1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #49. The Sonics - Here Are the Sonics (1965)

The Sonics - Here Are the Sonics (1965)

Label - Etiquette
Producer – Kent Morrell and John Ormsby
Art Direction – John Vlahovich
Nationality - USA
Running Time – 29:20

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Witch
2. Do You Love Me
3. Roll Over Beethoven
4. Boss Hoss
5. Dirty Robber
6. Have Love, Will Travel
7. Psycho
8. Money
9. Walkin' the Dog
10. Night Time Is the Right Time
11. Strychnine
12. Good Golly Miss Molly
13. Keep a Knockin'
14. Don't Believe in Christmas
15. Santa Claus
16. Village Idiot

Loud and in your face! The Sonics debut album when unleashed in 1965 the band pulled out all the stops. No pretty love songs, political songs or any kind of serious artistic statements. They wanted to rock hard, loud and nasty. And that is just what they did!
Lead singer Gerry Roslie screams his lungs out – doesn’t really sing, the drums thunder not always on time and the guitar sound is rugged and absolutely filthy. They really can’t play that well, and yet when you listen to the record you think – “wow 0 how great was that”?
Sadly there are only four original tunes on the album – and they are the ones that stand out - "The Witch", "Boss Hoss", "Psycho" and "Strychnine". While the remaining covers DO rock they do not hold up very well with ther tryuly original sound the Sonics were carving for themselves – and that hurts the quality of the overall album. The version of the record I listened to was a CD reissue containing three bonus tracks from which are pretty funny but do not add much to the overall record.
More than a decade before punk there were the Sonics. This record is the first in a long line of important music that originated in and around Seattle. It’s actually interesting to think what those who listened to this back in 1965 must have thought!!
Recommended – mainly for the 4 original songs.


You can purchase the CD here.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 22
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ON THIS DATE
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