Reviews (page 6 of 8)
The energy was good, but the songs... were kind of bad
Loud and screechy…but maybe that’s the point? Likes: Rocket Reducer No. 62
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.
a lil too hard for my liking
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
Goes hard. Probably needs more listens to appreciate. High 2s.
First song was a banger rest were forgetable
Not so great
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.
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.
this didn’t really hold my attention very much
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.
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.
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
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.
Not great!
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
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
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.
Interesting
I appreciate the jams, but it goes a little hard for my taste.
Not my favourite. Too rocky and rolly.
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
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
Hmmm live ja Süsch nei Zuu rockig
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.
ovo bi mi se po opisu trebalo sviđati, ali ne sviđa mi se nimalo. jednostavno loše zvuči, ne znam kako da drugačije opišem. još mi se nakon dvije minuta posljednje "pjesme" pripišalo pa sam kratko odahnuo od slušanja da bih se vratio i slušao posljednjih šest minuta izdrkavanja, što je ostavilo još gorči okus u ustima nakon svega. bljuc
No me gustó mucho
Likes: Chaotic parts of the jams remind me of later noise jams by bands like Nirvana; high energy Dislikes: they don’t quite sell me on the idea that the chaos is intentional, and not just a result of everyone being high and fucking their parts up; not particularly interesting to me Overall, similar to my review of Arthur by The Kinks. I know what this band is supposed to mean in the broader context of rock, but I don’t feel like I get it.
War jetzt nicht so gut, aber punk muss halt manchmal auch ein bisschen scheiße sein...
Album #100 MC5: Kick Out The Jams Kind of a lacklustre album for my hundredth, seeing how I have never heard of it. After listening to it, it definitely is ahead of its time and is probably one of the earliest instances of a true ‘punk’ album; however, I don’t really think this one has held up that much. You can’t deny its energy, and it’s not terrible or anything, but I’m not the biggest fan of the more raw punk sound, so this sound isn’t even something that I loved when it was fully fledged (for the most part, there are a lot of great punk bands). It’s cool that it’s a live album, and it definitely would have been a fun show to attend while tripping balls in the 60s; but sitting in my bedroom in the 2020s, I’m not fully enthralled by it. That being said, it is a super interesting album, and one which actually warrants an inclusion on a list like this so I’m happy to have heard it. Best Songs: Kick Out The Jam, Ramblin’ Rose, Motor City Is Burning Worst Song: Borderline Score out of 10: 5.5
Not for me
meh , not rlly a big fan of this album. i liked the first song
Energetic but uninspiring
New to me. A pale imitation of The Who
Stated well and felt fresh for its time. Unfortunately fresh turned to odd in the second half.
These guys must have been amazing live when the passion and protest would be visceral. Sadly, the rudimentary rock, shouty delivery and sexually explicit lyrics don't have the same impact when sipping a cup of tea at home on a sunny spring morning. 2*
#887. I know a lot of people consider this to be one of the greatest live albums ever. But, like... why though? 2/5: meh
I bet going to this show was a blast. I'm not connecting to it. Some splashes that grabbed my attention, but not enough of them. The history and how controversial this release was surprised me. It feels middle of the road.
I feel like I need to understand the cultural history of this album to appreciate it properly. I don't. I'd rather just be able to appreciate the music to be fair, which is ok.
Listening to this album is like driving a 1984 Dodge Caravan: I appreciate its place in history, but I don’t really want to drive it.
I get that it is an iconic album heralding punk etc, but it's also a bit of a mess. MC5 - fine; this album - not so much.
Probably one of those 'you had to be there' records
I wanted to hate this and almost liked it a tiny bit.
Pocos discos en live me gustan como suena y este no es uno de ellos
Definitely harder/heavier than I like, but also pretty boring.
Eh.
Not for me
It’s possible that this concert had some historical or cultural importance. Wish I could’ve been there. MC5 has really fun music. But it is hard to get a good recording of a live performance. I’m giving this two stars because some of it managed to sound like music.
It's good
Maybe they have energy, maybe they're raw and proto-punk, but not for me. Starship hurt my ears.
If there is one word to describe it, it would be ‘rough’. The music is rough, the recording quality isn’t great either (though I realise it is an older record, but still) and therefore it is a very rough listen. 2/5
Literally just garage band noise
Over halfway in, and I can't stop thinking about listening to something else. The first glimpse of songwriting and musicianship I have gotten on this album is Motor City is Burning. Otherwise, and I quote every parent ever, "That's not music. That's just noise." This wasn't offensive to listen to, but it sure made me want it to be over so I could listen to something else ⭐⭐
The riffs are pretty good. I don't much like the live recording. I don't much like the vocals, particularly the falsetto vocals on the first song. At times it doesn't even sound in tune. Seems like an influential album, but it's not really hitting for me. I feel like this could get a kid hyped in the '70s but I'd prefer something a little more polished. "Starship" is a mess of a closer for me.
Not a fan. A lot of noise and this band never really did it for me.
Not for me
It’s a spirited performance, and combines carefree tomfoolery with a few decent musical ideas. Emphasis on “few”. While the singing is generally fine (with rock screams mirroring those of Jim Morrison from the same time period), the melodies are far from ideal. Guitar riffs are pretty much always blaring, roaring into you at slightly different types depending on which ear you are. And they don’t sound great. The best the guitars sound is in the Heartbreaker-esque solo in Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk, which unfortunately is an intensely unapproachable song for other reasons. (Speaking of tracks from Led Zeppelin II, every song seems to be in the same key, which I think is also the key in The Lemon Song. And because the guitar-playing is a lot like Page’s, I keep sensing bits of lemon in my MC5. I guess I’m not complaining.) The guitar sound in Motor City Is Burning also stands out: it’s gritty, distorted, but not too much so. And the groove is really strong. Swung blues is hard to get wrong. I feel the second singer isn’t adding very much to a lot of the tracks. (In fact, at times he adds so little that I wonder if the lead vocalist is singing over a pre-recorded vocal track.) There are zero vocal harmonisations, unless you count falsetto “woo”s that happen to hit a decent harmony with the main melody. So what exactly were MC5 thinking here? Did they have a friend that really wanted to tag along to the gig but couldn’t play any instruments? (Have I just described every member of MC5? Impossible to know, really.) Come Together is a fun track, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the other Come Together released in 1969. (In fact, I found myself craving some chill electronic blues around this point in the album. But MC5 are far from “chill”. Unfortunately for them.) Borderline is a track with lots of potential, but it squanders it with a disorienting percussion part that makes it impossible near-impossible for the music to settle into a groove. Because of that, I don’t see myself returning to it. (The audience seemed to love it, though, so what do I know?) I’m torn on I Want You Right Now. On the one hand, it kind of rips (in a good way). On the other hand, it’s five and a half minutes of two chords and includes a terrible middle section (in a bad way). Overall, not approved – but only barely. The middle section of Starship is at least more interesting – kind of like early Floyd (Astronomy Domine, or Interstellar Overdrive, or A Saucerful of Secrets). I dig it. It’s a major change from the rest of the album, incorporating some major psychedelia and space-rock into an otherwise hard-rock sound. The second half is horrendously atonal, though – and because that part takes up a cool 4 minutes of the 39-minute record, it singlehandedly lowers my rating from 3 to 2 stars. 2/5 Key tracks: Kick Out the Jams, Motor City Is Burning
ok
Toe tapper, Bust a move
Inte så engagerande trots kaoset
Inspiration för bra saker som kommit senare, men det här var lite för stökigt och lite för live.
Njae jag vet inte.
Not for me but I liked the energy
Too heavy
Not really for me :///
Nothing much I liked here. Not terrible
Meh.
Good band but this sounds bad.
hmmm wel een paar leuke liedjes ma die roept gwn veel te veel, also jeff buckley zn versie van kick out the jams is 100 keer beter🤐
Best Track - "Kick Out The Jams"
Meh, but can understand others liking it.
Not really a fan of live albums on the list in the first place, and this really did not give me a good first impression of this band. I found it very shouty and noisy. Not really my thing at all. Motor City Burning was okay because it had some guitar work in the middle that I liked, but for the most part this was very forgettable and I wont be revisiting ever again. 2.5 stars
Really, 2026? My first day of work for the year is even more dreadful because I have to listen to an album with one good song on it? Come on, now, that's just unfair. Favorite Track: "Kick Out The Jams".
Merci, j'ai maintenant une sacrée migraine
Archetypal live rock album, influencial on this genre.
ok
I’d give it a 2.5 if I could, I know this album was influential but my god it is so mid with no context
Boring bullshit
Not terrible - but not great.
Noise
I can't even think of a live album that should be on here. Title song is fun
тоже на любителя...
2.3 1x
Turns out I am not a punk fan
Mäßiges Album aus früher Rockgeschichte. Es ist weder gut, noch stilprägend.
I’m not much of a hard rock fan. This sounds fairly similar to all of their contemporaries. Unfortunately not my thing. 2/5
Supposedly MC5 is this great hard rock band. At least based on this record I disagree.
This was a very weird album, where they were making a lot of noises and the vocals were mainly screaming. Overall, not that great, but it was manageable in the background for a bit.
Shame to give this the same rating as other worse albums, but it’s just not my jam, literally. I think those first three tracks are pretty cool like proto-punk though
I had to stop listening, it's not pleasant to listen to, nor does it seem particularly Punk, it just seems bad and kinda boring.
Messy production and messy playing makes a hard listen. I'm assuming that it must've sounded better in the room. Starship was interesting.
I kinda feel like releasing a live album instead of getting it right in the studio is a bit cheap. But, as their contemporaries the Stooges were finding out, that could be a frustrating process.
Quite noisy, but the start was not so bad, but they lost me half way. Not really a fan of this kind of live albums
Maso
„Kick Out the Jams“ wurde im Oktober 1968 live im Grande Ballroom in Detroit aufgenommen und 1969 veröffentlicht. Die US-amerikanische Band MC5 um Sänger Rob Tyner, die Gitarristen Wayne Kramer und Fred „Sonic“ Smith, Bassist Michael Davis und Schlagzeuger Dennis Thompson verbindet hier Einflüsse aus Garage-Rock, Hard Rock und frühem Proto-Punk. Bekannte Titel wie „Kick Out the Jams“, „Ramblin’ Rose“ und „Motor City Is Burning“ zeigen den rohen, direkten Stil der Gruppe. Die Live-Aufnahmen wirken ungestützt und energiegeladen, was den Auftrittscharakter betont und den Sound authentisch, aber ungeschliffen erscheinen lässt. Persönlich empfinde ich das Album als eindrucksvolles Zeitdokument einer Übergangsphase zwischen Rock und Punk, in der Haltung wichtiger war als technische Präzision.
Electric intro speech. Not much else besides a cacophony
Hated that it was live 😭😭
it kinda sucks ass but I guess had some energy to it Will I listen to again: 1%
I didn't get it....
Relatively more listenable
another ugly, boring, meandering live album of shit i wouldn't want to listen to the studio version of. sorry for being so salty but please be serious 1001 albums. this? her? NO!!!
This did nothing for me. His voice is not great. The instruments started well but then sounded sloppy.
Ah yes the best genre out there, punk.
Didn't see too much of the appeal with this. Songs and performances weren't particular engrossing. Fair play for making that kind of noise in the 60s in America though.
Bad live album, not a great recording. Proto punk ok but so what. I’ve heard black metal recorded cleaner than this and that genre aims for it sounding like it was recorded in a tin can.
I've never heard of MC5 before today, but this type of rock music is almost always going to be something I enjoy more live and in person than as a rough recording. I didn't completely hate this album, but I think I finally understand where the cliché of Silents yelling at their Boomer children to "turn down that noise" came from – it's so hard to pick out any of the actual musicality here between the blaring instruments and harsh vocals. Highlights: Ramblin' Rose, Motor City Is Burning
Hat sich mir nicht weiter bemerkbar gemacht
Para ver en directo. Su escucha no aporta gran cosa. Ninguna canción es memorable. Ruido y ...
Not really my thing
Aside from the Last Waltz, I’ve never been moved by a live album.
This is live album number 3 in the last 4 days. Still annoying. I get that this live album was their debut, but still has all the trapping of live albums: bad sound quality, unfun banter, and just being annoying.
Ik dacht dit niet te kennen, maar 'Kick Out The Jams' ken ik van Guitar Hero: World Tour. Ik moet zeggen dat daarmee het grootste feest ook wel weer voorbij is wat dit album betreft. Ik vind dit niet zo heel super. Wellicht omdat het wat live, schel en extra druk is. Ook verzandt het halverwege al in een soort solo die heel goed zou zijn als einde van de show, maar zoals gezegd zit je dan pas op de helft. Al met al is het daardoor wat vermoeiend en teveel. Deze gaat in het laatje bij de 2 sterren.
The title track is the only song I knew before listening to the album. And The Big F’s cover of “Kick Out the Jams” (on Rubáiyát, the compilation marking Elektra’s 40th anniversary) is far, far better.
Too messy
Wild and undisciplined proto punks…kick out the jam m’fers indeed!
I could respect how it was a precursor to what became punk rock, but it just sounded like a mess.
Nothing special
the lead singers voice on Ramblin’ rose was lowkey unbearable 😭 fav song: kick out the jams. This album honestly sounds way more modern than I expected - i would’ve probably guessed it was a decade more recent. It’s definitely not bad just also not as good as most albums on here. The fact that it’s live is kind of fun. Also the Jeff Buckley cover of kick out the jams is cool.
Honestly this album is kinda boring. It may have been a big inspiration for punk but listening to it now it doesn’t really distinguish itself very much from other 60s/70s hard rock except its politics. At that point there’s a million bands that do the same sound better. It’s not atrocious or anything but honestly isn't unique enough to fully justify its abrasiveness or poor sound quality. Standout Tracks: Borderline 3/5 deserves to be on this list
a lousy punk rock album, but good energy
I'm sure if I was at this live concert, this would rock. But outside of that, its chaotic and while may be an early predecessor of punk, it doesn't mean it belongs on this list.
I know it's a touchstone that kicked off a lot of American punk that I love but I can't get down with it.
ужасно качество :(
этот лайв протопанк не для меня) одну песню начала узнавать)
Hmmm is it really as progressive as people think? Seems fairly derivative of much better musicians out there.
A lot of loud guitars, a lot of passion and energy, a lot of driving beats. Not a lot of music.
Found it a bit bland, although can imagine the sound was amazing and cutting edge at the time
Very noisy…not the worst thing I’ve heard but not particularly enjoyable either.
I like these albums that were clearly part of something - the start of a movement or certainly an influence on it. This is a bit of a shambles though, and surely there are better proto punk examples?
You know how they say there are more water molecules in one glass of water than there are glasses of water in all of the oceans and bodies of water on Earth? In the same way, there are more garage/psych compilations than there are bands that have ever actually existed in the history of bands. Or something like that... To some, Kick Out The Jams may seem fairly obscure 60s fare compared to the celebrated mainstream acts from the era - as such, it is often touted as a essential album that set the template for the punk explosion in the subsequent decade. While I would agree that it is a raw, energetic recording that does everything you would want a live album to do, personally I don't really get why MC5 in particular are held in such high esteem. Because, if you have been down the Nuggets / Pebbles / Boulders / Rubble / Back From The Grave rabbit hole, it becomes pretty clear there were plenty of other bands making the same noise as MC5 back in the day, some predating the Michigan quintet, and many with much better results. While I appreciate the impact they might have had, listening almost 60 years later, the music just isn't anything that special given the many alternatives on the same trajectory. All just a bit overrated if you ask me.
Going in I thought: It would be great to experience another great album from the 60’s that I somehow missed! Afterward: On second thought, I think my 60s collection is fine just as it is.
I love a good rebel song by a rebel band, but when you rebel against listenability, I just can't do it. Not an inspiring noise.
Turns out proto punk is not for me. 2.
I really wanted to get into this. I love the song “Kick Out The Jams.” But, the rest of the album paled in comparison to that one song. Maybe if I listen to it again REALLY LOUD, I’ll get it, but as it stands, I likely won’t return to this one. 4/10
Live albums suck
Not for me.
It's a bit too hard and chaotic for my tastes.
Not my vibe.
I didn’t really enjoy this album. Just a bit too messy and noisy for me. lol
A lot of this just seems like noise for the sake of noise. Unnecessarily drawn out noise at that. I appreciate this is a bridge to somewhere in terms of influence, but I was not into this.
High energy but sloppy. Not quite a groundbreaking as you might think. Reminds me of Blue Cheer on speed. Definitely heading into the hard rock post-psychedelic era, though.
rocccccccccccccccccccccccc
It’s okay but I still am a firm believer that it’s really hard to get into live music if you don’t enjoy the bands regular music
Kudos to having your first album be a live one, that’s ballsy. This one was extremely noisy and full of spunk and I can understand why people love it and it set a foundation for others after. Ultimately not my style.
Sikkert kult når det kom, men holder ikke helt for meg idag
I’m sure it’s great in the perfect setting but.. I’m tired man, I don’t want this.
you have to like the style
Meh
Dated and no very exciting
Listening to this felt like I was missing out on part of the experience. Seems like the kind of thing you had to be there for.
Nah. Didn't love this. Sure, it IS edgy, sure it is punk, rock-n-roll, angry, loud, spirited, all that good stuff... but it is all that all at once all the time, and that is a problem! There wasn't anything in particular to latch on to, to give it a style of its own. It isn't really punk per se, or even 70's style thrasher rock, more of ... both (ish)? It could be a trend or a thing with me personally, but I don't like when my alarms go off thinking a band is "being too loud" on purpose. Be loud! Be rude, even obnoxious, but make it natural, own it. Own something! This, for me, was just too much of a mishmash and I almost... but not quite found my way into it.
Why so many live albums on this list? I'm just not a fan, regardless of the artist. Anyways, MC5. They're fine, I guess. High energy proto punk garage rock. There's nothing terribly special about this record. They were "extremely influential" and outspoken for their time, presenting some radical leftist views. I believe they were even spied on by the FBI for "corrupting the youth of America"...whatever that means. Despite all that, they can't really play worth a damn. Like many other albums I've encountered on this list: I'm sure this was a great show to be at in 1969. But listening in 2025...it's just not doing much for me. 2/5
2/5
Live albums are already on thin ice with me unless they are well done. This is surely iconic but I don't care for the punk yelling and stuff. The bluesy stuff was a little better. Salute to these boys for paving the way
Meh.
Proper high energy opening The singers falsetto is just terrible. Simple effective riffs coupled with a harsh toned lead bring the excitement With it being a live album the mix is pretty terrible, especially in the low end, like where is it? Like the singers gravel voice, couples well with the energy, very clash like although less rhythmic and not quiet as relentless with some nicer guitar parts Muddy AF and quiet difficult to enjoy. I think if this was recorded in a studio it could have been really enjoyable because there is some really nice guitar and the drumming was high energy, I just really struggled to hear the bass and the drums at times because they were either lost or became too overpowering the album art is wicked The emotion is palpable in the performance and you can feel the singers intensity throughout. Lead guitar carry's the band All in all I'd give it a high 2
Helt ok
Some hint of a melody, but pretty vaguely shouting. Not as bad as it could be.
2.5/5
What did I just listen to?
2+. Stars (6/15)
Disappointing. I love the concept of the MC5, and Kick Out The Jams is a classic, but ither than the freak-out of Starship, nothing else really works. It's rough and loose and full of aggression, but compared to something like The Stooges, it just doesn't grab my interest. One of those which was almost certainly revolutionary at the time but just doesn't hold up. 2* because KOTJ is still a banger.
Heavy and messy. Vocals are not the best.
Why does this need to be a live album?
I think I expected to like this more than I actually did. It was certainly different to what I was expecting, far more bluesy in places. I just didn't like the vocals much and that's a big sticking point. I ended up listening to it more than once, because I didn't know how I felt about it. As I was willing to do that, I guess this gets: 2/5
live albums should not be on this list!!!!
Not really a fan of live albums and this one is no exception.
Not bad. Couple good tracks.
Not a terrible listen, but one of those where nothing really stands out to me.
Definitely a fascinating album, and ahead of its time, but much like a lot of things that are ahead of its time, it's a very unrefined mess. Every so often, there would be a glimmer of something awesome shining through, but it never really transcended past the sound of a live rock album performed by a group of pretty okay musicians.
Obviously influential for reasons, and I get the appeal if you’re seeing it live; seems like it’d be one hell of a party. Outside of that, it was kind of incredibly annoying to listen to. The singer was dreadful.
Nicht wirklich meins, konnte nichts damit anfangen.
Live albums are the sound of my patience dying. MC5, I couldn’t hear anything over the chaos.
Standard 60's rock.
It starts with someone testifying like he’s Cyrus in The Warriors telling the gangs to join forces and overthrow the police, getting you all pumped up for... some sloppy garage rock. I couldn't dig it.
Erg matig. Live optreden in 68. Ze hebben wel come together geschreven voor the Beatles.
Who Let Mickey Mouse into their band in the first song... Past that there were multiple moments where the band felt like a punk version of 'acdc at home' It really wasn't for me, even though musically it's probably not terrible
Really didn’t need to hear this, forgettable
I think you had to be there
Not really my cup of tea I guess. Not bad just not something I would return to.
I think I understand that this is a seminal album for the hippie punk revolution, but it's... well, it's kind of embarrassing to listen to. Like I was listening to it, but I was afraid someone would walk in on me, and I would have to quickly switch to a porn tab so nobody would know what I had been doing.
This is one of those classic foundational albums that just never resonated with me. It's hard music which I have no problem with, but to me it lacks soul and the energy does not come from the rhythm but more from the noise. Not much in the way of rhythmic drive or melody. So I never really got it. 2.5 stars
I get what this did for punk rock. I get this is live, so the production is going to be understandably rough. And the band is rough anyways, they're playing is all over the place, the vocals are sometimes spotty. I get their was some interesting controversy over Kick Out The Jams motherfucker. But raw aggression can only cover so many things for me. I want to love this album. As it is though, it's just okay in my opinion.
This album isn't awful, but it definitely isn't something anyone needs to listen to. I certainly wouldn't be unhappy listening to this concert live, or if someone else played this album, but it just doesn't need to be on this list.
Appreciate that its a forefather to punk rock. Not the biggest punk rock fan and won't cue any of these songs
2 - just didn’t sound good. The songs were pretty generic, the quality was terrible
Interesting live album, style a little repetitive
If you aren't totally enthralled by the punk energy, this album doesn't really have much else to offer
It’s loud but not enough jams
Great energy but they lost me on the last two tracks
It's got a lot of energy, I'll give it that.
I've heard of MC5, but I've never listened to any of their music before. I know this is supposed to be a really influential album, so I'm excited to listen to it today. I'm hoping it can live up to my expectations for it! Unfortunately, I thought Kick Out The Jams was a bit of a dud. I can appreciate this album for the influence that it had on other artists, and I enjoyed the raw energy of it, but it felt like a one-trick-pony. The guitar playing, drumming, and singing all felt really run-of-the-mill, and I can't recall a single riff or melody that really stuck out to me. I listened to this album twice, and other than the energy and the stage banter, nothing about it was particularly memorable to me. I thought "Boderline" was fairly good, as was "Starship," but honestly, I think the only reason I liked "Starship" was because it was really weird and stuck out as something different on this album. I was really surprised to see such a low average rating for this album, but now I know why. I guess it's possible to be both influential and underwhelming, and MC5 is the prime example of how to do that.
Forgettable, indistinguishable noise.
Not really for me. I liked the first song. The spoken part at the beginning got me hyped up but then it was a bit of a jump scare when he started singing. But I still enjoyed it. But none of the other songs clicked for me. Something I’m noticing is a lot of these older albums are hard to understand what they’re saying. And the ones that I’ve enjoyed the most are the ones that are more clear. That seems to be my preference so hopefully there are more coming up in the future.
текстов тупее я еще не видел,2/5
nicht pour mise, go raibh (maith agat)
Influential? I guess.. but all music influences others. Hard pass. Never heard of them back in the day or today.
MC5 has two cards to play: raw aggression and high energy. Marking this more Rock Fury than Hard Rock.
jos olet kaakkoisesta michiganista kotoisin ja et tiedä tätä bändiä... wau. ei muuta voi sanoa kon VAU. miten ei voi tietää? kakkois-michiganilaiset.. nyt vähän ryhtiä tähän, tehokas varhainen raaka proto punk. Tuntuu, että bändi on kirjaimellisesti tulessa huutaen helvetin sisimmässä. Kaikkien live-albumien tulee olla tällaisia. hupsista keikkaa nyt tuli sanottua väärin.. tarkoitin että paskavittu homo punk ja tuntuu että bändi paskoo housuun lavalla ja sitten kakkaa yleisön päälle huume hörhöillen elämänsä helvettiin. jos olisi 1965 niin hyvä albumi, ei ole mikään ylpeydenaihe tehdä 69 tälläsiä starship
didn't like it my first listen, but i'm relistening for a more fair assessment Ramblin' Rose - 3/5 Kick Out the Jams - 4/5 Come Together - 3/5 Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk - 1/5 Borderline - 1/5 Motor City Is Burning - 3/5 I Want You Right Now - 2/5 Starship - 2/5 Average score: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️ not as bad as i first listened, but by no means good i hear what some of you are saying about this being "important" as a proto-punk album, and i'm sure this was influential for what we know as punk today. however, influential doesn't always make something good imho
Punk rock noise. 2/5
I wanted to like this and there were things that I liked. The riffs were decent, especially for the era. It just didn't click with me. The vocals weren't great and the production sucked. 2.5/5
The Intro really got me hyped up. Unfortunately the rest couldn't really keep me hooked, just ended up sounding like the usual riot at the Rockfabrik two doors over. I do understand the parents concerns 🙂↕️
Crikey chaps, it's 6.30am, could you turn it down a notch?
i feel like i'm listening to this through an instagram story which would be passable if the music didn't suck
if the beatles went punk
01) Ramblin' Rose - 5,5 02) Kick Out the Jams - 6,5 03) Come Together - 5,5 04) Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa) - 5,5 05) Borderline - 5,0 06) Motor City Is Burning - 5,5 07) I Want You Right Now - 5,0 08) Starship - 2,0 TOTAL: 5,06 (51/100) Current ranking: 411/440
They were having a good time, I could barely make sense of it.
Sounds like I walked into a house party with a bad band playing in the basement.
This got off to a great start - the hyping up at the beginning made it feel like it could be a really high energy live album - but that good feeling dissipated pretty quickly. 1969 is very early to be a punk, but this is very much on the list because of what came after it rather than in its own right. Rambling Rose is a good start, but you lose the crowd energy very quickly afterwards, which means it just sounds like a bad recording. Completely the wrong mix, really takes away a lot - this kind of music lives and dies by its energy, and the mix takes out almost all of it. 2/5.
Many times rock music bores me. This IMO was boring and repetitious.
Kind of odd, but whatever.
Je peux comprendre que cet album est considéré vraiment essentiel dans l'établissement du punk rock, mais moi ça ne m'a pas autant fait vibrer qu'un Stooge. La production, même considérant que c'est un album live, est vraiment mauvaise aussi. J'imagine qu'il faudrait donner une deuxième chance. 4/10
It must have been fun to be a punk back then. This album, and others in the genre, are brightly angry and enjoyably jarring. Honestly, hard for me to listen to now. But I bet it was fun.
I don't much care for "live" albums. That said, this was pretty basic.
I didn't really like this one. Felt loud and disordered to me.
When I started this album journey, I initially expected the live albums to be a bit naff. The studio albums are how the band wanted to sound, so surely are the best way to listen, right? However, I found myself really enjoying a lot of the live albums, often more so than the studio recordings. This is not one of those times. Perhaps it is the time that it was recorded, but this all sounded a little too messy and didn’t make for a fun experience for me. I’ve never really seen the fuss with MC5 anyway, and this didn’t win me over. It’s not awful, but it’s certainly not an album I’ll be rushing back to listen again.
I bet this would've been great to see live. I respect it, I just don't like it. I think these guys were quite possibly drunk when this was recorded. Starship is a bonkers track that I didn't bother to finish.
lyrical content is not for me, musically it’s.. noisy. i do like the bluesy sound of “motor city is burning”.
A bit boring
Wieso ist das hier?
Kuulostaa siltä, että keikka oli tosi hyvä. Soittimet soi kuin studiossa oltaisiin. Ihan ok biisitkin, kaipaisin vain lisää tarttuvuutta, jotta menojalka vipattaisi paremmin.
Audio quality wasnt all that so couldsnt really tell
Yes the proto-punk is very cool and this seems a wild live show, but c'mon we all know this is only on here for the title track. Almost everything else is just forgettable
I admire the birth of punk, but I do not enjoy it unfortunately.
Guitar Riffs eat your heart out! not mind blowing, but a lot of them. Beat bops and gets the head nodding. Lyrics are nothing to be amazed by - some catchy some not. Would not listen to again or recommend. Not the worst I've listened to on here. Sounded below par mainstream of that era. Not memorable.
That Intro made me want to run through a brick wall!! After that just felt like they were a bit too horny during this show and were tryna get in my pants. Especially did not enjoy when the bloke was making slurping noises in my ear for a minute... quite odd. Otherwise good rock music.
I bet the concert was awesome, but this recording is not good at all!
Just didn't grab me. Must have been that weird falsetto in the opening track Ramblin' Rose that put me off
Good few first songs. Very middling afterwards. -1 for being a live album
Horrible
I do not remember what this sounded like but I'm pretty sure I liked it
Laat ik maar weer beginnen om te vertellen dat ik niet zo'n fan van live albums ben. De muziek is lekker Rock'n'Roll, maar niet heel bijzonder, zeker niet in de live uitvoering; veel te schreeuwerig en teveel ruis in het geluid zelf. **
I think this is a "innovative" or "groundbreaking" album for it's time. Otherwise it's a little basic sounding. Energy is definitely there but the songs are just fine.
Poor audio quality and production makes the live album hard to listen to. Some songs were interesting Standout songs: Kick out the jams Motor city is burning
This wasn't doing anything for me until I got to Starship. Starship caught my attention. So I went back. It had it's moments on second listen. I wasn't in the mood for this today. The live recording just made it sound a bit messy.
I was surprised to learn of the year after I listened to this, since it sounds a lot later in the hard rock scene than I thought. Also, they debuted with this? A live album? I suspect this is extremely influential, since it's not a name I've heard before, but it fits right in to the era of heavy metal that would explode a few years later. Still, I want more than this is giving me. Musically, dynamically, lyrically, it's not really trying for a lot. Plus, it has all the problems of live albums without much to justify a live recording.
I’ve listened to this album several times over the years, and I’ve never been able to get into it. Frankly, it’s just a mess. It seems like there’s promise at times, but it’s all buried under shitty production, the noise in the venue, and some really sloppy playing.
I can see the proto-punk in this album. It has moments of being interesting and starts to pick up by the end. Then Starship happens and it all falls apart again. A useful listen for understanding music history, but not something I plan on returning to.
For 1969, this shit rocks! Totally gives post punk vibes and I can see them being super controversial back then. Nice, short, rockin punk album. Not something I’d put on by choice, but it was still good. Listen again: probably not Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song:
Again instruments are so loud that the singer has to scream. Uninteresting, generic rock.
Chaotic proto-punk, this is just hard for me to enjoy, similar to The Stooges. It's rebellious and angry, but has very basic riffs that repeat too often and isn't very fun to listen to. Now I did enjoy the dueling scales in Rocket Reducer No. 62 and that's definitely the most structured song on the list here.
Ok, but would not listen again 2/5
Meh. Late 60's rock. Very much the sound of the time. No songs stood out for me. No need to listen to again.
Like, I get that it was inspiration proto-punk. But, YUCK. 2.1 stars
This album could have been an email
The energy is there for sure but the tunes not so much
Not bad, not great
Really no idea why an album like this makes the list. Early hard rock / punk. Wow.
I've always struggled with MC5. Too much rock, not enough roll. I'm all for the revolution, but preferably with a little more soul and a cup of tea.
I liked the energy, didn't love the quality and the last 3 songs of the album. 'Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk' wins my fave I think. 'Borderline' was good too.
I was going to give this a 3 because it’s short and not terrible, but then that last song, Starship, sucked so much I haven’t give more than a 2
Nothing that interesting here. Finally track on the album was a pain to get through.
Third 2 star album, maybe it’s just me at this point. There’s a reason most albums released are studio albums, live albums are unpolished and a bit shite. But I think unpolished is what these guys are going for which I honestly don’t hate. It’s better than your average live albums but it ain’t great
meh
I understand this came early and the Stooges and them were some of the first proto-punk, so hey, congrats on being there before others. But it's not enjoyable to listen to.
Welcome to the jungle, we got MC5.
Too loud, too self-important. It's like a bunch of hippies got high and thought that they knew how to save the world.
I'd say a live album wasn't the best intro to a band, but that's the debut they put out.
Would love someone to explain it to me. Greatest Hits = Not allowed. Live versions of an artists greatest hits = Allowed. Dumb. Just like this album.
Não me empolgou, pela lógica seria um show magnífico. Só reconheço a importância pelas influências nas bandas que realmente fazem shows que me interessam enormemente.
Really like
I get why these guys get the hype that they do.....sort of. Loud, aggressive punk that was ahead of its time. Sometimes the same three chords played over and over while the singer does their thing, does it for me. This did not. Having said that, it would be a fun concert to be at for all that energy.
Certainly ahead of it’s time, but still not for me.
Who? Not sure who decided that this was pro-punk rather than rock, and pretty medocre rock at that? Sound quality is not great.
Sounds like it would’ve been a fun show live, but through Spotify it just doesn’t translate for me.
maybe you gotta be from detroit or something…. id rather listen to early who or hell even the stooges….
This album rocks hard, but to channel Review's Forrest MacNeil, is it any good? Not really. The songs just aren't that enjoyable to listen to for me.
I can see this album being really impressive when it came out. I think its energy and message were already part of the Zeitgeist when I came to consciousness. It feels unimpressive and honestly kind of weird in a way that hasn't aged well. It's probably important. It's not for me.
Too messy
noisy 2/5
Much more energy than talent 2.4
Maybe it would've been cool to have seen this live, but lowkey this is ass if you're not stoned,drunk, or dying.
You know that Muppet band that just (poorly) wails on their instruments at any given moment? Yeah, this is what they were modeled after. I’ve mentioned I was impressed by live recordings sounding so so good. This one does not meet that bar. It’s like a Garage band that got a live gig.
I wanted to like this more.
Pretty groovy, pretty rocking. Hard to really get into as I've never heard them before and a live album makes it tricky.
Rock, sin más. No me llama el disco.
I get this is influential to the punk movement, but this just ain't it...like none of the songs are actually good
Raw, chaotic aggression but I didn't get it. Props for being the forerunners of punk though, big TIL.
I get why, as one of the firsts, they were so essential during the establishment of the punk sound. Unfortunately still not really for me.
I can appreciate and respect the skill required to sing/scream like this, but I just do not enjoy this music.
Yes, this was hugely influential. No, I didn't like it.
Listened to 5 of the 25 songs and decided I had heard enough. 3/10
Could only stomach listening to about the first third of each of these songs. I’m assuming I didn’t miss anything good.
I liked Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk. Kind of had a Hendrix vibe. Overall, I didn't really like this album. It was OK. I did, however, let the Spotify radio keep playing after, and some Captain Beyond came on. That was a highlight. Also, another MC5 song, The American Ruse, played. Man, that songs was right up my ally. This live album gets a 2 from me.
Interessanter Einblick in frühen 60er Punk/Hard Rock. Verstehe, warum es gefallen kann, ist auf jeden Fall high energy, aber ich fands auch irgendwie scheise... aber irgendwie auch geil
How many people with the t-shirt, or the poster, ever listened to this. Not bad for what it is, but it's a mess and a long way from the Stooges or the Experience offered in terms of melting their instruments onstage fuck hipsters - the Zombies should be better known than the MC5