10 Bands That Fell Apart After One Album
4. Kick Out the Jams - MC5
Every good band knows that half of the battle is being able to deliver on the live stage. As much as you might think that putting one guitar overdub over another will rake in the big bucks, you can't fully appreciate the power of rock and roll until you get in front of a crowd and blow them away every single night. It's in every band's blood to put on a great show, but the MC5 may have known that fact a little too well.
Becoming one of the biggest names in the Detroit rock scene, Kick Out the Jams remains up there with the Stooges' debut album as one of the most primal versions of what rock and roll had to offer. From the minute that you hear the crowd cheering, the band use their audience almost like another instrument, feeding off their energy and creating songs that feel like they're about to explode at any given moment, and most of the time do on songs like the title track or Rambling Rose.
The only problem was harnessing that energy, with the next two albums from the band not really having the same power behind them as the debut, leading to the band falling out and taking a break from each other. Considering that no other album did them justice, the MC5 may be one of the few rock and roll bands that are almost too wild to be put to vinyl.