The Slider

from the LP The Slider, EMI Records, 1972



Hailed by many across the pond as the biggest thing since Beatlemania, even by Ringo Starr himself, T.Rex rode proud & preening atop the wave that was glam rock: glittered cheeks and platform boots stomping out a path of hysteria which gripped all of England and much of Europe for the better part of the early – mid ‘70s. Having transformed himself into an electric rock-God from the folky, hippie-gnome persona which he had been rocking since the early days as a Syd Barrett devotee (listen to anything he released while still under the moniker “Tyrannosaurus Rex” for an idea of just what a severe image shift this was), guitarist Marc Bolan was actually the perfect poster-boy for all things glam; in fact, he had even modeled for a period, so wearing makeup wasn’t weird to him at all. This slow-paced title track from T.Rex’s most lauded album spells out his agenda nicely: simple guitar licks, thick percussion, lots of post-production, & a vibe that oozes sexuality and lustfulness; best line, “I have always always grown my own before, all schools are stra-a-ange; and when I’m sad, I slide…”