"},"rev3":{"wt":"''[[New Musical Express]]''"},"rev3score":{"wt":"{{rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Morley |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Morley |date=20 September 1980 |title=Marc Bolan Discography 1965~70 |magazine=[[New Musical Express]] |page=22}}"},"rev4":{"wt":"''[[Rolling Stone]]''"},"rev4score":{"wt":"very favourable{{cite magazine |last=Everett |first=Todd |date=22 July 1971 |title=''T. Rex'' review |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/t-rex-19710722 |access-date=8 February 2015}}"},"rev5":{"wt":"''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''"},"rev5Score":{"wt":"{{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Roberts |first=Chris |date=November 2003 |title=Raiders of the lost Marc |magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |page=82 |issue=20}}"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwhw">
Upon release, Rolling Stone published a glowing review saying, "It's difficult to isolate any one or two songs as being special favorites". Reviewer Todd Everett praised the band for "their ability to intermix vocal and instrumental sounds — the voices often go into a feedback guitar imitation. It's not the kind of trick every group should try". [5] In the UK reception was also highly positive, with Ray Hollingworth of Melody Maker describing it as "energy-packed rock, basted with Bolan's poetic and imaginative vocals", [13] while Nick Logan of New Musical Express opined it was "immensely enjoyable...electricity has had a dual effect of strengthening the rhythmic and melodic qualities of Bolan's compositions and after five albums, it must be a source of satisfaction to pull out such good songs". [6] Disc & Music Echo also called it superb, claiming "sweeping strings and lush backings suit this duo far better than one might have expected" while Penny Valentine at Sounds noted "people may argue that T. Rex's sound is no longer mystic and pure, but I for one am thankful it's not...Marc, while still retaining a lot of typical Bolanesque, now has much more rhythmic appeal and firm attraction". [6]
In his retrospective review, Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote, "T. Rex is the quiet before the storm of Electric Warrior , and it retains a loopy energy and easy charm that makes it one of Bolan's watershed works". [4] Writing for The Guardian , Alexis Petridis noted that the album "allowed Bolan's instincts to the fore: more electric guitar; sharper, simpler rhythms; vocals doused in the old-fashioned slapback echo found on "Heartbreak Hotel"; strings accentuating a penchant for what Julian Cope would later characterize as the “Glam Descend”, chord sequences lurching in downward patterns that sound simultaneously melancholy and triumphant". [10] Likewise, a review in Ultimate Classic Rock calls it an instant classic, noting that the album is filled with songs like "Childe", "Beltane Walk", and "One Inch Rock" that are "50's rockers dressed up in early 70's flair...Bolan, along with Finn and producer Tony Visconti, mined a sound that, with just a bit of tweaking, would catapult T. Rex onto the pop charts with a string of massive hits in their native U.K." [14]
Richard Barone of the Bongos covered "The Visit" on his first solo album, Cool Blue Halo (1987). [15] Siouxsie Sioux covered "Jewel" in 1999 with her second band the Creatures. [16]
All tracks are written by Marc Bolan, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Children of Rarn" | 0:53 |
2. | "Jewel" | 2:46 |
3. | "The Visit" | 1:55 |
4. | "Childe" | 1:41 |
5. | "The Time of Love Is Now" | 2:42 |
6. | "Diamond Meadows" | 1:58 |
7. | "Root of Star" | 2:31 |
8. | "Beltane Walk" | 2:38 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Is It Love?" | 2:34 |
2. | "One Inch Rock" | 2:28 |
3. | "Summer Deep" | 1:43 |
4. | "Seagull Woman" | 2:18 |
5. | "Suneye" | 2:06 |
6. | "The Wizard" | 8:50 |
7. | "The Children of Rarn (Reprise)" (the U.S. version features "Ride a White Swan" in place of this track) | 0:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
16. | "Ride a White Swan" (Single A-side) | 2:30 | |
17. | "Summertime Blues" (Single B-side) | Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart | 2:42 |
18. | "Poem" | 0:34 | |
19. | "The Visit" (Take 4) | 1:57 | |
20. | "Diamond Meadows" (Take 6) | 1:56 | |
21. | "One Inch Rock" | 2:26 | |
22. | "Seagull Woman" | 2:19 | |
23. | "The Wizard" | 8:33 | |
24. | "The Children of Rarn" | 0:42 |
with:
Chart (1970/71) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [17] | 37 |
UK Albums Chart | 7 (Official Charts website) [7] 13 (Guinness Book of British Hit Albums) [9] |
Marc Bolan was an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and poet. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan strongly influenced artists of many genres, including glam rock, punk, post-punk, new wave, indie rock, Britpop and alternative rock. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of T. Rex.
Steve Peregrin Took was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on his own singer-songwriting activities, either as a solo artist or as a frontman for several bands.
Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex and their sixth since their 1968 debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex, released on 24 September 1971. The album marked a turning point in the band's style, moving away from the folk-oriented sound of the group's previous albums and pioneering a more flamboyant, pop-oriented glam rock style.
The Slider is the seventh studio album by English rock band T. Rex, and the third since abbreviating their name from Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 21 July 1972 by record labels EMI and Reprise. Two number-one singles, "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru", were released to promote the album. Issued at the height of the band's popularity, The Slider received acclaim from critics, reaching number 4 in the UK Albums Chart and number 17 in the US.
A Beard of Stars is the fourth studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex, and their last before changing their name to T. Rex. It was released in March 1970 by record label Regal Zonophone.
Unicorn is the third studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 16 May 1969 by record labels Regal Zonophone and Blue Thumb, and was the last Tyrannosaurus Rex album to feature Steve Peregrin Took.
Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages is the second studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 1 November 1968 by record label Regal Zonophone.
Tanx is a 1973 album by rock band T. Rex, the eighth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1968, and the fourth under the moniker T. Rex. It was released on 16 March by record label EMI. Tanx was a musical departure from previous works: still containing tracks in the vein of The Slider, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan showed his interest for soul music, funk and gospel. Female backing singers appeared on a few tracks. New instruments such as mellotron were used, played by producer Tony Visconti, allowing the T. Rex sound to evolve.
My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows is the debut album by psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. The release of the album was planned for early May but delayed until 5 July 1968 by record label Regal Zonophone.
"Hot Love" is a song by English glam rock band T. Rex, released as a standalone single on 12 February 1971 by record label Fly. It was the group's first number one placing on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained at the top for six weeks beginning on 14 March 1971.
Bill Legend is an English musician and former drummer for glam rock band T. Rex during their most successful period. His life and career have been discussed in multiple published books and other works about the band.
"Metal Guru" is a song by the British rock band T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was the band's fourth number one on the UK Singles Chart when it topped the chart for four weeks from May–June 1972. It was also included on the album The Slider in 1972.
"Ride a White Swan" is a song by English band T. Rex. It was released as a stand-alone single on 9 October 1970 by record label Fly, and was the first single credited under the band's new, shorter name. Like all of the band's songs, it was written by the group's singer, guitarist and founder Marc Bolan. The song was included on the US version of the 1970 album, T. Rex.
Bolan's Zip Gun is the tenth studio album by English rock band T. Rex, released in February 1975 by record label EMI.
Bolan Boogie is a compilation album by the English glam rock band T. Rex. After Marc Bolan had left Fly Records to form his own label distributed through EMI/T. Rex Wax Co, his former label released this compilation in 1972 with recent single A- and B-sides recorded in 1970 and 1971, many of which had not appeared on previous albums. Also included are album tracks from Tyrannosaurus Rex's Unicorn (1969), A Beard of Stars (1970) and T. Rex's T. Rex (1970).
Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow is an album by English rock band T. Rex, the ninth since Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut LP. It was released in March 1974 on the T.Rex record label, distributed by EMI. It was the first and only album to be released under the moniker "Marc Bolan & T. Rex".
Light of Love is a US-only album released by British rock band T. Rex in 1974. It is composed of 3 tracks previously released in the UK on the album Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, together with 8 songs recorded in the Spring of 1974 at Music Recorders Inc. Studios in Hollywood which would later appear on the album Bolan's Zip Gun. The album was engineered by Gary Ulmer and, in the absence of Tony Visconti, was produced by Marc Bolan himself. The album marked the first time that a T. Rex album had been produced without Tony Visconti and also marked Bolan's debut in this role. "Till Dawn", was re-recorded for Bolan's Zip Gun with Bolan at the controls.
T. Rex were an English rock band formed in London in 1967 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan, who was their leader, frontman and only consistent member. Though initially associated with the psychedelic folk genre, Bolan began to change the band's style towards electric rock in 1969, and shortened their name to T. Rex the following year. This development culminated in 1970 with their first significant hit single "Ride a White Swan", and the group soon became pioneers of the glam rock movement.
Solid Gold Easy Action is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was released as a single on 1 December 1972 and reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song did not feature on an original studio album but was included on the 1972 Great Hits compilation album issued by EMI Records, as well as most CD reissues of Tanx. It was beaten to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart by "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond.
"King of the Rumbling Spires" is a single by Tyrannosaurus Rex, released in July 1969. It featured the duo of Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrine Took and was written by Bolan. It was a minor chart hit, the first by the group to contain electric guitar instead of acoustic, and was Took's last appearance with the duo on record.