Babes in Arms

MC5

Product Details

• Vinyl (January 9, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Roir
• ASIN: B00004WNLZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #535,090 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Rob Kemp- TimeOut NY
"Watch yourself with this one: You may burn your fingers." --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Description
Classic early MC5 material recorded between 1966-1971. Re-mastered for cd includes rare out-takes, personal demos, mixes, uncensored versions, remixes...Historic. 15 Tracks performed with unrelenting passion and fury ripe for that time period. This is the real thing. Liner Notes by Mick Farren and an epilogue by John Sinclair. Includes: Kick Out The Jams, Sister Ann, Poison, American Ruse, Shaking Street & more. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MC 5 - 'Babes In Arms' (Roir), December 7, 2003

By	Mike Reed (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Babes in Arms (Audio CD)

This fifteen track disc is a nifty collection of remixes,demos,
and uncensored edits from MC 5's lead guitarist Wayne Kramer's
own private vault. All these cuts were recorded from 1966-71.
Their other guitarist was the late Fred 'Sonic' Smith, who sings
lead on the pleasant-souding "Shaking Street".I sincerely hope
that my copy doesn't wear out 'cause I tend to play it quite
often.Simply love the TOTALLY ripping uncensored "Kick Out The
Jams....Mutha.......".
Vocalist Rob Tyner sounds like he's having the time of his life.
Also enjoyed the wailing guitar line on "Gold" and not to
mention their moving cover of Van Morrison's "I Can Only Give
You Everything". The final two songs are the best this CD has
to offer,"I Just Don't Know" and "Looking At You" are early
numbers the band played when they FIRST formed.Only down side
is that since Smith is gone and Tyner has passed on as well
means that there can never be a true MC 5 reunion. Great sound.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the MC5's "best", December 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Babes in Arms (Audio CD)

This CD is a reissue of an early-1980's cassette-only release, and is packaged with a sticker (attributed to guitarist Wayne Kramer) proclaiming this is the "best" of the MC5. I disagree. There is a lot of top-quality material here, but the full last third of the disc is comprised of songs that are either tough to listen to or that don't warrant repeated listening. The CD opens with a fantastic outtake, a slightly more tasteful version of "Shakin' Street" than on the "Back in the USA" LP, with acoustic guitar accents by Fred Smith. This should have been the primary version and is almost worthe the cost of the CD. The original "uncensored" version of "Kick Out the Jams" is included here, but it is now the standard version on CD release of that album title, and having listened to the "brothers and sisters" version on my original LP for all of my high school years and the decades beyond, I kind of wish the censored version was available on CD, because there's more of a point to it. "Sister Anne" was the "Kick Out the Jams" of the MC5's final studio album, and really packs a punch. After presenting a generally good selection of MC5 material, the CD takes a sharp downward turn with "Gold." This song, it is claimed, was recorded for a movie soundtrack. It's easy to see why it wasn't selected, as the song doesn't amount to much more than sprawling noise. The rest of the CD is just very un-extraordinary material recorded pre-Kick Out the Jams, interesting for a listen or two but not much more. If this is intended to represent the "best" of the MC5, consider that only the title song off "Kick Out the Jams" is included, and that a song like "Teenage Lust" is overlooked. This CD has its merits, but is pulled down by the final songs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early Heavy, April 7, 2006

By	Peter D. Page (Wickenburg, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Babes in Arms (Audio CD)

The MC-5 [Motor City Five] was the real deal. The electricity rips through these recordings, opening you up to a new understanding of "rock music". Of course, the blues influence is also here as in all great rock music. Distortion guitar at it's primal majesty. Real vocals that meant something then, though the message may be a bit dated today. Also, try Iggy and the Stooges for a taste of what real rock music is all about.