Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
1965
Album Summary
Here Are The Sonics (stylized as !!!Here Are The Sonics!!!) is the debut album by American garage rock band the Sonics, released in March 1965. The album features the original songs "The Witch" (a minor regional hit), "Psycho", "Boss Hoss" and "Strychnine", along with an assortment of rock and roll and R&B covers.
Wikipediahmm. After suffering through a number of tracks, I did a little recon on this band as to ... well, why they're in this 1001 list at all. "Major influence" on garage and punk bands...simple chord progressions...tonal aggression." ... vocals: "wwWOWWWWWWWW!!!!!" <lather/rinse/repeat ad nauseum> Just because you're among the first to create a subgenre of not enjoyable noisy music doesn't really make you a legend IMO. Then again, to each their own :P It's not my bag. (the covers were not terrible, admittedly. If I were being particularly snarky I'd accuse them of sprinkling them perfectly throughout the album to prevent some ppl from turning it off...) 2/10 1 star
“!!!Here Are The Sonics!!!” by The Sonics (1965) I wonder how many people would have bought this record if they had left off the six exclamation points? This album is of interest only to those recorded music ‘genealogists’ who fondly ponder “Who influenced who?”, a topic which is overrated and of limited critical value (especially when it comes to punk). Only four of the twelve songs in this non-cohesive collection are original. The eight covers are not covers of obscure compositions (which can be artful), but are rather recycles of major hits by other artists, whose performances are far superior to The Sonics. As a matter of fact, the attempt to seriously listen to The Sonics perform The Contours’ “Do You Love Me?”, Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven”, etc. is impeded and distracted by memories of the original sounds. These covers are pop music at its worst. (“Night Time Is the Right Time” is painful. Please don’t listen to this track. You’ve been warned.) So why do we pull !!!Here Are The Sonics!!! out of the attic? I’m not sure. With primitive engineering that completely muddles the mix, and a small-room ambience that induces claustrophobia, the record was bad from the get-go. One wishes that the people who produced the first digital version would have inserted scratches and dust pops to suggest the ‘sound’ of musty ‘smell’. It is worth noting that in the original compositions “Strychnine”, “Psycho”, and “The Witch”, singer/songwriter Gerry Roslie pushes a few lyrical boundaries, but in retrospect, it’s rather inconsequential. Other groups at the time were far more revolutionary. And if I have to listen to one more screamed “Wow!” by Roslie, I swear I’ll warp this vinyl with a blow dryer and play it for my in-laws. Put this one back in the attic. 1/5
I’d actually only heard of The Sonics because LCD Soundsystem referenced them in a song I really liked about 15 years ago (I still do, but I did 15 years ago too). I had some vague idea that they were an 80s, avant-garde, electronic band, so now I feel like a bit of a fool. Absolutely loved this album, or more specifically I absolutely loved the songs that weren’t covers. The covers were still good but I much preferred their original stuff. I spent a lot of my teenage years in the back rooms of various dodgy North London pubs watching Billy Childish gigs without ever thinking to explore the origins of his sound. I wish I’d done a bit more investigation. This album was recorded more than a decade before punk broke, but it still sounds raw and vital over half a century later. Loved it. Five stars for the original stuff and four for the covers.
Just good old fashioned garage rock played with all the all the rawness of a live set in the studio. The Beatles made these songs sound better yes, but I would of rather seen these guys live around the same time.
Almost all the songs sound the same: "Yeeoww!" + blues rock progression + "Yeeoww!" + nearly the same guitar / sax solo. Recorded too hot. Lots of covers. I don't care. This album is amazing. I bought it (actually "The Ultimate Sonics") years ago and still come back to it. Raw, youthful energy. Favorite song: Money
I adoe garage rock, and this is a wondrous slab of it. Exactly what you want of a Saturday night. Simple, unpretentious, clearsighted, slamming rock 'n' roll.
They are the anti-Beatles right? Get rid everything that "good and pure" or radio friendly about the Fab 4, rough it up, add some fuzz and some guttural vocals and you have The Sonics. Not detracting from either band but I am so glad The Sonics existed to lay the roots of punk and Garage rock. I love them and could listen to this album in repeat for hours (which I did).
There are definite flaws with this album. The sound quality is terrible and there are far too many standard covers on the album. However, it's easy to hear how this album influenced the punk bands that came after it. It just has that energy that comes with listening to punk music. The original songs are far better than the covers. It's clear just from listening to this that this band would have been amazing live. I wish a good recording of them existed 4/5
This makes me want to dance. It rocks. A really fun album. I did think it was older than it is, I estimated about 1958-9. Most of the album is covers, but that was sort of the done thing back in the day. Fun album, it doesn't need to be analysed too much, just smile and enjoy.
After seeing the Dictators on previous page, I was just thinking I hadn't revisited any "proto-punk" records for a few years. I don't remember liking the Dictators, and I didn't remember much at all about the Sonics. Looks like I downloaded this album in 2013, and I probably haven't revisited it. Anyway, HOLY CRAP this is better than I remembered/expected. Under 30 mins, and just a burst of energetic garage rock, containing most of what is good about rock n roll. As someone who isn't generally a huge fan of the mainstream rock canon, this album is fun enough to make me temporarily change my mind. The sound is crisp and competent, but with enough sloppiness & rough edges to make it sound like they're not trying. They cover some early rock "standards". They keep everything simple & it works just fine. My only complaint is that singer keeps trying to do a James Brown "WAAAAAAAH" / "WOOOOOOW". It's fucking annoying and lame whoever does it.
Enjoyed this alot, did not expect to. Probably the best of this type of music
Don’t let the sweaters fool you, this is loud, obnoxious, and sweaty rock(early punk?). Strychnine, Have Love Will Trave are two of the standouts
This smashed me over the head in 2022. Imagine what effect it had in 1965. The Witch is amazing, Roslie's vocals are insane, something he carries on for the whole album. But the ultimate sound is that quivery bass. I don't know if it's backed by bass pedal, but it just sounds EVIL! Only 30 minutes. Perfect. It leaves you begging for more. Apparently the Seattle scene was full of bands like The Sonics. If I ever get a ride in the TARDIS I'm going to Seattle in the early '60s. Then I'll stay for 30 years. (I won't be going to Starbucks. That coffee is awful)
Some great early punk. Lots of 60s waows and surprisingly great guitar tones. Original tracks are great. Quite boring seeing a lot of the same covers being done on a lot of bands of that era but I suppose that was the done thing. Overall very good
4 for originality. Nice use of distortion to give them an early punk sound. You can definitely hear their embracing of the early 60's songwriting, but very forward-thinking production, and attitude, that would spawn The Stooges and The Hives.
A lot of these songs are covers, but the Sonics were very influential to garage and punk rock.
There's a real Nuggets feel here. I can hear how this may have influenced later punk and garage rock bands. Cool sound but I’d be more impressed if they had the originals to match. Maybe if they’d stuck around longer they would have produced something really amazing. 2.5/5 Favourite track: Do You Love Me
Noisy punk rock in the 60s? Yes please. A couple of the covers on here are really stellar, well others kind of fall short, but overall it's an important record for more grungey/punk-y production. Fav Tracks: Do You Love Me, Have Love Will Travel
Eh. Kinda basic garage surf rock. Not bad but not all that exciting, either.
Sorry boys, The Beatles got there before you, and did it way, way better. Lots of screaming and faux excitement but the music behind it is flat as a pancake. I'm guessing these are Americans trying to emulate the Mersey sound. Whoever they are, it doesn't work. Just sounds like 10 alternate and inferior versions of Twist and Shout.
Awesome innovative band, ahead of their time. Fun fact, The Black Keys were inspired immensely by this band, you can hear it in a lot of their older music
Super Fun with some absolute classics on here. It's short and sweet too. Top 2 tracks for me are Strichnine and Have Love Will Travel = Guy Richie - Rock N Rolla.
More nice shots than I expected, with classics littered throughout. Definite influencers of Black keys, who covered ‘have love will travel’
Absolutely LOVED this. Total classics in there and banging riffs. Its a K Town banger for me
At first listen i'm like 'what's this, loads of 60's white boys covering tracks' but oh my - the energy that goes into this. Forerunner of punk / grunge, used in a many a tv advert - very little original material - but The Witch is just disconcerting.
I loved this album. The cover photo betrays the solid rock contained therein. Highly recommend if you enjoy classic rock. Added, with pleasure.
Amazing sound for the time period. Can't believe I hadn't heard of them before.
Early rock and roll containing the kernels of punk and grunge. You love to hear it! Bonus star for being less than 30 minutes long! In and out and over with!
Absolutely love this album. The thought of the MFrs doing this in 1965 brings me so much joy and has so much impact on all the music I love that came after it. 🤘
It's still incredible to think this album was recorded in the middle of the sixties. I've read unconvinced reviewers in this group saying you don't necessarily need to go back to the hidden origins of a genre, but I strongly disagree here. The genre at stake is punk, here, of course--or should I say, rockabilly played in such a intense fashion that it barely sounds like it. And this thing is *wild*, even 57 years later. To me, it seems that Washington State, with its lumberjacks and geographically remote location on the US map, knows a thing or two about authenticity and intensity. It took almost 30 years to make it a landmark place for that sort of music, with Nirvana and the other great bands of that area. But things did start then. And it's just a riot being able to listen to it. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 918 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 44 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 23 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 19
So, a couple of the covers appeared on early Beatles albums. On here, they are actually better bursts of raw excitement. It's fast and loose and it feels like it could fall apart at any moment which makes it all dead exciting. Add to that a song as fun as Have Love will Travel, and the fact it BLAZES through 12 tracks in less than 30 minutes and you have a real treat on your hands. Loved it.
Great garage rock, progenitors of punk music. Have a great way of making all the covers their own.
Never heard of them before, but hailing from the 60s, they must be one of the garage rock pioneers. Visceral, exciting, and there hasn't been much change between then and now with obvious echoes of their sound in bands like The Black Keys. Ground Breaking, enduring, influential
It's gutbucket garage rock that has a lot of energy. The originals like Psycho and The Witch are great and the covers were specifically chosen as high energy numbers which would kickstart whatever house party the band was playing at. The rawness makes this more appealing for me - I'd rather listen to the Sonics cover of "Money" than the Beatles cover, which just sounds too clean and less dangerous somehow. Five stars if you think Nuggets is one of the crowning achievements of American rock. Which I do.
This a great album. Full of energy and perfectly represents the garage rock movement. If you want to dance around and enjoy yourselves, just put this on!
i was expecting a speedy blue hedgehog and his foxy mate singing some catchy J pop but this was marginally better.
Hey everybody! There’s a twist contest in the kitchen and you’re all winners! This was fun and these guys are still playing. Fun!
one of the bigger differences between title and sound i’ve heard. great album
This is a really fun album. It’s definitely pre-punk which makes it an interesting cultural artifact. The lofi sound is perfectly done, and overall I have nothing bad to say.
I enjoyed this! Wish this could potentially be remastered, some of those screams are pretty grating but I cannot fault the band for that. It's a short listen, but I still listened through it twice. Just some excellent protopunk, brimming with energy and fun. Unfortunately Have Love Will Travel is sort of ruined for me as it just makes me think of car insurance. Favourite: Good Golly Miss Molly
What an incredible album. I love the garage rock noise and excellent covers. The original tracks are no slouch either. The cathartic vocals are absolutely amazing. 5/5. Favorite Track: Psycho
Nice old school music, really energetic. Good music to wake up to, even if you wake up in the PM.
makes me want to play it as loud as i can in an actual garage. weird (and great!) to hear ray charles song in this context. fav track: good golly miss molly
The Witch is one of the creepiest songs of all time and I GOSHDARN LOVE IT. The Sonics have to be one of the coolest bands of the sixties. Love Gerry Roslie's maniacal rasp as well. I start to lose interest a bit when they cover the Rock n' Roll standards.
3.5 rounded up. Great energy, interesting covers. Glad to learn about these guys!
Very nice garage rock'n'roll. There's a good mix of really good covers of classic rock'n'roll songs and a couple of original arrangements which are plenty good themselves.
Amazing album. The drum sound on this album is insane. 8/10 1. Have Love Will Travel 2. Strychnine 3. The Witch
Belle surprise, bon band et en avance sur le rock punk. J’ai aime tout l’active. 4.25*
I have heard covered versions of lots of these songs but didn't know that they could all be attributed to one band. It was good to hear the originals but the lead singer has a crutch on that woo scream and every single song
The cover art did not prepare me for what I heard! I liked it a lot, and surprised it's so old tbh
I had no idea that this was the band who did all those classic songs, but I loved it! It was good vibes and fun music :)
Not only are they insanely important in the history of music, but they rock harder than any band at the time. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, they also don't overstay their welcome. I'm willing to bet that with slightly more nuanced songwriting that they'd have more barn-burners like The Witch, but some crazy guitar solos make it seem like music your parents would hate. And that's awesome.
A nice album for the nice weather. Annoyed me that he screamed at every song though
Il suono distorto del disco li rende scoppiati e si sposa benissimo con la loro energia. Per me questo sarebbe un 3.5 però voglio premiarli perchè comunque mi hanno stupito. Sembrano un gruppo punk che fa musica anni 60 e questa cosa mi piace.
It was good. 3.5 stars. Golden pop oldies but with a punk vine a la the hives or the vines. But are these all covers? I think I need more context for why this is a classic album.
Fun energetic garage rock. Way early 60s. White covers of 50s R&B. Raw sound. A level up in recording from Louie Louie but just barely. Tacoma meets the first Beatles LP, without the ballads.
Very enjoyable. The golden oldies done really well. We had a good dance around the kitchen
60s punk before punk was a thing. A lot of covers that, while pretty straight, are still given a hard edge and a little more shouting than the originals. A quick and fun listen to boot.
Weird that people were making this kind of music in Tacoma a Washington in 1965. Pretty enjoyable and the original songs were good 8/10
I didn't expect to like this album as much as I did. Garage rock isn't usually me thing and I'm not into bands like the White Stripes all that much. This album was a great listen from start to finish though. I enjoyed their originals just as much as the cover tunes. I can totally see why this one is on the list!