Do Not Buy the MC5 Kick Out The Jams DVD - Part Two

Too funny!
In this post I derided this ultimate rip-off MC5 DVD and, truthfully, pointed out that Wayne & Margaret Kramer and Muscletone (their management company) was involved in the release (as credited on the DVD). I also noted that they were blocking the release of a wonderful documentary on the band and what a shame it was that they put out this travesty instead.

Well, I received my first comment on that post!

"FB" * (apparently, actually someone at Muscletone, considering that their link goes to a fake blog that simply says "we love wayne kramer") said:

Hey Rich, This isn't a Kramer release. It's Leni Sinclair's and Cary Loren's you stupid fucking idiot. Legler and Thomas are lying thieves and if you knew what you were talking about you would know that they made a deal with Wayne and then lied that it never existed. They're users. They got what they wanted and then threw the band away. If you were really an MC5 fan, you would know all this, but I suspect you are actually Thomas or legler.

This is hilarious on many, many levels!
One, there is the anger, which makes no sense unless the person was involved in the release - another clue that this person is part of Muscletone.
Two, they deny that it is a Kramer release, which may be technically true, but Margaret is credited as a "consultant" and Muscletone is given credit, as well. Obviously, they gave their blessing to this release.
Three, they claim that Legler & Thomas - who I never met but friends of mine have and who put years of hard work and energy and money into their documentary - "got what they wanted and then threw the band away". Seeing as their movie has been blocked from release, I'm not sure how they "got what they wanted".
Four, the accusation that I am Legler or Thomas is incredibly absurd seeing as I am raving about the MC5 repeatedly on this blog and that I am simply trying to help other people avoid the costly mistake that I made - that is, buying this rip-off DVD!
As a fan, I hate to have people ripped-off and given a bad impression of this great band. The Legler/Thomas documentary would have created many, many new fans. Muscletone seems to only want to rip-off the old fans. And that's very sad....

UPDATE:
Someone I know who wishes to remain anonymous gave me this to post (I also added it to the comments on the original post):

Just to clear things up from somebody who was actually around.... It's quite simple. Dave and Laurel are fantastic people with a passion for music, film and the MC5, period. Through their efforts, flying around the country, conducting interviews and unearthing amazing, never before seen footage, they created an extraordinary documentary that makes a strong case that the MC5 was the best band of all time. Muscletone, and the folks that run it (who I will not refer to by name due to the gag reflex I have when uttering them) are not concerned about the passion that Legler, Thomas or the MC5 once had, only money. Exploitation of ones own past is not a pretty sight coming from an aging rocker releasing inferior products. A cursery look at public records will reveal the amount of litigation Mustletone's owners have instigated and I can personally attest to the actual hurt, tears and pain they have caused. Hey FB*, maybe you're the fucking idiot. Actually, there's no maybe about it. Shame on you.

The Truth

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* UPDATE - I have been contacted by the person whose name was used without his permission and he denies making these statements, so I am deleting the name used.

MC5 - Back in the USA

Sometimes even I forget just how fuckin’ great this record is!

Coming after the wonderfully cacophonous blast of hi-energy noise that is the first album (Kick Out The Jams), this gem tends to be overlooked. But this short-sightedness misses the fact that this album is loaded with terrific SONGS. Sure, I wish that the production was rawer and the guitars roared more, but the playing, singing, arrangements and energy are all here in abundance!

The catchiness of the songs is undeniable. Why tunes like “High School”, "Tonight", "Shakin' Street" or even their version of “Tutti Frutti” were not hits is a sin of the highest magnitude! This record should have made them stars!

Sonic and Wayne play together like it is what they were meant to do – and neither one ever found a foil like the other in their subsequent careers. The guitars bounce and weave off of each other in a combination that is all too rare in bands – tearing down the wall of “rhythm” and “lead” guitarists (check out the fantastic "Call Me Animal" for an example). Yeah, at this point they were letting their egos rear their ugly heads and even crediting separate solos in the liner notes, but they still worked together like a team. And the solos are as memorable as the tunes – just listen to Sonic’s great riffage in “American Ruse” and Wayne’s climb in this version of “Looking at You”, which is surely one of the most copied solos of all time!

All 3 of the MC5’s official albums are essential, of course, (the third being High Times) and all for different reasons. The first for a shot of raw abandon, this for rockin’, yet super catchy songs and the third for an interesting mix of both!

Surely, the greatest rock’n’roll band of all time!