''Babes in Arms'' is an album by the American band

MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...

, released in 1983. Originally released as a cassette, it has been reissued several times.

Production

The album was assembled by guitar player Wayne Kramer. It contains remixes and alternate versions of songs, early singles, and an unreleased track. "Looking at You" was produced by John Sinclair prior to the recording of ''

Kick Out the Jams ''Kick Out the Jams'' is the debut album by American proto-punk band MC5. It was released in February 1969, through Elektra Records. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil's Night and Halloween, 1968. The LP p ...

''. "

" is included in its uncensored form; "Shaking Street" appears in an acoustic version. "I Can Only Give You Everything" is a cover of the

Them Them or THEM, a third-person plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fiction by Welsh ...

song. "Gold" was recorded after the release of '' High Time''.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

noted that "the raw songcraft and new-thing chaos of Detroit's other great protopunk band were further ahead of their time than it seemed five years ago." ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' called the album "a concise glimpse into the career of the fiercest band of the '60s," writing that "Rob Tyner was endowed with a volcanic set of lungs, which he needed to rise above the shrill but blessed sound of guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred 'Sonic' Smith." The ''

Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''Dai ...

'' determined that "this well-put-together testimonial to MC5's raw power sounds even better today." The ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...

'' concluded that ''Babes in Arms'' "captures the raw energy of the now seminal Motor City band better than any of its album from the late 60's and early '70s." ''

The Tampa Tribune ''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area. The newspaper also published a ''St. Pe ...

'' considered it "perfectly on the line between the sloppy excess of the Five live show and the sometimes thin and ordinary studio records."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

deemed the album "a howling, furious blast of what made the MC5 one of the finest (and most dangerous) American rock bands of the 1960s." The ''

Spin Alternative Record Guide The ''Spin Alternative Record Guide'' is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine '' Spin'' and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was edited by rock critic Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, who was the magazine's editor-i ...

'' pointed out that the MC5 "borrowed openly enough from black influences to make a person wonder at the bleaching of alternative in the years that followed."

Track listing

References

{{MC5 MC5 albums 1983 albums ROIR albums