In the interest of truth in packaging, it needs to be said that 2024's
Heavy Lifting
is not an
MC5
album. It may say
on the cover, but this is really the work of
Wayne Kramer
, who was a vitally important part of that great band as guitarist and songwriter. That said, he was by no means the
in and of itself. By the time he began work on this album, the only members of the group who were still living were
Kramer
and drummer
Dennis Thompson
, and though
Thompson
plays drums on two tracks, his contribution isn't strong enough to challenge the fact
was calling the shots on this project from start to finish. There is a curious poignancy to all this, since both
and
died in 2024, months before
could see release (and before the
's long overdue induction into the Rock & Roll of Fame), turning the album into a celebration of ghosts instead of a true revival.
doesn't sound like the
, either; the bombastic hard rock production from
Bob Ezrin
lacks the singular fire of the band's greatest moments, while
's songs have a feel and spirit very different than what the
5
created on 1969's
Kick Out the Jams
, 1970's
Back in the USA
, or 1971's
High Time
. Not surprisingly,
is much more of a piece with the three fine albums
cut for
Epitaph Records
in the 1990s (1995's
The Hard Stuff
, 1996's
Dangerous Madness
, and 1997's
Citizen Wayne
), reflecting the eclecticism and deep-focus songwriting he showed on those LPs, as well his fearless exploration of his own life experiences, both good and bad.
feels a bit different from those albums, aiming for a lot more swagger, a more professional production, and a finish that sounds radio ready, though it's crafted with the 1980s and '90s in mind, rather than what would get played in 2024. (The presence of guest guitarists
Slash
,
Tom Morello
, and
Vernon Reid
would have carried more weight then than now, regardless of the strength of their contributions.) Though
isn't quite up to the level of
's 1990s work, it comes close enough that it would have reaffirmed his status as a veteran guitar hero and proto-punk sage, full of hard-won wisdom, good tunes, and an admirable reserve of piss and vinegar. As an
album, it is instead a curious footnote to the career of a great band that appeared at a time when there was no one left to take a bow. It deserves to be remembered instead as the final work of one figure in 1960s rock who never burned out or became quaint, and came roaring back for an impassioned and powerful final act. ~ Mark Deming