Guess it was televised after all.

I wish I had hair like that (again).

Why the fark does that guitar guy have his mouth open like that?

Not only does the MC5 rule... they obviously gave beauty tips to the mars volta

Kick out the jams Motherfarkers!

Nice post

I thought it was Grace Slick. But, the Airplane never rocked like that.

Why the fark does that guitar guy have his mouth open like that?

Because, he's not a shoegazing pussy. He's rocking out.

Go Fred go.

Awful in every way imaginable

Marty Ackerman: /Am I wrong

no, someone had to do it.

Robert1966: Guess it was televised after all.

As often is the case, the first is teh winz.

Yeah, the MC5, sticking it to the man! You tell 'em dudes, the revolution is right around the corner! Down with capitalism and imperialism!

Or: they were a bunch of working class mugs who hitched their wagon to John Sinclair's White Panther party, because Sinclair needed a rock band for his movement and was willing to finance them. The MC5 had about as much interest in politics and revolution as they did 10 minute guitar solos. So, in the end, just another bunch of poseurs, too bad, they have some really good songs.

/Prog rock laughs at the MC5, says "Try and stop us"

Love me some MC5 - Back in the USA is a good album, but nothing else ever captured the energy of Kick Out the Jams. (Well, 66 Breakout comes very close, but it wasn't an "official" release)

barneyfifesbullet: Because, he's not a shoegazing pussy. He's rocking out.

Go Fred go.


The MC5 kick much ass, but it's pretty obvious they're miming, so one might question exactly how much "rocking out" is really going on.

(BTW, it might just blow your mind to find out that some people, specifically me, love the MC5 and the Stooges, and love shoegazers like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Also, shoegaze-godfathers Spacemen 3 were MC5 fans as well, even covering their songs)


Henry Holland: they were a bunch of working class mugs who hitched their wagon to John Sinclair's White Panther party, because Sinclair needed a rock band for his movement and was willing to finance them. The MC5 had about as much interest in politics and revolution as they did 10 minute guitar solos. So, in the end, just another bunch of poseurs, too bad, they have some really good songs.

/Prog rock laughs at the MC5, says "Try and stop us"


Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Yeah, because there were no other political bands/songwriters before or during the MC5's career. Just Sinclair and his puppets.

And yeah, the MC5 certainly never wrote/covered typical rock songs about love and sex. They only wrote those political songs Sinclair made them write.

And, ha ha ha ha, yeah, prog rock isn't build on a firm foundation of poseurdom and pretension. I direct you, at random, to Nektar's Remember the Future as your first example of how totally sincere and unpretentious prog rock is.

Thanks for the good laugh. Made my night.

ArturoBandini your ideas are intriguing to me and i would like to subscribe to your blog.

Henry Holland: Yeah, the MC5, sticking it to the man! You tell 'em dudes, the revolution is right around the corner! Down with capitalism and imperialism!...

/Prog rock laughs at the MC5, says "Try and stop us"

Gee, imagine that, a rock and roll band trying everything they can to get heard and not entirely living up to the image they put forth. Stop the Presses!

And I don't really see Prog Rock laughing at anyone. Prog Rock is probably more concerned with making concept records about Mountain Kings and dystopian governments that outlaw rock and roll, rather than mocking bands like MC5.

With that said, I give you a 2/10.

I've read more about the MC5 than I've actually listened to. That was a decent song.

This is not their best song or even a decent clip.

Do a You Tube search and find the live outdoor clips from Tartar Field at Wayne State University in Detroit from 1970.

This one is excellent "Looking At You"

With that said, I give you a 2/10

Damn, that's kinda harsh. I mean, isn't this

Thanks for the good laugh. Made my night.

worth a 5/10 at least?

I already pretty much said this last week at a "prog" thread but I will repeat it here now as it is more relevant.


It was bands like MC5,The Stooges and the Velvet Underground that truly saved me from the pretentiousness of prog.

As a young musician and aspiring songwriter I was all wrapped up in that over the top heavy handed prog pretentious crap and it really messed up my development.

It was honest,sincere and more simple straightforward music that I needed.

You just love that "punk rock made me see the light" conversion story, don't you, craigdamage? That's the problem with religious moments, they're unique to you.

It was honest,sincere and more simple straightforward music that I needed

So, everything ELP, Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator, Genesis and Tull did from 1971-1974 was dishonest and insincere? That would have been news to the members of those bands (I won't vouch for anything past 1974/early 75, it's clear prog went off the rails after that for the most part) and the fans who flocked to see them in concert and bought piles of their albums. Busted about the "simple straighforward" thing, but that's like someone on a prog board complaining because the Ramones don't have 15 minutes songs with alternating sections of 7/8 > 11/8 > 5/4 > 9/8 = misses the point.

The punk rock conversion story is as boring as "Well, sure, I've spent the last 5 years doing great drugs, having wild incredible sex and having the amazing experiences that a decadent lifestyle provides, but I'm sober and going to church now, I've seen the error of my ways" or "I was a Democrat until 9/11 changed everything" stories.

Henry Holland: With that said, I give you a 2/10

Damn, that's kinda harsh. I mean, isn't this

Thanks for the good laugh. Made my night.

worth a 5/10 at least?

Oh all right, I'll give you 4/10, BUT only cuz you mentioned Van Der Graaf!

And I have to admit, the prog group that's been melting my brain recently is a group produced by Mutt Lange from the 70's called City Boy, with a record called Dinner At the Ritz. I don't know if I should be blown away or horrified, but it makes for a truly unique listening experience!

/City Boy
//you've been warned!

For every conversion story like Craigdamages, there were 20 people who had been playing 30-minute versions of Dazed and Confused in cover bands that suddenly cut their hair, exchanged satin for leather and ended up like this:



Of course, by 1982, they had ditched that for this:



which lead to this:



and finally to this:



You've learnt no lessons
all that time so cheaply spent
there's no youth culture
only masks they let you rent

lol I'll be damned....turns out they deserve the rep

whoa this is slightly weird...
i just heard the song [the studio version actually] for the first time last friday evening when it was on cbc radio.
i listened to their last album [1972 ish?] clips of it on amazon, and it was pretty cool.
i'm liking them more and more.

Third_Uncle_Eno: whoa this is slightly weird...
i just heard the song [the studio version actually] for the first time last friday evening when it was on cbc radio.
i listened to their last album [1972 ish?] clips of it on amazon, and it was pretty cool.
i'm liking them more and more.

Yeah, their last record, High Time, is my favorite by them. To me, it sounds like they were able to combine their ferocious playing style of the first LP with the pop sensibility of their second.

Henry Holland: For every conversion story like Craigdamages, there were 20 people who had been playing 30-minute versions of Dazed and Confused in cover bands that suddenly cut their hair, exchanged satin for leather and ended up like this:



Of course, by 1982, they had ditched that for this:



which lead to this:



and finally to this:



You've learnt no lessons
all that time so cheaply spent
there's no youth culture
only masks they let you rent

Punk rock led to glam metal and Nickelback? In what universe? Those are all things that were popular at some point but nothing indicates that one led to another, or that the same people enjoyed all of them. Your war is over Holland. Condolences, the progs lost!

stupid guitar
Yeah, their last record, High Time, is my favorite by them. To me, it sounds like they were able to combine their ferocious playing style of the first LP with the pop sensibility of their second.

yeah that's the one.
at one music store, 'new' sealed vinyl versions of "high time", "back in the usa", and that famous live album, are $24 each.

at another music store [hmv], a cd version of that live album they did is like $10.

pretty crazy...

zappaisfrank:
Do a You Tube search and find the live outdoor clips from
Tartar Field at Wayne State University in Detroit from 1970.

Who the hell are all those people just standing around on the
stage and why are they there?!

It's something I've always wondered about when watching
videos of concerts from the 60's-70's, because you see it in
every concert from that period.

zappaisfrank
This is not their best song or even a decent clip.

Do a You Tube search and find the live outdoor clips from Tartar Field at Wayne State University in Detroit from 1970.

This one is excellent "Looking At You"

Thank you. This rocks, not familiar with their stuff, only heard the name. For all I think I know and have heard, its nice to be blown away.

AgentOrangeDrink: Punk rock led to glam metal and Nickelback? In what universe? Those are all things that were popular at some point but nothing indicates that one led to another, or that the same people enjoyed all of them. Your war is over Holland.

Not really big on that "reading comprehension" thing are you, AOD? Read the first part again, it was mocking Craigdamages "Thank you Jeebus! I've seen the light! No more multi-sectional songs with Em7b6#9 chords in 15/8! Three chords and attitude are where it's at! Praise Jeebus!" conversion story by pointing out that for every person who had their Road to CBGB's moment like him, there were dozens of others who jumped on the punk bandwagon and when that faded out hopped on the new wave bandwagon and so on. Glam metal certainly was a fashion consequence of New Wave and grunge was a direct reaction to glam metal. So it goes.

Condolences, the progs lost!

Try telling that to Muse, The Mars Volta, Mew, Coheed and Cambria, Pure Reason Revolution and large chunks of the metal community (prog, speed, symphonic, avant) and their fans, among others. There will always be players and fans who want more out of rock music than 3 chords and teenage rebellion and lust.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Henry Holland: AgentOrangeDrink: Punk rock led to glam metal and Nickelback? In what universe? Those are all things that were popular at some point but nothing indicates that one led to another, or that the same people enjoyed all of them. Your war is over Holland.

Not really big on that "reading comprehension" thing are you, AOD? Read the first part again, it was mocking Craigdamages "Thank you Jeebus! I've seen the light! No more multi-sectional songs with Em7b6#9 chords in 15/8! Three chords and attitude are where it's at! Praise Jeebus!" conversion story by pointing out that for every person who had their Road to CBGB's moment like him, there were dozens of others who jumped on the punk bandwagon and when that faded out hopped on the new wave bandwagon and so on. Glam metal certainly was a fashion consequence of New Wave and grunge was a direct reaction to glam metal. So it goes.

Condolences, the progs lost!

Try telling that to Muse, The Mars Volta, Mew, Coheed and Cambria, Pure Reason Revolution and large chunks of the metal community (prog, speed, symphonic, avant) and their fans, among others. There will always be players and fans who want more out of rock music than 3 chords and teenage rebellion and lust.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

My reading comprehension is fine, you said glam led to Nickelback, not that it was a reaction to it. Also, I was quoting The Big Lebowski in a gently mocking manner, but pretty much all the bands you listed really suck. I liked the Mars Volta's first album when it came out for a while but there will always be players and fans who want more out of rock music than pretentious wanking and sanctimony. Good tunes, for instance.