Search - Mc5 :: Teen Age Lust

The best live release by the band since "Kick Out the Jams"

09/17/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'd probably rate the CD at 5 stars if the sound quality was a little better. The CD is in real stereo, but like many of the other live recordings that have surfaced and been released since the band broke up, the main problem is the balancing of the lead vocal with the instruments. On this recording it's sometimes difficult to hear the vocal at all. The sound improves after awhile on some songs, but is always a little muddy and compacted, and you can hear tape hiss, making me believe the original tape was probably recorded at a low speed. Apart from the sound, the performances are fantastic, more professional and tight than on Kick Out the Jams, but not razor-sharp with no bass like on Back in the USA. Highlights would be the take on "Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa", "Human Being Lawnmower" (on which the vocal is nearly inaudible, unfortunately), and "It's A Man's World." The "Kick Out the Jams" medley isn't that impressive at that end. It's hard to top the live version at the Grande Ballroom. It's ironic that John Sinclair produced this release since he had no involvement with the band at this stage of their evolution, and some of his comments in the notes reveal remaining bitterness. When MC5 played shows like this, they could blow any other group away. Nobody who is a first-generation fan of this group should ever forget that at the time, this was the hardest-rocking group out there and had a sound that was fresh and exciting, and they could outplay and outperform anyone. The "Kick Out the Jams" album exhibits the wild, raw and loud power of the MC5 and is the best of their original 3 albums. "Teenage Lust" reveals a more professional band, with just as much power but with more depth and creativity. I keep this CD in a fitting place, alongside their original 3 releases from Elektra and Atlantic. I'd recommend it for original fans of the group more than I would any of the other recent releases."

Brilliant post KOTJ live 5

Mike Reed | 06/12/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The sound isn't quite perfect, but it doesn't really matter, these boys go for it more than anyone else I've heard (perhaps bar the Stooges), but they still manage to play music that is actually quite challenging. The guitar playing by Kramer and Smith is superb throughout; they manage to convey so much energy it's unreal. A particular highlight is the great rendition of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown, where the two guitarists even manage to get in some delicate two-part harmony amidst the more out 'n out rocking moments on the album."