Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I did not enjoy this. The songs all sounded the same (except the last one, which just sounded bad). The singer's voice was awful. And if I had to hear the band say "thank you! thank you!" or "rama lama" one more time, I was going to lose it. It all just sounded like noise to me. I don't mind punk rock if it is a little more deliberately crafted, but this just didn't sound good IMO. Worst album so far I think.
unobjectionable and perfectly fine to listen to but not rly distinct for me in any way beyond being a live album (derogatory). motor city is burning was probably the highlight for me
I'm really starting to get a sense of the type of person making these picks and I think they just don't have a very diverse taste in music
I found a lot to like about this. The title track especially felt like the thing I imagine when I'm listening to The Beatles and think "I like this, but I'd really like it if it were more uptempo and like 20% More" Would prefer Starship lose the last three minutes but maybe that was because it was a live show recording? 3.5 rounded up
Decent...not my favorite protopunk (much prefer the Stooges) but can understand the influence. 3/5
I hate live albums sometimes….. this one isn't great. I the music would be better recoded in the studio. Loud, raucous, rock and roll from 1969…. Thats the big surprise. Sounds like a decade early. It isn't bad, i don’t think its really my thing, but I see how people like it. 3/5
MC5 is fun, but I’m not sure they deserve the legendary status they have achieved.
Another good album.
This was perfectly fine, but I really don’t see why it would make a list of albums you MUST hear. Didn’t feel like anything special.
I'm impressed by the band's punk energy, especially for 1969, but most of these songs are just about sex despite all the stuff at the beginning about starting a revolution and changing the world. It's annoying to hear a band pretend to be about something grand but then sing songs about simultaneous orgasms instead. I'm pretty sure that most people wouldn't exist without sex; MC5 hadn't discovered something monumental. It's ok to make songs about fucking but say something important if you promise to change the world.
Medium, stooges 10x beter
Zaboravio sam da slusam ista. Mogo bi da se vratim nekad ali not my cup of tea.
I don't know, I didn't love it. A little loud/screamy for me I guess. I'm sure it was super cool to be at the concert live in 1969, probably a real rager. It's just not doing it for me as a casual listener in 2023.
I didn't realize there were punk bands in the states in 69. they rocked hard! and apparently had quite the tiff with "the man" about incorporating an emphatic "motherfucker" in this album. pioneers man.. pioneers.
Couldn’t finish the album. Somewhat because I’m behind and somewhat because I didn’t want to. I will give them an extra star because I heard “Let Me Try” from their later album, and I loved listening to that song.
Pretty good. Don't see how it's punk from a sonic point of view.
Punk runs the world, but this album was a bit 'eh' - I'm not huge on live albums, particularly for bands I'm unfamiliar with.
Bands back then could rarely match the energy of MC5. They were a roaring, unstoppable ball of fire when they took the stage. Even when they slow it down, their force is undeniable. Not only is it a proto-punk masterpiece, it closes with an experimental noise rock statement. Mileage may vary, but mine goes far.
Album #37 I had never actually listened to MC5 before, so I was intrigued. I have heard covers of the title track before, though. This was a fun, short, lively, rock show. I'm always a sucker for counterculture so this fit the bill for me. 3.5 rounded to 4. 4*
It doesn't matter if people tell me this album is important because its the original punk album. There is so much wrong with it, it was hard to listen to. One dang star. My face after listening to this is the same as the guy's face on the album cover. 1 star for kick out the jams
nah, I don't get this one. Maybe if I listened more carefully I could enjoy the themes, but right now, this isn't worth finishing.
Not great not great. Just kind of noise
That was an actually great album! I know this band just because Rage Against The Machine covered the title song, but I never looked into the rest of discography. And apparently they were kicking the jams already in sixties! A lot of energy, a lot of great riffs and melodies, just overall entertaining and slightly antiquated album. From now on I know that the original song is at least as good as its covers.
Totalt forgettable
3.75
It’s interesting that this is so well liked. It seemed like it was just a college band playing fast and loud. Kinda cool they’re from Detroit but I’ve never heard of them before which makes me think they’re not too well established in the history books. Either way this was some below average singing with way too aggressive instrumentals. 4.7/10
Uuuuh ok? Anti kapitalistische punk? Nou, ik weet een zeker flikkerbipsie die hier behoorlijk enthousiast van gaat worden! Openingnummer gaat bizar hard. Ik wist niet dat gitaren zulk geluid konden maken en heb stiekem een beetje medelijden met die arme gitaren. Ben trouwens vooral verbaasd over wanneer dit album uitkwam - 1969? Was Punk niet veel later? Dit is NIET mijn shit... Misschien mn eerste 1? Ik heb nog weinig echt positieve dingen aan dit album ontdekt eerlijk gezegd. Ik geef het toch 2 sterren, puur omdat ik de creativiteit wel echt kan waarderen. Punk voordat punk bestond, dat is wel echt vet, maar de muziek is gewoon niet mijn ding.
Poeh die hoge stem in het eerste nummer vind ik maar niets. De nummers daarna moeten het zonder doen en zijn daarom een stuk beter te verteren. Het album klinkt behoorlijk rauw, best wel intens. Voor deze tijd moet het haast wel over het randje geweest zijn. Je hoort veel punk elementen terug in de muziek. Dit is wel een live-album waarbij er meer rauwe randjes zijn. Ik ben uberhaupt niet echt een scheurende gitaren liefhebber, en dit maakt het soms wel lastig om naar te luisteren. Daar tegenover staat dat het rauwe het een bepaalde lading en emotie geeft die ik wel charmant vindt. Hoe dan ook denk ik dat dit album wel een kleine remaster heeft verdiend, vooral als het als iconisch wordt beschouwd. De laatste twee nummers zijn niet best, vooral Starship is een soort koortsdroom, maar niet op een goede manier. Eigenlijk blijft een album over met een matig begin, best aardig middenstuk en een matig einde. Al met al een matige sandwich dus. Favorieten: Come Together, Motor City Is Burning
Poorly played, uninspired and just not very good. Can't think of any redeeming qualities.
peut comprendre que ca l'a influencé le punk i guess. agressif, rythme rapide. mais guit non inspirante. chanteur pas très bon. 4/10
Jag är inte så mycket för album som är live men annars så var albumet helt okej. Kan tänka mig att ha på det i bakgrunden igen.
I think the most remarkable thing about this is that it’s late 60s. If it was I’m the late 70s I could get it. But this ran way ahead of its time.
Genres: Proto-punk, garage rock, hard rock, punk rock Formed: Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963 Run time: songs, min, sec The debut album by the American proto-punk band. They were high energy and pushed the boundaries of accepted lyrical content. “Come Together” being a good example. I can’t imagine the meaning of the song registering with most people in that sexually repressed, conservative era. Spotify: Least popular song: >208k Most popular song: >18.2M plays. The songs are well written and played. These songs are a push back against the “Man” and the Establishment. They generally sang about issues that were important to them without any regard for acceptance from the record buying public. This explains their retrospective label of proto-punk (i.e. they preceded Punk and paved the way). They will have been quite something in the day, although I imagine their reach was pretty limited, because they weren’t mainstream. Listen Again?: No My Rating: ****
I get that it’s an important record and that it’s influential etc. just didn’t do much for me.
Gillar inte live-plattor. Än mindre med grupper jag enbart känner till namnet på. Dessutom är det här pissdåligt.
ahhh that is where kiss got their sound from
Такое се, не могу поверить что это написано в одном жанре с битлз. Ритм сопровожления иногда не совпадает с ритмом текста 0/5
One great song. The rest are ok. Not a must listen album.
Interesting and amped up time capsule from 1969 - a live punk rock education. A call to the barricades. Rocking along, energetic, choatic agro fun for slam dancing. The hoarse vocals are a bit painful. They sure put it all out there. This is real rock. interesting vintage listening, history lesson.
Another one where I can see why it’s on the list - musically and politically significant, great capturing of the live energy, etc - but it just doesn’t appeal to me as something to listen to.
I still have my U.S. pressing of this album that I purchased from Ashwoods for $1.50. Like any Stooges or VU albums, they couldn’t give this record away. I always thought it was one of the most raucous live albums I’d ever heard. But it wasn’t until later that decade, particularly when I got into Radio Birdman, that I appreciated the part this record played in promoting the so-called Detroit Sound. In 2004, I finally got to see the remnants of the band at Selinas when they were on their world tour as DKT-MC5, with Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer & Dennis Thompson in a band padded out by guests, including Deniz Tek from Birdman & Evan Dando from The Lemonheads. They were terrific. They opened with Ramblin’ Rose (one of the great live album openers of all time) & included all 4 songs from Side 1 of the album, and nothing from Side 2. Unfortunately my pressing has John Sinclair’s (see song about him by John Lennon)word “motherfuckers” overdubbed by “brothers & sisters” in the intro to Kick Out The Jams, but what a track. Tyner’s vocals are so crazy on this record. Anyway, I’m a fan. I love the covers. They’d played with The Troggs in ‘68 - I’m not sure what they’ve done here with I Want You, but it certainly rocks. And whatever Sun Ra had to do with Starship, it’s a cacophony that makes perfect sense. I imagine. Great production by Bruce Botnick. In the 60’s, you rarely got noisy live recordings that were this clear.
Side 1 of this record is one of the best sides of rock and roll ever committed to vinyl. It's sloppy and raw and loud and rebellious and offensive and fast and out of control, The decision to record the band live was unorthodox but inspired. They managed a great job of capturing the excitement of the MC5. That wild excitement has been massively influential on whole branches of rock since then. If I ever wanted go explain what rock and roll should be like, side 1 of this album is really the ur-text. I find the whole thing flags a bit on side 2, especially 'Starship', which loses focus a touch. The intro to Kick Out The Jams, however. is an iconic moment of rock. My recent-ish Rhino pressing has the "motherfuckers" intact, although Spotify has cut the whole spoken introduction . This proves that Spotify are gutless corporate milquetoasts.
It was fast, energetic, and fun
Pas très fan. Je vois le potentiel mais c'est pas assez abouti pour moi. J'ai bien aimé le début de /Starship/ cependant.
Jamais entendu parler du groupe auparavant. Pas mal en terme d'énergie mais comme toujours avec le punk, ça manque un peu de mélodie
говно "протопанк ебааа фазерс оф панк хуйня ебаная
Prefer The Presidents' song
"Kick out the jams, motherfucker!!!" When I was a teenager during the nineties, a lot of music journalists praised that album as an iconic one, a musically and topically relevant milestone in the history of rock'n'roll. I still agree this LP is topically relevant, and therefore understand its iconic nature in that regard. The thing is, it's a bit of a mess muisically speaking, is it not? The title track sure slaps hard, but I've always had trouble remembering anything else after listening to the album. It's not *dull* music at all, it's even filled to the brim with ideas. But is it *essential* music ? Well, the jury's still out on this one. Funny how MC5's second LP has all the opposite flaws, being far too tame to age well--especially after punk broke out. Those music journalists always referred to MC5 as the equals of the Stooges. But c'mon... Any of the three Stooges LPs is at least ten times more thrilling than those MC5 records. Funny how fads can even be "retrospective"--as in not about present albums, but about ones from the distant past. Number of albums left to review: 460 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 254. Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 127 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 161
Classic punk
super rough noisy psychedelic-esque bluesy boisterous dive bar rock recorded in a trash can.
I'm not sure where the appeal is with this album. That being said, it is rock, so I don't dislike it necessarily.
Not what I was expecting when I saw the 1969 date. Much more punk /hard rock. Still, not too bad, but not my favorite.
Has its moments but at times just sounds like a mess.
Great energy! Kind of a mess, and a bit repetitive. But, I gotta give it a little credit for the influence, for the groundbreaking "motherfucker!". I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would, unfortunately. Probably sticking with a 3 on this. Really wish it was more, but there's nothing catching me.
7.5/10 Fave track: Kick out the jams
I don’t like live albums, but this one had a tom of energy to it, which I appreciate. The songs are fine, would have been better in the studio, but there’s nothing atrocious here. They aren’t very innovative tunes, but the band is so electric that it keeps things fun. This album is best enjoyed when thinking of it more as a time capsule to the tumultuous period of the ‘60s in which it was recorded rather than a politically charged rock album. Not the worst live album I’ve listened to, but a live album nonetheless. 2/5
The album is good, but 1 star for being live
I can see why this is influential. Doesn't mean it's good.
Hyvä viini.. viimeiseksi jätetty... sitä ennen huono viini.. myrkyllä paskonu... Heiluttanu ravistanu musiikin nauttimiskyvyn.. pois.. Ihmissielusta.. Aikansa musiikkia siis alkupää... ÄLKÄÄ VITTU SANOKO PROTO PUNK.. ÄLKÄÄ HELVETTI...
6/10. This was decent
For 1969 this is messy. Grimy and dirty. Just really heavy and fucked up in all the right places. But we’re not in 1969 we’re in 2023 and so this album was mid. 6/10
This be one of the shitters you gotta cop on this journey. Live albums are tedious at the best of times, I quite honestly see no reason for them to exist, so a live album with outrageously bad sound quality was never gonna tick any boxes. There are moments on this where you can imagine enjoying seeing these guys live, there is an undeniable anger and noise that would be appreciated live. Unfortunately none of that translates onto the record itself. Fav Track: The first 2ish minutes of "I Want Rou Right Now" 2/5
Feels like cornerstone stuff. Great energy to the live record. Chewy thrashy goodness that peels itself off the fetid shambling corpse of classic rock and grows a body of its own. Fave track: Kick Out the Jams
MC5 was never a band I could really get that into - a bit boring for me. And live jam albums can really get a bit tiresome at times. Just not my bag. Fave track: Borderline
Recency is easy - The Who’s Live at Leeds came out one year later and sounds so much better. This might be the first album on the list that I thought was not well or under produced. Better production and it’s 4/5. Yea it’s generic by 2024 standards, because they were first. Relatively modern/70s rock sound that must have been awesome live. Wish they would have released a studio recording, but the album seems like an afterthought
Actually pretty fun album. Interesting choice to have a live debut and it pays off, I don’t think this would be anywhere close to what it is if it was recorded in studio
Nothing amazing for me. Title track is decent. Generally not a fan of live albums.
Yes you need to listen to this album once. Then put the title track on a playlist and never listen to the rest again.
I first listened to this record after reading Lester Bangs book Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung. And it’s listed on all the “influential” lists. I get that, and maybe one can hear where this pointed, but it’s an otherwise pretty straightforward live rock record. Maybe you had to be there. And on something.
It's weird to listen to a record that makes the Stooges sound focused and polished. I like what this record influenced more then this record. It was fine.
I can thank the MC5 for doing what would eventually become punk. But I just don't really jive with this album much. The recording quality isn't there, which is tough since it's live and everything. The songs are just okay. It's fine, and I will listen to it again, but more because I feel I have to than because I actually really enjoy it.
Nothing special
Pretty flat for a live punk album
👌
Punk rock
It rocks when I’m in the mood.
A lot of early proto-punk stuff is a bit rough for my liking, but MC5 were able to mix it with enough other elements and really make some awesome stuff. They sound unhinged here, and it's definitely loose but somehow it feels like controlled chaos.
There's something I can't place about the way they sound like they're simultaneously speeding through their set and packing up their instruments.
Wasn't bad I considered a three but not sure I would listen again
This was fun. Loud and wild, interesting little time capsule. I can only imagine how people must have responded to it back in 1969.
great protopunk
10/10 genius proto-punk, absolutely loved this I would love to start listening to their other stuff
4.5 this is amazing and so not what i was expecting! the first song set the bar high but the rest didn’t disappoint. i also listened to jeff buckley’s cover of the titular song and it’s stunning. mc5 were wayy ahead of their time this shit still slaps even though i don’t usually enjoy live albums. hard to choose a favourite but i want you right now followed by starship is one of the best song pairings i’ve heard in a while and such a good end to the album. there were moments i found myself tuning out of and i don’r remember being blown away by borderline hence the reduction of .5 but really overall i had an amazing time with this.
I respect the effort but this is just very much not my type of music. It reminds me of a less artsy VU, with way more attitude than I think any other band from the 60s that I've heard. 4/10
i want to like it more but really it's just a couple of cool riffs and some really cringe politics
Pretty nondescript on first listen.
I think I tolerated this for like two to three songs and then it got too much too fast. I thought the length was good- over 45 is excessive. Not much to say about this album, It just wasn’t too influential sounding in my opinion.
I have wavered between this being either: a) a sloppy and often pedestrian set of live tunes from a band that is cited infinitely more by critics than anyone I'd ever met in terms of how good they're supposed to have been ... or ... b) this just being a fun high energy live rock album with little to no thought needed. Being fair, energy mostly wins out - you really can feel the (mostly controlled) chaos on stage. It's not something I put on repeat, isn't the most melodic of collections, and gets pretty ridiculous by the end but some days you really need to turn it up to 11 and simply kick out the jams, motherfucker. 6/10 3 stars.
Strano, carino
Not gonna lie, when I read “White Panthers” I assumed they we some clan boys. I’m glad I was wrong. As for the music, I can see that at the time this was punk rock heaven, I would have likely geeked out on it, but the fidelity of the live album and lack of polish on songs impacts my perception. Overall, I enjoyed the fun atmosphere of it, and the passion certainly flows through. I’d give it a high 3.
I have a mixed love affair with live show recordings. On one hand, I'm all about live recording as a means to capture a band at their height, or to capture some particularly unique element of a live act; however, on the other hand, the recording quality and general music quality almost always suffers due to recording tech in combination with the environment. This latter aspect is certainly true here, where the recording tech struggles to capture all of the elements of what surely made MC5 a blast to see live. However, what this album lacks in particular recording clarity MC5 counteract with the equivalent of capturing a jet-fuel like energy in a tight set. Vocals on Ramblin' Rose are...interesting, but hell there is a lot of energy here. Feels almost like hair metal (a la Iron Maiden about 10 years ahead of its time). Halfway through, I appreciate all of the energy and the musicianship on display, but am annoyed that so much of the best elements are buried so deep in the mix (guitar solos primarily). Rocket Reducer is a hot mess by the 4 minute mark -- not loving it. Motor City is Burning has a standard blues-rock progression to it. Standard, but very capable guitar fills. I Want You Right Now might be my favorite on here. All in all I'm a 3 / 5 here. I think I can see how this could have been a more important album at its time, but failing that context I'm not terribly moved. MC5 certainly brings energy to the table, but a lot of it is lost in translation due to the recording. The last two songs were admittedly pretty sweet and I would have loved to be at this live show.
surprisingly i like this. very quick and listenable.
Are we allowed to give 7 stars?
Definitely not a fan of live albums - even less if they're 50 year old live albums. And absolutely not a fan of punk music. Luckily, this proto-punk mostly didn't sound like punk yet. The guitars and vocals were way too good for that. Motor City Is Burning even stood out as a pretty good guitar track. Taken together, I was definitely positively surprised - rounding up from 3.5
Just don't like it
I wasn't repulsed by this, but I also wasn't enjoying myself. Props for having...energy, I guess?
Unrelenting rock fury. 5 stars, motherfucker.
hated it lmao, i dont understand what they're saying.
Not for me.
That is some serious hippy hippy shake straight out of the Summer of Love. I think I heard a bit too much of this sort of thing as a child hanging out on a commune. No need for me at least to revisit.
Now I don't know much about anything but I think some of America's best young men served in 'Nam. There was Dallas, from Phoenix; Cleveland, he was from Detroit, and Tex... mmm I don't remember where Tex come from... but the point I'm trying to make is the world is a confusing place and Detroit bears some responsibility. Soul is from MoTown and Hippie rock is from MoCity and the Piston's are from Detroit. MC5, as I learned is not the name of five talented MCs, they're hiippie rockers from Detroit, or Motor Town, or Motor City, err the place they make all the pistons and there are five of them. Anyhow, screw war, make love and Forest Gump was a damn fine American.
I’m ready to testify! I’ve made a decision, and I’m not gonna choose a side - I’m gonna come right down in the middle on the MC5’s debut. Debuting with a live album is an interesting choice. The poor-quality recording fits the emerging punk ethos, and you can hear the evolution of punk out of surf rock and 60s pop rock on some of these MC5 songs. You can also hear the heavy classic rock riffs and wailing that suggest that the punk is not fully formed yet. You can hear some really unfortunate falsetto on the opening track. And in that opening intro, you can hear them drop a “m*****f*****” that was apparently quite controversial in 1969. MC5 deserve a lot of credit for being a bridge between styles and helping to shape the punk sound. But “Kick Out The Jams” on its own isn’t good enough. Maybe when they got into a studio and ditched the falsetto and whatever weird crap “Starship” was.
I do NOT like the falsetto in the first track, and no matter if I like some of the punk music that follows, this recording quality is shit and the vocals are unintelligible.
This was a 4 all the way up until Starship, which went off the rails. They were high energy, gritty, and rocking up until that point. But Starship is 1/5 of the album so it negatively affects the album.
Fuck you! This is the high society, this is the real high society!!! 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕
A bit too rowdy for me
Shocking nobody, I really liked this. There's no shortage of people who will tell you all about how important this album was for American culture. I won't waste your time with another recitation. Just know that it's true. This one was huge. But we're here for the music, right? And, from a musical perspective, "Kick Out The Jams" is an amazing moment at the crossroads of genres. It's a "missing link" album that shows the moment in time when the Vietnam-era rock peaceniks stopped "making love not war" and their anger with American nationalist culture boiled over and became something new. Something sonically violent and disruptive and impossible to ignore. It's a snapshot of a transition and I'd love it for that alone. But, lucky for us, that's not all that's here. It's right at the edge of punk with all of the violent energy that implies but it's ALSO at the end of the 60s with all of the layered psychedelic guitars and wild rhythms that come with the time period. This is still '69, after all. Influenced by their contemporaries like Hendrix, King Crimson, The Who, and more, MC5 brings serious musical chops to the stage. The guitars are every bit as shreddy and psychedelic as Floyd and the grooves grind every bit as hard as a Zeppelin joint. It's got everything you want in an album from '69 AND it brings the revolutionary energy of a punk band. How can you not love that?! It's musically fantastic. Add to that its cultural importance and it's an easy 5 for me.
Seminal late 60’s proto-punk album.
Energetic. Bluesy and kinda funky but also loose.
I'm still not sure if live albums should be in the list, but if they are, this is a good one! Messy and poorly recorded, but fast loud and fun. A clear influence on pretty much all of punk and most other rock that followed
Wot, no 'KICK OUT THE JAAAMS, MOTHERFUCKERS!'? A good primer as to what the MC 5 must have been like live. You probably needed to be there.
Its pretty good
This was really energetic and had some great tunes
Yeah this ain't it for me. Very high energy, but not my type of thing.
Generally don't care for live albums, but I wanna be part of the solution, man!! Fuck yeah!!!
very rough garage rock 2.5
Pretty standard for a live album honestly nothing special. I wish we brought back the trend of public address announcer giving a brief speech to the audience before shows. That seems cool.
finally they found their shape
It’s fine I can see why some people hate it.,kick out the jams and ramblin rose was good.But spaceship is 8 minutes of weird 60s (science fiction spiritualism?) that is very annoying to listen to.
Maybe you had to be there - this did little for me.
Songs are worth 3*, but the quality of the recording and weird change in volume levels drops it a star
One of the first protopunk albums. This one is more blues and garagerock. I consider (also because of the lyrics) The Stooges to be the true origin of punk. That opinion does not change my love for the album. It f***ing rocks as hell!
Good energy rock. 4
I mean, props to MC5 for not falling into the trap of folk music or psychedelic rock in 1969. They were way ahead of their time. Did I enjoy it, though? Not really. Too messy for my liking.
Kinda bland but not terrible terrible
Third live album in a short time. And another great one! Cool to debut with a live album. Seminal band just for the mix of politics, pure energy and loudness. Previously listened a bit to MC5 (love the track “looking at you”) but never listened to any albums. Electric energy but I probably won’t return to this a lot.
Heard one song (sorry) but the style was a drive at night in the 90's so it was a good start for the album.
Interesting live album. Never heard this band before, and I had a hard time really engaging with the live performance version of the songs. It wasn’t bad, but I tend to not be engaged in live recordings of songs I’m not familiar with.
Hørte det kun med et halvt øre, men jeg var ikke solgt.
Buff, un directo para empezar tu carrera musical. ¿Esto ya no se hace? El principio ya pone los pelos de punta con la intro de "Ramblin' rose" y sigue con el "Kick out the jams". Imprescindible escucharlo con la mente en el ño que se grabó: 1969.
Too much noise. Not enough music. Read it's important in punk music history, but it was more painful than pleasurable to listen to. Sounds of chaos but not in a good way
It has its moments with a few cool solos and such but not really doing it for me
Bangin' live music. Rough and loud.
Sound quality is terrible... I generally don't go in for live albums from the '60s for this reason. I really dug the opening speech though. Got me pumped!
Well, they kicked the jams. They definitely rocked out on this album, it's a bit grimy, raw, loud. A bunch of noise. I wonder why this album was chosen and I did not look up any history or context for this one. So based on quality I give this a 2. I'm sorry, we all can't be average.
A little to disorderly and chaotic for me
Wow. Hard to believe this was recorded in '68. If it came out today, I'd only give it 3 stars. But this was clearly ahead of its time, so I'll give it 4.
Man, 1969, what a time to be alive. And this album is ALIVE. Absolutely electric. You can hear a revolution. You can hear everything that punk rock would become. It goes 0-60 in 3 seconds flat and never takes any 1 of those 10 feet off the gas. (Except for in those pesky fade-outs which seem entirely unnecessary today and are probably just a relic of where and when this album was mixed. And honestly, there’s a bit of of character and appeal in that imperfection. A certain marinade for the raw flavor dished up across all 8 tracks.) I’ve never listened to MC5 or heard of this album. But this is just awesome. Great, great live album. THIS IS THE HIGH SOCIETY. I dig the experimental bend in “Starship” but don’t dig that song as a closer. This needed a high energy encore to take us home. 4+, rounding-up-to 5 STARS! Also just so great to hear a punk band behind before there was any inclination of what a punk band was. A punk band pulling on all their influences from rock n roll, to blues, to drawn-out, experimental droning. Just following taste and natural inclination, these 5 created something wholly new. Not unlike that which that other 5—Grandmaster Flash’s—created with the Message.
I blame this album for being the reason I got behind on reviews in the first place (I think I’m caught up on listening to the albums, just owe some reviews)! Here’s the pattern: I get to an album, one highly regarded with a huge cult following, people gushing about its influence or breakthroughness. And I think it’s fine. This album is fine. I listened to it about 5 different times and I think it captures the spirit of the show, I just found that I slowly lose focus and it creeps into the background and I am not very interested in what I’m hearing. I hear no major standouts, and before you know it I’m back at the beginning having wondered where the last 30 minutes went. So I just haven’t found anything to grab onto yet. And that’s just how it’s gonna be. 2/5
Never heard of this band. But I can get down with some 60s rock! \m/ Man this album has been fire!! I get some real strong Jimmy Hendrix vibes, mainly from the guitar sounds. But yeah these guys rock! They straddle the line between rock and metal imo. They're all white boys but they sound black. lol hmm they're from Michigan I guess. The last track Starship is very cool! Sinister and psychedelic. The last part kind of sounded like Willie Wonka in the boat scene.
A classic live album that paved the way for so much music to come, especially punk music. A really cool recording that captures them playing in their hometown of Detroit; you can feel the energy in the crowd and the tension in the air. The title track and "Motor City" are the two highlights of the album, with the latter being a ballsy bluesey cover of the John Lee Hooker song about the riots in Detroit the year before. Makes you want to torch a cop car listening to it. The whole album is only 39 minutes, shorter than most live albums, and it's rough around the edges, raw, and full of protest. Kick out the jams motherfucker. Indeed.
Never heard of MC5 before this. Great opening song, great closing song. This is some good old fashioned rock and roll!
That was some rock for sure. Couldn't tell if there was 1 singer or 5 I liked the pump up speech in the beginning of the show. More bands should do that to get the juices flowing
Second song already that Rage covered on Renegades. This is pretty raw and loud which I'm down with but some of it gets lost on me. Parts of Starship sound like some live Doors which was cool. Weird af but cool.
another album that's more important than it is good. You can hear the influence drip from every orifice, but it doesn't really sound that great.
Not bad. Not bad at all. I thought it would be hard to listen to since I don't like a punk.
Live primal US proto punk that has a reputation as an "inportant" album. (*which always makes me wary). Its fine, and the energy of the performance can be felt though the songs are not always great.
When you can't noisily throw random generic rock-'n'-roll stuffs in the studio so you made your debut album a live album...
Rock, sin más. No me llama el disco.
This would have been a fun concert. I don't know that I want to listen to it that much after the fact. I can understand how this would be been revolutionary at the time.
not my jam, 2.5/5
I've heard of MC5 before via a music documentary I watched that traced the roots of heavy metal and rock music all the way back to classical music and the blues. The name of the documentary was "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey". Once the narrator moves from the beginnings to the early days of rock, you see that he includes MC5 on a list of bands that he classified as "Early Metal". This list also includes other bands such as Blue Cheer, the Stooges, Mountain, Deep Purple, and others. I don't know about Early Metal for a genre type, but for a movement, sure. These guys are like psychadelic rock meets the beginnings of punk. At this time, bands were discovering how to distort their guitars, and overdrive their amps, leading to crazy fast thrashing and banging. The faster you played, the better the people liked it. It felt rebellious in a time where discipline and order were pushed hard. The kids who came out to these shows were the Baby Boomer generation: many of them grew up with war veterans as parents, which often led to strict military rules at home, so these bands offered an outlet for all that pent up aggression and anger. Those feelings can definately be heard through the political stance of the band members, as well as their live performance on this record, and though their lyrics. Overall, not a lot in the way of talent in the band. They could barely play instruments or sing, but as an idea; as a movement, this album is enormous. For that reason, I can see past the painful barrage of crash cymbals, shouted lyrics and loud distorted guitar. This is the start of something massive. It's like listening to the start of a star beginning to explode. From here, Metal would take hold, as well as punk, and everything in between. A great listen, and a great history lesson. Favourite songs: Kick Out The Jams, Motor City is Burning Least favourite songs: Starship, Ramblin' Rose, I Want You Right Now 3/5
Great songs by a great band, I'm sure it was an amazing gig. But this record sounds so bad
Proto punk in the 60s
Rawk! Also some more psychedelic moments than expected
L O U D
Rock n roll baby... Perhaps the non live version might of been better, perhaps I'm not musically adept, perhaps it is just shite, who knows. Kudos to the odd catchy riff - shout-out rocket Ronnie no 5. Album art wise, its negative marks for the yank flag. Positive marks for the Spangled expression on his face - I'll have what he's having and make it a double.
Noisy, muddy proto-punk (thanks Wikipedia) that has nuggets of interest, but also a lot of sludge
Turns out I really don’t like this stuff. Just too dated in this day and age. Plenty of energy tho. 2/5
Not a huge fan of live albums but this is filled with energy. Also cool to see where punk came from. Some great tunes on this record.
Pure Pre-Punk, Detroit style. Power rock at its finest.
Love this genre and MC5 undoubtedly rock, but they are also not as expansive as others.
Eh
Sonido muy sólido en general, con algunos clásicos y otros buenos temas. Volvería a repasarlo
I really enjoy this album, the guitar solos and riffs were fucking sick. At times the music made the singers lyrics incomprehensible which is a pet peeve of mine. This was awesome I look forward to checking out their discography.
MC5 just goes at one speed and volume and it's pretty constant. There's certainly an energy there and I bet it was a lot of fun to see live back in the day. I always feel pretty meh about live recordings, and this was no different. Fun enough.
Legendary!
Good punk album,
Good
Af en toe een leuke gitaarsolo, maar verder gewoon een berg takkeherrie. Het zal vast mensen hebben geïnspireerd, maar als hier iets goeds uit is voortgekomen, dan luister ik daar liever naar. Je eet toch ook liever friet dan rauwe aardappels met de schil er nog om en de kluiten aarde er nog aan.
Ik heb hier vooral plezier aan beleefd met sample- / orgineel spotten. Blijkbaar een inspirerende band. Muzikaal word ik er niet per se gelukkig van, komt misschien ook omdat de opname niet de beste kwaliteit is. Ik ga voor een basis van 2 sterren en een halve ster omdat het wel grondleggend is.
Rauwe rock & roll. Ik ken het nummer Kick out the jams, als cover van Presidents of the USA. Die waren lekker vrolijk, maar de jongens van MC5 zijn vnl heel boos lijkt het wel. Alsof alle frustraties er uitgespeeld moeten worden. Iets te gruizig allemaal, het klinkt zoals hoe die Ballroom er nu uitziet (check die foto op de wiki). Zo heeft MC5 het achtergelaten in 1969 waarschijnlijk.
Interesting
Reminded me of a grungier Rolling Stones in some ways? Or maybe I'm thinking more Led Zepplin? Idk, can't put a finger on it right now but it had a familiar enough vibe.
Eeeehhehhe
Kickass
Proto-Slop Klassic
Might be a 5. This is right, electrifying, and a taproot for my favorite features in music. Kick Out the Jams was of course a stellar song but that intro, and every other song was blistering
Oooh, a live album. Can't fault the energy here, but the 60s rock sound wasn't all that captivating
Loud and proud, a metric tonne of energy here. Influential and a great change from the proggy/hippy tunes popular in the late 60s
Great punk album! I loved it!
Estrena discogràfica en directe (gens habitual a l'època) amb un so cru, despullat, ple de riffs incendiaris i lletres més incendiàries encara. Fora de tot això, ha passat més a l'història pel seu to revolucionari que pel seu contingut, rock brutot i accelerat
I usually don’t like live albums. This was no exception. I hated this one. Terrible sound. Terrible songs.
Nopealla vilkaisulla eilen luulin, että pääsee kuuntelemaan M85:sta, mikä pettymys. Siis varmaan tää on genressään oikein mainio levy, mulle tulee näistä 60-luvun rokkijutuista aina vaan leffasoundtrack-tunne. Vaatteet on överihienot (katoin youtubesta).
Tää on näitä eläimellisiä ja tykkejä kaahailulevyjä punkin vaippakaudelta jolloin kaikki pierutkin kuulosti jonkin vastustamiselta. 4/5
Tää oli yllättävän jees. Hyvä meno.
Proto-punkin rouheet bassolinjat jyrää!
Hippie as fuck rock 2.5
3.75
They sure got the aggressiveness and the rebellious energy but the execution is lacking. It's a little bit messy but there's some good tunes on the album.
This was a fairly tedious listen if I'm being honest, but also a very necessary album, with the benefit of hindsight.
It’s ok. Not really a fan
More bands should make their live albums their first album.
I understand it’s foundational, but it just doesn’t lend itself to my ear. Nothing redeeming here, from lyrics to instrument work to vocals.
Raucous. Not something I'd listen to regularly, but undeniably exciting.
6/10
Classic i never knew about
So much energy. This sounds, tastes, and smells like the counter culture 60s. Makes me want to be at the concert. Rama lama fa fa fa and kick out the jams mother fuckers.
Prawdziwe praszczury punkowego rokowania, bo banda powstala w 63, a wywodza sie z detroid, wiec rowniez egzotycznie, bo nie kojarzylem tamtych rejonow z historia punka w hameryce, a kick out the jams grany na zywca, ktory jest debiutanckim krazkiem zespolu z 69, 40 minut materialu zostalu nagrane podczas dwoch wystepow na halloweena, jak to zwykle w przypadku na zywca glownym aspektem nagrania jest energia z jaka jest grana muzyka, a tutaj czuc, ze wychodzi ona wrecz dachem, co slychac po reakcjach tlumu pomiedzy trakami, a skoro punkowanie, to nie moglo sie obyc bez liryk z lewej strony kompasu politycznego zmiksowanego z nuta rewolucjonistycznej anarchii, wiekszosc trakow to mocne lojenie gitarowe polaczone z mocno ekspresyjnym wokalem, ale czuc rowniez influencje bluesowe jak na motor city is burning, dawno nie sluchalem livowych albumikow, wiec mila odmiana, z tego co widze banda nadal preznie wystepuje pomimo juz tak zawansowanego rocznika, na plejke leci tytulowy kick out the jams i wspomniany niebieski trak motor city is burning, klawiatura nadal wypluwa najczesciej uzywana litere w jezyku polskim w nilimitowanych ilosciach, wiec lista wraca na mrozenie
I thought this was pretty good, but it didn't resonate with me in any major way or anything.
Expected better, not for me.
It was like a more punk rock The Who. A lot of angst. Not my style
I quite like the jams they're kicking out here.
No masa del meu gust
Amphetamines, hey?
Lots of energy - they must have been amazing live. Not convinced it translates onto record though.
Were probably a really fun band to see live. A mix of classic rock with some punk energy thrown into the mix. Nothing too memorable though and I probably wouldn't listen a second time. Standout tracks: Kick Out The James - good melody, got my feet tapping. Nothing else really a stand out for me.
Another band I’ve heard about but never listened to. Like a lot of what gets billed as pronto-punk or whatever it kind of struck me as just very sloppy rock and roll. Didn’t hate it at all but I wasn’t seeing the big innovation. It’s possible they’re one of those bands that a live set isn’t the best introduction, for me at least. Of course it ends with one of those clangoring noise fests that may be sick when you’re at the end of participating in an energetic live show in the midst of an enthusiastic crowd, but mainly annoy me in recordings.
A blisteringly raw album - it’s first few songs are some of the most ínstense punk and rock and roll minutes in all of guitar music history - however the bar gets set so high that the rest of the album feels feeble in comparison. It’s still an awesome album but the energy that the MC5 brought to the world, the Stooges distilled it and bottled into the refined petroleum we know and love. Still this source of the river - and it’s well worth remembering that when listening to it.
Meh
I don't see myself throwing this one on again and again, but still enjoyed it.
Best part of the album might have been the announcement at the beginning.
I really really hated this the first time through, so I thought I'd better give it another go. Yeah, still didn't like, but appreciate the pure rock and rollness of it.
I liked this a bit more than I thought that I would at first glance. A couple of the tracks were kind of catchy...but it was noisy and rough most of the time for me. So, I was just barely holding on for much of it.
At first, this was just loud and muddy but it finds itself about half-way through. Some great energy.
This had all the issues of being a live album for me. In general, I don’t tend to love being introduced to new songs on a live album recording. this one felt pretty noisy. Probably would have enjoyed it more if the recording was clearer or if I heard a studio track. As it is, I just couldn’t get into this.
Started out strong, but got weird near the end.
Never heard of this band and I really dug the guitar work. Unfortunately the singer is just way too weak to lead this kind of band. His voice just wasn't powerful enough and it showed. 2.5/5
Love it, hate it, I don't mind at all. The messy nature of punk in this form always erks me.
A bit too rough and raggedy for me
Rousing, angry, loud, and energetic from start to finish. Made me think of a neighborhood garage band. And a pretty damn good one at that. Never heard of them until listening to this but I liked it.
This rocks so hard. Hard driving, shambolic, visceral. Uncompromisingly badass. Love it. Fave Songs: Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa), Kick Out the Jams, Borderline, Motor City Is Burning, Come Together
I do enjoy this. It's just so raw
This album totally rocked! Super impressed, one of the best punk albums—or live album I've ever heard. Had never heard of these guys but will dig into them more and for sure being replaying this. Really resonated with me upon first listening.
Notes - Live album from hard rock band MC5 - Often credited as a precursor of punk - You can really get an idea of what it would’ve been like to watch them play live - Definitely crank the volume Fav song - Borderline - I love how messy this song is, sounds like they’re just going off of each other so the whole thing feels like it can fall apart at any second - Really cool chord change about halfway through Least fav - Motor city is burning - Blues jam that felt like it went on a bit too long Closing song starship - lots of super cool sounds and ideas! 4/5
Can absolutely easily hear their influence on future heavy metal and punk.
It's a bit surprising it was released in the 60s, seems ahead of its time. That being said, it doesn't have as many hooks and interesting moments as some later punk.
Du proto-punk, excellent album, un peu gâché par le live de l'époque (selon moi bien sur)
I think I need to watch a documentary about punk to fully understand this type of music. Between proto-punk, punk, post-punk, and every other type of punk I clearly don’t fully understand the prominence of this era of music. As it stands, this album was like most punk albums I’ve gotten where it has some cool guitars but I can’t find any other positives. This is like a 2.5
Proto punk slaps, even from detroit. Weird vibes and mattress anxiety
I know MC5 for one reason: the Presidents of the United States of America covered "Kick Out the Jams" on their debut album. The Presidents' version is far more polished, which is hardly surprising given how raw MC5's original is. And that raw sound—which borders on amateurish at times—defines the entire album. But that's not criticism; it's what makes the album quintessential proto-punk. The fact that it was recorded live emphasizes the lack of polish and allows their personality to shine. I was originally set to give this three stars, but then I listened to it again ... and again. And a little more. And it holds up. The track that stands out the most is "Motor City is Burning," not necessarily because it's better than the rest, but because it's the bluesy eye of the sonic storm, providing a stark contrast from the proto-punk chaos that surrounds it. But I'm not seeing a throwaway track here. They're all solid. The album's loud and dirty and imperfect, and that feels just about perfect.
Hard fast 60s in your face rock. Totally my style.
Wanna know where punk came from? Definitely somewhere around here.
I get what the band is trying to here. But the energy is completely directionless. It's all over the place. I can totally see pnk coming from this, but I felt that a good deal of punk still has a bit more focus. This just sounds... drunk.
You can definitely feel the energy on this one - at every song conclusion I'm just waiting to hear someone smash their instrument. Which is good because as musicians they're average at best. There's some heady social commentary on Motor City is Burning and between some songs, but otherwise it's pretty sex-fueled drivel (except for the weird but intriguing Starship). I mean sex, drugs, and rock & roll but maybe a little more variety? Thanks to Rage I love Kick Out the Jams and the original is solid (enough melody and lots of energy in their flawed playing). I think my ultimate rating is more based on knowing what they pioneered than their own ability.
Punk makes some people want to kick things. Feedback makes me want to kick things. I know they're groundbreaking and this is considered a classic. I'd probably go up to a 4 based on the energy and the fact that they were ahead of their time, but too much feedback is an automatic 1-point deduction (minimum). Favorite tracks: Kick Out the Jams (obviously), Ramblin' Rose (even with the weird high singing), Borderline (rockin' track), Motor City is Burning (good blues). Least favorite - anything with too much feedback, particularly Come Together and Starship.
"Brothers and sisters, the time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you are going to be the problem or whether you are going to be the solution." Well, this record is undoubtably the solution. Absolute masterpiece.
This one gave me a headache.
A bit mad for me
Fun listen. I've heard of MC5 but never really listened to them before.
A little too many sonic displays for my liking.
Bit noisey, but not bad
meh
Find me another punk band who can play seven quality songs and then record the absolute insanity of Starship; Won't be easy. The solos leave something to be desired. That about sums it up: This was an energizing listen, stands up against the intervening decades of music, and still sounds like it's coming from the bottom of a dirty bucket. What more can a guy ask for?
Probably a lot of fun actually live, but this album was too noisy. Decent protest rock and guitars wail, but not my cup of tea.
I honestly think I don't like the live recording. I don't think the acoustics are great. It's in the direction of things I like.
Would have much rather preferred this as a studio album instead of live (and probably would have bumped it up a star or two). This proto-punk sound just doesn't really work live on a first listen for me. The bluesy Motor City Is Burning is about the only effective track in this format, due to its different style.
This just seemed like a lot of noise at times. Not sure if it was because it was a live album or not but struggled with it.
Some cool guitar
When I was 15 or so,a friend tried to get me into this album and but I didn't enjoy it. But now, I'm not sure why... This was pretty good, except the last song
Not my favourite, and fairly unmemorable.
2.5/5 Hard to believe this is from 1969. I can see how this would be influential to the punk rock scene in the 1970s though. Two of the songs are pretty good, the rest just seem like noise. Might get better with more listens though.
Groundbreaking, raw, but slightly dull
Damn! This is Rage before Rage. Fuckin' love it!
This is a new band for me. I think I’d enjoy this more if I’d heard studio versions of the songs first. But the live recordings definitely capture the energy of the band. They sound like a great live act - the lead singer in particular is pretty wild. (That closing track “Starship” tried my patience though.) Highlights: “Kick Out the Jams,” “Motor City is Burning” (some nice blues riffing here), “I Want You Right Now” (I feel like this track gave me the best sense of who MC5 is as a band)
Loving the punk rock energy all throughout; it must be a pretty sick live show, though I'm not sure all the feedbacky play translates to at-home listening.
Pretty fun album. I love the live philosophical announcement at the start of the record to start dancing. I like how much energy is in the songs, but it does come across as all being one speed and not too dynamic. I don't love how it can be pretty cacophonous at times- like the end of "Rocket Reducer No. 62 - Talk" is just some really discordant and grating guitar riffs. The next one, "Borderline" is more of the same, and maybe even worse because the guitars are incredibly scratchy, panned to each ear, and consistently "off" from the drums which makes it sound like one big vehicle that is crawling towards a destination but the machine is breaking down and parts are flying off as it gets there. I tend to like raw music but this one I think I would really have to be in the right mood to listen to. I'm sure the live show is better than hearing it recorded too.
Unstoppable energy, scrappy jumpy live album. Good fun.
Had never heard of these but it was kinda funky - in a good way. But probably won’t seek out any more of their music.
no thanks
When i was driving to work this morning, I thought "my day really needs some anarchic rock and cosmic jazz". MC5 delivered.
Genre: Proto-Punk 3/5 Another decent live album from this list, MC5's Kick Out the Jams is a pretty interesting glimpse into what would end up becoming quite a mainstream rock movement: lefty punk/hard rock. Equal parts political, equal parts noise rock, this thing is a trip. The late 60s birthed plenty of good, plenty of bad, and also plenty of ugly. This particular live album does a great job of highlighting all three, although not all in the same quantities. The boisterous, rebellious intro, outlining the radical left positions of the day (don't let the man get you down, etc.), sound a bit dated and a little forced, considering these positions weren't necessarily held by them until they were taken under the wing of White Panther, and political provocateur, John Sinclair. The songs themselves are certainly portals into the future, showcasing a raw, heavy sound that wouldn't be mainstreamed for at least another decade or more, but in its infancy it sounds a bit too chaotic. The title track is a fucking jam, but the rest of the tracks pale in comparison, and beyond the occasional political interjection, the rest of the album kind of just sounds like a heavy rock record. While I can see the place this album holds in the history and progression of punk and garage rock, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. But not bad.
Had it on, couple of good tracks but it didn't hook me in, I would listen again
This is fun in a barn party sort of way. depends heavily on how into barn parties you are into at time of listening. Motor City Burning is just a heavy blues song.
Each individual song was a good late 60s rock jam, but with only one dynamic setting (loud) it got monotonous.
It’s all a bit messy and that’s sort of the point but I doubt I shall return to this album as there are far better punk and proto punk albums out there. Guys, you can get over the shock of hearing the word motherf*cker on an album, now.
It's MC5. I can't say anything bad
1969 was a great year for Elektra Records and the rumblings of punk rock in a state largely known at that point for Motown. With one record, MC5 grabbed the collars of every and any prude that stood in front of them and shook their foundations with only five words: words that everyone knows by heart but is unfortunately edited out here. It's not all woeful here, though, as the rest of the music contained here is flat out incendiary in its approach to rock and roll and bits of jazz; one could see and hear where they would end up in a year's time. MC5 were a rock and roll band at heart, they just so happened to provide the blueprint for one of the more consequential genres of music to come. Kick out the jams, motherfuckers! Favorites: Ramblin' Rose, Kick Out the Jams, Come Together, Rocket Reducer No. 62, Motor City is Burning.
Classic garage band and Patty Smith's hubby played for them.
Ces gars-là ont une très belle énergie, ce qui suffit à les opposer à Leonard Cohen.
Je n'ai pas eu la moindre nouvelle de mon camarade d'écoute robtheillère depuis plusieurs semaines. Si vous avez quelconque information à partager, merci de me contacter sous le review du prochain album de Stevie Wonder. Merci d'avance.
Couldn't get into it so much
Not like.
It's time to kick out the jams motherfuckers!!
Fun listen. Didn't know of MC5 before. I'm seeing that this is considered a precursor to punk and I can totally see that. Loved the anger and passion (and, of course, the jams) that are so apparent here.
Meh. Live album which reminded me of Van Halen but a decade prior.
I get this is influential, but it is also a mess.
Very heavy man, fight the power!
Rugged rock!
Makes me want to quite my job and start a garage band
This record is very very good. But A 5? Ehhh. I absolutely love The Stooges and the MC5 is right up their alley, but for this album it just seems too loose to be the “masterpiece” that it’s been considered by music snobs and slobs everywhere. It’s good I’d say, but not great. Heavily influential as all hell, but I’m gonna have to side with the 1968 Democratic National Convention on this one and label the MC5 as not exactly my thing
Holy fuck. Let me repeat that just in case you didn't catch it the first time. HOLY FUCK. The energy emanating from this album could power all the homes in Detroit for a year. It's rare that a band's debut album is a live album, but I can see why in this case. It's hard to overstate the power of this album and its importance in the history of rock n' roll. Gotta give it up to my motor city homeboys the MC5. 5 stars.
Oh wow, I’ve heard of MC5 and the phrase Kick out the Jams through a local night, but had no idea what kind of music it was, so I was interested to hear how this actually goes. Unfortunately, it was talentless, god awful noise. Maybe ahead of it’s time but not an enjoyable experience at all. How disappointing.
KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHERFUCKERS PREFS: TOUT MOINS PREF: RIEN
Definitely a cool part of music history that’s very important to hear. I just wish the quality of the songs was a little more consistent; this is great in songs but not as a whole album for me.
Drab at moments, but has a few shiners.
I didn't enjoy this. Dated and messy.
My main problem with most live albums is that feeling that it probably would have been good to have been there, rather than hearing it secondhand and muddy. I imagine at the time, this raucous noise would have been great, but in the rear view mirror, it was superseded by the Stooges and all that followed. Kick Out the Jams is still good though.
Is fully what it is – which is mainly chaotic and screechy. I guess you had to be there. Might also help to know more about the jams they were aiming to kick out and how/why they were/are different than countless other politically outraged combos yowling their heads off in garages around middle America. Maybe just screechier and more chaotic? The big, slabby, psychedelic guitar riffs are decent; one half-expects them to break into “Wild Thing” at a few moments. Their oft-repeated “thank yous” at the end of every song are interesting; for outraged protesters, they seem awfully grateful and even mannerly toward the audience (not that that’s a bad thing). What this is not is musical or very listenable. Like, literally – it’s nearly impossible to hear what’s being shouted … er, sung. Also seems worth noting that a good bit of what's audible sounds like it might be about love and, you know, girls, not the military industrial complex, the pigs, racism, etc (though of course one can make out a bit of that stuff, too). Lastly, would Sun Ra consider this a tribute? Maybe including one (or more) of his records would help us know. 1.5 for 2 (and only because rounding up makes me feel slightly better about my lack of political commitment and because I’m sure the live shows were fun and as many got laid as achieved consciousness-raising).
4/5/22
okay sound, but definitely ahead of their time and have to give them props for that.
Not my favorite by any means.
Ábyggilega miklir stuðtónleikar. Stemmingin skilar sér samt ekki alveg á plötu.
MC5, very important yadda yadda
Raw and powerful. Really getting the excitement pumping from minute one. Roots of punk, roots of metal. Just excellent stuff. And Detroit natives to boot!
Can see how influential it was but doesn't make it much good.
chaotic but pretty fun.
Came across this last year. Proto-punk apparently that burst kicking and screaming into the scene before getting banned obviously. It's pretty good if you're in the mood for raucous noise and energy. Musth've been great live in the 60's.
Had tried years ago to get into this one when this was cited as one of the main influences on punk into grunge era bands. Liked the vibes and energy more than I liked most of the songs. Do appreciate what it did for popular rock over the next 50 years tho.
I know this album was quite influential but this was a boring listen for me.