| Babes in Arms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Proto-punk [1] | |||
| Label | ROIR [2] | |||
| Producer | Wayne Kramer | |||
| MC5 chronology | ||||
| ||||
Babes in Arms is an album by the American band MC5, released in 1983. [3] [4] Originally released as a cassette, it has been reissued several times. [5] [6]
The album was assembled by guitar player Wayne Kramer. [7] It contains remixes and alternate versions of songs, early singles, and an unreleased track. [4] "Looking at You" was produced by John Sinclair prior to the recording of Kick Out the Jams . [8] "Kick Out the Jams" is included in its uncensored form; "Shaking Street" appears in an acoustic version. [9] [5] "I Can Only Give You Everything" is a cover of the Them song. [10] "Gold" was recorded after the release of High Time . [11]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Chicago Sun-Times | [11] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [15] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [7] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [16] |
| Martin C. Strong | 5/10 [6] |
Robert Christgau noted that "the raw songcraft and new-thing chaos of Detroit's other great protopunk band were further ahead of their time than it seemed five years ago." [13]
The Boston Globe called the album "a concise glimpse into the career of the fiercest band of the '60s," writing that "Rob Tyner was endowed with a volcanic set of lungs, which he needed to rise above the shrill but blessed sound of guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred 'Sonic' Smith." [10] The Los Angeles Daily News determined that "this well-put-together testimonial to MC5's raw power sounds even better today." [15]
The Boston Herald concluded that Babes in Arms "captures the raw energy of the now seminal Motor City band better than any of its album from the late 60's and early '70s." [17] The Tampa Tribune considered it "perfectly on the line between the sloppy excess of the Five live show and the sometimes thin and ordinary studio records." [18]
AllMusic deemed the album "a howling, furious blast of what made the MC5 one of the finest (and most dangerous) American rock bands of the 1960s." [12] The Spin Alternative Record Guide pointed out that the MC5 "borrowed openly enough from black influences to make a person wonder at the bleaching of alternative in the years that followed." [16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shaking Street" | |
| 2. | "American Ruse" | |
| 3. | "Skunk (Sonically Speaking)" | |
| 4. | "Tuttie Fruttie" | |
| 5. | "Poison" | |
| 6. | "Gotta Keep Moving" | |
| 7. | "Tonite" | |
| 8. | "Kick Out the Jams" | |
| 9. | "Sister Ann" | |
| 10. | "Future Now" | |
| 11. | "Gold" | |
| 12. | "I Can Only Give You Everything" | |
| 13. | "One of the Guys" | |
| 14. | "I Just Don't Know" | |
| 15. | "Looking at You" |
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1987. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Kat Bjelland, along with drummer Lori Barbero and bassist Michelle Leon, who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992.
MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1963. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. MC5 was listed by VH1 as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era. Their three albums are regarded by many as classics, and their song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered.
Daydream Nation is the fifth full-length studio album and first double album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on October 18, 1988. The band recorded the album between July and August 1988 at Greene St. Recording in New York City, and it was released by Enigma Records as a double album.
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges, released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two records in favor of a more anthemic hard rock approach inspired by new guitarist James Williamson, who co-wrote the album's eight songs with singer Iggy Pop. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult following in the years following its release and, like its predecessors The Stooges (1969) and Fun House (1970), is considered a forerunner of punk rock.
Kick Out the Jams is the debut album by American proto-punk band MC5. It was released in February 1969, through Elektra Records. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween, 1968.
Back in the USA is the debut studio album by American rock band MC5.
Proto-punk is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated with each other and came from a variety of backgrounds and styles; together, they anticipated many of punk's musical and thematic attributes.
Pink Flag is the debut studio album by English rock band Wire. It was released in November 1977 by Harvest Records. The album gained Wire a cult following within independent and post-punk music upon its initial release, later growing to be highly influential on many other musicians.
The Raincoats is the debut studio album by English rock band The Raincoats. It was released on 21 November 1979 as one of the first records issued by the London-based independent label Rough Trade. The album is perhaps best known for its off-kilter cover of "Lola" by the Kinks. The album's sixth track, "The Void", was covered by Hole in 1994.
Too Much Too Soon is the second album by the American hard rock band New York Dolls. It was released by Mercury Records on May 10, 1974, and recorded earlier that year at A&R Studios in New York City. Having felt dissatisfied with the recording of their 1973 self-titled debut album, the Dolls' lead singer David Johansen enlisted veteran producer Shadow Morton to produce the sessions. Morton, who had been disenchanted by the music industry, found renewed motivation in the band's energy and undertook the project as a challenge.
Wayne Kramer is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and film and television composer.
Out My Way is an EP by the alternative rock band the Meat Puppets, released in 1986. It features a more hard rock-oriented sound than on previous releases, leading some critics to say that the sound is similar to the southern/hard rock stylings of ZZ Top. The EP was reissued in 1999 by Rykodisc, with additional bonus tracks.
99th Dream is the fourth studio album by the British alternative rock band Swervedriver, released in 1998. The band was dropped by DGC Records after recording the album; they retained the masters and eventually signed with Zero Hour Records.
The Blow-Up is a live album by the American band Television, released as The Blow Up on cassette in 1982. It was reissued in 1990 and again in 1999. The songs first appeared on a bootleg titled Arrow.
The Band That Would Be King is an album released by the Maryland rock group Half Japanese. It was also their third and last studio album released on their label, 50 Skidillion Watts.
Beware (The Funk Is Everywhere) is a studio album by Afrika Bambaataa, released in 1986 by Tommy Boy Records.
Bruiser Queen is the second album by the American alternative rock band Cake Like, released in 1997.
Lived to Tell is an album by the American alternative rock band Eleventh Dream Day, released in 1991. Like the band's other two Atlantic Records albums, Lived to Tell was a commercial disappointment.
Ruby Red is an album by the American alternative rock band the Dambuilders, released in 1995. It was the band's first major label album made up of completely new material.
The Mekons Honky Tonkin' is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1987. It was their first album to be released in the United States and the band's third country music-influenced album. The band supported the album with a North American tour.