Announcing the release of the MC5 album ‘Heavy Lifting’, the band’s first for 53 years!
First single ‘Boys Who Play With Matches’ is released today.
HEAVY LIFTING features guitar and vocals by founding MC5 member the late Wayne Kramer, who also co-wrote 12 of the album’s 13 songs together with Oakland singer/songwriter Brad Brooks.
Prolific for five decades, Kramer was the last remaining active member of MC5. He passed away suddenly in February, followed by the death of drummer Dennis ‘Machine Gun’ Thompson in May. It is Thompson’s final studio recording.
But now their final album will be released on October 18th, one day prior to MC5’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In an interview with UNCUT in November 2023, Kramer discussed the album and said: “Live long and stay creative. This is my attitude. And this album continues from where ‘High Time’ left off. In that, I think it’s an artist’s responsibility to reflect the times they’re going through. And I think that we made an album that is in sync with where we’re at today and the challenges that we’re facing, and that carries a positive message.”
Produced by Bob Ezrin, ‘Heavy Lifting’ comes 53 years after the last MC5 album ‘High Time’ was released. A comeback album half a century in the making.
“It’s very heavy,” Ezrin reports on HEAVY LIFTING. “It has a revolutionary message but also a good sense of humour. There’s a little bit of heavy metal. There’s quite a bit of funk. But it is a heavy record, and it’s a guitar record left, right and center. Just a wall of guitars most of the time, and mostly driven by Wayne and his ethos. It’s a snapshot of a guitar man at the height of his powers. We all feel a responsibility to make sure that his work is heard, and he is celebrated. We poured our hearts into the project.”
With featuring artists like Tom Morello, Slash, William Duvall, Tim McIllrath and more, this album is a collaborative effort that bridges the gap between generations of musicians inspired by MC5’s fearless approach to music and activism. It’s more than a trip down memory lane; it’s a resounding affirmation that the spirit of punk endures.
Format Bonus CD & LP: Disc 2 / LP 2 contains previously unreleased live recordings from the MC50 tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of ‘Kick Out The Jams’. Alongside Wayne Kramer, MC50 features Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, and frontman Marcus Durant (Zen Guerrilla).
Heavy Lifting Tracklisting (CD/LP):
Heavy Lifting (feat. Tom Morello)
Barbarians At The Gate
Change, No Change
The Edge Of The Switchblade (feat. William Duvall & Slash)
Black Boots (feat. Tim McIIrath)
I Am The Fun (The Phoney)
Twenty-Five Miles
Because Of Your Car
Boys Who Play With Matches
Blind Eye (feat. Dennis Thompson)
Can’t Be Found (feat. Vernon Reid & Dennis Thompson)
Blessed Release
Hit It Hard (feat. Joe Berry)
Additional Tracklisting (2CD/2LP):
Ramblin’ Rose
Kick Out The Jams
Come Together
Motor City Is Burning
Borderline
Gotta Keep Movin’
Future/Now
Poison
Shakin’ Street
Sister Anne
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