January 22, 1972 - T. Rex Slade Sweet Singles Reviews

Melody Maker

NEW POP SINGLES BY CHRIS WELCH

T. REX: "Telegram Sam" (T. Rex Wax Company). Like all T. Rex singles, by the third play you get it on. At first hearing, one tends to say: "Gosh chaps, Marc's newie sounds a bit of an oldie." But press the head- phones a little closer and one begins to convulse in a not all together unpleasant fashion.

Boley piles on the guitar riff and the strings topple around him with rocking menace. According to Beep, Marc's famous representative, "Telegram Sam is all of us." And you can find a reference to Bob Dylan if your stylus is less like a rusty nail than mine. It's the first on their own label and now the big question-can the lads do it yet again? T. REX NUMBER ONE AGAIN STOP DO THE BOOGIE STOP START STOP RIGHT ON STOP.

SLADE: "Look Wot You Dun" (Polydor). High drama and more menacing beat from the chart lucky combo who brought boot stomping back to pop. Another hit? Let's have a look at the tea leaves? I see a tall, dark stranger. He is probing through sheaves of documents. Good grief, it's the income tax inspector! Swill those cups! Relying on intuition and a strange twinge in the right toe, I'd say, ahoy for another smash.

SWEET: "Poppa Joe" (RCA). Locked away in a world of rhythm and song, I often wonder how the outside world see us pop chaps. "All that rhythm it addles the brain," I can hear them cry. But to confess I care not a fig about the pressing matters of the day, rationing, the second front etc. Just gimme dat beat and I'm happy. For example, I merely slip upon my radio- gram the latest waxing by Sweet and my elbows start to sway and uncontrollable waggling sets in at the knees. Bright, not to say breezy, the percussion and vocals set up an insistent hammering in the brain difficult to resist.