"Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters," was the rallying cry of the MC5, a band that mixed searing rock & roll with radical politics, combining Chuck Berry riffs with a soundtrack from the flip side of flower-power counterculture.Draped in red, white and blue and led by the high-watt onslaught of stun-guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, bassist Michael Davis, drummer Dennis Thompson, and brain-shattering lead singer Rob Tyner, the Motor City 5 kicked out the jams and politicized every bystander in sight. More at rockhall.com...
The MC5 and Social Change : a Study In Rock and Revolution by
The MC5's 1969 live album Kick Out the Jams was a new measure of the relationship between music and cultural and political change. Evaluating the relationship between rock music and social change, examines how the rebelliousness of rock afforded both media producers and consumers a safe space in which to question social mores and ideas
MC5 : Sonically Speaking : a Tale of Revolution and Rock 'n' Roll by
The definitive biography of the MC5, with firsthand interviews.
The Future Is Now! : an Illustrated History of the MC5 by
The first book to tell the whole story of both the MC5 and the White Panthers, and is an essential document not only of one of rock's most revered bands, but also of the whole sociopolitical climate of late '60s/early '70s America.
Guitar Army : Rock & Revolution with MC5 and the White Panther Party by
The updated Guitar Army includes two dozen previously unpublished period photographs, recent writings from John Sinclair, and an introduction from Michael Simmons that leads the reader through the revolutionary times to Sinclair’s life today.
The Hard Stuff by 
Kick Out the Jams by
More than a history lesson or critical reappraisal of an influential album, McLeese documents the spirit and hopes of both the MC5 and the Detroit/Ann Arbor area '60s counter-culture. Written with an easy, entertaining style, McLeese comes across like a friend sharing stories from back in the day. For an admitted Motor City rock & roll fanatic such as myself, McLeese's Kick Out The Jams provides an important dimension to this often overlooked chapter in rock history.
MC5 : Kick Out the Jams
Sonic Revolution : a Celebration of the MC5All archival materials related to the MC5 can be found here. Listed below are notable collections and items of interest.
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These articles are available in the Free section of the database Rock's Back Pages.
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