Agreed. I bought that not ever having heard a single song because I'd heard so often how great it was and how great the MC5 were. I didn't relegate it to "never ever listen" status, but it's the next step above that. About 99% of the value of that record is in its historical importance.
While I feel some degree of pride about getting Smiley and Superdave to agree on something, regrettably, they're both taking a crazy person's viewpoint. We're talking Ron Paul-Dennis Kucinich ticket crazy. "The American Ruse," I'll admit, may be better than "Kick out the Jams."
Stayed sober, sure, but regardless of what he says now, he has tried drugs. From an old interview with Creem:
He may be sober now, but I doubt it was always that way. As a member of the concert committee in college we had an emergency call to action to procure speed when he came to play. Maybe it was for a band member and not Nugent ...
I have to admit that I think they may be right. That album has not aged well. Once in awhile I still get the urge to hear the MC5, but compared to the glory that is "Funhouse" for example, "Kick Out The Jams" sounds like it would have been a really good time back in 1969. Side One of the LP still kicks ass, no doubt about it, but the set runs out of steam on Side Two. "Back in the USA" is just lame. "High Time," OTOH, holds up OK. Nothing particularly important or timeless, but it's a solid hard rock album.
Back in the USA has great songs, but they're marred by really limp, constrained performances/production. And I'll agree that the first half of Kick Out the Jams beats the hell out of the second half, but that first half is just sublime. Not fair to compare it--or anything--to Funhouse! As far as I can tell, the only band Smiley and I agree on is early Alice Cooper (the band, not the solo stuff). It boggles the mind to think of the great hard rock that Detroit produced in the late 60s: the MC5, the Stooges, Alice Cooper, the Amboy Dukes . . . hell, even early Bob Seger rocks.
I'd love to see a deer sneak up on him and kick him hard in the balls while he's taking a nap....several times. One (sorta) hit wonder and just overall moron.
Because of yesterday's find and the subsequent discussion, I've already listened to Billion Dollar Babies, an Alice Cooper live record, "Journey to the Center of Your Mind," and a few songs from Funhouse this morning. I will now throw on Kick Out the Jams.
It's a fine line between fascist and moonbat I wonder if Bojendyk thinks that Moby Grape was another 60's juggernaut