Telling the story of the MC5

book-cover-mc5Brent Callwood‘s MC5: Sonically Speaking is an expanded edition of a 2007 British book. That book – as well as this one, obviously – tells the story of the Motor City Five, the Detroit rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse best known for “Kick Out the Jams.” Theirs was a rocky story, blending as they did their politics with a rock ‘n’ soul sound. The MC5 was a band that influenced more bands after they broke up than fans they had when they were first around. Much like labelmates and fellow Detroit citizens the Stooges, the band was ahead of their time, and more than a little out there for the end of the ’60s.

Sonically Speaking does an excellent job of telling the story of the band, rather than blending the individual stories of everyone involved. This is the tale of the MC5, not five stories of people who came together for a time as a rock act. At the book’s outset, there’s a good amount of focus on the band’s first manager, John Sinclair. Founder of the White Panthers, the story of his Artist Workshop is integral to how the band evolved in the days before they signed to Elektra.
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