Marc Bolan / T. Rex (November 30, 1972) – “Jubilant Wails Of Amplified Strings Call Out To Fans Of T. Rex” Feature - Salisbury Evening Post
This extensive album review examines T. Rex and The Slider during the height of Marc Bolan's success. Writer David Sterritt concentrates on Bolan's distinctive songwriting, imagery and electric sound, presenting T. Rex as music built around fantasy, deliberately unusual language and the powerful pull of amplified guitars.
Publication: Salisbury Evening Post
Date: November 30, 1972
Country: United States
Written by David Sterritt of the Christian Science Monitor News Service, the feature opens simply with “Marc Bolan is T. Rex.” From there, the review examines the distinctive qualities that Sterritt believes separate Bolan and T. Rex from conventional rock music.
The article describes Bolan as a performer whose songs are filled with unusual fantasy imagery. References are made to figures including wizards, dragons and other characters inhabiting the private imaginative world expressed through the songs. Sterritt suggests that listeners looking for conventional storytelling may find Bolan's lyrics difficult to interpret, but argues that straightforward meaning is not necessarily the point.
Bolan's own comments are used extensively throughout the feature. He describes himself as “a warrior” and discusses the importance of communication with the audience. The article portrays Bolan as someone less interested in explaining every lyrical image than in allowing listeners to react instinctively to the sound, words and atmosphere.
The review then turns directly to The Slider, described as an “Electric Warrior.” Sterritt discusses the album's combination of mystical lyrical imagery and electric rock, drawing attention to the contrast between Bolan's imaginative writing and the increasingly amplified sound of T. Rex.
Several songs are mentioned throughout the piece, including “Metal Guru”, “Mystic Lady”, “Rock On”, “Telegram Sam”, “Rabbit Fighter”, “Ballrooms Of Mars”, “Main Man”, “The Slider” and “Baby Strange.” These examples are used to illustrate Bolan's unconventional language and the range of characters, images and phrases that populate the record.
The article also discusses Bolan's interest in technology and recording. Bolan explains that he enjoys experimenting in the studio, while stressing that technology remains a tool rather than an end in itself.
Sterritt ultimately presents the appeal of T. Rex as something instinctive rather than easily analysed. The article suggests that Bolan's music succeeds through its mixture of rhythm, electric guitars, imaginative language and the distinctive personality at its centre.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The clipping provides an unusually detailed contemporary American assessment of Marc Bolan and The Slider. Rather than treating T. Rex purely as a chart phenomenon, Sterritt attempts to understand the ideas, language and approach behind Bolan's songs.
Bolan's own comments are central to the article, particularly his statements about fantasy, audience communication and recording. The feature repeatedly contrasts attempts to interpret his words literally with Bolan's preference for imagination and instinct.
The result is a substantial snapshot of how The Slider and T. Rex were being interpreted by an American newspaper audience during 1972.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Detailed review and examination of The Slider
Era: 1972 The Slider era
Tone: Analytical, descriptive and inquisitive
Photography: No artist photograph appears within the supplied clipping; the article is presented as a multi-column record review
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Feature headed “Jubilant Wails Of Amplified Strings Call Out To Fans Of T. Rex”
• David Sterritt's assessment of Marc Bolan and The Slider
• Extensive discussion of Bolan's fantasy-based lyrics and songwriting
• References to “Metal Guru”, “Telegram Sam”, “Ballrooms Of Mars”, “The Slider” and other tracks
• Marc Bolan discussing audience communication, imagination and studio technology
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