Track Listing

1. Mambo Sun
2. Cosmic Dancer
3. Jeepster
4. Monolith
5. Lean Woman Blues
6. Get It On (Bang A Gong)
7. Planet Queen
8. Girl
9. Motivator
10. Life's A Gas
11. Rip Off

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100231 in Music
• Released on: 1990-04-01
• Number of discs: 1

From Amazon.com
T. Rex's best album, Electric Warrior, distills the best elements of Marc Bolan's earlier acoustic period with a dynamic rock rhythm section--drummer Bill Legend and bassist Steve Currie--and lush arrangements by producer Tony Visconti. Featuring the classics "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," "Jeepster," and "Mambo Sun," Warrior ranges from the space-blues of "Lean Woman Blues" to the punk-jazz of "Rip Off," with a sound fleshed out by chamber strings and the falsetto harmonies of ex-Turtles and Mothers of Invention Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. (Zappa sideman Ian McDonald plays sax as well.) Touches such as the arcing cellos of "Cosmic Dancer" and the sexy rhythms of "Planet Queen" perfectly bring to life Bolan's imaginative world of "diamond star halos" and "shadowless horses." A must for any serious collector of British rock classics. --James Rotondi

CD Description
Prior to ELECTRIC WARRIOR's release, T. Rex (or, as it had mostly been known, Tyrannosaurus Rex) was a folk-rock duo that played acoustic guitar and bongos augmented by the occasional electric and full drum kit. While some of the hippie-prophet philosophy that dominated Tyrannosaurus Rex's music can still be heard here (especially on the dreamy geneology of"Cosmic Dancer"), ELECTRIC WARRIOR, for the most part, represents a revolution in attitude and approach. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Marc Bolan expanded the band here for a full rock sound, and focused on lean, hook-heavy pop songs that relied on slinky grooves and the riveting energy of early rock& roll. Married to Bolan's cheeky sexuality and theatrical flair, the results were undeniable.
From the mid-tempo thump of "Mambo Sun" to the crashing yowl of "Rip Off", ELECTRIC WARRIOR is fuzzy, nasty, and immediately appealing. Songslike "Jeepster" and "Bang A Gong" pump straight from the elemental heart of rock & roll, yet the songs are fleshed out beautifully with strings, handclaps, backup vocals, and TonyVisconti's expansive production. Bolan's glitzy, sexy aesthetic directly sparked the glam movement (he was a huge influence on David Bowie and the creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona), while his punchy, back-to-basics approach also presaged the stripped-down, three-minute song attack of the Ramones and the punk movement in the later '70s. As a result, ELECTRIC WARRIOR can be seen as one of the most enduring and quietly influential records in the rock canon.

Customer Reviews

It's a Hard Album to Top
This is one of my all time favorites - if not THE favorite album in my collection. I remember seeing a picture of Marc Bolan in the early 80's and thought to myself, man, this guy looks wild - I've got to hear what his music is like. Thus began my odyssey to get my hands on anything associated with Marc Bolan.

This album was the starting point - and it's a true gem. From the opening track, the hypnotic, sultry "Mambo Sun" to bombasitc guitars and violins on the closer "Rip Off", it's the perfect album - the centerpiece of UK Glam rock in the 70's.

Tony Visconti's involvement here brings the album full circle. The mix of Bolan's poems set to music mingled with Tony's production and orchestral arrangements are captured perfectly in "Cosmic Dancer," my favorite track on the album.

There's not a bad song here. If you're curious and want to know more about Marc Bolan and his band, T.Rex, look no further than this album.

Marc Bolan Classic!

This album really captures the era that was the beginning of the seventies decade.

Marc was in top form on this with two massive hits included here: 'Jeepster' and 'Get It On'. But this album has some classic numbers, and the highlights for me are: 'Cosmic Dancer', 'Girl', 'The Motivator' and 'Life's A Gas'. The final track 'Rip-Off' seems to me to have been an afterthought that could have been left off.

True Glam Gold!