Kick Out The Jams
by MC5

From JohnnyRocketFingers 10/02/2008 08:35 | #1421 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Exposing the real 60's, Kick out the Jams is one of the best albums of the 60's and all time. As doop said, a literal explosion of drugs, sex, and violence. This album is what rock n roll is all about. When Kick out the Jams was first released it was the most controversial aside from Velvet Underground and Nico ever. It is an unbelievably good debut and showed that live albums can be much more than just something you release to end your contract with your record company. Along with the three Stooges albums and the Four Velvet Underground Albums, Kick out the Jams planted the seeds for punk, post-punk, hardcore punk, pop punk, alternative, and hard rock. Wayne Kramer's guitar playing was fresh, fierce, and unforgettable and fitted Rob Tyner's vocals perfectly. Dennis, Michael, and Fred "Sonic" Smith made the music flow and back in the 60's it would be hard to find musicians who could play this loud, noisy, aggressive new rock so well together. The MC5's influence and the influence of Kick out the Jams spreads across almost every genre. A a closing note i would like to list Kramer's advice to guitar playing and musical success:

1. Plug the thing in. I'm no technical wiz, but I've noticed that electric things always work better plugged in.

2. Wash your hands, You play better with clean hands.

3. If you have to sing and play guitar, practice by yourself before you do it at band practice; you don't want to bring down the rest of the band by making them watch you learn how to walk and chew gum at the same time.

4. Always wear your coolest clothes onstage. It's better to look good than feel good.

5. Work on developing your own sound

6. Learn music-not guitar

7. Write songs (with words!)

8. Watch other guitarists' hands-and feet

9. Breathe-don't hold your breath

10. When smashing the guitar keep a smile on your lips and a song in your heart (Edited)

Alongside the Stooges, the music of the MC5 reflected the darker underbelly of the rapidly fading hippie ideal set within the violent industrial wasteland of Detroit. Not as accomplished or stylized as the Stooges in my view, but nevertheless this album remains an historically significant document of the time and a proto-punk classic. (Edited)

From lancashirearab TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/23/2012 07:02 | #45122 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Another great live album. Not many get into my collection, but this is such a good one. (Edited)

Raw rock'n'roll at it's most fiery. Full of grit, hunger and passion. Just what it should all be about. (Edited)

From RoundTheBend TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/24/2016 04:32 | #160640 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Awesome energy and guitar work, but is kinda lacking in songwriting (although Motor City Is Burning showed they could do more than just be hard, loud and fast)... or at least the recording doesn't allow for it to translate well. I wonder if kick out the jams would be just another track on here if it weren't for the RATM cover (meaning is it the RATM cover that gives the songwriting clarity and translates it into something much greater similar to All Along the Watchtower with Hendrix/Dylan?)?

Part of me wishes it had this energy, but was a studio release, but part of me loves the raw live energy. (Edited)