Release Date: 1970
Previously Owned: No
First Time Listen: Yes

Impressions: All I knew of the Motor City 5 from before was “Kick Out The Jams,” and, for whatever reason, they didn’t win me over. Let’s just say I respected them more than I enjoyed them. Time for a deeper dive… They waste no time with a pretty lean, mean rocking opening cover of “Tutti-Fruitti.” The sound is a little compressed and thin at times, but it’s exciting to hear this proto-punk, uber-garage band shaking off the hippie pretensions of the previous decade with a primal back-to-basics ’50s sound on fast forward. Love the way “Teenage Lust” gallops along (“I need a healthy outlet for my teenage lust!”) Guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith spin out awesome crunching riffs and go-for-broke soloing. Really, if you don’t like this, then you don’t like rock and roll music. They sound like a no-gimmick version of what KISS wishes they could be like…with much better chops to boot. They slow things down for the ballad “Let Me Try” but for the most part keep up the pace and even sneak in some of their lefty politics in “The American Ruse” or “The Human Being Lawnmower.” Not sure they exactly invented punk or even metal on this record, but they sure came up with good road map for future bands to follow.

Starred Songs: “Tonight,” “Looking at You,” “Shaking Street”
Sneaky Tracks: “Teenage Lust,” “High School”
Should this album be on the list? Yes
Will you listen to this again? Yes.

Verdict: Driving Detroit primal proto-punk from the ashes of ’60s that’s no-nonsense and just plain rocks.
Rating: ★★★★