It’s a bit difficult not to be cynical about ‘classic’ albums in this era of re-issuing and re-packaging when us poor fans (yes, even us despicable journo types can bleed when cut) are expected to keep shelling out for the same songs over and over.
T-REX'S ‘Electric Warrior’ is a repeat offender in this respect. It’s already had its ‘30th Anniversary Edition’ bestowed upon it in 2001 when it got the Tony Visconti re-mix treatment and extensive liner notes from said producer. Then, in 2003, the Bolan hardcore again had to cough up for Rhino’s re-issue which featured some tempting extras like rare photos from Keith Morris, reproductions of the original poster/ inner sleeve and another in-depth interview from T-Rex percussionist Mickey Finn.
Now, of course, ‘Electric Warrior’ is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and consequently another deluxe makeover from Universal. Yet what carrots can this new, expanded version possibly dangle to encourage Bolan-ites to make a third trip to the shops/ Amazon/ i-tunes?
Well, on CD1 you get the original album, and if you don’t already have it, that’s more than reason enough. In the wake of the mega-selling ‘Ride a Ride Swan’ and ‘Hot Love’ singles, it was the one that propelled Marc Bolan into the big league and, of course, features two of his biggest hits ‘Jeepster’ and ‘Get It On.’ Both remain as lithe and full of life as ever, but are by no means all ‘Electric Warrior’ has to offer.
The first full-length T-Rex LP with the band’s ‘classic’ line-up – and still arguably the best - ‘Electric Warrior’ featured Bolan and percussionist Mickey Finn augmented by bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend, plus backing vocals from The Turtles and some strategic production flavours from Visconti. From ‘Tanx’ onwards, significant amounts of Bolan’s work would be obscured by kitchen sink production jobs, but on ‘Electric Warrior’ Visconti got it spot on. Indeed, the sparse, economic sound he obtained is perfect for lean ‘n’ funky grooves such as ‘Mambo Sun’ and ‘The Motivator’, not to mention the rangy ‘Lean Woman Blues’: surely one Bolan’s slyest and most under-rated boogies ever.
However, while ‘Electric Warrior’ may have been Marc’s conversion to the electric rock’n’roll sound writ large, it has a lot more than simply the expected Bolan boogies to recommend it. The mournful ‘Girl’ and the brooding ‘Cosmic Dancer’ are throwbacks to the acoustic Tyrannosaurus Rex days of yore, while the resigned sigh of ‘Life’s A Gas’ remains as wistfully satisfying as ever. Perhaps the most interesting track is the closing ‘Rip Off’: a vivid, anarchistic splurge where Bolan whips up some lacerating punk aggression a good half-decade ahead of its time and even condones some wild sax improv a la The Stooges’ ‘LA Blues’ at the fade.
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CD1 finishes up with ‘Hot Love’ and a clutch of attendant B-sides, including ‘Raw Ramp’, one of Bolan’s best flips. CD2 is for completists first and foremost, comprising primarily ‘working’ versions of all the ‘Electric Warrior’ tracks, plus some home demos. Some are more essential (‘Lean Woman Blues’) than others (‘The Motivator’) and there are a couple of halfway decent surprises. A derisory throwaway studio sketch called ‘A Load of Rubbish’ is anything but, while Marc’s version of ‘Honey Don’t’ at least betters The Beatles, even if that’s damning it with faint praise. Ultimately, though, only the individual can know how many instrumental versions of ‘Mambo Sun’ and ‘Rip Off’ he really needs in his/ her life.
CD3 is actually a DVD, collecting together about half an hour’s worth of footage from TOTP, German TV and the inevitable promos. It’s all good fun. A pre-superstar Elton John mimes the piano part to ‘Get It On’, while the flashes of glitter Bolan wore on his cheeks for the TOTP ‘Hot Love’ allegedly launched ‘glam’ as we would soon come to know it. The German TV ‘Beat Club’ versions of ‘Jeepster’ and ‘Life’s a Gas’ are suitably tight and focussed, though I don’t understand why we need two virtually identical versions of ‘em. It’s all very enjoyable though there’s precious little that isn’t easy to locate via ‘YouTube’ for nowt.
The (admittedly very nice) promo copy of the three 3-CD set doesn’t stretch to the full packaging, but from what’s available on Amazon, it looks as though the complete deluxe edition of this new ‘Electric Warrior’ comes with a beautiful box and booklet which may force the hand of T-Rex die-hards. If you’ve either of the previous ‘expanded’ editions, you may want to think hard because there isn’t a previously unreleased T-Rex concert from the time or some obscure radio sessions to bulk it out, but – as with so many re-issues of this nature – that’s something only the consumer and their wallet can make a final decision upon.
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