Back In The Usa/Kick Out The Jams [Import]

MC5 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 29, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B001CDLALM
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,600 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Tutti-Frutti

2. Tonight

3. Teenage Lust

4. Let Me Try

5. Looking at You

6. High School

7. Call Me Animal

8. The American Ruse

9. Shakin' Street

10. The Human Being Lawnmower

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Ramblin' Rose

2. Kick out the Jams

3. Come Together

4. Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)

5. Borderline

6. Motor City Is Burning

7. I Want You Right Now

8. Starship

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big Bang!, November 16, 2010

By 

Bicycle Day - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Back In The Usa/Kick Out The Jams (Audio CD)

Part of an ongoing series from Warner Music UK, these are no-frill releases; there are no liner notes and the tracks are listed with the names of the producers on the back cover.

The initial two of three albums from the MC5 - "Kick Out the Jams" (1969) and "Back in the USA" (1970) - is an intriguing tour into a sonic sound that went through dramatic changes over a year-plus. The debut is arguably the greatest live rock release ever, which was recorded on October 30 and 31, 1968, at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan. Producers Jac Holzman - the founder of Elektra Records - and Bruce Botnick essentially stay out of the way and let the music do the talking; the power is incredible on the eight tracks that cover nearly 40 minutes. But a number of controversies surrounding the album found the band looking for a new label after Elektra executives couldn't stand the heat and set them packing.

Quickly signed to Atlantic Records and teamed with producer and former Rolling Stone magazine writer Jon Landau, the raw power is scaled back for a more conventional rock sound - which especially works on a pair of covers, "Tutti Frutti" and "Back in the USA" - covering 11 tracks which clock in at a mere 28:08. "The American Ruse" and "The Human Being Lawnmower" are timeless political statements (drop in the names of new career politicians and new wars, with the same calls of outrage from those who understand the real game on the international chessboard). "Shakin' Street" could have been an outtake from the Grateful Dead and the longest track - "Let Me Try," 4:16 - is a gem of a ballad.

Though forever tied to the White Panther Party and the 1968 Siege of Chicago, the MC5 proved to be revolutionary in a music industry where success was elusive....the bridge they built was converged upon by bands in punk rock and subgenres of heavy metal that could not be ignored or watered down by the suits in spiffy high-rise suites.

5.0 out of 5 stars classic garage band /revolution band at a great price, October 18, 2010

By 

Michael P. Dobey (colorado springs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Back In The Usa/Kick Out The Jams (Audio CD)

Mc5 were a great garage band who were both protometal in some songs and protopunk in others, Garage is interesting anyways in my book with many bands crossing over into it and the mc5 put out a slammin classic with 'kick out the jams' the sometimes angry sometimes just jammin garage band live opus. It's just a great cd even if today you can't really support the song about 'detroit burning' the damage it did to the communities that were burnt down only spiraled that city into far worse poverty than it was already facing, and was over the long run a huge catastrophe as many businesses didn't rebuild. However that song is a product of the times and should be taken as that. 'ramblin rose' is a classic song from that one that is true classic rocker on it's own. The whole cd is very good and should be in any true rock fans collection as a true powerful classic that crosses genres and times. The next disc is a more slick garage and pop garage studio album. It's not a classic by any means but it's not a bad cd. It came out a few years after 'kick out the jams' and it does have some gems on it like 'high school' and some cool versions of 1950's rock like 'tutti frutti' and 'back in the u.s.a.' the rest of the songs are band penned and they are not generally as powerful as anything on 'kick out the jams' however this is still a good garage band proto punkish cd that is worth a listen to. At this price you get two cd's in one package anyways so that is just a better deal all around. I would say grab this twofer if you love garage bands or even if you just want that true classic 'kick out the jams' which is a important highly rated cd in the history of rock. Some would say that the band was never able to live up to that one again but they still made several decent cds. "back in the usa' (included here) and the even better 'high times' at which point they broke into pieces. Get this set at this price you get alot of tunes for a good price and at least one classic album. ( and one decent one)