Goodbye to MC5, the holiest of rock’s holy cows

Ah, the original Linkin Park, except even more spavined. MC5 came outta Detroit in the mid 1960s and their shrieking blues metal ur-punk was afforded unnecessary respect because of their agitprop politics. Sucking up to the Black Panthers and running a bit foul of the law can do wonders for a slightly below-average blues band whose songs had energy and attitude – but nothing else.

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Druin Burch

Lucy Letby and the killer nurse I worked with

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Britain is living beyond its means

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The EU can detect weakness in its dealings with Keir Starmer

Here they are, back with their first studio album in 53 years: thanks for the merciful interregnum, if nothing else. When I say ‘they’, I mean the half-decent guitarist Wayne Kramer and, on one or two tracks, their original drummer, Dennis Thompson. Both have bought the farm since this album was recorded, so it is entirely posthumous except for, Christ help us, Slash adding his characteristically unimaginative guitar and even worse, Rage Against the Machine’s godawful Tom Morello.