Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Love the energy, felt at least 5-10 years ahead of its time.
It was aight
Thursday, 3 September, 2026 As a Detroiter, this album has a special place in my heart. I’m sure, live, this band was amazing. On record, this is fine.
First take on this was that it was a fun little piece of late 60's Americana. The attitude and energy definitely inspired some in the punk community but this album alone didn't really paint the picture of godfathers of the scene to me.... Toward the end of " I Want You Right Now" and into "Starship" was where I saw the complexity and intensity of this album start to make sense. Second listen I think this is fantastic. I feel like it still takes the momentum of the album to pick up, likely because of the live recording aspect, but at some point when they get through the big hit with "Kick out the Jams" you can feel the band loosen up and the vibes completely change. I think this is on par with Stooges any day, and between the two I have a whole new understanding of this scene. A bit of a surprise here to me but this is great stuff.
I've listened to this album a few times in the past, but I don't think I ever full appreciated the context around it. It's a wild choice to come out of the gates swinging with a live debut album in 1969. Especially a live album that is so noisy and aggressive and clearly controversial. Kick Out the Jams may not be a display of talented musicianship, but it absolutely captures the primal energy and chaos of these shows and laid the foundation for punk to come.
Oh heck yeah. I love this album. Like the first Ramones album, I listened to this album a lot back in 2001/2002-ish after reading the fun book Please Kill Me (an oral history that included this album and time period). I sort of saw them live back in 2004 with a 60% reunited MC5, with Evan Dando, Mark Arm, and Marshall Crenshaw assisting. It was a good/odd show.
I appreciate it for being a crazy chaotic proto punk document. But I kinda feel like those who came after improved upon the formula.
This is the second most deserving-to-be-on-this-list album with “Kick Out the Jams” on it, and the first most deserving album ISN’T ON THIS LIST. Anyway, this album also deserves to be on this list and I really enjoyed it.
A questionable recording of a dubious band playing badly, while someone sings even worse over the top. A fun cultural landmark, but I think I'll stick to those who came after and tuned their instruments.
Way overrated
I really wanted to like this album. I should really like this album but the sound maybe? The production? Something about it was just...blah. The blues number was decent and "Motor City is Burning" was great but otherwise, very underwhelmed. Maybe I am just a Stooges guy.
8 / 10
& thus punk was born. Or so the story goes, & it's a real & true story, but I guess I get a bit tired of chasing the origins of genres. I mean, you could call Charles Mingus punk, if you really wanted to, or how 'bout Christopher Marlowe while we're at it? In other words, beginnings of punk be damned, I just think this record is fucking great: maniacal, tho sensible, political, & a word I often dread, but here it's simply apt: heavy. I'm sure 'live' is how we were to supposed to hear these boys, so much so that I almost don't think of this as a live album. Music like this requires the messiness of the raw & unadorned setting of a live & living set. It's pretty remarkable that the MC5 came together in '63. Then again, the world's been fucked up, so why not?
I’m a big punk fan, and this is one of the foundational works. Are they technically brilliant? No. Are the songs sophisticated? No. Is there bags of attitude and energy? Hell yeah! Come on, motherfuckers! Kick out the jams!
if cocaine had a band
At times the music hurt my ears like I was sensitive to some of the notes, the vocals were mediocre, the whole thing was a bit messy but I admire their effort and enthusiasm and surprisingly for the most part I quite liked it, was it good? No! But I can appreciate how this influenced a lot of bands going into the 70’s. The track kick out the jams is banging though!
wow so boring
Just a straightforwardly good rock album.
I imagine being at that gig at the time would ave been amazing and possibly groundbreaking, but ultimately this didn't age well. Apart from the lack of ability to play their instruments, poor singing voice and dreadful engineering, it was shit.
Garage /psychedelic rock. Not bad but not outstanding either.
Woof. Too noisy for me
saw MC and thought ffs not more rap crap. Saw the 5 and relaxed. A band that escaped me for some reason, and wow have I missed a boat with them. Brilliant album, guitar was insane in places. Absolute buzzing gig loved it.
Oh fuck yeah. Goosebumpy! I need to hear more of them. Immediately. You know when you've heard the name but never bothered to listen to them, then realise you're a fucking idiot? That.
Nothing too interesting in this live recording.
Overall: 6/10 This is a fun, proto-punk album that feels like it would fit in perfectly in the new york scene of the late 70s. I will admit, it's incredibly flawed. First, it's a live album, and I already don't enjoy those typically. Second, the vocalist isn't very good and the recording makes it hard to understand him for the most part. Overall though, I think this is an important album historically and worth listening to. Fav Song: Kick Out the Jams
#225 Interesting that a debut album is a live album, but here we are. The fact that it's live only enhances their power initially, the problem is subsequent records fail to have that same energy or have songs that hit like Kick Out The Jams. All the songs on here aren't hits and it makes you wonder if some of these would do better in a studio, but is not what we are presented with her, so we just enjoy what is given. The album is loud and its designed that way. It's better listened to in an environment with a lot of people, like as if you were there live with the band. It's one I will come back to many times for sure. Biggest Hit - Kick Out The Jams Biggest Miss (if i had to choose) - Starship Hidden Gem - Motor City Is Burning
These guys influenced about 1,000 bands that I love but for some reason I’ve just never been able to enjoy it.
I respect it for being so influential to the punk genre, but I just couldn't really get into it. ⭐️⭐️
Psychedelic, bluesy, in your face
Not a bad album, understandably influential, definitely didn't sound like it was from 69. Very early punky sounds. Just nothing that particularly stood out tbh.
How can you hate Wayne Kramer?
3,5/5
I get the importance of MC5 but not one I will revisit. 2 1/2 rounded up to 3.
Oh this is punk as hell. The actual song Kick Out the Jams is about to be a new favorite. Love live albums, love punk (or protopunk), love a vocalist who uses the fuck word. Some songs are a little longer and bleed a little closer into more classic rock-and-roll or even hard rock and metal, but if you wanted to argue this as one of the first punk rock albums, you wouldn't be wrong.
It’s hard to believe this album came out in 1969. From the opening of “Ramblin’ Rose,” MC5 sounded a good eight to ten years ahead of their time. When “Kick Out the Jams” kicked in, I could immediately hear the sound that bands like the Ramones would later run with. The raw live recording is a huge part of the appeal. These guys sound loud, dirty, aggressive, and completely unpolished, and I mean all of that as a compliment. The downside is that several of the songs started running together for me. They all rocked, but there wasn’t enough distinction between them. “Motor City Is Burning” was a welcome change with its bluesier sound, and “Starship” was a cool way to close things out. At around 40 minutes, the album ended at exactly the right time. Any longer and I probably would have started checking out. I enjoyed every song, but I don’t see myself regularly sitting down to play the entire album again. Still, this was a great discovery and one of those albums where I immediately understood why it belongs on the 1,001 list.
Solid
I done kick ‘em out 🤘
Wild ride, this one. The energy of this live recording is physically palpable even when listening to the digital files on some crappy headphones on an overcrowded train during your daily commute, surrounded by all the smells and background noise that come with it. This proto-punk beast yells and screams at you relentlessly, and I love every second of it. Ever since having my inner peace shattered by having children, I've come to appreciate the raucous side of early, no-frills guitar music from the late '60s more and more (I used to prefer the more "polished" punk incarnations with an outright knack for hummable melodies, such as the Clash or the Ramones). The songwriting (and the lyrics) on Kick out the Jams isn't (yet) particularly inventive, nor are the musicians exactly brilliant. But that's neither why it was so influential, nor why Kick out the Jams is considered a landmark recording. I mean, all this lo-fi, fuck-it-let's-go aesthetic is just the perfect basis for a real musical gem. MC5 reduced "the blues" elements to their barest bones but increased the speed and gain to make the most fun out of it. Even with its mere 40-minute runtime, Kick Out The Jams still has some of the "flaws" that proto-punk and early garage rock records tend to have, especially the repetitiveness – not the good kind you get in classical minimalism or the trance-inducing motif shredding of Krautrock. But somehow, mind you, it all works in its favor, adding to its all-in character. MC5, I regret having underappreciated you before. I'll cherish this one all the more from now on.
Not my style
If only you knew how tired I am of this ancient-ass punk shit on this list — you'd cry.
Not bad, not super great
Seminal. Unfortunately not timeless for me.
I see a love/hate divide on the comments, but the band is actually quite middlish. I found it energizing, so thumbs up. 7/10
Pretty amazing record that documents this band live as the rip through a set of proto-punk garage rock. Energy to spare on this whole album.
The Wikipedia article says this album is early punk, and I would kind of agree with that. I would say it sounds like a classic-rock infused punk rock sound. For a live album, the sound was very clean. It got kind of weird at the end with the last song, the music got more jam-like and the singer went on about the revolution, so it got more psychedelic. It was okay to me.
Badass proto punk. Too bad they got mixed up with the wrong people, which derailed their career but what an album. 4.5/5
I hadn't listened to this full album in probably 15+ years and it was a real joy to revisit. It's gut punching heavy punk rock from weed smoking Black power activists. What more could you want? It's a shame MC5 never really put out their *album* that totally captured this kind of live performance mania.
I bought this album in 1977 and really didn't like it. Hearing it again now I still am not impressed by the first or last song, but the rest is actually good. 3 stars or C+.
Not sure how I feel about this one. It was fine, I suppose? Nothing really all that memorable for me, but nothing terrible.
Nothing exciting.
I don't like the proto punk label. MC5 stand on their own and they were very much of their time just as much as they were timeless or influential. They weren't no John the Baptist to punk's Holy Saviour status. Just cos Henry Rollins is a big fan he doesn't somehow claim the MC5 solely for punk. Lemmy originally saw Motörhead as an English MC5. He had the rock n roll but louder and faster thing down but his despairing cynicism meant he was never going to write his own wide eyed Kick Out The Jams screamer. So, are MC5 proto metal too? What about Mothership? Is it proto ambient? Proto space rock? They were exciting and innovative and still raise a thrill or a hackle.
I do not understand why this is on the list,
Live... why?!? I really don't get live albums. The sound is usually worse, and the magic of the jamming just doesn't come through on a recording. I'm sure it was incredible to experience live, but as an album, it doesn't do much for me. Of course, we're working our way through the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list, and in that context, I can definitely see why this album made the cut.
#452 / 1089 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ ONe of the raunchiest live rock recordings there is. I've heard The Who's Live at Leeds been called "the best live recording ever made", but this is the sweatiest. I feel kind of out of breath myself after listening to this. I don't particularily like live albums in general, but this one it pretty damn good. One star off for this being a live album 4/5
...Brother Wayne...Brother Wayne Kramer... Really that's all you need to know. It's incendiary music, too short and too long at the same time. It's a beast of an album and very worthy of 5 stars. This is revolution!
I have two versions of this on vinyl, one being the uncensored version. It's a smashing debut album - raucous, rude and loud. It also turned out to be a very influential album.
Meh
Puntos extras porque en directo siempre mola todo más. Es bastante pepino aunque la segunda mitad del disco igual cansa un poco.
fireeee
In theory I should really like this ... and maybe it's because it's a live album with poor sound quality, but I don't
El caos de mc5 La banda pionera que llevo al garage rock a convertirse en lo que sería el punk con su primer álbum además que es un álbum en vivo duro y crudo no hay mejor forma de entrar a la música que se hacía en Detroit a finales de los 60s que no llevaría 8-10 años después a ser los sería el movimiento punk
7 / 10
Not bad, kinda different, but not my favorite.
4/10
It's raw and full of energy and strangely quite infectious. The start is phenomenal, but falters a bit right at the finishing line.
Proto-punk? I shamefully admit to not listening to MC5 before now. This, in spite of their names and influence all over my favorite hardcore and punk bands. Their energy is off the charts - I can only imagine what it would have been like to witness in person.
so close to a 4 but live albums get debuff
Another live album…. This was enjoyable though.
3.5/5
the energy here is palpable. contagious. very my speed.
There’s a directness and sense of sheer joy that Detroit garage rock achieves at its best that makes me smile. There are other versions of it that I enjoy more, but I’m pretty sure there were copying these guys. More importantly / simply, I enjoyed this a lot.
They keep asking me to kick out the jams. How do I kick out the jams. What does that mean. Where do I start
Sounds like shit but I quite like it
Kick out the jams mother-f-er! Crazy to think these guys would be in their late 70s / early 80s now. Loses points for that terrible last track, which, ironically is a jam
I can’t believe how many times I’ve had to start reviews like this, but here we go again: Live albums DO NOT belong on this list. They are just so fundamentally different that I don’t understand how you are supposed to review these against fully fledged studio albums. For example if a studio album sounded as dogshit as this album does I would be insulted by how bad it is, but because it’s a live album from the late 60s I kinda have to give it a pass on how bad the production and sound is at moments. Sure it’s got one of the greatest rock/punk songs of all time, but I still just hate the fact that there’s ANOTHER live album on this list when there could’ve been more room for other studio albums from artists not even on the list… seriously it’s a pretty solid album. But it shouldn’t even be here…
3-
A rockin surprise
An essential building stone of the punk monument comes from this album. These guys were pushing sound into places it had never been before, loudness and all. I really like the political preaching the frontman (or whoever) does at the start of some songs, it makes the atmosphere sound incredibly tense, and rebellious. The guitars are fuzzed out the wazoo, and riff quite savagely. Nothing quite sounded like the MC5 before MC5 were MC5, these guys were trodding new ground for the time. I can see why some bands worshipped some of the late 60s Detroit hard rock bands. I don't think it's the best album, but I respect the album and the guys. I do think it's at least worthy to be on the 1001 list. Highlight Song/s: "Kick Out The Jams"
I always thought this was a one note band. Turns out that one note is really good (except motor city burning) and it’s even better live
Heaps of great energy. The live records always feel like a bit of a cop out, but in this case I feel like it captures something important about their vibe
The heavy use of crash cymbals and power chords in the guitar make this feel like proto-metal, which seems crazy for 1969. But the falsetto vocals in the opening sound soooo out of place. Motor City Burning is easily the best song on here; and Starship was just awful.
This was pretty enjoyable and gets big points for energy. Almost bumped it’s rating up. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Title Track, Motor City Is Burning
Excellent energy. Some incessant screaming, shrieking, and even oddly placed falsetto. This isn't for me.
It really feels like they had something but they coudn't quite put it together. The vocals on that first song were laughable. It's almost like they tried to be too counter culture? I don't know. It didn't come together.
I liked the songs that came after on autoplay more
Okay.
Borderline
This isn't just a great live album—it's a proto-punk masterpiece. The sheer energy is impossible to ignore. Every performance feels like it's on the verge of falling apart, yet somehow that barely controlled chaos is exactly what gives the record its power. It's loud, reckless, confrontational, and years ahead of its time. That said, the same qualities that make it exhilarating also make it a somewhat difficult revisit. The rough recording and messy performances can be exhausting over the course of a full album, and I don't find myself reaching for it as often as I admire it. Still, Kick Out the Jams earns its legendary reputation. It's less an album than a statement of intent—a raw, explosive blueprint for punk that still feels dangerous decades later.
Most of it is just noise
Judging by the other scores it appears that the Jams have wormed their way back in. And right now. Right now. Right now. It's time to...
I’ve only ever heard the title track before, which is an absolute BANGER. Unfortunately, while the rest of the album is good, it doesn’t come close to the KOTJ.
Pretty nice listen ! short and sweet
Proof that being good can be overrated The singer can't sing, the guitarist can't play, the music is as basic as can be… but this is Shear brilliance Strong evidence for the ( mistaken) case that Punk originated in New York not London
good fun but I didn't fall in love with any particular song on the album, so I'm not giving it a huge score.
Pure electricity loved it
p177. 1969. 2 stars. 60s live album. Don't enjoy most live albums, especially when its sloppy played as this. On the plus side, it's short, and does give you an idea what your grandparents were grooving to whilst off their tits on LSD.
Just awful. It's a live album mess, difficult too hear what was going on
* 47 Der er masser af energi, men de spiller som et garageband.
Det her er godt nok ikke særlig fedt
Det føles vigtigt, men det er ikke helt vildt godt, synes jeg. De er godt nok dårlige musikere, men det er jo nok også det, der er rigtig fedt ved det. I bet it smells crazy in this concert hall Sniger sig op på et meget, meget lille 3-tal, fordi jeg er meget gavmild i dag 2.8
fuck det er fedt det her. Røv ringe på mange parametre, men jeg kan slet ikke undgå at blive revet med af energien og stemningen. Det er satme et par koncerter jeg gerne ville have været med til.
Early garage sound from MC5
Rolling Stones wannabe. Was this band at Altamont? they sure sound like they were.
Ok, early garage band
Kovia poikia huutamaan. Sellaista punkin pärinäähän tämä on
Early origins of punk - very cool
Let there be no doubt: MC5 is on some sort of drug that gets you fired up. I admire a few things about this record. The short snippets of them speaking at the end of some songs is a perfect amount of speaking for a live album ("Motor City Is Burning"). I also respect how ahead of it's time their sound is. This has huge punk energy before punk was a thing. But, if we zoom out, do we really need this album? This probably smacked live but the singing and some of the guitar playing flattens out when limited to headphones. It's like watching your food in the microwave. It sure is hot in there, I'm kinda glad I'm not getting all that energy out here. 2/5
Some nice jamming on this live debut album.
09/07/2026 I have never heard of MC5, so this was a pleasant surprise, I actually thought this was okay. Spotify listeners: 158.7k
Only knew the Kick Out The Jams song but I loved the rest, especially the guitars in Rocket Reducer, helped me to not go crazy during first hour at work
The fact this is from 1969 is crazy. I don't care that much for the music, to be honest, but the punk energy is palpable. The performance seems moments away from careening out of control at all times.
Brutal.
Chaotic noise
3/10 I feel like I really could like this but I don't like live performances
Favorite songs: Kick Out the Jams
No fav song
Ok, but I feel like I ought to like MC5 more than I do.
I imagine this is what it sounds like when you go out with your high school band for the first time thinking you're sounding like Led Zeppelin. Had some good laughs though
3.1 out of 5 stars for this. I really dislike live albums, but this one is really good in the sense that they just keep playing, there isn't much interlude between songs. I definitely hear the proto-punk origins on this album, and it rocks. Good jams here.
I’ve long heard about this record, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to it until now. It’s an awesome relic from an interesting time in American history. Musically it still sounds fresh and unique enough to be interesting, while still sounding anchored in the late 60’s. When Trump was elected in 2016 and again in ‘24, I expected a wave of politically driven creativity from the music community, and it hasn’t really happened and certainly not in a mainstream way (not that MC5 was “mainstream”). I’ve found myself okay with that and it’s nice to have music as a “politics free” zone since it seems to penetrate everything else these days (see the USA World Cup team’s performance as soon as Trump got involved…). Still, I’d be interested to hear 2026’s version of Kick Out The Jams.
Ay herkes bagiriyo bitiremeicem sanirim
Garage rock with true punk spirit. Points off for being a live album and the weird falsetto vox on the opener.
Not what I expected at all! yes it was a bit rappy, but it was very Psychedelic Rocky. Not something I would baulk at buying , but I wouldn't actively look for it. so will give it a 3
Didn’t know what to expect and was thrown by the intro and even more thrown when the first track kicked in. That vocal was strange! But after that it was an absolute joy to listen to. Gone was the weird vocal, and we got a full on rock, blues, metal-ish rousing album. Loved it.
How much would you have paid to go to this gig? If only I had been born twenty years earlier... more than the fiver I would be prepared to pay to see Oasis. I remember an older friend lent me this in the 1980's and said ' Just ignore the garish cover, you will love this'. He wasn't wrong! Turns out this album was recorded over two nights and they were free admission. It is astounding considering this is in my opinion the best live album ever recorded. This band from Detroit, along with their peers the Stooges basically are one of the most influential bands in history and pioneered what we now call proto-punk. The band wished to capture the energy and power of their live shows for their album and I would say they pretty much nailed it when they decided to 'kick out the jams mothefuckers!' Yes, its also the first use of the F word put to vinyl. (My old repress from the 1980's was edited with 'Mothers and Sisters' sad but true). The bogus sermon by J.C. Crawford opens the show, then the onslaught begins.The double axework by Fred Sonic Smith and Wayne Kramer whip up such a frenzy, the energy doubled down with Rob Tyner's frantic vocal wailing. The solos on 'Rocket Reducer No.62 are just simply bistering (my headphones really separate the two on my remastered CD copy). 'I Want You Right Now' has probably the best loud - quiet - loud segment ever recorded. When the song returns with such a massive crescendo, it is an overpowering attack on the senses. The most difficult listen has to be their cover of Sun Ra's 'Starship'. But it finishes the album with a strange otherworldly vibe which fits with the psychedelia of the era. A lot of my favourite bands cite these as an influence. In fact most alternative guitar bands would have no doubt taken something from listening to this. My last word; the masterwork in how to kick arse with a guitar.
Fun album from a crazy time in America. Proto-punk? Give it a rest. Good old garage rock with some spunk and speed (of the pharmaceutical variety)
The tracks sound just like a lot of (live) noise.
Fee smadr
Super tough to review. Musically, this is a hot mess. No one has ever described the MC5 as talented musicians, and everyone has said that Rob Tyner - while a great front man - is a terrible singer. But. Their live performances were the stuff of legends. Their influence is generation-spanning, and dozens of bands would not exist without them. They're technically a one-hit wonder, but what a hit. I've heard this recording of that hit a million times, but never the whole album. Must be heard before you die, though.
Bezveze, baš ništa posebno, ali u usporedbi nije ni toliko loše. 2/5, 3/10
Exploding chaos of ramshackle high energy. I love the furious spirit of this overdrive blues jam proto-punk freakout, but I wouldn't drop the needle on it everyday.
This live album isn’t doing the band any favors. Most of the songs struck me as dull and/or annoying. Maybe its novel edge just got eclipsed over time, too.
Couldn't get into it. Maybe a bit too punky for me.
Dissonant heavy punk thqt has some Hendrix like blues playing and tones.
What they lack in musicianship, they more than make up with charisma. I’d take this over some pretentious pube-dying prog crap any day.
Don’t like it
Wow, this is really bad. There’s something special about a horribly executed but earnest effort where the people involved are blissfully unaware of what a shitshow they’re churning out. It’s why The Room is one of my favourite movies. With this in mind, I have added a star for sheer entertainment value.
Between the heavily distorted recording quality, the punk style and the experimental sections of songs that drag on too long this would not be an album I would choose to listen to a third time.
Some time (at least a year) ago I reviewed an album by an American punk band (I forget who) released in 1982 (I think) and I slated it for being typically American - late for the party. Well this is a slap in the face isn't it. MC5. 10 years EARLY. Well done you. For me this is a little bit shouty and a little bit messy. Being live doesn't help it either even if it does get across more of the rawness. So... No I wouldn't add this to any playlists. But it definitely fills the brief.
Nothing special
Classic Rock. Dig it
Sounded pretty good!
Iconic self-titled song and historical importance, but a mediocre album nonetheless.
Better than Coldplay
Not that enjoyable
Another album that I respect much more than I enjoy. That's sort of the case with a lot of proto punk. It has its moments though. Favorite track: Kick Out The Jams
Man if I had only seen the album name and band name as text I would have bet money on this being 80s hip hop. Yeah it's pretty basic as far as musicianship and message go, they don't seem to get much further than the general idea of "problems bad, start the revolution". But, I also feel like it's very clearly committed to being loud and abrasive with a big fat mountain of sound. They do that part pretty well, I think.
iwie nice
Aujourd'hui on se tape un gros morceau, un gros morceau du genre de ceux qui ont redessiné la carte du rock mondial. L'album Kick Out The Jams est un joyeux bordel, un melting-pot infernal qui crépite d'éléments garage rock, de blues poisseux, de hard rock naissant et même de space rock complètement perché. Le groupe se payant même le luxe de petites sessions de jam et d'improvisations sauvages, notamment sur le titre "Spaceship", qui ressemble à un décollage de fusée foiré sous acide. Pour l'époque, c'était d'une lourdeur absolument colossale, presque terrifiante. On est clairement plus proche du heavy metal naissant et des délires surwattés de Blue Cheer que de la pop gentillette qui squattait les ondes. Avant de commencer, il faut être honnêtes deux minutes : la production et la qualité sonore globale ne sont ni les meilleures du monde, ni les pires. C'est juste correct, brut, sans fard. Les tonalités des instruments sont parfois carrément bizarres, presque stridentes, mais c’est ce qui fait le charme de la chose. Côté écriture, c'est du solide, les chansons sont mémorables et, miracle pour un album de cet acabit, elles sonnent toutes différemment les unes des autres. Les paroles sont bonnes, même si elles restent très superficielles. Mais le vrai miracle de Kick Out The Jams, c'est la performance pure, car le groupe déborde d'une énergie brute, lourde, pleine d'angoisse adolescente et rebelle. Rob Tyner est phénoménal au chant, accrocheur en diable avec sa voix de baryton survoltée. Le duo de guitaristes formé par Wayne Kramer et Fred Smith est tout simplement dantesque, lourd et puissant. Kramer pousse même la chansonnette sur "Ramblin' Rose". Derrière, Michael Davis assure grave à la basse et Dennis Thompson cogne sur ses fûts comme un bûcheron sous amphétamines. Et cerise sur le gâteau, même la pochette est réussie. Bref, une expérience d'écoute explosive pour un album qui n'a rien perdu de sa superbe. Pour apprécier cette immersion dans la fournaise de Détroit, il faut bien comprendre le séisme culturel que ce disque a provoqué en sortant des entrailles du Grande Ballroom. Quand on pose l'aiguille sur cette galette, ce qu'on prend en pleine poire, ce n'est pas une réédition polie ou un produit calibré pour nostalgiques en quête de sensations fortes, c’est le témoignage d'une époque charnière où le rock jouait sa peau sur chaque accord et refusait de s'aligner sur les standards commerciaux d'une industrie déjà bien trop propre sur elle. Il y a un sentiment d'urgence absolue qui transpire par tous les pores de cet enregistrement, une tension palpable qui s'explique aussi par le contexte incendiaire de la fin des années soixante où la jeunesse ne voulait plus simplement écouter de gentilles ballades mais avait besoin d'un exutoire sonore à sa hauteur. C'est précisément pour cela que l'album reste une référence incontournable de ce pavé de Robert Dimery, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, car il capture un instant de pure folie collective, un moment de grâce chaotique où la frontière entre la scène et le public explose complètement sous la pression d'un déluge de décibels. Kick Out The Jams, c'est l'album d'un groupe de gamins qui n'avaient pas peur de tout foutre en l'air et qui, par leur approche viscérale, lourde et irrévérencieuse, ont redessiné la carte du rock mondial bien avant que les majors ne récupèrent le moindre gramme de cette rébellion. En fin de compte, que l'on qualifie cette décharge de garage rock outrancier, de blues muté sous stéroïdes ou de hard rock balbutiant, l'important réside dans cette sincérité désarmante et cette absence totale de compromis qui continuent de hanter les platines plus de cinquante ans après sa captation. Si ce premier opus du MC5 demeure à ce point séminal, c’est qu'il refuse de vieillir ou de se plier à une quelconque analyse académique rassurante ; il s'écoute le potard de volume poussé à fond, dans un salon transformé en zone de combat, pour rappeler à quiconque s'est égaré dans la pop tiède ce que signifie réellement l'expression faire du bruit. C’est rugueux, c'est parfois discordant, mais c'est exactement cette imperfection magnifique qui en fait un chef-d'œuvre brut et la preuve ultime que le rock se vit d'abord avec les tripes.
Proto punk. cool energy. Historical band. Kick out the jam is a killer phrase
This was just noise, not sure why its on the list.
Aye very good
This was class
I didn't have any expectations but that ruled
8/10
Ура! Давно хотів їх накачати.
Reipasta menoa oli. 4/5.
Really not a fan of this album, never heard of them before
I may have had more enjoyment if I was familiar with the studio work before I heard the live album. Maybe I’ll revisit.
é hard rock com os cara querendo ser punk mas sem saber ser, é isso ai, cheio de ódio
eh bem cru, né. bem enérgico, altas guitarrada, poucas ideia. direto ao ponto. dá pra fragar uma pitadinha de protopunk ali, mas o hard rock esconde tudo. não eh ruim, definitivamente pra frentex do próprio tempo. mas também é meia boca, fazer o que.
This is my first introduction to this band and it was fine, not horrific enough to get a 1 but kind of unremarkable for me
If you like loud, distorted guitars and screaming, then MC5 might be for you. It’s not really for me. The first song sounded like the singer got hit in the groin as it was very screechy. The rest sounded like a bad Jimi Hendrix cover band, with much worse lyrics. I know the 60s were a tumultuous time, so I’ll cut them some slack and not give them one star. But I could be pretty happy to never hear this again.
"I GOTTA KICK 'EM OUT!!!" Never noticed before now that Rob Tyner's vocals kind of sound like Gene Simmons. This is more important than pleasant to listen to for me at this point. Proto punk played shambolically. Fun at times. Interesting that their debut album would be a live album. Also interesting reading on the Wikipedia page that Lester Bangs didn't like this (at first.) Seems like it would have been right up his alley.
Feels way closer to Cream than punk rock. Fun enough to sneak a middling 3
Sounds like another band out of 1000 that exists in that time.
Kick Out The Jams (Live) is definitely a really solid protopunk album. I have heard a cover of a song by these guys on that one The Damned album but this is my first time actually listening to these guys. This was honestly a pretty good live punk album especially for being a really early one in the genre's life complete with some good instrumentals, fitting vocals and a very fun stage presence. I initially did find the recording quality poor but as i continued listening it really wasn't that much of an issue. But the issue is its just good, not great and not exactly unique from a lot of other punk albums. I still enjoyed my time with it, i just think the genre would be improved later down the line. Best Song: I Want You Right Now Worst Song: Kick Out The Jams
Overall, a good album, pretty enjoyable. Three out of five.
Making your debut album a live recording is a bold move, but I do think it works here.
The energy was good, but the songs... were kind of bad
Two things can be true at once, this is awful but also amazing. Musically these dudes can't play very well, they are sloppy off beat and not very talented by traditional standards. But you can't fake passion and energy. Dudes are absolutely on fire screaming and clanging from the depths of hell. They encapsulate what punk is all about. This live show would have been something you talk about the rest of your life.
short and electric
Loud and screechy…but maybe that’s the point? Likes: Rocket Reducer No. 62
1969? I can not get over how early this came out. Starting with that Ramblin' Rose falsetto is outstanding. No notes. Live albums are odd ducks. the idea of "capturing the energy of a live gig" is appealing, but that type of energy can never really be captured without a bunch of sweaty humans jostling each other. This music is incredible though.
I’m behind so I’m going to drunkenly review a bunch of albums #5. The loudness is undeniably great. Probably scores as high as a live album can for me (a genre I just decided I hate)
Noise for the sake of noise.
The Good: We finally get to kick out those annoying jams! The Bad: Turns out that I am not the solution… The Ugly: Finding out that kicking something IS the problem… I know I know about them, I just can’t say how, or why, or when… But I know, thus I can see… I also know that I am NOT a big fan of live albums, and I am dumbfounded why these cats, to speak timely vernacular, decided that this was the way to share their music with the world… I have been fortunate to have attended 3 concerts this past month, which is three more than I had attended the previous 2 years… and one thing that stands out about live performances is that you need to be there in order for the true magic to manifest. When the signature song kicked in, my instant thought was “sounds like Hendrix”. I was a little excited, definitely curious… The rest of album, it was what it was; me listening to a band that I have no connection with, thus totally not drawing me into the live performance. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great either… 2 1/2 upgraded to 3*
I've heard the title track quite a few times and had no strong thoughts about it other than being aware it's a seminal early punk song. I was both interested and hesitant going into this today. t started off not great, with the vocals on Ramblin' Rose very hard to take. It then settled in to a mix of songs I thought were fine and those I didn't. Ultimately it was pretty much what I expected-a very sloppy sounding band and recording of songs that aren't really ones I'd likely love. The two songs that stood out from the rest for me were Kick Out the Jams and Motor City is Burning.
This one rocks. Like actually rocks. It's raw and brimming with energy, to the point where you can actually hear the punk genre being birthed in real time. A lot of people would say it's a bit too rough around the edges, but to me that's where MC5's debut is at its finest. How has this eluded me for so long? A banger of a live album. Favourite track: Rocket Reducer No. 62 Least favourite track: Starship
Sure
i enjoyed it
No, just no. I don't like live albums, and this album hasn't changed my mind in any way. A lot of it just sounds like noise as the electric guitar is just so loud that it takes over the music. Yes, I heard the drumbeats and the lead singer sounded like he was shouting through the songs, but that electric guitar was just loud. All I could think of through the whole song of "Starship" was make it stop...please, make it stop. Unfortunately, it was 8:25 of that noise, luckily it was the last song of the album.
A live album but a pretty damn fun one. There's some killer riffs and tracks here, and the energy of the live performance comes through the audio as well.
Decent move album but honestly nothing memorable
a lil too hard for my liking
I didn't mind it at first but eventually it started to become noise.
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Very Good - The introduction is a great call to arms and Ramblin' Rose is a high energy track that is good. Then the title track kicks down the door and punches you in the face. Ridiculously heavy and punky, incredibly influential and just downright nasty. Come Together continues the heavy, noisy theme. I love the wild nature of this record but I think a little more focus would benefit it greatly. Borderline is good and I Want You Right Now rocks like hell. The little vocal breakdown is awesome.
I was a bit underwhelmed the first time I heard this one. I was looking forward to it since proto-punk feels like the sort of thing that I would enjoy (and have enjoyed). I enjoyed the album the second time through and it is definitely a bit of a mess. I think that's a feature and not a bug. In fact, it sounds like a bootleg in many ways and it's clear the band was able to make good music based on great vibes and energy more than craftsmanship of their instruments. My favorite songs: Ramblin' Rose Kick Out the Jams Borderline Motor City is Burning
Ja jävlar. Ibland är live-album ändå ballt. Det är inte superavancerat precis, men energin och stämningen kommer tydligt genom lurarna. Tycker även det är rätt bra, i sin råa form!
En skiva som lever väldigt mycket på energin och att den är live och kanske inte lika mycket på de musikaliska kvaliteterna, även om det bitvis fan är rätt bra. Svårt att inte ryckas med och det här måste ju varit rätt revolutionerande i slutet av 60-talet, vilket ger pluspoäng. Även om det nog inte är en skiva jag kommer lyssna vidare så mycket på så gav den stor behållning, så en fyra ska den ha.
residual ringing
An amazing document of a period in time - the MC5, kicking out the jams in rough, loud, manic, sweaty rock 'n' roll fashion. This is totally my 'jam', and I'm happy to keep kickin' it out on the regular.
fun
Todo bien con ésto, pero "tenes que escucharlo antes de morir" es un montón. Nota: 2.0
Like the very beginning of punk? Not really my sort of thing - I'm rarely that keen on live albums.
Cool songs but repetitive
This is #day643 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this must've sounded pretty wild for its time. It's fun that these folks kicked things off with a live album. I mean, you don't really see that these days. The record is overflowing with raw proto-punk energy built on a hard/blues/psychedelic rock backbone. I don't mind it, but it doesn't leave me particularly impressed either. That last song is a jam, though. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day644.
I can see the roots of a lot of things I love but I don’t love this,
So yesterday I gave Creedence props for being different in 1969. Clearly I know nothing about music in 1969 as this album was released the same year and is so far away from what I was expecting. I can see influences down the line from here. Light years away from Frank Sinatra who held the top single on the British charts in 1969 or The Seekers with the top album. Nothing really stood out in terms of I want to hear that again but this album is why I am here on the generator. Thanks.
Goes hard. Probably needs more listens to appreciate. High 2s.
It takes 5 seconds to know MC5 ain't messing around and it only takes 5 seconds more to know if it's your bag or not. Kick Out The Jams is in the pantheon of All-Time Bangers, a five star song if ever there was one, and the rest of the record isn't half bad either.
First song was a banger rest were forgetable
Great instrumentals, just thought the vocals could be more fit into the music, but when you look at the context of the album, its genius in the way that the vocals express the revolution itself
Call me crazy, but only Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix were doing something like that in the late 60's... amazing!
I think it's cool their debut album was live. I liked it, but not enough to make me want to check out their other stuff.
Not so great
One I had heard of but never listened to. I am not a huge fan of blues rock but there is a visceral quality to this that I did really enjoy. I really enjoyed the guitar tone as well, which had a pleasing balance of clarity and fuzzy sludge.
Messy, raucous, sloppily played, terribly recorded but I really liked it. Just raw energy from both the band and crowd really captures the vibe of a gig well and despite there being other live recordings we’ve listened to so far, this has done it best. I’m struggling to articulate quite why this vibed with me despite my criticism of other albums being potentially quite picky and am now seemingly happy to put all that to one side. Maybe the songs are just that much better and played more with feeling rather than with a requisite amount of technical prowess.
So I mean it’s pretty much quarter note bass and drums, with discordant screeching guitars overtop and a dude yelling into a tin can 50 feet away from the mic. I like punk, but I like good production, and this is really just rather unpleasant.
5 out of 5, motherfuckers!
Actually really awesome. Cool to hear proto punk
Type of shit I’m here 4 5
I don't like punk, so why would I like proto punk. The energy was alright and at least it wasn't the British punk where the singers sound really bad, but it just sounded like a mess ending in 60s prog punk combination.
Shame on me for not having listened to this band earlier. This rips.
this didn’t really hold my attention very much
Another awesome live album….I guess I love live albums the most when they’re high-energy balls-to-the-wall affairs. This is certainly that. Must-listen #341.
Oh man this album is miserable - not good guitar playing, vocals are lame, it just feels like sludge cause it doesn’t even feel like it’s got value to it. I feel kinda disappointed by the list the last few weeks cause it’s just all this sorta lame not inspiring or developmental stuff. It being live doesn’t help its case at all, I didn’t really feel much energy from the crowd.
This did not sound like a revolution; if this were a revolution, it would be a failure because it is such a mess.
It is a energetic album, puts you in a hyped mood for sure. It didn't make me go wild for it tho 2/5
Painful listen. 1.5/5 really. Brought down so much by the final 2 songs.
real. visceral. rock. punk?
Gosh, hard work 😏
It's been a while since we had this genre so my calibration needs tuning. I couldn't tell if this was good or bad.
Ok
A completely chaotic live album that sounds like a group of mostly unpolished, overly energetic kids let loose on stage. I can hear the early punk influence, but it feels driven more by raw energy than anything resembling tight musicianship.
High energy Rock & Roll Bedlam. Highlights: Ramblin’ Rose, Kick Out The Jams 2.7
good, cool, rocks, excellent
Far be it from me to make a positive blanket statement about baby boomers, but some of them have an extra gear that no one born before like 1960 is able to access. Probably most of them used it for bad reasons, but when it’s applied to rocking, it can be pretty rad. Hard to imagine a post-boomer being able to harness the deranged energy MC5 does, and almost harder to imagine a post-boomer crowd having the deranged energy to accept it. Really special recording right here, is what I’m saying.
The first half of this album still gladdens my heart as it starts out with terrific energy, but it fizzles out quite badly
MC5 is to The Clash what a hot air balloon is to a 747. It came first and revolutionised the genre, but I sure wouldn't like to take a hot air balloon to Marbella. Or something.
I read that this was a pre courser punk album and I could see it. Kind of bluesy too, especially at the end.
That was fun. MC5 aren't a band that I'd really heard of before today outside of the album list itself, so I didn't really know what to expect going into this album. Turns out we have a pretty energetic live album on our hands. Kick Out the Jams is full of energy and I like that. It's raucous and rowdy and other words that start with R. The band's performance skills aren't amazing or anything, but they have the spirit and I respect that. The songs themselves are fairly basic, though they are louder than most of what was available in 1969, so I'll give them that. I will say that this album did start to lose its luster by the end for me. Like, the first two songs were a great deal of fun. "Kick Out the Jams" especially was great. After that though? Nothing's bad, but the latter songs don't do as much to stand out for me. I've got respect for this project though. It's got some good stuff and it could've aged a lot worse. It's alright in my book. Strong 3/5.
Que buen concierto No parece del '69 definitivamente se adelantaron bastantes años a lo que es el punk, pero les quedó fino, y se mostraron muy diferentes a lo que la mayoría podía ofrecer en ese entonces Quien escucha el álbum se da cuenta de la calidad que procuraban tener a pesar de ser una banda de rock que podría uno pensar que es caos y desorden 3.7
Very raw but entertaining live album
Not great!
No idea? Omg! I never heard any of this before! Not a bit. This is 🔥 MC5, where have you been my whole life? I just wish the production was better. Wish I had been alive to see them live. Boolean rating: oh yes! Very glad to have heard before I die
Only know Kick out the Jams, pleasantly surprised but this album!
Hard as hell and before it’s time. Sounds like the 70s for sure. Also has some punk-esque energy at times. Surprised I’ve never heard of these guys.
Good live album. Band has real energy. 3/5 Might listen again
great discover for some song but not the whole album even tough it’s interesting listening to proto punk
Disliked
6/10 - not just noise, was surprisingly good
i understand the cultural significance of this album but it just doesn’t hold a candle to other proto punk albums. Really just feels like standard rock slightly turned up. Only redeeming part is the live recording providing some rawness and energy to the music.
Not a live album kind of guy - quality is not there
Not really my style but I really respect the story and the energy
Influential in Punk Scene with fellow Detroit area band Stooges …Motor City 5
Feels a bit mad to me to release a live recording as a debut but it seems like these guys didn't do much the orthodox way. I do see the logic as the energy and ferociousness is a notch above what the songs might have been like on record. Not sure I can go too high with my rating but I see why this is a landmark album in the development of punk.
fav: Rocket Reducer No.62-Talk el resto hubbah hubbah meeh
Whoa boy. The MC5 are more than a band, they were revolutionaries, they were originators, they were dangerous, they were outrageous, and they were idiots. They were everything and nothing all at once, it seemed. They got caught up in the wild and violent politics at the time, going on in both Detroit and the nation. I can’t even write about who the MC5 were because it would be too long, and I’m not sure anyone really knows what's fact and what’s lore anymore. Let’s just say the MC5 were either ignorant kids who jumped on the leftist political bandwagon in the late 1960s for drugs and chicks, or they were important political leaders at the timeat the time who inspired punk and rock and roll for future generations. Read Detroit 67: The Year That Changed Soul by Stuart Cosgrove. This book takes you month by month through an incredibly turbulent time in Detroit and it features the MC5 and their manager in a big way. Now, let’s get to the music. It’s time to kick out the jams, mothershucker! This album was recorded live and is a pretty cool way to debut onto the scene. Track 1 is Rambling Rose, and it’s good old-fashioned rock and roll. It’s raw and just bursting at the seams. You can tell the band is fired up because it sounds like the song is rolling out in double time. The MC5 were like a lot of rock bands in that era that grew up on 50s rock and roll and started a band to play that kind of music. Fortunately for us, their attempts at 50s rock and roll came out faster, heavier, and, in a lot of cases, more drug-fueled. This song was frenetic. Great opener. Track 2 is the big one, Kick Out the Jams. This is likely the only song you’ve heard by the MC5. I love this explosive musical grenade. Again, just fast and raw. “I know how you want it, child Hot, quick, and tight The girls can't stand it When you're doin' it right Let me up on the stand And let me kick out the jam Yes, kick out the jams I have to kick 'em out.” The lyrics could have been written in five minutes, but they are the truth and tell you exactly why the MC5 are there. Which is weird when you think of how they got swept up in the politics of the day. This is just good time rock and roll. Track 3 is Come Together and it ain’t your grandad’s Come Together of the Beatles. This song sounds like a punk version of the Who’s I Can See for Miles. Like most songs at the time, the lyrics sound like they could be about dancing, but looking closer, and they might be referring to dancing, but it’s the no pants dance. Just unbridled libido coming out of the amps. I can see how hearing this kind of music in the late 60s could blow people’s minds or scare the older folks. This isn’t flower power and songs about peace and love. Track 4 is Rocket Reducer No. 62, and the title apparently refers to some kind of chemical the band would sniff to get high. It would kind of give them the same effects as sniffing glue. That’s wild. Doesn't sound like a productive way to increase gray matter, but who am I to judge? “After some good tokes and a six pack We can sock 'em out for you till you're flat on your back You know I got to keep it up 'cause I'm a natural man I'm a born hell raiser, and I don't give a damn.” This album made it to number 30 on the Billboard Album Chart, but I wonder if it was more for their supposed politics or the music. Their music doesn’t really speak to their politics, unless getting high and chasing chicks is a political platform. And if it were, I’d imagine you could re-enfranchise a lot of the disenfranchised. The song ends with a big, bombastic guitar solo and just chaos. I loved this song. This album is fun as hell. Track 5 is Borderline, and it’s the first song to sound vaguely like a 1960s rock song. The vocals are sung in the style of Cream’s Jack Bruce. The music isn't so much like Cream, it’s sloppy jalopy. This seems to be a love song. It’s not a bad song, but the MC5 are much better at chasing girls than trying to keep them after they catch them. Track 6 is Motor City Is Burning and it starts out with this stage rap, “Brothers and sisters, I wanna tell you something I hear a lot of talk by a lot of honkeys, shit that love money Tell me they're high society But I'll let you know something If you ask me, this is the high society! This is the high society!” Now I’m expecting this song to be like a nuclear bomb going off. Imagine my surprise when it sounds like an old John Lee Hooker song. Turns out it may have been. At least John Lee claims he wrote it. It’s credited to a DJ named Al Smith. This is the first overtly political song the group has sung, and the lyrics would have caused some uptight adults a lot of angst at the time. “My home town burning down to the ground A-worser than Vietnam, let me tell you how it started here It started on 12th and Clairmount that morning It made the, the beat cops all jump and shout I said, it started on 12th and Clairmount that morning It made the, the pigs in the street a-freak out The fire wagons kept comin', baby A-but the Black Panther snipers wouldn't let them put it out, wouldn't let them put it out, wouldn't let them put it out, ow” Pigs, Black Panthers, those words right there are enough to get the MC5 on an FBI watchlist, which they already were by this point. The band manager was one of the biggest rabble-rousers of the time. The guitar solos in this song are so good. Whether the MC5 were political radicals or not, they played the music like they were. That was a great song. Track 7 is I Want You Right Now and it starts off with a slow and dirty Wild Thing-type riff. I love this groove. This ain’t no love song. The guitars sound like elephants roaring. I’m not sure the 1960s were ready for this type of heavy rock. I can see Rage Against the Machine taking some cues from the MC5, both musically and politically. Though I’m quite certain RATM all believe in what they’re saying. Track 8 is called Starship and it’s about a starship taking the band into space? Huh? That’s weird. The song was apparently inspired by Sun Ra and his cosmic jazz philosophy. Sun Ra was a jazz artist, among other things. Now this is the type of music I’d expect to hear in the 1960s. free-form It’s very psychedelic and has a breakdown in the middle, which kind of feels like they had a breakdown. I assume it’s them hurtling through space or something. I’ll admit, I don’t quite get this free-form, jazz exploration. I can’t imagine what this was like live in front of a crowd full of teens on drugs. They must have been freaking out. The album finished with a bit of a fizzle, but the rest of it was really good. If you’re a rock and roll fan and haven’t heard this album, I think you’ll dig it. Also, if you want to know more about the band, and the whole insanity that was Detroit in 1967, then read the book, Detroit 1967: The Year That Changed Soul by Stuart Cosgrove. You can listen to this album as you read. It's all at once a fascinating, infuriating, and heartbreaking story.
This felt a little like Kiss, a little like the White Stripes, a little like AC/DC, and a little like Janis Joplin/Big Brother at times. Mixing that all together resulted in, well, something kinda unimpressive. It's pretty rockin', and the punk vibes are there. But it's not really all that good to me. I don't love live albums as it is (see any of my prior reviews on them for more info), so that likely had an impact on my estimation. The energy captured on this is one is undeniable, for what it's worth. Still, other than the energy, I'm not sure what makes this album special. Perhaps it's due to when it came out and being different than the more mellow and/or bluesy rock common at the time? Regardless, it just seemed OK to me. Overall: 2.3/5
I thought the first couple of songs were pretty decent rock songs; the next few were just noise and yelling. Motor City is Burning was ok. The last couple of songs alternated between decent rock and noise/yelling. (3)
if you're rating this for it's musical aptitude and singing ability, then yeah not so good. but in terms of punk rock jamming, especially live, it can be fun. Borderline is a head banger. will I re listen to this? nope, probably not
Apart from the title track there isn't a lot to write home about here. However the crowd are having a whale of a time and that both adds and detracts from the listening experience
Mom, can we have Led Zeppelin tonight? No honey, we have Led Zeppelin at home. Led Zeppelin at home: (In all seriousness, if all this album ever brought us was the title track then I’ll allow it as long as we get to speedrun to the Rage Against The Machine version.)
Good political punk, way before it’s time. Kick out the jams is the best song on here
#100/1001 🇺🇸 "Brothers, it's time to testify. And I want to know - Are you ready to testify?" This is the record that divides our household more than any other. I love it, my wife despises it. Imagine putting out a live album, drenched in feedback, full of mistakes and out of tune backing vocals - yet sounding so amazing. This is punk rock a good 7 years ahead of its time. Detroit was in turmoil at the time that MC5 recorded this album following the race related rioting agai nst the police that came in 1967. What makes this record so incredle is that Detroit was dominated by the motown label at the time and this is as far removed from that soind as you can get. Best Track: Kick Out The Jams, Motor City Is Burning. Further Reading: Detroit 67 by Stuart Cosgrove.
The album cover looks just as good as the listening experience
What isn't bad and unenjoyable about this album? I couldn't tell you.
Not at all what I was expecting. The first half was quite a fun listen but it should have ended three tracks earlier and the just straight up noises in the last track were a bit weird
Love the energy but they have like 2 good songs.
A loud, raw, and ultimately important record in the development of punk but one that in the end falls flat for me. Not bad, but not good either. I would have been interested to hear what would have happened if they gave these songs a studio recording. I know it would take away some of the rawness but maybe it would have improved the cohesion of the songs? We will never know. Still love the title track though! 3/5
This is a gem, a garage rock masterpiece of the highest, and lowest, order. I can't say there is a “great song” here. Maybe Kick Out The Jams but overall, it's the vibe, the attitude, the delivery, and the overall lack of professionalism that I just absolutely love. I'm being harsh, but the songs here are just an excuse for these guys to crank up the amps and, well, kick out the jams
I thought it was funny that they started off yelling about being part of the solution and not the problem, and then launched into some rock music that felt very generic and tame. But I just now realized that this came out in 1969. So I guess this was probably very influential. I might relisten. But I still think it's a 3.
Abrasive proto-punk that’s truly kicks ass. The live recording really helps with this. Definitely influential for the development of punk rock. Favorites were Ramblin’ Rose, Kick Out The Jams, Borderline, and I Want You Right Now.
This is easily the best 60s album that you’ve never heard before, mainly because there is not a radio station in the world that could play this unbleeped. Most record stores refused to stock this too. As well as the category A swearing, this feels genuinely revolutionary, somewhere between an evangelical revival and a political rally inciting the crowd to riot. I’m not going to get into the arguments about whether this counts as the first punk record - it’s certainly loud and angry, and shambolic in places, but there’s no lack of musical skill in the guitars and rock solid drumming. The standout track is Kick Out the Jams which never fails to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and makes me want to punch the air (or a fascist goon). This is what music can be and should be.
2.1 Utterly pointless. Sounded like a bootleg footage of the stooges having an off night. If it wasn't my usual genre it'd be rock bottom. No idea why it's here.
Ferocious energy and counter-cultural vibes on this one but, for me, the songs aren't that memorable and I wouldn't listen again. Sure, it's raw and, in many ways, it's the inspiration for punk. And, holy crap, that twin guitar attack lit the stage on fire. But it's a one and done for me. Give me Iggy and the Stooges or Jimi Hendrix Experience any day over these guys.
Between this and the Stooges debut, 1969 really may have been the genesis of punk. Rocks hard, also pretty experimental though and shifts genres. I liked the bluesy Motor City is Burning a lot. I will say tho, have to compare it to the Stooges since both get labeled 'protopunk' - the Stooges were much more tight and concise. This can be overly indulgent and brings it down for me, I don't really care about a shitty eight minute scifi jam called Starship
Rock n roll personified
81/100.
Raw energy and a pretty great live album. Felt more like punk with heavy distorted, guitars, fast, tempos, and raw energy in the vocals. Overall, I enjoyed the album. Pretty short for a live album but solid enough
Слушала в плоховатом качестве, но, в целом, прикольно
Interesting
While I had heard of this group in terms of the evolution from regular rock'n'roll to punk, I'd never sat down and given them a shot 'til now, and holy shit, I love the energy on this thing. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 10. I mean, fucking hell, color me surprised for 1969. If “Are You Experienced” was a blueprint for rock music over the next several years to come, it sure feels like this should’ve been the blueprint for punk rock for years to come. I can’t believe that was 1969, let alone a live debut album. You gotta have stones to make your first album a live one, but the energy emanating from both them & their crowd felt infectious in a way that only a live album can really capture like that. Obviously, the technical skill behind it is one thing, especially to stay as in sync as they were, but beyond that, just managing to fill their atmosphere with such a natural charisma across the board that it can come through as if you’re actually there… seriously, it’s remarkable for the time. Lyrics barely matter here, save for their use as a path to let Rob Tyner control the pace of each track / the emotion of the venue, and he does fantastic work, especially once the crowd is bought into what MC5 are selling. There’s a specific moment during the slower point in the halfway mark of “I Want You Right Now” where it feels like everyone, including the band, is hanging onto his every breath, and I haven’t felt a sense of control like that since Kurt Cobain’s literal deep breath back on the MTV Unplugged album. Obviously, the guitar work here from Wayne Kramer & friends is fucking unbelievable; just listen to it, if you somehow haven’t. Ultimately, it’s just a stunner, top to bottom. I can’t type anything else about it that would do the 40 minutes justice – it’s a fantastic debut & it feels like the blueprint to follow, even now. I don’t know what has led this towards 35% of people on the site giving this a 1 or 2, but those people are dead wrong. Kick them out in the same way that MC5 kicked out the jams, motherfucker. It’s a 10, and thank goodness it’s on the list.
I have never heard this, but I'm enjoying the energy. Wikipedia tells me it's proto-punk and I guess I can see that. This seems like a classic 3, enjoyable enough but nothing stands out.
Stunning and energetic rock that sounds ahead of its time
I have heard of this band but never listened to a full album. Interesting that their debut album is a live one. Some good hard rock and bluesy numbers. Particularly liked Starship and there is some good guitar playing throughout the set.
I appreciate the jams, but it goes a little hard for my taste.
If you told me this was a high school band’s show, I’d believe you. “Starship” brought this down a point.
It’s great for the time, but mid now.
Not my favourite. Too rocky and rolly.
This is not the kind of live album that's fun to listen to 50+ years later. It's a bunch of frantic noise that way overstays its welcome.
Heard the title track before. I get that they're influential and all but to my 2026 ears this album just isn't interesting honestly 2/5
Would have been good to have been present at the gig. So a great momento for those who were (1968 wonder how many still about?) but for the rest of us the raw energy of the gig doesn’t sound that great in the sterile environment of my lounge. 2/5 3/4/26
I don’t like it
Iconic
I’ve been waiting for the perfect excuse to listen to this bad boy. I’m maybe too eager. Love it.
I appreciate this more than I actually like it. It’s hard to believe this was recorded in the 60s.
I do not understand this list's fascination with live albums. Fave track: Kick Out The Jams
Probably more enjoyable if you were actually there. 2/5
Gebed 4 Affe paar pfanne und holzstöck und das Album chund use. Denn no live. Wäq teufel
Hmmm live ja Süsch nei Zuu rockig
It's getting to the point where not only am I getting sick of listening to all this 60s psychadelic rock, but I'm sick of complaining about it too. The first few times I had albums like this I didn't particularly like them, but I didn't yet have the same contempt that I have for them now. And early on in my time doing this project, many of my reviews for them were something along the lines of saying how much of this there is on the list when there really doesn't need to be. I do my best to give each album an interesting and insightful review, but when the music is this generic it makes that very hard. This is exactly the same as almost all the other psychadelic rock albums of this period, so I'm not even going to try and find something interesting to say about it, I've already said everything I possibly can about this era of music history. 274 albums remaining after this one and I dread to think how many more times I'll have to give this whole speech again....
Pensé realmente que me iba a volar la peluca y no me generó tanto. Me parece que la versión de Spotify tampoco ayuda porque todo suena hiper arriba y estruendoso por demás. Los banco una banda igual y reconozco todo el aporte histórico que el álbum significa. Kick out the jams es un himno. 6/10
Utterly pointless live submission to the list. There is nothing about this lot as performers that warrants a live album here, and the songs themselves were very generic.
Decent at best. The longest song, Starship, was very messy.
Cult band. Good listen.
You’ve got to love the ambition of the MC5 they wanted to use music to create a revolution. I’m not sure blues rock played at high pace will be the rock that cracks the veneer of civilisation but the chaos and slightly skronky production is pleasing. Kick out the jams stands head and shoulders above everything else, but there’s nothing to hate here
Raw energy