Rating: 8/10

Top Track: ‘Ballrooms Of Mars’

I know, I know. Why write about a T. Rex album this early into my blog if it’s not “Electric Warrior”? That’s a fair question. To be frank, I simply can’t find it. I’m sure it’s somewhere in my dad’s collection. However, I like to be different anyways which is why “The Slider” is my favorite T. Rex album despite “Electric Warrior” containing hits like ‘Bang a Gong (Get It On)’ and ‘Cosmic Dancer’. The reason being is that this is the first T. Rex album I heard in its entirety; make that the first glam rock album I heard in its entirety. I swear, when I was 11-12 years old, I knew every single lyric on this album. I was a weird kid.

Okay, top track time. While every song on this album is close to my heart, none of them hold a candle to ‘Ballrooms Of Mars’. ‘Metal Guru’ and ‘Telegram Sam’ come close though. BOM, as I’ll call it for short, is actually one of my favorite songs of all-time and is in my top 10 of favorite ballads. Yes, my top track for this album is a ballad, but I implore anyone to listen to it and try not to melt just a little bit. Not to mention, BOM is on the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies ever and the best Jack Black Movie ever, School of Rock (sorry Nacho Libre). The sorrowful feeling of the song just fills you up and you can hear the heartbreak that songwriter and lead guitarist Marc Bolan must’ve been feeling when he wrote it. BOM is a near-perfect blend of acoustic and electric guitar that can make anyone sway and swoon along with the ‘Rex.

Fun fact, Ringo Starr took the photographs that eventually became the cover and back of the album; and the photos were taken on John Lennon’s estate. What?! I just thought that was pretty cool. Props to Ringo because it’s a pretty legendary photo. The off-centered subject, the slight fuzziness, plus who wear great top hats like that anymore? The whole pic just screams early punk rock to me. I was also surprised to find out with some light research that Marc Bolan, the genius behind the whole operation and the one consistent band member, was only 5’5″. One look at the album cover and one could be convinced he was over 6 feet. Just another fun fact.

I want to quickly give props to my man Marc Bolan as well. All songs on this album along with almost every other song on every other T. Rex album were written and composed by him. He and his band have never really been considered truly “mainstream,” but talent and song-writing skills were recognized by the likes of The Beatles and Elton John. Tragically he passed away in a car accident in 1977 right before he turned 30. Seeing as he was the driving force behind the band, T. Rex was finished. Nearly 50 years later, his band was finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. That is just ridiculous. A band this influential should have been inducted so much sooner and Marc Bolan should have been given the recognition he deserved, albeit posthumously.

I can’t recommend this album enough. If you like any kind of rock, this album should be a must-listen. There is nothing like Marc Bolan’s voice and the way he plays his Les Paul. Damn, this is such a fun album.