T. Rex, The Slider (side A)

1972's The Slider is obviously a canonical rock record that seems like one I know well. I found a few surprises on my most recent listen. Perhaps the biggest one was the discovery that Ringo Starr took the iconic cover photos. I was also amazed that, despite appearing tough and "rockin'", The Slider has a lot of soft qualities. The strings and horns are prominent, the guitars are often acoustic and rather thin, and the drumming is typically sparse and not very propulsive (despite the huge kick drum). Marc Bolan's lyrics are particularly suggestive here, which might contribute to the album's tough posturing. I find The Slider as much a perplexing record as the famous one I expected to hear.