Sunday, February 21, 2010

MC5 - Back In The USA
















Second album by these American radical political rock band, MC5, originally released in 1970 and by the time been re-released in CD format under Rhino Recs. in 1992. MC5 developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1968 debut album "Kick Out The Jams". Their initial run was ultimately short-lived, though within just a few years of their dissolution in 1972, the MC5 were often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era.
There are some first-rate songs on the album, some good musical ideas, and the musicianship is competent throughout, often fun, sometimes exciting. "Musicianship," here, is used as a concept - the idea of a "solid, clean, tight and together" sound is as self-conscious as the total freak out the first LP was. Chuck Berry simply oozes from the album. It also shows that the MC5 were ambitious and it would be more fully realized on their next (and sadly last) album High Time. The guitar soloing on Looking at You is pure rock and roll, noisy and full of emotion. In fact, Fred "Sonic" Smith's soloing is excellent throughout the entire album. Besides sounding like one of the first genuinely punk records way back in 1970 (nothing The Stooges put out sounded like this), it's just plain fun - as fun as the Ramones first album. The production on alot of it sounds like you're listening to an old AM radio, which I personally think is kind of cool. Anyway, who needs their ears blown out all the time? If you're interested in early punk, Try this one!

Download MC5 - Back In The USA full album.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

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