The MC5 is sort of like the person you hear singing in the shower and you think to yourself "what an amazing singer" and you somehow get them in front of a group of people to sing and it just doesn't happen.
Back in 1968, the MC5 was just another garage band out of Detroit that one Halloween night, fueled with ample amounts of drugs, electricity and left-wing politics, released one of the most explosive albums of the 1960's, Kick Out the Jams. Even though most people never even made it to the end of the album (a friend of mine joked that "Borderline" carried multiple meanings), it remains the album by which they are best known. In 1969 it seemed like there was nowhere to go but up.
Their debut studio album, Back in the USA was a total disaster, marred by lousy production and an unimaginative list of songs. Also working against them behind the scenes were nonstop problems with the record industry. Elektra dumped them after Kick Out the Jams and they were now being handled by a nervous Atlantic.
This takes us to High Time, their final album. If the band hadn't been on the verge of dissolution, it would likely have marked the beginning of a new era, where they finally figured out how to craft their sound in the studio. While it never captures the energy of their debut, some of the avant-garde exploration has returned, and there are even some new flourishes, like some horns on the opening and closing tracks and a little piano as well. Vocalist Rob Tyner presages latter-era Robert Plant and even Bon Scott on a couple tracks.
Tracking down High Time took a bit a work a few years ago, but fortunately a friend came through for me. It seems like while Elektra in hindsight likes to tout their foresight in releasing Kick Out the Jams, Atlantic seemed content to forget that the MC5 was ever on their roster. Nowadays with the rise of the MP3, etc., it's not hard to find additional MC5 material at a decent price. You kids today don't realize how good you have it!
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