Customer Reviews

The Hard Stuff

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For Wayne Kramer, the hard stuff isn't drugs. It's the rock'n'roll life--day jobs, booze, blaring amps, police sirens and struggle. Constant struggle.

Kramer has been pushing since 1967, when he and his bandmates in the MC5 sailed a spearhead of protopunk metal and righteous political anger out of Detroit and into...absolute obscurity. Their "spiritual adviser" John Sinclair got sent to the slammer over two joints, the band split with their major label, singer Rob Tyner and guitarist Fred Smith died, and Kramer has done hard time. "I've been trying to sell out for years," he says, "but nobody was buying."

His solo debut sounds unlike anything else out there: an autobiography and a sociopolitical diatribe that embraces guitars of cold hardened steel, William Burroughs reveries, Marxist rhetoric and avant skittering. This is real rebel rock, pumped up by indie-undie ringers from the Melvins, Pennywise, the Vandals, Circle Jerks and Epitaph label owner/ex-Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. But it's fueled entirely by Kramer's conviction that worth-while songs must have butt-kicking music and lyrics.

"Pillar of Fire," "Crack in the Universe" and "Incident on Stock Island" are lessons in humility, taught as ex-convicts murder in the 'burbs, Los Angeles burns and excess testerone boils into violence. "Edge of the Switchblade" may be the best song written about a band. "It was all for the music, we barely got paid/We were the edge of the switchblade," Kramer sings, invokingthe MC5's ghost over razor-wire chords. "Realm of Pirate Kings" and "Hope for Sale" flog demon capitalism too archly, but they're balanced by "Sharkskin Suit", a willfully goofy ode to "the Cadillac of suits" with tortured, caterwauling guitar strings tucked in its lapels.

Despite his chiseled writing, Kramer speaks loudest with his Strat. Riffs drop out of the mix like blockbusters, random squawks and guttural honks burp throughout his hardscrabble tales. Let there be no doubt, Kramer is one Mother who can still kick out the jams.

Great songwriting and intense musicianship. Do you think that bands like the Hives and White Stripes are original? Why dont you listed to the original bands and musicians that influenced them? Wayne was the guitarist of the MC5. In this album, he hasnt lost any of the intensity in guitarmanship and the songwriting tells some great stories of his past.

Highly recomended. List to Johnny Badseed. Electrifying!!

Brother Wayne Kramer. Proto-punk guitarist. MC5 rocker that helped define modern political discourse in music. Umm, how many bands had the resolve to actually play the Democratic Convention in '68? NOBODY. The MC5 played amongst the police battalions ordered by Mayor Daly. "Fort Daly" was attempted to be sewn up like Singer, but the MC5 ripped it to shreds!
Yup. You heard it here. Reformed street thug that served time and today gives back to prisoners with his sincere activism. You do know Brother Wayne recently kicked out the jams at friggin' SING SING in Ossining. You tellin' me that Cash at Folsom rocked harder?

This solo record pummels you from the beginning. You know it's Brother Wayne from the get go. His playing replicates hot rods pulling off the line when the light turns green. There's fractured melody in there, too and thus a listener doesn't feel alienated.
His lyricism updates the MC5's politics to be more inclusive of current struggles; but the record has no shelf life! The words still ring true.
His playing is still menacing. Having worked with him on a number of occasions, his politics are sincere and his dedication to making positive impacts on today's communities is unquestioned as evidenced with his work in Road Recovery.

Wayne's vocals may not have the soul swagger of Mc5's Rob Tyner, but there's honesty you feel ringing through your speakers.
This record is a testament to Kramer's soul force, resilience, and transcendence.
Find another storied guitarist that plays this hard; as if this was his first record.

There's not a bum note on this album. Wayne gets together with members of Bad Religion, Claw Hammer, the Melvins and others in the MC5 appreciation society to create some serious R-O-C-K. "Crack in the Universe," "Bad Seed," "Pillar of Fire" all sound like classics Kramer and Co. pull out of a hat, while "Poison" revisits that old panic in Detroit. There's a junkie's nod to Johnny Thunders, some sartorial silliness ("Sharkskin Suit"), even some spoken-word drama. And the sly album packaging echoes the classy jazz look of Blue Note, with an old-school liner note appreciation by Henry Rollins. Don't forget to turn it up!