T. Rex Electric Warrior

With Electric Warrior, Marc Bolan morphed from whimsical folkie into rock god. “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and “Jeepster” are two of history’s most ingratiating grooves, effortlessly combining the punch-drunk pleasures of early rock ’n’ roll with the hair-raising volume of heavy metal. On “Mambo Sun,” Tony Visconti’s ingenious production makes the song feel simultaneously wild and intimate. Bolan relishes his role as elusive trickster, a charmer in curls and platform heels, but the form-fitting strings of “Cosmic Dancer” and “Life’s a Gas” reveal poignancy beneath the frontman’s frolicking.