Love, Rock 'n' Roll Style

These days more and more people are realizing that the MC5's "Miss X" is the ultimate rock 'n' roll love song. While listening to an original copy of High Time, my friend Paul first made that comment, and upon the slight amount of though needed I realized he was right. Just weeks ago while watching the first episode of Eastbound & Down I saw that show's brilliant producers agreed. ...Enough to make Wayne Kramer the show's composer, so if you still haven't watched that show, there's yet another reason. So, in effect this entry is dedicated to my friends Tommy and Mike who made my love of the show possible... at least at the time at which it happened.

Rob Tyner's voice is at its soulful best and the band channels all its energy into a more focused and elegant sound than previously heard. Like the rest of the album it is rawer than the previous album, but still cleaner and more accessible than Kick Out The Jams. "Miss X" stands out as one for the ages and its sincerity will pull at the heart strings of any true rock fan. Written entirely by Kramer it justifies why he is the man most synonomous with the group even more than the mere fact that he unlike Rob Tyner and Fred "Sonic" Smith are gone and he is still around. I have looked for video footage of them performing this song, curious as to how it would translate and what would be done about the piano and organ parts, but no luck. If you have any link to such footage please share!

This is an essential record for all curious about Detroit rock as it is often considered their best and other classic songs include the opener "Sister Anne," "Poison," and "Future/Now." After a live album and one that was jsut too clean and pithy the MC5's swansong at last captured their legacy. It is perhaps the greatest testament to everything great that the Detroit protopunkers achieved.


The MC5 - High Time (1971)