1001 Albums Generator
The Slider by T. Rex

The Slider

T. Rex

1972
3.28
Rating
23660
Votes
1
3%
2
15%
3
43%
4
29%
5
10%
Distribution
Genres: Rock Styles: Glam Rock

Reviews (page 3 of 8)

Really good 70s rock stuff here, most songs are really well done, vocals are good, instrumentation fits together pretty well, just very well-made stuff

Solid album overall but drags.

I like this much more than the other T.Rex album on the list. It still comes across to me a little bit like Bowie Lite, but that can be high praise.

Solidly above average classic rock.

The high points of this album reach pretty high. The low points are unfortunately very meh. I would say there is more good here than meh, but I think it's a weaker effort for T Rex than Electric Warrior was. Like on EW, the music is mostly solid. It does a good job of rocking without overdoing it much. The end result sounds pretty cool. There are a few tracks that falter in that aspect, sounding a little more similar to 50s pop/rock than something you'd hear in the 70s. They don't stick out too badly, for what it's worth. The vocals seemed a bit more prevalent to me here than the previous album. Rather than blending in, I thought they did a good job as a unique element to add to the song. The lyrics could be dumb, but that didn't ruin the overall vibe. As a whole, I found The Slider to be a solidly good album. I didn't like it as much as their previous Electric Warrior, but I still enjoyed this one well enough. There weren't any particularly bad songs and plenty of good ones. I'd listen again. Overall: 3.2/5

Dang I apparently really like T. Rex! Then again I should, given that my chosen name comes from Telegram Sam, albeit via Bauhuas. A super-fun and whimsical record. A little bit more nuanced compared to Electric Warrior, and solid all the way through.

Decent, but the only direction this album was sliding was right back into Get It On...

Damn. Gimme more

I really liked the previous T.Rex offering but this one didn’t keep my attention as much. Didn’t seem quite as interesting as the last one and ended up dragging a bit.

Another great album including two popular singles. Probably would have been a bit one dimensional if all the tracks were like that, but no, along comes Buick Mackane to show depth of songwriting.

There is something undeniably cool about T-Rex. That Boogie blues swagger and laid back vocals are uniquely entertaining. And there are more top songs than the singles on here; a couple of heavier ones were pleasantly unexpected. That being said, there’s something about his vocals which I struggle with for a whole album. Seeing as it’s the first proper nice day of the year, let’s be generous with a 4*.

I enjoyed the early 70s rock sounds, and the songs were diverse, but it didn’t hit like I thought it might. I wonder if this is one of those albums that I listened to for the first time too late, too old, after too many other more impactful records from the 70s. Good album nonetheless.

I’m partial to a bit of glam and I liked this a lot.

Jeg hadede det overhovedet ikke, men alligevel mere rocked end hvad jeg er vant til.

Decent vibe

Most of the record feels like swaying bubble gum pop with fuzz guitars instead of real rock. Not actually bad, but not very exciting either.

niceeee good new songs, 2-3 best

Nostalgic for me from our lifelong record collection. Side A mostly, must not have flipped it often. All are pretty good minus 1 or 2.

- this feels theatrical and more in the vein of Bowie, Elton John, or Queen than any of the more blues-based U.S. rock groups from the early and mid-70s. I associate this kind of music exclusively with the U.K., so I can see why T. Rex didn't do well in the U.S. - I'm starting to be able to pick up on the features that embody "glam rock" now: lots of vocalizing, from "aaahs" and "la la las" in the background to multiple voices jumping in for the chorus, sometimes even an octave higher than the main melody; a bounciness in the beat; other instruments besides guitar, bass, one singer, and drums (e.g., orchestral strings in "The Slider," bongos in "Boomerang") - what is the squirting sound in the title track -- it sounds like someone misting their plants with a squirt bottle - "Buick McCane" sounds like something the Black Keys could have put out back in 2010. additionally, some of the vibrato the lead singer does reminds me of early Arcade Fire for some reason - I was less impressed with the slower songs, and they seemed to drag on for a while. I wouldn't listen to this album again, but I didn't actively dislike it -- the faster songs were fun in a uniquely glam rock kind of way, but this genre isn't my favorite and this album didn't seem fully exemplary of the genre in the way an Elton John or Bowie album might

I had never heard of T. Rex before today, but I had a feeling that I had a timeless album on my hands when I hit the play button and immediately had a hard time pinning down which era it came out in. My first thought was the indie rock revival of the 2000s (think bands like the Black Keys, the White Stripes, maybe even Arctic Monkeys), so you can probably imagine my surprise when I checked the release date and saw "1972." Needless to say, The Slider has aged quite gracefully. The songs are super fun, the mixes sound great and the songwriting still feels relevant – it's just good old rock and roll. I didn't get the sense that I was listening to the band that made "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" (a song I didn't know the lyrics of before today) until I was eight tracks in. Admittedly, I didn't feel like the music was my "thing" at first, but then I just kept enjoying it – all but five of the album's thirteen tracks ended up being highlights for me. I'd say The Slider is going to be a guilty pleasure for me in the future, but I wouldn't really have anything to feel guilty about. The music isn't just catchy rock and roll in a vacuum – T. Rex was apparently a huge influence on some of the genre's greats. Highlights: Metal Guru, Rock On, The Slider, Baby Boomerang, Buick Mackane, Telegram Sam, Ballrooms of Mars, Chariot Choogle

amazingly fresh. stylish. futuristic. clairvoyant.

I like T. Rex a lot and this is solid but there's not a ton of variation to his sound

pretty awesome to listen to

C'est donc de ce groupe que nous parlais Jane Birkin. Je connaissais de nom sans m'y être intéressé. Je m'attendais un peu à un album des années 60, mais en fait c'est les années 70. Je ne sais pas quelle place il prend dans leur discographie, mais je l'ai trouvé plutôt générique pour son époque. Plutôt un bon album, mais il fait partie de cette catégorie où tu comprends pas pourquoi celui-ci en particulier a été choisi. Je me demande si certains de leurs albums des années 60 ont été sélectionnés et si non, pourquoi ? Enfin, c'était pas non plus une écoute désagréable.

There are some bangers on this album, some duds too. It sounds exactly as I expected, but that’s necessarily a bad thing. Not an all time classic, but. I would listen again.

Can’t say I loved it. But I didn’t hate it, either.

The songs may or may not mean anything, but the change in sound throughout made this a pleasure to listen to.

Interesante pero no es pa mi, siento que para su época si fueron interesantes sonidos y energía

Another incredible showing from T. Rex Crazy they were considered fuckin teenyboppers with multiple number 1 hits in the UK. They don't sound anything like I'd imagine pop music. Very rocky, and dark. That riff on "Chariot Choogle" is just nuts, so heavy and perfectly placed in the mix. "Metal Guru" is super catchy

I'm not gonna pretend like this is revolutionary step forward compared to Electric Warrior, but damn if I don't love Marc Bolan's schtick. This is getting a 5.

Just some more of that Marc Bolan goodness. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. Perhaps a touch higher. I remember “Electric Warrior” as the first 5 I gave in 2025, following 2 middling albums to start the second year of this project off. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one even more – this feels like an improvement to my ears, cleaning up all of the little issues I had with “Electric Warrior” (more consistent vocals, less fluff, better sense of progression, better harmony to everything) & just elevating itself higher because of it. It makes for a really good album. Marc Bolan’s approach to this album is a little less varied than it was there, but he’s tightened it up in a more consistent way whilst adding a bit more pure rock to the mix – the biggest comparison here is obviously David Bowie, but to my surprise, this album came out only a month after “Ziggy Stardust”, so I doubt it had much influence here, despite what’s likely to be a pretty similar tone & soundscape. It seems like Bowie was inspired by Bolan & not the other way around anyway, so now I’m REALLY intrigued to get to “Ziggy Stardust” down the line. Beyond the Bowie comparisons, the more direct influences here are the Beatles & Led Zeppelin, with just a touch of Buddy Holly-esque ‘50s delivery on some tracks. You can really feel all of those influences on the stretch from “Baby Boomerang” to “Telegram Sam”. Surprisingly, I can’t really tell you what any of these tracks are about. The lyricism here is stream-of-consciousness poetry, able to conjure up unique imagery in a way that sort of tells a story, but without the more direct substance that I tend to lean towards. For whatever reason, Marc Bolan’s vocal delivery & the sort of hypnotizing tone to the instrumentation sort of washed that aside – the lyricism feels like it doesn’t matter as much as a result, & while there are some great lines that help set a tone, you can largely go through this album & hook yourself onto the vocal rhythm as the driving piece that makes the album work. The only times on the album where the lyricism feels noticeable are on “Rabbit Fighter” (just a bit repetitive) & “Main Man” (just sort of confusing), and the only time where the delivery is lacking a little bit is on “Main Man” (I just think it should’ve been acapella instead of the weird filter). Regardless, I think it’s a super catchy 45 minutes – if it had some extra ‘substance’ to it & just a little bit more of a structure to the whole project to give it some more connecting tissue, there’s a chance I’d be up to a 10 with this thing. Even as it stands, I still think it’s just a little bit higher than a 5. It’s a really, really good album, and for 1972, it feels well ahead of pace. Perhaps David Bowie will give me that extra kick whenever we get to his alter ego, but for now, Marc Bolan & friends have done one hell of a job here. It’s an easy 5. Consider me a T. Rex fan. P.S.: Special props go to the production work as well; between this & his David Bowie collaborations, Tony Visconti just knows how to fucking do it, man.

Otro clásico. Bolan es una figura imprescindible en la música, los 70´s fueron suyos. Su influencia es mayúscula, musical y estéticamente. Bowie iba a su rebufo, como todos. Y de ahí en adelante, cualquiera que toque una guitarra o tenga una banda ha sido influido directa o indirectamente por Marc Bolan. Maquillaje, plataformas, boas, sombreros y por encima de todo una música comercial e inigualable. Este disco y el anterior Electric warrior son esenciales. Ambos producidos por Tony Visconti., que les da un equilibrio entre inmediatez y comercialidad sin perder una pizca de la magia que T.Rex destilaban por entonces. Metal guru y Telegram Sam son dos de su más conocidos temas. Rock y The slider, con su guitarra, su tarareo y sus cuerdas suenan deslumbrantes. Baby Boomerang es sonido setentero del que beberán Oasis y el Brit en masa. Spaceball Ricochet tiene exos de sus inicios más folkies. Buick Maccane es rock duro, sin más (la versionaron Gun´n´Roses). Como Chariot Choogle (que ya mete esos coros en la línea gospel que luego seguirá la banda). Baby strange es el arquetipo de glam... Ballrooms of Mars fue versionada y acelerada con mucho acierto por Radio Futura (Divina). Cierra con la calmada Main man. Después de este disco, tuvieron un poco más el buen momento pero terminaron perdiendo el paso. Llegó Ziggy y profetizó 5 años para cargarse el glam, lo que se cumplió al milímetro. Aunque la accidental muerte de Bolan impidió que lo recuperase, a buen seguro que lo hubiera logrado pues talento le sobraba. 5/5

Having just had Billion Dollar Babies right before this album I’m in my glam rock era evidently. I couldn’t be happier with that. I had a lot of mixed feelings on how to rate this album. The songwriting is…okay. The musicianship is really good and the hooks are insane. This album is punch after punch. Jabs each one. A variety of energetic “one note” songs with great production. Killer

No pude prestar atención

These songs all basically sound like Mambo Sun, but I dig them all. Cool and laid-back, without the excess I associate with glam rock.

a silver-studded saber-toothed dream

Fun! I can see how The Arctic Monkeys were maybe influenced by them.

Not enough glam in this glam rock!

I thought it was fine.

the three-starriest album to ever be more than two stars and less than four stars. what is everyone else hearing that i'm not? that certainly was an album. also did anyone else besides me think T. Rex was a riot grrl band for some reason? no? just me? imagine my disappointment finding out the lead singer wasn't a raspy-voice butch woman and was instead Some Guy. smh

i can't for the life of me understand why anyone enjoys glam rock. lord knows i've tried, but this is just the most bland, uninspiring collection of average 70s glam rock songs about nothing. it's all so one-note. safe and dull, with nothing groundbreaking or even remotely substantial here. for this particular album, i saw the opener, metal guru, and thought FINALLY, something different from the norm. i listened to it and thought, well, that was definition of the norm, but hopefully it gets better from here. ladies and gentlemen, i regret to inform you that it, in fact, did not get better from there. 1.5 stars because at least it's not kid rock.

I nearly gave this 4 because the first half has a formula, but the second half sold it to me. What a talent that we lost so soon.

Clásico en mi rotación, de este disco y Electric Warrior se habla menos de lo que merecen

I was bored

Absolute classic arguably the strongest t.rex album. Unfairly overlooked part of the rock canon. Five stars early.

#68/1001 🇬🇧🦖🎩 I had a real deep dive into TRex a few years, specifically the earlier unabreviated version which i prefer to the glam rock phase. This album didnt ever hit my radar but i did find it really enjoyable. I love Bolans vocals and Tony Visconti's production elevates the sound with strings - there is some lovely dark Cello in there i think. Best Tracks: Metal Guru, Buick Mackane, The Slider, Ballrooms of Mars.

It’s no bang a gong get it on

It doesn’t quite replace Electric Warrior as my favourite T Rex album but it comes very close. Every song is a delight, it’s formulaic but it never outstays its welcome and remains weird enough to be a very interesting and enjoyable listen.

Pretty solid, just not something I'd pick to listen to over and over.

I liked it. It started kind of boring, but by the 5th track, it truly caught my attention. I would give it a 3.9

bouais pas tant que ça kiffe bizarrement

Definitely getting Bowie vibes from this. Pretty good songs on their own, but not too exciting or standout as an album.

Solid 70's rock! no more no less! This was a pretty good listen. I'm pretty unfamiliar with T.Rex so discovering something new was pretty cool, when the list works, it works! It feels a little samey in the back end but still fun. 4.5 if I could!

A classic album by T Rex! Just a weird collection of fun glam rock songs. Metal Guru!

T. Rex are a strange case for me. There are individual T. Rex songs I outright love, and when I listen to their albums it sure sounds like something I’d enjoy. But as a whole their full-lengths don’t really do it for me. It’s enough for me to like it fine, but not love it. It’s checking boxes but not knocking me over. Not to say there were no highlights but I wasn’t taken with it as a whole - I think the songs sound too same-y even within themselves.

I prefer Electric Warrior to this but this is still a good one.

Did enjoy, very nice riffs and a great production. Probably would come back to it so giving a 4

Fab fab fab

Really enjoyed this

I had no idea what to expect from this. I've probably seen the album cover, but I don't think I've ever listened to it or even looked too much into it, expecting it to be a hair metal record I wouldn't be too interested in. It's not that! At all! It's glam rock way more reminiscent of David Bowie or Queen which I enjoyed quite a lot! Good singing, great guitars, just a fun record.

KISS Keep It Simple, Stupid seems to be this guy's mantra and I'm alright with it. Why? Because sometimes simple works, plain and simple. That's what the vast majority of the album is: simple, yet effective. The songs are earwormy & fun. They tend to sound similar at times but fun. I love Buick McCane it reminded of the White Stripes. 3

No. 126 Amazing glam rock. Start to finish, amazing songs

Tiresome very quickly

Some solid songs on this album. I've never heard of it before. Some really good guitars as well

I love T.Rex, but I also just think this is an amazing album, from back to front, especially for glam rock but also just rock and roll, a perfect display of the sub-genre in the early 70's in England.

Now I know a lot more about T. Rex than I previously did, and TBH that's pretty cool. Didn't hate it, and I can respect anyone who's way into T. Rex, but don't think this is going to be my new obsession.

Chaotic but I had a great time

Top 3 Spaceball ricochet Ballrooms of mars Main man

Super fun and catchy, reminds me of David Bowie

Favorite Track: Metal Guru

A good album, I liked Baby Boomerang and Ballrooms of Mars the most.

I love the warm atmosphere of this entire album. It was interesting to find songs that seemed to be the originals for tracks by bands I used to listen to a lot.

I thought The Slider was a solid, enjoyable album overall. However, none of the tracks really grabbed me or stood out as especially exciting. A lot of them blend together sonically, but at the same time, none of them were bad enough to make me want to hit skip.

7 - GOOD

Love this. So many great tracks on it. Metal Guru is such a brilliant song.

I was much more familiar with Electric Warrior by T. Rex which I really like. I didn’t hate this album but no one song grabbed me. 2.8

I like this

Decent listen

This is the 50th album I’ve listened to from this website, it’s gone by quickly. I’m still not even 5% of the way through this journey, but 50 still feels significant. Going into this listen, the only T-Rex song I already know is Get It On, and it’s a good song so I’m eager to learn more of their stuff. • I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what this album’s going to be like based on Metal Guru. It’s a very classic rock sound and I like it. • Mystic Lady is really good. I love what the bass is doing • The title track has a great groove. I love the backing vocals during the chorus • Baby Boomerang is another very good song. The backing vocals in the chorus reminded me of another song, but I can’t place which • Spaceball Ricochet is a nice break from the harder rocking tracks. It’s always refreshing to hear an acoustic guitar on albums like this • The melody of Buick Mackane is so similar to Evie by Stevie Wright, it definitely can’t be a coincidence. • I like Telegram Sam a lot too, it actually reminds me of Get It On quite a bit • I love the strings in Rabbit Fighter. • Chariot Choogle turns into a very cool song in its back half. I also love its name Favourite song: Rabbit Fighter

rules 4 stars

3.3 stars

not for me

It just sounds so cool

I just don't care for glam rock. I will say that just based on when this was released compared to its sound, it was a little ahead of its time. I'm not sure we needed two instances of T.Rex on this list. His other album is better.

Glam will never be my favorite genre, but there are no weak tracks here and it's fun and fresh throughout. Bolan's vocals are great. There's something almost relaxed feeling about this album. Like the band were so at the peak of their powers that it came effortlessness.

Difficult for me to judge. I listened to it a couple times.

It was a bit tame, but not so much that I fell asleep halfway through. So maybe that's faint praise?

this was excellent.

Probs a nonce fairly enjoyable though

This is why I’m doing this project. I really enjoyed this album, so interesting to see this band was a pioneer of glam.

7.5 / 10

The only song of T. Rex I knew before today was Bang a Gong. I've never thought much of it other than it's fine, but it's not a song I really care for. I was intrigued upon listening to this today, though, hoping to discover something new and hopefully interesting. I didn't think I would, but you never know. I also decided, at about 28% completion of this project, that I'm only going to read reviews after I'm done listening to the album. I think it was helpful for a while, but I find myself disagreeing with the norm fairly frequently so I just need to focus on my own thoughts and no one else's. With that all being said, I enjoyed this record far more than expected. The lyrics were mostly silly, but some of the turns of phrase made me chuckle along with some of the name drops. Bolan definitely had a thing for the car/girl imagery which is just fine by me. I also liked some of the clear mimicking of music from the day, be it Bowie, Led Zeppelin, or even their own big hit which was basically remade into Telegram Sam. Songs that stood out for me were Rock On, Buick McCane (this really rocked), Rabbit Fighter, and Main Man. There was not a song I didn't like. I don't know if I loved this enough to be five stars, but four doesn't quite seem enough...

Not really a fan of glam rock, but I’ll make an exception for this.

First T. Rex album I've listened to (idk why it took me so long to get into them considering that I like glam rock), very enjoyable. 8/10 Favourite track: Ballroom Of Mars

So, glam rock eh? Jeepster made a big impact on me when I first heard it (as a pre-teen). Later there was Gary Glitter - magnetic/appalling at the same time, then as we learned more about him his music became repugnant, unplayable, and besmirched the simplistic side of glam rock generally. (Was the simplicity just manipulation of teenie purchasing power?) Anyway, this album: T.Rex's 7th?? And it was very popular??? I'll grant that Bolan had a knack of getting down super simple verse/chorus hooks with minimal lyrics, and a lot of self-confidence to keep churning songs out. But Metal Guru and Telegram Sam seem like someone is taking the piss. And there are a few creepy aspects: the backing vocals almost always one octave up, over unison bass and guitar, is a bit psycho; the lyric fetish re cars (Jaguar, Buick, Cadillac) is yuck. (On the other hand, I will credit the two note guitar solo in Baby Boomerang, that was art ahead of its time.) I wondered whether Bolan might turn out to also be certified or probable creep - apparently is nothing on the internet to say he was a predator - but his fortune "variously estimated at between £20 and £30 million" was as of 2022 locked in a trust, not accessible to his son, hmm. I'm pretty sure life is too short for me to ever bother playing through the album again, so I'll say it's Poor, 3/10.

This was ok, a few strange vocal choices throughout. 3.3/5

Wow this was stunning, I only really knew Electric Warrior but I think I prefer this it is relentlessly catch and groovy, with those incredible riffs and harmonies.

Not my favorite T-Rex album, but it's got a comfortable swagger about it that makes it easy to listen to if not particularly memorable

Not bad, prefer Electric Warrior

Favorite Track: Rock On

ugh kind of annoying actually

So close to a 5 but... no, I just can't do it. It's a strong 4.

There were songs I loved and some I couldn't care less about. Mixed feelings.

Well, it is very early 70s. I guess this is sort of proto-glam rock? I didn't really vibe with this honestly. I see why it is influential but it's not my cup of tea.

This is how Electric Warrior (the album with Bang A Gong and Jeepster) got followed up. And it kicks just as much booty. And, but, also: this is where Guns N’ Roses go Buick Mackayne from. Actually, you shouldn’t sleep on ANY T. Rex album. Just saying. (Marc Bolan’s American record company made that mistake after this album and fobbed them off on Casablanca.)

I usually really like T-Rex, but I guess I usually get them in smaller doses. This was a bit too long and a bit too samey for me.

Blind album. Holy Bologna! Its almost as if this band blossomed from Electric Warrior, gave it the missing ingredient, and perfected the recipe. Its so funky and groovy, and i love how a lot of the progressions resolve down but feel cool. Insert sunglasses emoji. Ballrooms of Mars is a slow track and potentially a favorite, but Buick McCane kicks butt, and the 2 singles are like fireworks burning bright and all the little details in picture come to fruition. Did not expect to give T. Rex a 5 but here we are. I wouldn't have found this album if it wasnt for the project.

Buick McCane is a jam. Telegram Sam sounds exactly like Bang a Gong without the energy that made the original catchy. Otherwise, I felt like this played out like a less interesting version of Electric Warrior. So enjoyable, but not nearly as memorable. low 3

Telegram Sam sounds like it's right off of Flight b741. This one started out meh and then found its groove. Just enough to get from a soft 3 to strong 3, but not really enough for a 4 by any means.

Just an all around very enjoyable album. There were some songs that sounded like some Flight B-741 Giz, and others sounded like Cage the Elephant. Really solid 4

I only really know T.Rex from PTM's All Your Light jam where they have a song in it, so no real clue what to expect. I started off thinking this was definitely a 3 and I ended up jamming. Definitely unique. I'm gonna go 4 here but it's not a high one.

glam rock lite. Later stuff better

Each song is very repetitive. As a stand-alone song it's fine, but multiple of a very static beat is not great.

in realtà sono 3.5. molto carino, mi piace molto questo gruppo e questo genere glam rock

Not as good as the other T. Rex album

It was fine overall.

I feel like I should like them but I don't. It has the distortion that implies they have energy and intensity, but then they are laid back and slow. Buick Mackane was the best on the album, but mostly this just made me want to move to the next track. Telegram Sam was a musical reprint of a past hit, Get It On. I guess this just reinforces that I don't like glam rock, even from the pioneers of the genre.

I’ve started to notice that I’m repeating myself on my site. I keep saying that I don’t really like rock, that it’s not my favorite genre, and I end up making the same point over and over again. And lately I’ve been coming to an uncomfortable realization: the 1001 Albums list is largely dominated by music made by men, for men, and above all by men. But I’m getting frustrated and going off on tangents, and that’s not what I’m here to talk about. Let’s talk about the album: The Slider by T. Rex. I struggled with this one. It started strong, and the first few tracks genuinely caught my attention. But after the third song, the album began to lose momentum for me. It felt like a gradual descent into something increasingly exhausting. By the time I reached the last track, my reaction was simply: okay, that was an experience I don’t need to repeat. Again, this is just my personal perception. It says nothing about the band’s artistic value or their place in music history. But I know I won’t listen to this album again. I’m torn between giving it two stars, maybe even one. I don’t think I’ll go as low as one, because there are moments here that are undeniably beautiful. But overall… it just didn’t work for me.

T. Rex – The Slider On Day 45, The Slider stands as another decent listen that ultimately lacks personal replay value. The production is undeniably great, and tracks like Metal Guru and Telegram Sam definitely lived up to the hype in terms of their sound and energy. However, even with that polished wall of sound, the album as a whole didn't do enough to make me want to come back to it. It’s a solid 3/5—I can see the technical appeal and the influence it had, but it’s not something I’ll be adding to my permanent rotation.

Overall it’s a good album that’s very much in the Bowie glam rock style- I didn’t realize they were both going on at the same time. Listening to the Slider got me to check out Electric Warrior, and I think that’s the better album of the two.

I've seen the list of the 1001 albums, and I know there are some great ones coming, but I am struggling thru these at the moment. This was another awful choice, and I don't hate music from this era. It was just bad.

When to listen: Unoffensive (to the ears) punk mood. I really liked this sound, it felt like melodic but punk-y? At times it felt very Bowie-esque with a little bit of Rocky Horror Picture Show thrown in.

Call up Telegram Sam and he’ll tell you, this album is a Spaceball Ricochet in the Ballrooms of Mars.

I get why it's on here, but not for me

Good album.

Electric Warrior was so good. This just doesn't feel impactful the same way. I guess I'll give it a 3, but I'd be OK leaving it off this list...

A bit samey.

3 - good album

Grew on me over the listen

It was alright. The voice started annoying me towards the end however.

An impressively rigid naming structure to songs. Album did start to drag a bit

I was surprised that I liked this. Due to my ignorance, I've always assumed T.Rex to be in the White Snake or Def Leppard genre, but they're really more early glam than Zeppelin wannabes that being said, it's kind of a plodding album. it's missing some fundamental drive or drama that makes glam rock so good. basically, it didn't grip me in a way that would make it an album I wanted to listen to again

Love T Rex.

C+ glam rock

Amazing album. I will definitely be revisiting this one.

The second T. Rex album now. This caused me to do a little more of a deep dive. Familiar with a couple songs prior, I thought this album was better than electric warrior. It flowed better, and I think the influence that this band had on so many artist later on shines more on this album. I had no idea the singer died at 29. So that makes him around 24 here? The talent is insane. Very sad. For glam rock, I can see so much lasting impact that he had on the genre, with his fingerprints all over the 80's. Ahead of his time.

Don't hate it. Don't love it. It's for someone, just not me.

T.Rex are cool and this is among rheir best albums. There are only hits here.

Not as into it as I thought I'd be

I see a huge influence on Oasis in this album, besides the usual comparison with cigs and alcohol. Great songs and lots of energy, light 7/10.

Awesome sauce! This is what I was hoping would happen with this journey - I’d find an album/artist I didn’t know and end up being a new fan. And that is exactly what happened with T. Rex’s The Slider and T. Rex the band. I’m sure there are many influences for them and I won’t try to list them but I loved it all and will definitely add to my rotation! Hard to pick a fave and of course the song The Slider was excellent. But I’ll go with: Standout: Chariot Choogle 01-17-2026

2026.01.18

Inte det värsta jag hört, men vill verkligen inte höra en sekund till...

Hittade ingen njutning i detta. Gillar inte hans röst. Svag tvåa

Låter ju rätt bra men känner också noll sug över att höra mer vilket ändå säger något. Velar mellan tvåan och trean, men får nog bli en stark tvåa kanske!?

Det här är väl tyvärr inte mer än ok rock? Trots rösten. Är ändå roligt att föreställa sig UK i T. Rextasy lol.

Har ingenting emot t.rex men det här är för såsigt. Kommer den här upp vid en lite orättvis tidpunkt? Snacket om t Rex/marc bolan vs David bowie är för dumt så här i efterhand. Det bor granne med Rolling Stones vs Beatles.

Lätt lyssning. Aldrig hört talas om men det satt fint det här. Kommer absolut lyssna på mer T. Rex

Man hyllar ju namnet, men tufft att följa föregående platta. Det känns ganska platt, vilket är segt för har alltid tänkt att man borde testa t.rex när den där bang a gong kommer på.

Förkroppsligandet av en trea? Fett nice, Inte en dålig stund men inte heller någon hit.

8/10 Along with Electric Warrior, this is such an influential album, not just in terms of it's sound, but in its attitude. It is FUN and doesn't take its self too seriously - a central pillar of great British rock.

background rock

Every single song on this is some type of vibe. You have fun vibes, like Metal Guru (I could not stop hearing "metal guru easy chew" lol), Rock On, and Baby Strange. You have chill vibes, like Mystic Lady, Spaceball Ricochet, and Ballrooms Of Mars. You have smooth vibes like The Slicer and Baby Boomerang. Every song, all vibes. Best song: Metal Guru

I'll put it as a 3 to go back to it. It might get marked down to a 2

Loved!! Figuring out I might like glam rock?

I didn’t know many T. Rex songs before this but I loved the ones I did know, so I had high hopes. I have to say I was kinda dissapointed, it wasn’t great. Fav song is ‘Baby Boomerang’.

Major ear worm factor but I can’t get behind it really at all

I liked the sounds and the bass lines. I like this type of music, but I don’t know how often I’d seek this specific album out. I had heard of this guy before, mainly for the GONG. It was decent, but my socks are still on.

I really liked this album. Felt like real rock. The mix was great.

T.Rex is fun and probably forgot about too much but that being said they shouldn’t have two albums on this list.

high quality early era glam. fun album.

No private session used for Spotify. I certainly know T.Rex but haven't ever sat down an listened to an album. It rocks, there is a sameness in a lot of the songs, but not annoyingly so.

It was easy to listen to but nothing special. It does remind me of Alex Turner and the Arctic Monkeys a bit, so maybe they were an inspiration for them

Perfection. No notes. A glam rock masterclass and among the best rock records of the 70s, which means one of the best rock records of all time

Not bad, definitely listenable but it didn't really captivate me. The songs started sounding similar from time to time, but the guitar solo in Buick Makane stood out as well as Telegram Sam as a whole. I saved 7/13 songs so 3/5 ⭐️

Didn’t expect a dude names T-Rex to make a genuinely fantastic album

Its a cool sound appropiate for the era, sounds a lot like all other bands from the time period but nothing really to make them pop out in my opinion. This album has some a little more experimental and cretaive but not enought to wow me

Pretty cool album. I really like their raw sound. I think I need to listen to more of these guys.

It did me some good to listen to this one again, it's been a long time.

A bit odd but in a fun way, I liked this one pretty well.

Definitely could´ve died without hearing this album.

Two T. Rex albums on this list, huh? Seems unnecessary. This wasn't a bad album, but it didn't move me much. Just played it in the background and worked. 3.

An infectiously fun party album with nary a mis-step. Not art of the highest order, and there is a sameness to the rhythmic and melodic approach (is Telegram Sam just a reworking of Bang a Gong?), but when a record is this much fun a lot can be forgiven.

This is #day511 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my first record of the new year and to closing out another artist, as this is my second and final T. Rex album on the list. This one was just as enjoyable as its predecessor: sleek early '70s glam rock with a strong power-pop backbone. I found myself tapping my foot more than once. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day512.

No bangers on this one, but it was fine.

This is fine, but I'm not understanding the overwhelming love for the meandering slow blues riffs in every damn song.

I liked it, cool songs and and enjoyable all the way through.

No major complaints but not my favorite T. rex either.

Liked it enough!

Wasn’t familiar with this album before but it’s pretty likable. T. Rex is always a safe bet. A solid album.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 is glam rock distilled into its most stylish and addictive form. Marc Bolan leans fully into swagger and melody here, shaping songs that feel effortless but unmistakably crafted. The riffs sparkle, the grooves are tight, and Bolan’s voice carries that mix of charm and sly extravagance that defines the album’s mood. It’s playful without being shallow, dreamy without losing momentum, and consistently tuneful from one track to the next. Not every moment is monumental, but the overall shine and confidence make it one of T. Rex’s most satisfying records.

The Slider erschien 1972 und gilt als eine der konzentriertesten Arbeiten von T. Rex. Aufgenommen wurde das Album überwiegend im Château d’Hérouville in Frankreich sowie in den Rosenberg Studios in Kopenhagen. Die britische Band um Marc Bolan verbindet hier eingängige Melodien mit einer bewusst reduzierten, warmen Produktion. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album klar im Glam Rock, mit starkem Fokus auf Groove, einfache Gitarrenriffs und prägnante Refrains. Songs wie „Metal Guru“, „Telegram Sam“ und „Children of the Revolution“ stehen exemplarisch für Bolans Fähigkeit, Pop-Appeal und eigenwilligen Stil zu verbinden, ohne sich in Arrangements zu verlieren. Insgesamt wirkt The Slider geschlossen und zielgerichtet. Es ist kein experimentelles Album, überzeugt aber durch Konsequenz, Songwriting und eine klare ästhetische Haltung. Knappe Bewertung: Ein stilprägendes Glam-Rock-Album, das durch Reduktion und Songs überzeugt.

Fun album but nothing standout.

good, not mine

Great even without Jeepster

Good album, will likely grow on me, but didn’t massively click on first listen though I can tell it’s a classic.

I expected better. But ok, I suppose.

Very good 70s rock overall. Just very samey and lacks that little bit more to be perfect imo. 4/5

I gave Electric Warrior a well-deserved 5/5 so it feels unfortunate to give a lower rating to this follow up, when I enjoy the music so much and it’s so similar. I think the problem is that it IS too similar, yet it lacks some of the magic. Electric Warrior is just on a higher plane. It also feels unfortunate to be so critical of a 4/5 album. Each song sounds great and better than the many softer and/or countrified offerings from the early 70s. Enjoy!

David Bowie might have opened the door for glam rock, but T. Rex moved in and established permanent residency. It is self-indulgence at its best. Whether the songs were fully fleshed out or weave in and out of coherence there is an underlying commitment to the sound and sensationalism that brings it all home. In terms of endurance over time, maybe this wasn’t the best direction for the band, but in terms of defining, shaping, and owning the genre, the band delivers a drop the mic moment for glam!

Han vom Thomas Rex doch viel rockigers oder fast scho schwermetalligers erwartet, doch da hets mi positiv überrascht mit dene liebliche Kläng. Spassig gsi, doch zwenig catchy das Ichs bald wider usgrabe würd. Drü existence-killing Meteorit

Isch schööön. Aber hed mi z wenig abgholt zum da vill schriebe oder dassi in zuekunft dra wür denke. Aber isch sicher keit ziitverschwändig das ab und an z lose. Gibr mal na es 3

s'einzige lied woni vo dem dino känne isch leider nöd debi gsi. das album hed mi entschiede weniger catcht aber trotzdem absolut hörbar gid 3 stegosaurus (oder stegosauri?) (oder doch stegosaurusse?)

One of my all time faves. Ballrooms of Mars? There are quite literally no better vocal cues than the shouted "ROCK!" of that song, although a few songs on this record try. I wish T. Rex and Bolan were around longer. But stars as bright as his seem destined to flame out sooner than later. I mean this album came out less than a year after Mambo Sun. His music gets me daydreaming more than any other artist I can think of.

i liked this more than Electric Warrior (3.5)

Een van de grondleggers van "glam rock", en daarom mogen ze dood

Can hear how this would be influential probably was. Haven’t heard T Rex for ages. Mixed bag of tracks - lost me in parts but some classics glam here for sure.

Nothing really in this one... 2.5

Wasn't that excited for it after Electric Warrior, but it is pretty fun for what it is

theatrical, melancholy, richly layered... everything you might want from glam rock

A good album but I didn’t like it as much as Electric Warrior, the home of the hits.

4 I was raised on this and motown. . didn't affect me at all.

Not as good as their previous album "Electric Warrior" in my opinion, and although it contains two of their hit singles, "Metal Guru" and "Telegram Sam", there's not much else write home about.

2 1/2 stars.

This was fine, I listened to this way more than I needed to.

it was fun

I feel like this and electric warrior have such a unique and captivating feel despite the formula for most of the songs being pretty simple and generic. I don’t know what it is but I love all these songs so much

Aloud glam rock. Willl need to revisit.

Super godt album, synes de kører den lidt videre i glamrocken. Jeg ved ikke hvor meget jeg synes det har ændret sig fra deres debutalbum, men guitaren er måske lidt mere distorted i det og det lyder måske derfor lidt hårdere? det samme med vokalen er sådan lidt mere klassisk rocket. Jeg kan godt lide T-rex det er meget sådan melodisk og catchy både musik og lyrik. Men jeg synes heller ikke at det gør sådan et kæmpe indtryk på mig, gad vide om det havde gjort det på et tidligere tidspunkt? om det havde lydet mere distinktivt måske. Men jeg synes ikke rigtig at det gør noget vanvittigt specielt for mig. Måske er det fordi mit hovede der er et andet sted og ikke fokuserer på at lytte. Måske er det ikke så god baggrundsmusik. Det er der nok meget som ikke er, så jeg føler måske jeg går lidt glip af noget der. Men jeg synes der er nogle virkelig gode tracks på faktisk. Men skal alt jeg lytter til fremover også bare være en 4 og en 5? det ved jeg ikke rigtig. For når jeg siger om det ikke er noget specielt, er det så bare fordi det er endnu et godt album som bare lyder godt. Måske skal jeg genoverveje hvad jeg rater ud fra. Synes det er nogle tunge beats og måske til noget mere eftertænksomt humør? SYnes ikke det er mega opløftende men heller ikke mørkt. Men det er meget sådan som om det er en fortælling på den måde at vers og vokal er lavet på. Godt til film måske? GENBESØG/TILBAGEVEND

I don't think I get this. If I do get it, it's not for me. Very clear stylistic choices, and very deliberate sound, but none of it is interesting.

Can feel the nostalgic rock vibes in this album. Not bad, but not quite my taste

Hard to argue with the classic status of this album. Feels like a bit transitional with some older elements from Electric Warrior but also looking forward to the soul influences on Tanx and Zinc Alloy. Marc in full pomp! 4.5 *

угарный динозавр

Hard not to like this one. Amazing to hear all the other bands that copied this style. 4/5

Never was much into glam rock, with the exemption of Bowie and the New York Dolls, and this album doesn't change my opinion much. It's decent, and reminds me in parts of "Ziggy Stardust" and apart from a few tracks, like "Spaceball Ricochet" and " Buick Mackane" in particular - it's very much of the same. 3/5

I don't think they need more than 1 album on the list and not this one. It kind of sounds like Led Zeppelin without the annoying singing, but also without everything that makes them good. The rhythm section is not locked in. The singing is unsteady. That's the worst part. The singing. The songs are alright, but nothing special.

T Rex just knows how to make music that's easy to enjoy and listen to. It's such a vibe anytime I put them on. This isn't my favourite album of theirs but I enjoyed it.

I had high hopes for this going in I did two listens in the car and it wasn't hitting. Headphones was the way to go. Great sound. T-Rex is a group I hope to circle back on after this whole thing.

There's one song that, depending on the day, I might listen to but otherwise it just seemed flat and nothing really stuck with me.

Frankly, I should know more about this band... This album didn't blow me away but also it was pretty damn good.

написано метал гуру, а метала нет, кругом наеб

Eh, this is OK. Glam rock isn't really my thing.

Bit dull after Metal Guru.

Solid album and skews higher bc I like this era

Didnt hate it

T. Rex is one of my blindspots, a band I know only by reputation and the hits ("Bang a Gong" specifically). This probably isn't the ideal entry point, but it was enjoyable all the same even if it started to blend together a bit by the time "Main Man" closed things out.

Metal Guru Telegram Sam Ballrooms of Mars

I liked electric warrior better

Decent but very samey. Definitely T-Rex

I don't think I've ever heard a bad T. Rex song. I guess I'm a fan

Mjög gott rokk. Marc Bolan er alvöru rokk legend og T.rex er frekar vanmetið band. Þessi plata á sín móment og flæðir vel, en nær ekki hæðum Electric Warrior IMO.

Mjög þétt og gott rokk hjá Mac Bolan og T. Rex. Lifir ótrúlega vel.

Muito legal! Boa descoberta! Gostei muito de ouvir e pretendo ouvir mais. Um disco clássico dos anos 70 sem soar genérico (o que é difícil para época tendo em vista as milhares de bandas parecidas da epoca). Som com leve muito fluido e gostoso de ouvir. Rotula-se de glam rock, mas a única coisa que me remete a isso são as roupas, do mais um rock clássico sem sem enjoativo ou batido como o Kiss por exemplo. Uma boa descoberta! Me lembrou no geral the Black Keys. Claro que nao podemos citar a introdução de Get it on "roubada" por Noel Gallagher em cigarettes and alcohol mas essa é uma história de outros discos kkkk. Excelente!!!

Solid Glam Rock, and songs like "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru" are the high points of this album, but it mostly sounds like bluesy chords with hot licks over the top, and I dig that...

T. Rex never let me down. They got the pepper sauce of being the only great band to perform glam rock. The other ones are shite.

Favorite track(s): Mystic Lady, The Slider, Buick Mackane

A bit of an ordeal, always struggled with Bolan’s voice but I have to credit him for influencing some amazing bands

Kinda samey and not super interesting, though Buick Mackane hits like a truck.

The music is alright and there is variation between songs, but the songs themselves seem to all just iterate on the same thing. Not for me: low 3. Will review later as time allows.

78/100 i think electric warrior is 4 stars and this one is very close but i’ll give it 3 stars still

This surprised me in the best way. It felt instantly familiar. It's weird, glammy, and rocking. It has attitude. It's funky, sometimes melancholy, and it all just works for me. I felt pure joy listening to this.

Extremely T Rex. Except for a couple of tracks that seem to come from the future. It's Ok.

Great album. None of the songs truuly stood out but there also wasn't a bad song. Good tunes. Not sure I'd really revisit this but also would enjoy it if someone put it on

Very 70s and upbeat but cool. 7/10

meh 2.5/5

A bit M'eh

Had not heard of them but glad I did it. It’s like a classic rock version of ELO. Definitely worth a listen.

Enjoyed this album thoroughly. Listened to loads of one-off T-rex songs but never to an entire album. Loved this. Bolan is superb.

Solid album. Great psychedelic and glam rock.

Some nice rock music that I have not heard. I'm only familiar with the bang a gong song but this music is in the same style. Kind of early rock. Nothing real amazing but it would be nice for background music when you are doing something active.

Such an amazing record ! I had no idea that glam rock existed in early 70s! Sounds fresh, full of musical ideas, great vocal melodies, chords progressions, production etc Way ahead of its time and so underrated in my opinion. Mark Bolan RIP.

☕ 👑

(84/100)

Liked this a lot more than I thought I would - doesn’t sound as dated as I thought it might - I enjoyed it and could get into it easily - adding to my iPod

Generic Brit rock

Fun angsty album

Metal Guru // Buick Mackane // Rabbit Fighter // 3.5/5

This was a DNF for me. Not that it was offensively bad, but I just am not with the vocals or guitar tone on this one. Weirdly feels Bowie-esque but not in a way that sounds like they were ripping him off. Just not for me.

Exceptionally mid. There's nothing here that would compel me to listen to this again.

Solid 4, fairly ahead of it's time and nice variety

Inte så märkvärdigt. En trea

Oikein tiukka rokkiplatta! 3/5

Varsin kelpo rock-levy

The singles are ok, but the rest is crap. Half of which has been toggled together from earlier songs.

First ever listen, straight up repeat!

Du genie

whimsical honky tonk glam, but it feels like a large jumble of B-sides. not great, not terrible.

I’ve listened to this one before, not as great as Electric Warrior but it’s got some timeless bangers on it. A little more hook oriented and faster paced than Electric Warrior. Almost a 5 star, but I’ll go 4 Aoty Score 82/100 My score 85/100

Can confirm this is a rock album.

Oh yes, perfect album. T. Rex can do no wrong!

This absolutely KICKED ASS. 4.5 stars, but rounding down. Hope to return to it often. Great rock album.

Not particularly memorable. Still seemed like a fun yet somewhat generic 70s psychedelic rock album.

This glam rock album is like a glitter-covered peacock preening under a spotlight—full of fuzzy riffs, swaggering grooves, and flirtatious vocals that shimmer with mystique semanticly while winking at their own over-the-top absurdity.

There used to be these ads for GMC trucks that said, "Do one thing. Do it well." Bolan does one thing really, really well here - finding great grooves and just living in them, for three and a half minutes that feels like it could go on forever. This is a Coke Album in the best way.

I like their sound, but they are extremely repetitive.

Can’t believe this was 50 years old - sounds like it could have come out yesterday. And definitely see where the Black Keys got their sound from. None of the songs individually grabbed me but this is a great sound and I expect the songs will grow on me. Excited that there’s another T. Rex album on the list to discover also.

I don't personally feel T.Rex deserves two albums in the T1001, they are enjoyable and influential, but are they great? I know a few of these from their greatest hits, but "Metal Guru", while a fun song, is Monkies level pop music. "Mystic Lady" exposes their weaknesses, catchy but there are like 9 words and rest is "la la la". I didn't dislike a single song, but also, nothing really stands out either. Most sounded very similar. Not a single radio hit (at least that is STILL played today on classic rock). Good listening counts for an album as old as me. No song under 1M, with "Metal Guru" leading the way with 16M, "Slider" over 4M, "Telegram Sam" over 7M and "Ballrooms of Mars" over 6.5M (cool track with layered guitars!). 3 stars, above average but nothing that would push it to T1001 level as a must hear album.

2 5, painfully average

This is why I like doing this list, learning about a lot of unique artists that were revolutionary but lesser known today. T. Rex, the first real Glam Rock band. I hear a lot of similarities between T. Rex and David Bowie, and no surprise Bowie and Marc Bolan were friends. Honestly this album was a real ride and I can't help but feel their live shows would have been amazing. T.Rex was an inspiration for people like Boy George, Duran Duran, Bowie and created the glam rock genre. The songs are super catchy and there's often an element of weirdness that makes it feel unique. Weirdness such as "Spaceball Ricochet" or the way Marc sings "Metal Guru" or that are just....different. Different perspectives are what drives innovation.

This was pretty good.

Bolan at his best, theatric, bold, brash and bluesy. This is the sound and styling that he got famous for. It is why he is a mighty giant in the rock and roll lineage and an posthumous icon that inspires generations. Can't help at dig this sound, it always felt to me as electrific and supercharged rock music meant for the ages.

Like many others, I can hear a lot of similarities with Bowie (and to me, some similarities with The Black Keys, but that's just my own bias speaking). Not my favorite, but I can see why this was included in the 1001.