Electric Warrior (180g LP)

Electric Warrior (180g LP) cover $45.00 Out of Stock
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T. Rex
Electric Warrior (180g LP)

[ A&M / LP ]

Release Date: Tuesday 18 November 2014

This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.

Electric Warrior was T. Rex's second album, released in September 1971. Their previous single, "Hot Love", went to No.1 and sparked the Glam Rock movement which gathered pace throughout 1971 to become a fully-fledged phenomenon in 1972. Electric Warrior features the singles "Get It On" (# 1 July 1971) and "Jeepster" (#2 Nov 1971), plus the classic songs "Cosmic Dancer" and "Life's A Gas".

The album topped the UK album charts twice, from December 18th 1971 to January 29th 1972 and again from February 5th to February 19th 1972. This version of the album was remastered by the original Producer, Tony Visconti, and the artwork has been lovingly restored by Phil Smee at Waldo's Design and Dream Emporium.

This 180g heavyweight vinyl reissue includes a download voucher.

The album that essentially kick-started the U.K. glam rock craze, Electric Warrior completes T. Rex's transformation from hippie folk-rockers into flamboyant avatars of trashy rock & roll. There are a few vestiges of those early days remaining in the acoustic-driven ballads, but Electric Warrior spends most of its time in a swinging, hip-shaking groove powered by Marc Bolan's warm electric guitar. The music recalls not just the catchy simplicity of early rock & roll, but also the implicit sexuality -- except that here, Bolan gleefully hauls it to the surface, singing out loud what was once only communicated through the shimmying beat. He takes obvious delight in turning teenage bubblegum rock into campy sleaze, not to mention filling it with pseudo-psychedelic hippie poetry. In fact, Bolan sounds just as obsessed with the heavens as he does with sex, whether he's singing about spiritual mysticism or begging a flying saucer to take him away. It's all done with the same theatrical flair, but Tony Visconti's spacious, echoing production makes it surprisingly convincing. Still, the real reason Electric Warrior stands the test of time so well -- despite its intended disposability -- is that it revels so freely in its own absurdity and willful lack of substance. Not taking himself at all seriously, Bolan is free to pursue whatever silly wordplay, cosmic fantasies, or non sequitur imagery he feels like; his abandonment of any pretense to art becomes, ironically, a statement in itself. Bolan's lack of pomposity, back-to-basics songwriting, and elaborate theatrics went on to influence everything from hard rock to punk to new wave. But in the end, it's that sense of playfulness, combined with a raft of irresistible hooks, that keeps Electric Warrior such an infectious, invigorating listen today.
5 / 5 All Music Guide.

Tracks:

Side One:
Mambo Sun (3:39)
Cosmic Dancer (4:49)
Jeepster (4:11)
Monolith (3:45)
Lean Woman Blues (3:01)

Side Two:
Get It On (4:24)
Planet Queen (3:11)
Girl (2:29)
The Motivator (3:57)
Life's A Gas (2:25)
Rip Off (3:42)