T. Rex – Electric Warrior – CD

Bang a gong and get it on. At once sardonic, flamboyant, and trashy, T. Rex’s uncommonly unique Electric Warrior catapulted leader Marc Bolan to stardom, triggered an ongoing fascination with glam rock, and launched a movement that soon involved David Bowie, Roxy Music, and more. Yet none of those namesake artists ever released a record that out-glammed, out-thrusted, or outcamped Electric Warrior—named the 160th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone. Bursting with excessive fun and unchecked libido, T. Rex’s catchy boogies, shuffles, and vamps scoot by on a seemingly impossible blend of concise hooks, non-sequitur fantasies, and theatrical swagger. The 1971 landmark remains a rewardingly strange, parallel universe of sound, style, and sex that still has no equal.

Mastered on Mobile Fidelity’s state-of-the-art mastering system, the label’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set and hybrid SACD give Electric Warrior the widescreen sonics it has always deserved. Tony Visconti’s warm, reverb-soaked production and Roy Thomas Baker’s ace engineering remain two of the work’s most revered aspects. On these collectible reissues, the production and music can be experienced in all its full-tilt glory, from the subtle albeit elegant classical touches to the instantly identifiable Les Paul guitar licks to Bolan’s sensual, wispy, are-they-or-aren’t-they-serious vocals. All such elements and more come to life with a realism, vibrancy, and textural palpability that surpass the presentation of any prior edition. If you can hear colors, these audiophile versions will stimulate your inner synesthesia.

Mambo Sun
2 Cosmic Dancer
3 Jeepster
4 Monolith
5 Lean Woman Blues
6 Get It On
7 Planet Queen
8 Girl
9 The Motivator
10 Life’s a Gas
11 Rip Off
12 There Was A Time / Raw Ramp / Electric Boogie (B Side)
13 Hot Love (A Side)
14 Woodland Rock (B Side)
15 The King Of The Mountain Cometh (B Side)