The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, The MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities

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In January 1969, before the world heard a note of their music, The MC5 was on the cover of Rolling Stone. The missing link between free jazz and punk rock, they were raw, primal, and unstoppable.

Led by legendary guitarist Wayne Kramer, The MC5 was a reflection of the times: exciting, sexy, violent, chaotic, and out of control, and all but assuring their time in the spotlight would be short-lived. Kramer wanted to redefine what a rock 'n' roll group was capable of achieving - and there was power in reaching for that - but it was also a recipe for disaster, both personally and professionally. The band recorded three major label albums: but by 1972, it was all over.

Kramer's story is a revolutionary one, but it is also the deeply personal struggle of an addict and an artist. From the glory days of Detroit to the junk-sick streets of the East Village - in and out of prison and on and off drugs - this is the classic journeyman narrative, but with a twist: Kramer is here to remind us that revolution is always an option.

Author Bio

Wayne Kramer is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and film and television composer. He was co-founder of the Detroit rock group MC5, and Rolling Stone named him one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.