The Very Best of MC5

Though the title of The Very Best of MC5 suggests that this apt compilation of the Detroit proto-punk pioneers is the end-all, be-all collection — it isn’t. But it is a solid gathering of their early material and a great way for the uninitiated to become familiar with the band’s magic moments like the opening “American Ruse” where singer Rob Tyner croons soulfully about the dangers of blind patriotism in late-‘60s America over hard-driving heavy rock. And of course an uncensored version of the band’s anthem “Kick Out the Jams” follows with revolutionary aplomb. Other awesome standouts include the steroidal boogie-woogie of “Sister Anne” and the percussive explosion of “Skunk” where drummer Dennis Thompson makes good on his nickname, “Machine Gun,” before Tyner delivers one of the most powerful vocal performances of his recording career. The harmonica heavy, tambourine- and maraca- laden “Gotta Keep Moving” plays like a nitro fuel-injected take on mid-‘60s garage rock — the same kind that MC5 covered early on while finding their footing like a sinister cover of “I Can Only Give You Everything.”