#mc50

Detroit’s MC5 (Motor City 5) were among the architects of punk rock. I don’t say that lightly. In the history of punk music, people point to NYC or the London scene as the birthplace of punk, but Detroit in the late 60s is where both MC5 and The Stooges were laying the building blocks of what became punk rock in the years that followed. MC5’s song “Kick out the Jams” was a burst of rebellious energy in 1969. I listened to the cover version by Bad Brains and Henry Rollins on the Pump Up the Volume soundtrack many a time growing up. I have their 1969 live album Kick Out the Jams on vinyl in my collection and its rebellious burst of garage punk is a political statement that’s stood the test of time. As much as they amassed a cult following, they only released two studio albums (loads of live and compilations though). Since their initial break-up in 1972, they have reunited multiple times over the years. Last year we lost founding guitarist Wayne Kramer and founding drummer Dennis Thompson, but just in time for the MC5’s long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame they released one last studio album Heavy Lifting. But this week we got a buried treasure of a live album. In 2018, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic MC5, Kramer toured with an all-star lineup including Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron (also of Pearl Jam until recently), Billy gould of Faith No More, Marcus Durant of Zen Guerrilla and Brendan Canty of Fugazi as MC50. The live album 10 More Live drops this week from earMusic.

album cover

When this tour was happening in 2018, I reached out to the publicist to see if I could cover the Boston show and alas I wasn't able to. So for me, this live album is cool for fans that couldn't be there. For live albums, MC5 has nothing left to prove since Kick Out the Jams is one of the best live albums of that era. This is NOT an MC5 live album, it is a tribute band of sorts with a cross section of musicians influenced by MC5 performing some of their songs with Kramer, who is clearly the star of this album. As a longtime Soundgarden fan, having both Thayil and Cameron touring in a band a year after Chris Cornell's passing got my attention and they both truly seem to be finding solace in this proto-punk pioneer sound. It does feel like an afterthought to be getting this live album seven years after the tour, but I like that the tour is getting the live album treatment and preserved for music geeks in years to come!

For info on MC50