The Slider
by T. Rex

As colorful a first eight bars of an album as you'll ever hear, and with four funky songs behind it - and then along comes "Baby Boomerang," aimed at... Babies? I'm asking because it certainly wasn't aimed the three decades-old American who just sat listening to it. Also, did they have "Seventeen" magazine in England circa '72? I'm asking because "Spaceball Ricochet" sure seems aimed at that same marketing demographic - which is by way of saying: while I admire Bolan's ability to hit his targets, hearing music aimed like missiles aimed toward specific buying publics, like Sprite commercials, makes "The Slider" (the album, not the song) come off a bit cheap on the whole. Actually, scratch "cheap" - b/c market research don't come... Whether you hire a firm or do it yourself - and b/c the eccentricities bleed through, I'm betting Marc Bolan did it himself. And thank God. Eccentricities redeem songs like "Baby Strange," and push songs like the "Ballrooms of Mars" toward... Transcendence?

Overall, while "Electric Warrior" and "Tanx" come off more authentic, this one has moments that can hang with the best of either of 'em. And that's saying a lot. 85/100

You can't really explain The Slider to people. They have to experience it for themselves. I will say, however, that there are more hooks on crammed into this record than jsut about anything I have listened to. I mean it's the most effortlessly catchy thing you will ever hear. Shame we lost Bolan so young.

"The Slider" was the successor to T. Rex 's perhaps the only truly well-rounded album "Electric Warrior". To a certain extent "The Slider" is more of the same, of course aided by producer Tony Visconti but also by the two great Turtles vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman who help create the big sound that characterized the T. Rex during this period.

When "The Slider" not quite matches its predecessor's heights, it is primarily because some of the songs do not quite keep the level of "Electric Warrior". But this does not in any way make "The Slider" a weak or uninteresting album - here's plenty to enjoy.

"Metal Guru"and "Telegram Sam"(perhaps a little too much a rip-off of "Get it On ") - are well-known single-hits, and "Rock On ", "Baby Boomerang" and "Main Man " belong among the group's best-known songs.

Among the less typical numbers you'll find some of Bolan's best songs, such as "Ballrooms of Mars, ""The Slider" and "Spaceball Ricochet".

Among the bonus tracks "Thunderwing" is a good number in classic T.Rex arrangement.

Very enjoyable glam at it's finest. Tony Visconti's production just sends it into the stratosphere. The thick layered guitar walls combined with those annoying as hell backing vocals by Flo and Eddie. Irritating but it gets you. It's sounds like bubblegum metal and I mean that in a good way. Best Tracks: The Slider, Mystic Lady, The Ballroom of Mars.

Lots of great tunes on this one even his B.sides were as good as his A sides got more for your money with a Bolan Single although I was born this very year most of my favourite tunes come from this era Telegram Sam,Buik Makane,Metal Guru,Rabbit Fighter best here