•
Rating:
THE REVIEW
The album I am about to review is the second album following the explosive debut of the MC5 with "Kick Out the Jams". This second album by MC5 titled "Back in the Usa", in honor of Chuck Berry, was produced by music critic Jon Landau, future producer of Bruce Springsteen and Shania Twain, and perhaps for this reason it is much more ''mellow'' than their debut, being a mix of blues rock, garage rock, rock, and proto-punk. Now I will proceed to the actual review of the album.
The album opens with the cover of Little Richard's famous 1955 song Tutti Frutti, which the MC5 make much more rock while not losing the cheerfulness of the original version. The second track, Tonight, is a great blues rock/rock track and the track after Teenage Lust follows its lead, although it makes the song more engaging, ending with a great drum piece. Let Me Try, on the other hand, is a ballad that I would define as psychedelic rock style with sounds that remind me of Planet Caravan by Black Sabbath, for example....
Looking At You, on the other hand, is a fast-paced garage rock / proto-punk track that brings back the sound of their debut, just like the next track, High School, with the same sound although Davis' bass is very present, and I would further define it more as a proto-Ramones song than a proto-punk one.....
Call Me Animal is a garage rock track in every respect, but the next song, American Ruse, is a song that lashes out against the hypocritical idea of freedom taught in the United States, and remains one of the most beautiful tracks on the album.
Shakin' Street, in my opinion, remains the worst track on the album, a song I find repetitive and filler amid an underrated album. In the next song, The Human Being Lawnmower, the MC5 lash out against the Vietnam War.
The last song is a cover of the Chuck Berry single from 1955, his song Back in the USA, which is not completely overhauled by the group.
Weighing up this album, I would say it is not like the debut, "Kick Out the Jams" but perhaps precisely because of this, it is underrated, though it remains a good album. One of the weaknesses of the album in my opinion is its duration of only 28 minutes with 11 songs present.
TRACKLIST
1-TUTTI FRUTTI (Little Richard cover)
2-TONIGHT
3-TEENAGE LUST
4-LET ME TRY
5-LOOKING AT YOU
6-HIGH SCHOOL
7-CALL ME ANIMAL
8-THE AMERICAN RUSE
9-SHAKIN' STREET
10-THE HUMAN BEING LAWNMOWER
11- BACK IN THE USA (Chuck Berry cover)
LINEUP
Rob Tyner - vocals
Wayne Kramer - guitar
Fred ''Sonic'' Smith - guitar
Michael Davis - bass
Dennis Thompson - drums
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
MC5's 'Back In The USA' is a strong but more mellow follow-up to their explosive debut. Blending blues rock, garage rock, and proto-punk, it features notable covers and socially conscious lyrics. Though underrated and shorter than expected, the album delivers powerful, engaging tracks with a clear political edge.
MC5
MC5 were an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, active 1963–1972. Celebrated for high-energy performances and radical politics, they became key proto‑punk influencers. The classic lineup featured Rob Tyner, Wayne Kramer, Fred “Sonic” Smith, Michael Davis, and Dennis Thompson. Their signature live debut, Kick Out the Jams (1969), is a touchstone of Detroit rock.08 Reviews
Other reviews
By nix
"This is not a book. It’s a prolonged insult, a spit in the face of Art, a kick to Divinity, to Man, to Destiny, to Time, to Love, to Beauty... to whatever you like."
"MC5, who in 1969, but only that year, danced on our filthy corpses... What remains is 'Kick Out The Jam.' Fortunately, the System could not make all the vinyls of that masterpiece disappear."
