10 Essential Glam Rock Albums
2. T. Rex - Electric Warrior
With his top hat, plume of hair, and Flying V/gold top Les Paul, perhaps no one personifies glam more than Marc Bolan, the great rock ‘n’ roll tragedy whose band T. Rex codified the sound on 1971’s masterpiece Electric Warrior. The album crunches, grooves, and glides through 11 tracks of lascivious rock with a killer pop instinct that would define the genre for years to come.
Bolan has that rare ability to sound cheeky and libidinous without toppling into seediness. Opener “Mambo Sun” is a thirsty shuffle with nonsensical lyrics that nonetheless convey the singer’s desires. Big hit “Get It On” takes a similar approach, only with walls of guitars and great wailing backing vox.
There’s light and shade here that so many imitators failed to capture. “Cosmic Dancer” is wistful and catchy (again indulging in charmingly daft lyrics), and deep cut “Life’s A Gas” features a great vocal turn and cool octave guitar to add a little muscle.
Despite being a huge band in its time, T. Rex remains somewhat underrated in modern circles. Electric Warrior is a stone cold classic.