Wayne Kramer - Citizen Wayne, 1997

01 - Stranger In The House
02 - Back When Dogs Could Talk
03 - Revolution In Apt. 29
04 - Down On The Ground
05 - Shining Mr. Lincoln's Shoes
06 - Dope For Democracy
07 - No Easy Way Out
08 - You Don't Know My Name
09 - Count Time
10 - Snatched Defeat
11 - Doing The Work
12 - A Farewell To Whiskey

In the very first post I had a stupidity to claim I’ve got something to say. Not in comparison with him - the one who has something to say indeed. And it looks like I’m gonna be using more of his words than mine today.

Some musicians come with a title - Britain awarded us with enough Sirs alone. The title sticking to this American is Brother. Brother Wayne Kramer. Since the debut MC5 record till now and onwards.

Straight away with the opening riffs of Stranger in the House you feel something different going. And then there is poetry throughout and on top of it all. Need to hear it, really.



 As for myself, I hear the great revolutionist behind his sounds, and Citizen Wayne is all about revolutions to me. Not just musically, but also as a reflection of his whole life story. Not just the third track - the whole thing.

We’re having a revolution
In apartment 29
Someone brought bazookas
Someone’s chilling wine
…
We’re having a revolution
And we’re having it right now
There will be blood and bullets….

Rough, partially surreal, sincere, like an open wound. The album overall and the genius ending of this track in particular. I’d love to write more, but all the words coming to mind are only other quotations from Brother Wayne Kramer:

My brothers and I rolled out from Detroit
Down to Chicago to join in the fight
Kinda shit that we did all the time
Play for the people and don’t make a dime...

Nuff Said. You know what to do.


Wayne Kramer on Wikipedia

And let it be Led Zeppelin next time.