MC 5: Rob Tyner (vocals); Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar); Michael Davis (bass); Dennis Thompson (drums).

Recorded live at Russ Gibb's Grande Ballroom, Detroit, Michigan on Oct. 30 & 31, 1968.

Includes liner notes by Rob Tyner.

Rather than try to capture their legendary on-stage energy in a studio, MC5 opted to record their first album during a live concert at their home base, Detroit's Grande Ballroom, and while some folks who were there have quibbled that Kick Out the Jams isn't the most accurate representation of the band's sound, it's certainly the best of the band's three original albums, and easily beats the many semiauthorized live recordings of MC5 that have emerged in recent years, if only for the clarity of Bruce Botnick's recording. From Brother J.C. Crawford's rabble-rousing introduction to the final wash on feedback on "Starship," Kick Out the Jams is one of the most powerfully energetic live albums ever made; Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith were a lethal combination on tightly interlocked guitars, bassist Michael Davis and drummer Dennis Thompson were as strong a rhythm section as Detroit ever produced, and Rob Tyner's vocals could actually match the soulful firepower of the musicians, no small accomplishment. Even on the relatively subdued numbers (such as the blues workout "Motor City Is Burning"), the band sound like they're locked in tight and cooking with gas, while the full-blown rockers (pretty much all of side one) are as gloriously thunderous as anything ever committed to tape; this is an album that refuses to be played quietly. For many years, Detroit was considered the High Energy Rock & Roll Capital of the World, and Kick Out the Jams provided all the evidence anyone might need for the city to hold onto the title. ~ Mark Deming

While the Rolling Stones were perhaps the first rock band to merge rock & roll with tales of violent revolution (i.e. their classic "Street Fighting Man"), no one did it as convincingly and as whole-heartedly as Detroit's MC5. Managed by the notorious White Panther Party member John Sinclair, the MC5 rocked with a vengeance that was unparalleled at the time--the band was rewarded years later by being heralded as punk rock originators. Few have been able to top the ferocious intensity of their classic debut, 1969's in-concert KICK OUT THE JAMS.

Although the album fared well on the charts, it was surrounded in controversy from the get-go; the record company wanted the group to edit out a vulgarity included in the introduction to the title track. The friction would lead to the band parting ways from Elektra soon after, but all the hoopla could not take away from the stellar quality of KICK OUT THE JAMS. Be prepared to be blown away by such songs as "Rocket Reducer No. 62," "Borderline," "Starship," and the title track, to name but a few. KICK OUT THE JAMS is the undisputed Holy Grail for fans of blaring, high-energy rock.

Q (7/01, p.88) - Included in Q's "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time".

Q (1/92, p.82) - 3 Stars - Good - "...begins with what is one of the half-dozen most exciting moments in rock'n'roll..."