Buoyed by two U.K. number one singles in "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru,"
The Slider
became
T. Rex
's most popular record on both sides of the Atlantic, despite the fact that it produced no hits in the U.S.
essentially replicates all the virtues of
Electric Warrior
, crammed with effortless hooks and trashy fun. All of
Bolan
's signatures are here -- mystical folk-tinged ballads, overt sexual come-ons crooned over sleazy, bopping boogies, loopy nonsense poetry, and a mastery of the three-minute pop song form. The main difference is that the trippy mix of
is replaced by a fuller, more immediate-sounding production.
's guitar has a harder bite, the backing choruses are more up-front, and the arrangements are thicker-sounding, even introducing a string section on some cuts (both ballads and rockers). Even with the beefier production,
still doesn't sound nearly as heavy as many of the bands it influenced (and even a few of its glam contemporaries), but that's partly intentional --
's love of a good groove takes precedence over fast tempos or high-volume crunch. Lyrically,
's flair for the sublimely ridiculous is fully intact, but he has way too much style for
to sound truly stupid, especially given the playful, knowing wink in his delivery. It's nearly impossible not to get caught up in the irresistible rush of melodies and cheery good times. Even if it treads largely the same ground as
,
is flawlessly executed, and every bit the classic that its predecessor is. ~ Steve Huey