Electric Warriors From the Stone Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll to the Present Day

The landscape of rock ’n’ roll music in Britain during the late 1960s was one of tremendous depth, composed of a diverse spectrum of sounds and styles.

Ever-growing and spawning new sonic evolutions, the Brit rock of the period ranged from the light fare of the unplugged folk-rock outfits, to the trippy wanderings of psychedelia, to the heavier licks of the nascent blues-rock movement.

Due largely to the excitement and pace of the period, countless bands cropped up that, prone to quick dissolution, underwent lineup revisions and reformulations of musical focus. Fortunately for music lovers, though, it was exactly this process of reinvigoration that produced some of the best acts of the period, such as one band called T. Rex.

A young six-string talent from London, Marc Bolan began the band Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1967, first as a four-man, and later as a two-man outfit. Their output was primarily of the folk-rock persuasion, focusing on eccentric acoustic settings with surreal lyrics evoking the worlds of Tolkien and classical mythology. By 1970, though, diverging personalities contributed to great tensions between the two band members. Before the end of the year, Tyrannosaurus Rex was no more.

The mastermind of the former group, Bolan wasted no time assembling a new, larger cast for the band he would call T. Rex. Though the surreal lyrics and eclecticism continued largely unchanged, the newly electrified instrumentation assumed a heavier, grittier, blues-rock feel with an especially prominent rhythm section.

By 1971, with the release of their magnum opus Electric Warrior, T. Rex defined the glam rock genre through their unique combination of theatricality, musical chops, and otherworldly lyrics.

Electric Warrior opens with the slow drawl of “Mambo Sun,” a funky, driving tune built on the lean, gritty chords that define the album. The key to the sound is the incredibly complementary aspect of its components, in which a multitude of instruments including rhythm guitars, vocal elements, keyboards, and percussion work in unison to create a distinctly hazy, relaxed groove.

Casting aside the electric guitars for the second track, “Cosmic Dancer,” Bolan and company expand the album’s sonic spectrum by delving into a more lush world in which acoustic guitars, strings, choral backings, and percussion dominate the recording. Inextricable from this track, and others like it, including “Monolith,” “Girl,” and “Life’s A Gas,” is the radically altered emotional state that the music manifests. In strong contrast to the high-energy up-tempo rocking tunes of the album, the tranquility of these less abrasive tracks renders a far more somber, contemplative setting.

After five tracks alternating between such acoustic tunes and the electric, handclap-laden rockers, at just the moment when the album’s soundscape is at risk of predictability, the listener is jolted anew with “Bang a Gong (Get it On),” the band’s international best-selling single.

Certainly the most iconic song in the band’s catalog, “Bang a Gong” shares much in common with the other up-tempo grooves like “Jeepster,” “Lean Woman Blues,” and “The Motivator.” As with the others, “Bang a Gong” is driven by the lean chords of Bolan’s Les Paul guitar, in excellent sync with keen bass lines, stomping piano, and strong percussion.

Though “Bang a Gong” is nearly unbeatable, the back half of Electric Warrior holds up quite well, comprised of tunes that explore and deepen the trademark T. Rex sounds. Of especial interest is the track, “Rip Off,” the high-energy and climactic finish. Employing both a lush string section and a number of brass instruments, the track represents the album’s sonic range at its widest and provides an incredible close to a truly solid album.

Whether for its unique and varied instrumentation, eclectic lyrics, or emotive aspect, Electric Warrior is no doubt an essential for the collection as an archetype of the glam rock genre and a testament to the imagination and proficiency of Bolan’s T. Rex.