This album has become a classic, being released back in 1972 it is another example of music that stands the test of time.
Some call it glam rock others pop or indeed rock. Whatever title it is given this is music at its purest form, the album has so much to offer the listener, the tracks ... Read review
Marc Bolan's success was peaking at the time he releasedThe Sliderin 1972. Coming off hits ... more
such as "Bang a Gong" and "Hot Love," he packedSliderwith anthems like "Metal Guru" (also a No. 1 British single), "Baby Boomerang," and "Rock On," built around simple rock&roll boogie riffs but burnished to perfection by Tony Visconti's ambitious production. Still, the album upped the heavy rock factor a notch; only "Rip Off" fromElectric Warriorhinted at the blazing power of tracks like "Buick Mackane," "Chariot Choogle," and the meaty title track, a lewd-by-inference mixture of driving groove and hushed, between-the-sheets vocals. The ballads "Rabbit Fighter," "Spaceball Ricochet," and "Ballrooms of Mars" are detailed with dramatic string scores, and reveal Bolan's gift for turning non-sequiturs into high romaticism.--James Rotondi
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This album has become a classic, being released back in 1972 it is another example of music that stands the test of time.
Some call it glam rock others pop or indeed rock. Whatever title it is given this is music at its purest form, the album has so much to offer the listener, the tracks offer a diverse range of sounds, from slow ballads through to upbeat tempos.
The Slider saw T Rex at its peak, it followed another classic album called ... ...album could be as good. For me The Slider is the best album that was ever released by T Rex.
T Rex was a band fronted by Marc Bolan (whose life was tragically cut short in a car crash two weeks before his thirtieth birthday) As with a lot of bands in the seventies they undertook changes and evolved. To a lot of people T Rex and Marc Bolan were one and the same. The London born lead singer wrote all the tracks on this album.
... more
This album has become a classic, being released back in 1972 it is another example of music that stands the test of time. Some call it glam rock others pop or indeed rock. Whatever title it is given this is music at its purest form, the album has so much to offer the listener, the tracks offer a diverse range of sounds, from slow ballads through to upbeat tempos. The Slider saw T Rex at its peak, it followed another classic album called Electric Warrior and a lot of people doubted that this album could be as good. For me The Slider is the best album that was ever released by T Rex.
T Rex was a band fronted by Marc Bolan (whose life was tragically cut short in a car crash two weeks before his thirtieth birthday) As with a lot of bands in the seventies they undertook changes and evolved. To a lot of people T Rex and Marc Bolan were one and the same. The London born lead singer wrote all the tracks on this album.
When I first heard this album I thought a lot of the lyrics to be very strange, in fact I thought that about most of the songs ever released by T Rex (including songs released when the band were called Tyrannosaurus Rex). Now I am of the opinion that a lot of the lyrics are based in Marc Bolan’s mystical ideals. If you listen carefully to the lyrics you can find a lot of references that are based in Wicca (white magic). You will also find lyrics that are rock and roll based. This all adds up to some very original lyrics. This Album is full of examples of this.
For those listening to this for the first time, they may well be surprised at how familiar a lot of the tracks are to them, this is due in part to so many tracks ending up in the backgrounds of films and television adverts. Also a lot of musicians have found themselves producing music that has been influenced by the music of Marc Bolan and T Rex.
The original vinyl album consisted of thirteen tracks and in keeping with re-releases the CD has three bonus tracks. I personally think that the bonus materiel was never really needed as the original album was already the complete package. The tracks are as follows, also I have included snippets of the lyrics of each track to help you get the feel of what for me is a fantastic album.
The Original Tracks
1- Metal Guru (2m 25secs) A rocking track, upbeat and happy, this made No1 in the UK chart when released as a single “Metal guru could it be you're gonna bring my baby to me she'll be wild you know a rock and roll child”
2 - Mystic Lady (3m 09secs) Slower track more of a ballad, quite dark lyrics, the music is what makes this track. “Baby mystic lady you do own my night put my dogs to fright yea yea yea yea yea”
3 -Rock On (3m 26secs) Lyrics at their strangest, but a good fast rocking pace, a toe tapper of a track “mild mouthed rita she's a chevy chase cheetah loves everyone everyone”
4 – The Slider (3m 22secs) With a deep base, this ballad type song has a slow melodic pace, it gives me a feeling of sadness “I have never never kissed A car before It's like a door I have always always Grown my own before All schools are strange”
5- Baby Boomerang (2m 17secs) Short and fast, I think Marc enjoyed recording this “baby boomerang baby boomerang you never spike a person but you always bang the whole gang”
6 - Spaceball Ricochet (3m 37secs) Again the pace drops, this is more poetry sang to music “deep in my heart there's a house that can hold just about all of you”
7 - Buick Makane (3m 31secs) Well this track is fast and furious rock and roll “buick buick buick mackane will you buick mackane will you be my girl”
8 - Telegram Sam (3m 42secs) This when released as a single also made a UK No.1, a mid paced track again with very odd lyrics “bobby's alright bobby's alright he's a natural born poet he's just out a sight”
9 - Rabbit Fighter (3m 55secs) Yet again a switch of pace, slow but still with a rock feel to it “call me rabbit fighter you know it's true 'cos babe I'll rabbit fight all over you”
10 - Baby Strange (3m 03secs) A mid paced track, I will let you decide what you think this one is about “oooo you're strange don't lame me baby strange don't lame me baby”
11 - Ballrooms of Mars (4m 09secs) I really love this track, slow and deep, if you understand the words you will here the ballad “you ooooo dance with your lizard leather boots on and pull the strings that change the faces of men you diamond browed hag you're a gutter-gaunt gangster John Lennon knows your name and I've seen his”
12 - Chariot Choogle (2m 45secs) Very fast paced, with musical changes throughout “girl you are a groove you're like the planets when you move see the winter' coming in a two finned caddy gonna walk upon the waters go oooo yea”
13 - Main Man (4m 14secs) This brings the album to its conclusion, with a slow track, haunting melody and lyrics that could only have been written by Bolan. “are you a god man are you now are you now are you a frog man are you now are you now are you now”
The CD Bonus Tracks As I have said earlier in this review these are purely a bonus on the CD (however I have seen that they are not on all the CD’s of The Slider) 14 - Cadilac 15 - Thunderwing 16 – Lady
I really enjoyed writing this review, it gave me time to remember the past, the odd lyrics, and with often deeper meanings if you can find them make this a classic of an album. It is worth remembering that a lot of today’s heavy rock bands have taken a lot of T Rex on board.
Advantages: Now has extra disc. Released by Edsel Disadvantages: Remix disc is not much to write home about.
Back in 1972, when this was first released, the reception was luke warm by the critics. The follow up album to "Electric Warrior" was obviously going to be a hard act to follow. But now, thirty-four (yes THIRTY-FOUR!!!) years later it has earned a place in Pop history.
This won't be to everyone's taste. Simple riffs, three chord progressions and simple lyrics do not appeal to everybody, but as TRex albums go, it's not bad.
There are a couple of singles on here: "Metal Guru" A fine pop song with a driving guitar line and inane lyrics. Had all the teenies swooning on TOTP, with Marc sashaying about the stage with his feather boa, Les Paul in hand, pushing the boundaries further than anyone had done before. (Apart from Mr Bowie of course).Then there's "Telegram Sam". A grinding insistent little three chord riff with trite lyrics ...
The 1997 reissue of THE SLIDER features 3 additional tracks that did not appear on the original release; "Cadillac," "Thunderwing" and "Lady." Marc Bolan/T. Rex: Marc Bolan (vocals, guitar); Mickey Finn (vocals, percussion, congas) Steve Currie (bass); Bill Legend (drums). Additional personnel: Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman (background vocals). Recorded at Chateau D'Herouville, Paris, France and Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark. Includes liner notes by Mark Paytress. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Although 1971's ELECTRIC WARRIOR was the first album on which all the pieces finally came together for marc Bolan and T. Rex, the follow-up, THE SLIDER was Bolan's masterpiece. The album on which Bolan's characteristically inscrutable, hippy-dippy lyrics were perfectly balanced with crunchy glam-rock guitar riffs and great, whomping drum fills, THE SLIDER is a masterpiece of glam boogie. It spawned two of Bolan's biggest singles, "Metal Guru" and "Telegram Sam" (the latter of which just might be the best song Bolan ever wrote). The David Bowie tribute "Main Man" and the goofy rockabilly giggle "Baby Strange," as well as the more delicate title track, are all up to that level as well. This reissue includes three bonus tracks, the surprisingly worthwhile 1972 demos "Cadillac," "Thunderwing," and "Lady" that are formative glimpses at how wildly productive Marc Bolan was during this period of his career.
Album Reviews
Q (8/94, p.128) - 4 Stars - Excellent
Titles on disc 1
1.
Metal Guru
2.
Mystic Lady
3.
Rock On
4.
Slider, The
5.
Baby Boomerang
6.
Spaceball Ricochet
7.
Buick McKane
8.
Telegram Sam
9.
Rabbit Fighter
10.
Baby Strange
11.
Ballrooms Of Mars
12.
Chariot Choogle
13.
Main Man
14.
Cadillac
15.
Thunderwing
16.
Lady
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22/11/2006
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