Release date: July 21, 1972
Label: EMI Records
Producer: Tony Visconti
Length: 43:55
Genre: glam rock
Rating: 10/10
Led by the charismatic, egocentric singer, guitarist and poet Marc Bolan, T. Rex were at the head of the glam rock revolution in 1972, following the release of »Electric Warrior« (1971). Teenage girls screamed and fainted at their shows just like in the days of ‘Beatlemania’, and all this sudden fame did wonders for Bolan’s ego. Still, it hadn’t gone too far to his head yet, since on 1972’s »The Slider« his band kept up the successful glam rock recipe of its predecessor »Electric Wariror«, while adding a few upgrades. The recipe was still dead simple: Bolan’s distinctive singing backed by simple but fun riffs, lively arrangements and melodic rhythms, while barely a track ran longer than four minutes.
»The Slider« came with a cover featuring a ‘dandy-style’ photo of Bolan shot by his friend Ringo Starr, and was recorded, thanks to lower taxes, at the notorious French studio Chateau D’Hearouville. It was packed with T. Rex classics and hits, led by the opening track »Metal Guru«. Marked above all by its nonchalant, erotically spiced multi-voice chorus, the song saw glam rock guru and atheist Bolan dedicating the lyrics to his own concept of God, which had nothing in common with the teachings of organized religions.
The Slider, under Tony Visconti’s superb production baton (he also took care of the symphonic arrangements), was one of the few T. Rex albums with an unchanged lineup, and it featured Flo and Eddie (ex-The Turtles) on backing vocal harmonies. »Mystic Lady« was just the right mix of mysticism and eroticism, and a prototype of early glam rock. On tracks like »Rock On«, where hefty guitar riffs rule over a backdrop of layered vocals, you can clearly hear why T. Rex were an inspiration not only for glam rockers, but for plenty of hard rockers too. The title track simply melts with cheeky eroticism, propped up by throbbing bass lines and string arrangements. »Baby Boomerang« was marked by yet another indecent invitation to the ladies, while flirtatious harmonies carried a simple, ‘barroom’ melody and a lively pulse.
On »Spaceball Richochet«, dreamy acoustic arrangements let you catch a glimpse of Bolan’s psychedelic past, while cheeky harmonies and ‘powdered’ arrangements kept the classic glam rock atmosphere going. »Buick Mackane«, one of the heavier pieces in the T. Rex story, was ruled by a hefty guitar riff, while Bolan’s vocals, which jump into a higher register a few times here, sounded unusually irritated. »Telegram Sam«, a sort of rhythmic forerunner to the big hit »20th Century Boy«, was another hit single built on a simple but extremely effective recipe of boogie rhythms, cheeky sax seasoning, resolute guitar phrases and a narcissistic vocal approach.
The ethereal evergreen »Rabbit Fighter«, with its melancholic-epic atmosphere, solemn symphonic arrangements and nostalgic chorus paired with a furious guitar solo, was without a doubt one of the highlights of »The Slider«, and clear proof of Bolan’s huge progress as a songwriter. »Babby Strange« was the prototype of a classic T. Rex glam rocker, one that Bowie drew plenty of inspiration from for his Ziggy Stardust concept. On »Ballrooms of Mars«, with its many lyrical references to John Lennon, where science fiction and glamour meet amid a nostalgic atmosphere and a calm rhythmic pulse, this stylistic link between ‘glam guru’ Bolan and ‘glam alien’ Bowie was even more obvious. The laid-back mood is spiced up by a juicy guitar solo with Bolan’s distinctive guitar tone. »Chariot Choogie« was a somewhat darker, hard rock experiment again, while »Main Man« closed the album in a more typical, ego-tinged fashion, with an acoustic guitar backdrop and Bolan’s erotic fantasizing.
»The Slider« further strengthened the status of Marc Bolan and T. Rex as the leading glam rock heroes and pioneers, driving the youth of the day completely wild with their glamorous glaze over rock ‘n’ roll, pop rock and boogie. In many ways it was at least an equal successor to its splendid predecessor »Electric Warriror«, if not an upgrade. Bolan’s insatiable ego gave him no peace, especially once other musicians led by David Bowie showed up on the glam rock scene and perfected certain things T. Rex had started. It became clear they would soon overshadow him. So he decided that the next album, »Tanx« (1973), was the time for a slight stylistic change, and two years ahead of Bowie he started flirting with ‘blue-eyed’ soul and funk, without giving up glam rock too much in the process.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Metal Guru
2. Mystic Lady
3. Rock On
4. The Slider
5. Baby Boomerang
6. Spaceball Ricochet
7. Buick Mackane
8. Telegram Sam
9. Rabbit Fighter
10. Baby Strange
11. Ballrooms of Mars
12. Chariot Choogle
13. Main Man
T. Rex:
Marc Bolan – vocals, guitar
Steve Currie – bass guitar
Mickey Finn – percussion, backing vocals
Bill Legend – drums
Guest musicians:
Mark Volman (“Flo”) – backing vocals
Howard Kaylan (“Eddie”) – backing vocals
Tony Visconti – string arrangements
