Go Home

C&L's Late Night Music Club with MC5

Title: Looking At You
Artist: MC5

Michael Davis, bassist of the legendary and influential '60s Detroit quintet MC5, and later of Ann Arbor's Destroy All Monsters, passed away on Friday at the age of 68.

As the bassist of MC5, Davis was a rock, keeping a steady rhythm as all hell broke out around him on stage, vocalist Rob Tyner preening as guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith traded leads and drummer Dennis Thompson flailed and filled with flourish. The band flamed out young in a haze of of drugs, and Davis found himself in federal prison on a narcotics rap. Instead of biding his time in the pen, Davis took to the brushes again (he'd dropped out of Wayne State University's fine arts program in '64 to join MC5)- the artwork of the album cover featured on the Amazon link here is Davis' painting.

MC5 are remembered not only for their high-energy music, but also their radical left politics, guided in their heyday by White Panther Party co-founder John Sinclair. Davis continued his own activism throughout his life, launching the Music Is Revolution foundation- which supports education with and through music in public schools- with his wife, Angela, in 2006.

There are two ways, I think, to celebrate Davis' life- listen, passively, to the music he made, or get active, and support Music Is Revolution with some donations (they need not be strictly monetary) here.

Godspeed, Mike.

The Very Best Of
The Very Best Of
Price: $8.99
(As of 05/16/12 04:12 am details)
About Andy K
Andy K's picture
Andy K does not have leprosy and never has.
Share This Post

Link To This Post


12 Comments
Andy K's picture
MC5

Over and Over

People talkin 'bout solutions, over and over
'Bout how we need a revolution, over and over
I was talking 'bout ecology, over and over
'Bout how we'll be saved by technology, over and over
While the cat next door spends all his time
Trying to think up new antisocial crimes

I said no, I said hang on a minute now
I said let me outta here
I said no, no, no

People talking revolution, over and over
About a mass execution, over and over
Well I was working in a factory, over and over
Just trying to make it satisfactory, over and over
But all these inclinations toward manic frustration
I want my vaccination against castration
Vietnam, what a sexy war
Uncle Sam's a pimp, wants us to be whores,

I said no, I said I can't take much more of this
You better let me outta here
I said no, no, no

Oh you see I need a release for my frustration
Oh don't you see I can't hold my aggravation
Oh...no, no, no, no

I see people dyin', over and over
Why don't I sit around crying, over and over
I see people taking, over and over
Why don't I sit around waiting, over and over

The cop on the street wants us down on our needs
The president says we've got to have peace
The other cat says we need our liberation
The hippies telling us we're in the love generation

I said whoa, I said hang on a minute now
This can't go on much longer
I said no, no, no

Over and over, over and over
Over and over, over and over

calgarylady's picture

to the Davis family.

MC5 = fabulous music.

Ape-Man's picture

"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-

Peter G's picture

Rock done high energy Detroit style. I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Davis' passing.


Hasa Diga Eebowai

...great hotbeds for rock and roll:

1). Really well-paying union jobs, and a ton of them.

2). The cultural mash-up, with all of the music that African Americans brought to the Rust Belt with them, and the country and bluegrass music that came up from the South with the white immigrants. People who haven't spent any time in the area don't often relate country music to Detroit, and I can't name any big country stars with ties to the area, but it's always been a big market for the genre.

fastfeat's picture

Condolences to his family.

Andy-- any concert highlights you can share? Or a little before your time?


"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."

---Southwest Airlines

Andy K's picture

I'm a year or two younger than you. Well, I'm old enough to have seen the reunited MC5, minus Rob Tyner and Sonic Smith (who passed away in '91 and '94 respectively), but I'm not into traveling far to see shows like that. Grand Rapids isn't suburban Detroit, or even a quick hop up the expressway, like Flint is.

I will say however that the MC5's debut album, Kick Out the Jams, is a close second on my all-time favorite live albums (right behind James Brown's Live at the Apollo from '62).

I will pass on this: A friend of mine grew up in Ann Arbor (he's a few years older than both of us). He'd see guys from MC5 and The Stooges around town, doing, ya know, everyday things. "Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I saw ***************** coming out of the porn theater?"

fastfeat's picture

LOL.

I'm sure a common occurrence during the metal and glam heydays on the Sunset Strip/Hollywood Blvd as well...


"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."

---Southwest Airlines

ricky's picture

"3 protesters barely on our property chained to a...drum...not causing any problems so I told the guys to just monitor them and let them freeze."
Shocking document revealing Fed attack on Occupy Portland 11/6/11

MaryK's picture

Had such a crush on Mike! He started me playing bass guitar. But it was Wayne who painted there, not Mike (unless he started after I left.)


"Courtesy is owed. Respect is earned. Love is given." --Unknown author, found in Guide to Texas Etiquette by Kinky Friedman

Axiomatic's picture

Kick out the jams!