Here Are the Sonics

“!!!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

hmm. 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

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.

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.

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)

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).

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.

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!

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.

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

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

Aggressively Lo-Fi.

One of the most fun projects I've heard due to this 1001 albums project - and that's saying something. Searing intensity, manic (but excellent) vocals, and a cover that doesn't hint at *all* at the energy within - this record has it all. whenever WAAAAAAAAA is uttered (which is very often), it makes me want to scream the same myself :')

waaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAoooooww!

ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF ALL TIME!!!! Mostly covers. Lots of classic songwriting. The recording is rough and the performances are rock and roll as fuck. So much so that they inadvertently foreshadow the arrival of punk rock about a decade later... Also, the singer is a like a lil' Little Richard.

These guys go for it, seriously

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.

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. 🤘

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

glorious raw primitive garage rock - thrilling!

Great sounding early garage rock. Song selection is a bit rudimentary, especially the self-penned ones, but "Have Love, Will Travel" in particular is worth the price of admission.

Don’t be deterred by the fact that most of this album consists of 50s rock & roll/rockabilly covers. You’ve never heard them played like this before. ‘Here Are The Sonics’ is full of no fucks given attitude, and the Sonics play with raw, reckless abandon as lead singer Gerry Roslie snarls, screams and belts his way through the setlist (including four originals). This is rock & roll on steroids, aggressive and full of primal energy. Add to the mix the deliberately primitive production and the end result is something unexpectedly special.

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

Great garage rock, progenitors of punk music. Have a great way of making all the covers their own.

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.

my definition of raw

60s trash rock at its finest and dumbest. Sublime.

Like a punch in the face from a bygone era.

Raw and rough around the edges, but honestly that's probably the biggest appeal hear. Would it be garage rock if it wasn't raw?

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.

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.

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.

I don't see the big deal about this album. It just sounds like shit.

Yes... but no

An excellent example of early US-based Garage Rock. I would have liked more originals than covers, but the few originals are great. An early precursor for more accomplished US based Garage and Proto Punk music (MC5, Stooges, etc). There were not many bands like the Sonics in 1966, that’s for damn sure.

Super good

Wild. I've never heard of the Sonics. The Witch is pure garage rock. And I really dig rock and roll sax. The drummer gives these tracks a frantic energy that saves a lot of the covers that every band seemed to do at the time. The only bummer is I'm just now hearing this for the first time. A real snapshot of the music scene in '65. Stellar album in my opinion.

Man this goes hard af even today. The Sonics are essentially the godfathers of garage rock and while I wish there was less covers on this, but the energy in infectious. These guys just had something that everyone else at the time just didn't. 9/10

Great album!

2 songs in and sitting at 5 stars. Love the grittyness and grudgier feel of that cheerful 60s pop band typical feel. Like an edgier cover garage band. Wish it was less covers which might drop to 4. Like the white stripes or black Keyes but in the 60s. Think first 5. Listened through the album multiple times today

Being from Seattle this was a great one. Although I’m only in my 30s this reminds me of being at house parties as a kid. Even without the nostalgia factor I love this record. The sort of gritty way it’s recorded. The lead singer’s scream. The covers they chose. Anyway. Love this shit. 10/10

Zero skips, all bangers. One of the most influential bands of all time with one of the best albums. The origin of punk right here. A true piece of history. I cannot overstate how important this album is!!! Not only to me but to the way the punk and eventually new wave genres were formed! Even if you don't know this album, you are all but guaranteed to know a couple of songs. The Sonics permeate our culture. The sound is incredible. Loud hard drums, passionate vocals, banging sax, a distinct feeling of the best music ever to be made in a garage.

Loved getting an unfamiliar album from 1965. And it sounded great. Some songs you would know from the period, and some originals, but all with that proto-punk energy you hear only occasionally from this time period. (I’m thinking of songs like the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” or the Who’s “My Generation.”) Great guitar work, too. The reviews indicate that others know of this band and their influence on the next decade’s punk movement. I guess I’m glad to finally get on board.

Fantastic early rock, that said, I am biased given that I'm from Washington state and have lived in Seattle for almost 30 years now. It's wild to think these guys were playing at the same time as the Beatles. A totally different wavelength.

As punk as 50's style music can be. Some of the lyrics and imagery are surprisingly dark too lol.

Wonderful album - you can hear the influences to White Stripes and Black Keys etc. Totally new to me

No one has a voice like Gerry Roslie. Those screams are amazing and fit perfectly, especially at the end of Psycho. A brilliant album.

This album is the blueprint for so much of what I love. Gerry's vocals alone were enough to influence teenage me to shred my own vocal cords trying to replicate that scream. Basic, primal angst and aggression in its most suburban teenage form. What a band.

Totally hits the spot. The kind of music you can boogie to at a club night full of weirdos in your local city. Amazing fun and much more authentic than their peers.

Just a fantastic album- you can’t help feel excited when you hear it - the sound the voice the drums- excellent

Such a rip-snorter of an album. I grew up buying into the British music press’s narrative that the 60s were about flower power, ten years of pathetic prog rock happened and then punk came along and tore it all up. When I first heard the Sonics I couldn’t actually believe it was real - this is the punkest band I’ve ever heard, and they’re doing it contemporaneously with Rubber Soul. It just kicks ass from start to finish. It makes me want to join a band, or start a fight, or start a fire, or all three at the same time.

Good album from a band I had no idea about

amazing, 10/10 super catchy and impressive for its time

Great sound!!

Yes yes, a million times yes.

Enjoyed this alot, did not expect to. Probably the best of this type of music

1965 beginning of Punk Rock. Yes!

The raw energy of this album was so contagious. It’s a mix of covers and originals, with all songs being full of that same garage rock energy. I had no idea that Have Live Will Travel was as old as this, as it’s frankly timeless. I honestly that it was made for that LV advert (dum diddy dum diddy dwee dwee dum dum…). This version was far better though. This is alt rock before alt rock was a thing.

Feels like the progenitor of much of the music I've listened to. Really good

Hard to judge this based on over half of the songs being rock 'standards'. That said the performances are fucking incredible, proper garagey proto-punk. That drum sound is fucking insane for 1 microphone, super hard hits driving everything into that lovely crispy saturation. The originals are okay, by no means bad, but the real highlight here is the Have Love Will Travel cover. Its just groovy as fuck, such a hard riff. The cover of Money is also pretty standout, though I will say the Flying Lizards version is head and shoulders above any other. Also gotta praise the 29 minute length, perfect length for punk music. Favourites - The Witch, Boss Hoss, Have Love Will Travel, Money, Strychnine

Favorite Track: Have Love Will Travel

A lot of these songs are covers, but the Sonics were very influential to garage and punk rock.

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

The algo works in mysterious ways. Earlier this week I mentioned the ! in the US version of Dare and now an album with 6 !s in the full title appears, which is surely too much even by US standards? Looking at the song writers for this energetic but mainly cover album - Berry Gordy, Chuck Berry, Richard Berry - something like Assorted Berries or Berry Medley would have been a better title?

This is so defiantly stripped-back that the personality is almost lost in its minimalism, not helped by this being mostly covers rather than band material. “The Witch”, which is their own, has a sexy menace that I want more of.

Eh. Kinda basic garage surf rock. Not bad but not all that exciting, either.

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

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

The singer can really scream, the guitarist doesn’t so much play his instrument as he attacks it, and they’ve got a great sound. They had a hit single in the Northwest and rushed out an album of Rock and Roll covers to try and capitalise. And apparently I need to listen to it before I die. Ok. Good covers, lads.

Love this album, legendary tracks from start to finish 🤘

I spent about four years in a garage punk band where we played a cover of Strychnine at about twice this speed and with half the ability. It introduced me to this incredible band and I’ve loved this album ever since. It’s a proper raw, fuzzy, distorted blast of glorious noise and I recommend it wholeheartedly. 10 out of 5 from me.

Brought grit to some classic songs. Hard to believe this is 1965! Loved it.

Total bops

Rock n roll band playin rock n roll. Not reinventing the songs we all know, but playing them loud and proud. 5/5.

Really enjoyable

Really good 💯

The beginning of the Seattle scene and man does it cook. Love this band.

New York's finest!!!

This was incredible. It was great music all around, but also for this to come put in 1965 is insane. Super innovative and limit pushing.

At first I thought, ugh another 60s album. But no! This was awesome!

So goddamn good. It's a tragedy these guys didn't get way bigger and have a major influence on pop/rock music in the mid-60s rather than years later.

Rock n Roll 101

Loved the energy and groovy songs. I have heard covers of strychnine before but never the original!

Dirty Robber had me groovin'

Great vibes. Lots of covers, but great early garage rock sound.

Proto punk of the first order

I've never heard of this band. Why is it here? It's a very amateurish sounding production and most of the songs are covers. Why in the world would I give this a 5/5? It's just fun to listen to. That's it. No boring ballads, no failed experimental stuff, just rough around the edges straight-forward rock & roll. Like the Beatles started, they mimic Little Richard's scream and Chuck Berry's guitar playing. It all works for me, but I understand if it's too sloppy for others to enjoy.

im not even sure how Subversive this is or whatever, ive heard the monks, That was subversive. this is closer to just cranking the contemporary state of rock and roll to its highest extremes yet reached...the essence always feels entirely preserved and unironic, its just overclocked and caught on fire. maybe one of the most purely fun records of the entire decade!! societal and sonic tolerances for rock music have been raised immensely since its inception when it was the most gut-level exciting sound yet made by man but that excitement is still there if ur looking for it , and if ur having trouble this might be a great place to look since its just reveling and emphasizing things that were already there

Garages all across America were newfound bases for shelf and door rattling once the British Invasion dug its claws deep in the minds of the wonderfully afflicted. One of those wonderfully afflicted groups of kids, The Sonics, let their hearts and voices go wild in this all-killer, no-filler collection of covers and scattered originals that best showcased who they were and how they were to be immortalized. The kicker? They hail from Seattle, surely not the kind of place that would herald any revolution of a musical sort in later years... anyway, The Sonics, here they are!!!

Love me some good garage rock

!!! HATERS OF THE 1-4-5 CHORD PROGRESSION BEWARE !!! but in all seriousness, i do love this album. this era of garage rock is near and dear to my heart and this is a classic of the genre. looking through the reviews here though, you wouldn't know it! contextless, there's not a lot here. there's harder and more interesting music on this list and in general. but in 1965, this was pretty damn aggressive. and to me, what's important about this album is not the covers, but the originals. between 'the witch,' 'psycho,' and 'strychnine,' this is sort of rock music's first baby steps into a darker sort of vibe - taking the goofy paranormal vibe of 'love potion number nine' and taking it a little darker. there are some pretty decent, even good covers on here, but they are definitely not what is notable about this album.

4.5

Chad

Great album, so many hits I don’t know came from them.

Never heard of them, but not bad. A punk version of the Beatles.

A classic of early garage rock. A lot of covers on this album but fun to see harder takes of songs recently also covered by the Beatles. The originals are great too. Strychnine holds up among the best of the era.

Garage and proto punk just scratch this part of my brain in a good way, and this is certainly no exception. 4.5 bumped to 5.

Like the early rock n roll version of punk

Classic and great

Instantly loved this sound. Garage rock with a pretty rough edge, especially for 1965. You can tell they influenced a ton of punk and rock acts to follow.