T. Rex - Electric Warrior

by Andy Cassidy

published: 13 / 3 / 2012

Andy Cassidy looks at the new three disc boxed edition of T. Rex's 1972 'Electric Warrior', which has been released to coincide with its fortieth anniversary

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It has been forty years since 'Electric Warrior' was released, and to celebrate the anniversary, Universal are releasing a commemorative three disc boxed set, the highlight of which is original producer Tony Visconti’s re-mastered version of the album. When I came to review it, I hadn’t listened to 'Electric Warrior' for a while, but a mere glance at the tracklisting for the album reminded me of an old friend: ' Cosmic Dancer', 'Jeepster', 'Get it On', 'Life’s a Gas'. I was excited to hear the new, remastered edition, and I was not disappointed. From the chugging opening of 'Mambo Sun' to the closing string and feedback wail of 'Rip Off', every note and every nuance of the album is revealed in all its glory. The album is a great snapshot of a band in transition, moving from the folky Tyrannosaurus Rex to the Glam hipsters of T. Rex. For me, this transition is the best part of 'Electric Warrior' – listen to 'Girl' or 'Cosmic Dancer' and one can see how close in mood and style the T. Rex of this album were to their folk contemporaries. After the eleven tracks of the album proper, the remainder of the first disc is taken up with 'Hot Love' and three of the group’s B-Sides. The second disc is made up of demos and out-takes, the highlights for me being the radio/single edits of 'Cosmic Dancer' and 'Jeepster'. These aside, the remainder of the disc is taken up with works in progress and tracks in varying degrees of completion. Some of this material – such as the home demo of 'Get It On' – is fantastic, and it offers a great insight into the nativity of some of the best known Glam rock anthems. Unfortunately, I have not seen the DVD which comes with the box set, but the tracklisting looks promising. It features the only two surviving clips of T. Rex on 'Top of the Pops' as well as a further eight tracks, six of which are live performances with the remaining two being official promotional films. 'Electric Warrior' is a worthy addition to any collection, and, if you only own one T. Rex album, it’s probably the one to plump for. This new release, while a little on the pricey side, is a worthy celebration of one of the pivotal albums in UK 1970's rock.