Album of the Day

As MC5 frontman Rob Tyner recalled in the liner notes to KICK OUT THE JAMS, “We were considered killer, righteous, high energy dudes who could pitch a whang dang doodle all night long.” Indeed, the Motor City quintet's debut album, cut live in 1968 in Detroit's Grande Ballroom (the band's hometown stronghold), is a no-holds-barred call to revolution that rocks from its notoriously expletive-laden start to finish. The dual guitar firepower of Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, and the thundering rhythm section of bassist Michael Davis and drummer Dennis Thompson help make this one of the loudest, most intense live albums ever recorded – when Tyner sings “Motor City Is Burning,” these are the guys pouring gasoline on the fire. This seminal proto-punk set was released 50 years ago this month, yet its anti-establishment fury remains just as relevant – it's time again to KICK OUT THE JAMS.