks
well within the glam rock canon. Definitely worth a listen if anything as an example
of early-70s glam rock in the UK, and also in hearing how T Rex could marry the
folk of their early career with the glam rock which they became more well known
for.
B
- Sam
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