Here Are the Sonics

Wow - punk well before punk was a thing

Langt mer bråkebøtter enn æ kanskje hadde venta fra tidssegmentet, men mest interessant som grunnlag for en god blanding musikk æ ikke egentlig høre på?

Remind me of The Hives.

This album is sick, the Sonics are kinda like the Beach Boys cooler older brother. The vocals feel very much like punk before there was punk, but the instrumentals are very "Johnny B Goode". I had never heard of this band but I'll definitely be giving them another listen.

One of the best garage band from the 60’s. Pure raw!

This was way better than I might have expected. There was something in the raw energy and overloaded recording — the vocals kept blowing out the levels — that captured the power these guys were going for. It's a playlist you've heard before, but the tone and attitude make it fresh.

I've always been a fan of these guys, even though they aren't bringing much to the table in terms of original songs. (There are a few originals on here, and they're cool, but they're also pretty derivative of the artists they're covering.) But I like the cut of their amphetamine-drenched jib, especially on Have Love Will Travel. This sounds like the soundtrack to a Russ Meyer movie.

Fun

An album that could only have come from the 60s, and it really works well

Punk as fuck.

Have the Sonics, will travel

What a blast!!! Dirty tunes that are before their time. No nonsense, balls out bangers that paved the way for lots of what was yet to come.

WAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH

"Here Are the Sonics" is a pretty unremarkable name for an album. It's old timey rock and roll. I like it! It has great energy. I like their upbeat take on some old classics. Especially enjoyed the sax solos. I think this is an interesting album because it was made in 1965 but the songs feel more like 50's rock. The Beatles released Rubber Soul in 1965 and signaled a shift away from this oldies style of rock.

Really good, but surprising how many covers bands had on albums

Tykkäsin! Tutun kuuloista, mutta kappaleet ja artisti ei silti sanoneet mitään.

Tämä oli hyvä levy! Kyseinen pumppu oli uusi tuttavuus.

Pretty good

Classic rock n roll

Garaje desde la costa oeste, en el 64, de cuando aún estaban haciendo melodías la mayoría de grupos. Esto es otra cosa muy distinta e influyente, desde los Stooges, MC5, Cramps, JAMCH... aquí a lomos de crudas y destartaladas versiones de clásicos del rock. Fundamentales.

ENERGY!!! THIS HAS SOOOOO MUCH ENERGY!!! LOVE IT!!!

This is all really cool, Walkin’ the Dog was my favorite. What a buncha studs.

More raw and aggressive than I was expecting. I bet Joey Ramone loved this

Real rockers

4 for the album overall, but 5 for their original songs - especially “Strychnine” - going to have to check out more

What a sonic punch to the ears! This was fun, rollicking, and glorious. I love it!

This album is a bit of a mixed bag. Even for the 60s the production is rough, and lots of these songs have been done “better” by other artists. At the same time, you can hear the influence this had on other artists and genres. There’s not a lot of proto-punk and garage rock from this era on this list, so I appreciate it’s here. Plus The Sonics are a local group, so I have a soft spot for them like I do other Seattle and Washington State acts. But this was enjoyable, and it was short, which is a plus most of the time on this list. This deserves its spot on the list, and when you take the time period into account, it’s actually pretty good and groundbreaking.

4/5. This is a bold album to be released at this time. It still definitely feels dated at times but if someone told me this was released late 70s or 80s, that would also not be surprising, if this was an intentional production. This was actually fun to listen to and the screaming into breaking audio adds to the fun, even if it did become a gimmick after some time. I like the covers but the original songs were usually better just because it was new and creative. This was definitely a statement, and I can easily see how this inspired the heavier more punk/grunge bands down the line. Best Song: The Witch, Psycho, Roll Over Beethoven

Great

Was not expecting this for 1965. Incredibly novel and genre-expanding for garage rock and punk.

Classic album, paved the way for many other bands!

Pretty good for something from 1965! I was pleasantly surprised by this one. 3.8

Total blast of an album. It's from 1965 so the song structures (12-bar blues) and sonic asethetic is well worn, but the energy comes across big time. Proto punk, fast and loud and fun. Would revisit. 4/5

This is wild and just the sort of random album this list is great for. I can see how this influenced The Stooges and on--truly ahead of their time. Might get to 4.5 for me.

Sludgy, raucous, and a lot of fun. Maybe a few too many "wowwwwws" by the lead singer though

A garage rock album that's actually been recorder in a garage, it seems. God, that recording quality... Yes, most albums from the 60s sound terrible by today's standards (and are not made for headphones), and I don't usually complain about this, but this album is so awfully mixed and mastered and sounds so crusty and peaky and that actively destructing. Outside of that, this album is actually great. Chaotic, extremely fun, and energetic. It has a couple of slower songs that are not on par with the rest, but overall it’s still very enjoyable.

Holy hell these guys are fun

is this the beginning of punk rock? it's hard to know for sure if the Sonics were even fully aware of what they created here. this crudely recorded set of covers (and a few original songs), fronted by the unrestrained hollers of Gerry Roslie, feels like a true evolution in the art of raucous rock 'n' roll. as RYM user Nurah's review puts it, the Sonics are the missing link between Little Richard and The Stooges. Kurt Cobain was also a massive fan of this album in particular, especially its drum sound (an entire kit, recorded with a single microphone, played super hard). the exclamation points all over the top of the album artwork are a clear indicator of just how vivacious and over-the-top this music is, especially for 1965. all that being said, once again, I find myself in a situation with a 1001 album where I think the wider impact that this music had is just a bit more interesting than the music itself. thankfully, these 12 tracks fly by in under half an hour, so it's hard to feel like I wasted any time. decent 7/10.

Honestly pretty good. Doesn’t sound original but I don’t really see it as worse than for instance, Please Please Me. I think in terms of timeline I am not super impressed - 1965 is hardly quick on the uptake for this kind of stuff. But it’s well done, has a unique grunginess to it that I like, and it’s just fun.

Love the 60s garage rock sound and a TON of big hits on the album too!

It's fine, but we'll ok. 1st garage band album - whatever that is if it's a real thing. lot of early rock n rockabilly that predates this, that sounds well the same so not sure about that 1st moniker. So yeah I like it cause like this kind of stuff. 4 Star

Really makes me want to start a garage band except I'm 40 and don't own a garage. Or have musical talent.

To my shame I'd never heard of the sonics. Some great classic rock and roll, I hear a direct line to The Stooges at the very least, can definitely see the protopunk vibe. Reminds me of "with the Beatles" but with sharper edges

This is a really fun, energetic, and joyful album. It arrives at the right time, and you wonder if they had been from the UK, could they have kept it together and made that transition to solid rock band. But don't let their lack of future development keep you from enjoying this little gem. Like its peers, it has its share of familiar tunes, however, there are some great lesser known tracks that delight. Boss Hoss and Walking the Dog are still ringing in my ears. Great stuff.

Just about a 4. I enjoyed it but it did start to get a bit samey. Fortunately, it's half hour run time meant it didn't outstay its welcome. Also, this is the 3rd cover of Good Golly Miss Molly so far. I wonder if the original is on here.

I had never heard of The Sonics before. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. It had a lot of early rock classics, but the band has a very raw sound that adds character to these songs. It was like hearing them all fresh. I could see how this album was influential to a lot of genres/artists. Overall- very good album

++: Do You Love Me, Roll Over Beethoven, Boss Hoss, Dirty Robber, Have Love Will Travel, Psycho, Money (That's What I Want), Walking the Dog, Strychnine +: The Witch, Good Golly Miss Molly +-: Night Time Is the Right Time 8,8/10

Nice rock

Þessa gutta fílaði ég en það ætti ekki að koma á óvart. Ég elska svona gamaldagsrokk og þeir eru með ábreiður af gömlum slögurum í bland við eigið efni í svipuðum dúr. Mig langar samt frekar að hlusta á gömlu meistarana en gott stöff

This was a total blast and completely unexpected. More 60s garage rock.

Той хто читає цей канал певний час, певно вже помітив, що я є великим поціновувачам «сирого» lo-fi звучання якщо воно іде на користь атмосфері або «підсилює» енергію як таку. І напевно найулюбленішим моїм жанром, де «сире дзижчання» гітар та «глухі» барабани перетворюються у справжнє мистецтво, є #garagerock І The Sonics є класичним його представником. Це саме той «первинний»гаражний рок, що поєднував у собі елементи #surfrock та #rockabilly із енергією класичного рон-н-ролу, який переживав у 60-х не найкращі часи. Та саме своєю нестримною, та навіть, в якійсь мірі, «істеричною» енергією цей альбом мені сподобався значно більше ніж ті самі The Electric Prunes. І щоб зрозуміти про що я, достатньо навіть послухати найяскравіший, в цьому плані, трек - Psyho. Саме такий гаражний рок, в якому відчувається дух старого доброго рок-н-ролу, який сміливо можно назвати «прототипом» для майбутнього панк року 70-х, та який став основним джерелом натхнення для ревайвлу жанру на початку нульових - дійсно має почути кожен хто, хоч трохи, цікавиться історією рок та метал музики.

Rock n roll. 4 stars for the singers scream.

4 stars. Fun to listen to! Unsure if I want to loop it but there are for sure bangers I enjoy on there.

In this era, with a name like 'The ____s' and covers of R&B/rock classics, no one could stop you. This got play with my family when I was a kid and I think I listened to it front to back in HS! Love an album with no songs over 3min. This version of 'Have Love Will Travel' is a banger and the real standout to me. I'm sure this killed live. The SAX. The sax.

now thats what i call rock n roll !? cutie album, pleasant all around roll over beethoven - anyone making lyrics like this anymore

Got into the Sonics back in my record-spinning days in Boston and I love this album even though most songs are covers. One of the best garage rock albums and a perfect album to put on at a party or DJ set. Would give it 5 but knocking it down for it's overindulgence of covers.

A surprisingly enjoyable old time listen

Early garage rock. Pretty good.

What a gem. Loved this. Although a lot of covers, and not as good as the originals, a really enjoyable listen. Great vocals. And a great spooky dark blues opener.

Glorious garage noise. Apparently there was a whole PNW scene I was unaware of.

It’s raw, it’s dirty, it’s stupid, it’s repetitive, it rocks. Best song: Psycho

About 17 too many "whao'" in there, but there's just too much energy to be contained.

A lot of familiar old, jivey, kind of jams. Not sure if they're the original artists for them but they're all fun little ditties to groove to.

First? 3,5/5 Again? 3,5/5

I liked it!

pretty incredible for 1965. Punk at it's finest.

Straight ahead no nonsense balls to the walk rock music. Whats not to like?

Hell yeah the raw Seattle sound, rippin out the throats of pretenders, mainlining straight into souls of Mudhoney and Tad and Nirvana and Soundgarden, this shit is awesome and LOUD

I love it when I can listen to an album and it fills in a gap in the lines drawn between genres and decades. It's mostly covers of rock standards, but heavier, faster and wilder. I can see where grunge, punk and garage rock got a lot of inspiration from this, and I can see where it's getting its inspirations from. It's fun and raw and unpolished and I can imagine parents taking this record away from their children.

Tacoma band!

A true sonic ranch.

This album was a pleasant surprise. 3.5* rounding up due to the early time period for this level of rock. Probably one of those influential bands that most non-musicians didn't really know about.

Great garage rock with covers of r&b classics. The Witch kicks ass

While not a perfect album, the songs that stood out are "Whooaaoo"

I like this album. The band comes together and the good times flow. Lots of memorable instrumental. Lead vocal hits the extremities without losing control. I read about their influence - including on the Stooges - and thought about imitations being better or worse than originals. There are lots of covers here that have been done better but this hard edged style is pretty cool to me. For instance Do You Live Me is a good old favourite as I step - rarely - onto the dance floor, and the version I hear is softer but with the same emotion as this version. Also scratched the surface of British Invasion music and how many songs were being re recorded by lots of bands in a short space of years - like Roll Over Beethoven. All said the most memorable songs belong to other writers and so that makes this rating on style over substance.

Really liked this, the first track grabbed me by the B’s and the rest of the record didn’t let go. Obviously some tracks here that others had more success with, but I really loved the raw energy on this.

3.75 Love me some raw garage rock and liked this more the more I listened. Can def hear the influence of bands that came after.

I was hoping for this to be about hedgehogs rather than Boss Hoss, but this is a nice take on a bunch of good songs. The singer sounds slightly unhinged at points which earns it an extra star.

3.5/5

Overall: 7/10 This is great! It's some of the earliest proto-punk I've heard and it's incredible knowing this is from 1965. The energy and passionate vocals (he sounds like a maniac at times) make this standout from most of the other music being made at this time. The instruments sound like weapons, as if the drums and guitars were replaced with AK-47s. If I had any major complaints it would be that there are too many covers (which was actually common at the time) and the songs start to lost steam by the end. Still, it's pretty great and I recommend it to anyone who gets sick of the old school rock n roll being made at the time. Fav Song: Psycho Least Fav Song: Roll Over Beethoven

Knew more than I expected, fun to listen to

How did that sound not break through to greater mainstream success? I can totally hear The Stooges and MC5. I can hear the Hives and the White Stripes, too. It’s massively impressive to have 60yrs worth of influence. And yet I had never heard them until this list.

The highlights are incredible, including “Have Love Will Travel” and “The Witch”, but a lot of the covers/album tracks drag it down a bit. Still a fun listen. 3.5/5

Son brutales.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this album is awesome and fun. Kinda sounds like the Black Keys at times.

60s rock, rock ’n roll. Do you love me. Very classic. Roll over Beethoven. Garage rock, very hard for the time. Much less polished than contemporaries. That’s kind of cool. Recorded cheaply on purpose so sound has a lot more grit. Punk long before punk according to White Stripes. Classics but a bit dirtier and sexier.

60's garage rock. This is basically an album of covers from the rock n roll and R&B genres, with a few originals mixed in. Kinda similar to The Stooges or The Kinks. Favourite songs: Strychnine, Good Golly Miss Molly, Do You Love Me, Night Time is the Right Time, Walkin' The Dog, Money, Roll Over Beethoven, Boss Hoss, Psycho Least favourite songs: Dirty Robber 4/5

This is ace - like The Hives with the raw energy. Favourite tracks: The Witch, Do You Love Me, Roll Over Beethoven, Have Love Will Travel, Money.

3.5

I'm actually going to go high 4 on this the... every time I think about this album I mainly think of the originals which are off the hook good and them alone are a very high 4½. The covers are a mixed bag for me. The two that I've never heard the originals, The Wailers' "Dirty Robbers" and Richard Berry's "Have Love Will Travel", I freakin loved, but I have nothing else to skew my position. I do really dig their cover of Barrett Strong's "Money" and Nappy Brown's "Night Time is The Right Time", but there are more definitive versions of those songs. The rest of the covers I think work really well in context of the album, but on their own I probably would not seek them out. Overall this is still a very fun listen just a bit shy of a 4½...but one I will always love to play and play LOUD! (8.8) ★★★★

Nice garage rock sound, fun album! 4 stars

Cool garage rock. Too many covers hold it back a little. 4 stars.

Fun! 4 stars.

This was actually kinda cute. Classic party band sound. Very fun.

Wow. Stooges' Raw Power now sounds like a total rip off of this album. Some great mid 60s thrash almost. The energy is sublime and chaotic. Wish there were more self penned tracks as the covers get slightly tiresome, given I've heard most of them 3-4 times from this list now. Sad to see Walking the Dog appear. 3.5*, rounding it up as this came out 59 years ago. Absolutely ridiculous. Someone who wasn't alive when this was released could be claiming their pension now for god's sake.

Very low-fi (and actually old I get it) rock&roll. Enjoyable. Kinda aggressive for its time

When I was 17, I was obsessed with LCD Soundsystem. This meant a lot of “Losing My Edge,” whose freakout bridge features James Murphy just listing out his own musical influence in an effort to assert his coolness (and both failing and succeeding). The name that stood out most to me was his repeated use of “THE SONICS.” As a result, I found this album on Spotify and enjoyed it enough for it be one of the first vinyl records I ever purchased. To this day, “Strychnine,” “Money,” and “Have Love, Will Travel” are all time favorites for me. The rest of the album is also really good, but I’ll admit to some songs sounding overly familiar to each other. I’m a sucker for this rough garage sound, but your mileage may vary.

I never knew I knew anything by the Sonics.

Starting out, I was like great another 1960s rock album after the same thing the previous two days. Then Do You Love Me played and I'm like yeah lets go! Roll Over Beethoven after that? Rock on! The rest of the album didn't keep the same energy as those two, but they were still solid rock songs. Ends on the great Good Golly Miss Molly. Love it. Best song: Roll Over Beethoven

I liked this more than I expected. I get why it was influential to so many PNW bands later. Honestly, its a pretty good listen.

Enjoyed this one

Gee whiz, these mother fuckers can certainly play that rock -n-roll...4.5

Great 50’s rock sound

I'll be honest: I am a sucker for nice production and impressive musical craftsmanship. But I also love music that embraces life and which is truly full of energy. And it has been a really long time since I heard something as full of vitality as this album right here. Beautifully connecting rock n roll to punk, I don't understand why more people are not talking about this.

I need to snort some strychnine

Strictly for what this album symbolises - the reclamation of popular music from the clasps of musical proficiency and industrial finance - it more than deserves its place on the list. As an album itself, it might not strike you as that revolutionary today, but this is effectively the template for the most revolutionary cultural movement of the 20th century in punk rock. The original material is pretty iconic, even if the covers aren't. It has more than withstood the test of time, and I simply love it.

Really cool I’m starting to hear what sets them and the Who apart from the others around this time. It’s one of those albums that is tough to believe it came out so early. Rating: 4.0

This was actually kinda cute. Classic party band sound. Very fun. It’s cute how they start off sounding like little Mormon boys doing covers, and by the end they’re screaming like rowdy garage punks. 4/5

Good, old fashioned garage rock. 12 great pop songs in under 30 minutes. I really enjoyed this album. There are some great original songs like the witch and Strychnine and some classic rock and roll covers. This album is good fun. Favourite song: Have love will travel and money Least favourite: Walkin the dog Album artwork: Basic

Sim, as versões dos Beatles são melhores, mas encaixaram bem no disco deles.

I've heard of The Sonics before as a pioneering garage rock group. From this debut album, I had already heard singles "The Witch" and "Boss Hoss", along with their cover of Richard Berry's "Have Love, Will Travel." The rest of Here Are the Sonics is on par with the songs above. This is a collection of hard-rocking tunes and covers where grainy production is a feature. In particular, I want to highlight Gerry Roslie's vocals, as his conviction to belt and scream with such power won me over on most of these songs. Add to that, Gerry was also impeccable behind the piano, complimented by Rob Lind's prominent saxophone play. The only cover I didn't care for was Rufus Thomas's "Walking the Dog". Their rendition was played at a mid-tempo pace and sung by a different vocalist who did not have the same presence as Gerry did behind the mic. If you dig the later garage rock sound and style of acts like The Stooges and The White Stripes, you're in for a treat with these forebearers. Check them out.

This feels like one of the first albums to sound this "heavy". You can hear where some later bands like The Stooges got inspiration from this album.

There are classics here. but I have a hard time ranking this as a 5 since most of the albums are just really excellent cover songs.

This album sounds like it was recorded in a sort of cramped space with only one, low-quality microphone. And I only assume it was a cramped space because I hafta assume the saxophone player was placed right next to the microphone the way it blasts over everything every time it appears. But, I'unno, it adds to the charm. This whole "garage proto-punk" thing they got. I mean, I feel like it tends to play out better when they're doing their few originals over the covers—which is a bit of a shame given that the album's 1:2 originals to covers. Like, even with their ramshackle recording, the covers just don't sound too terribly special to me? Honestly, in some parts it sounds like the parodies of garage rock Frank Zappa would have The Mothers do. And, yeah, it does feel like at least 25% of the words spoken on this album are just the lead singer going "WWWWWOOOOOAAAAAAAAWWWWW!!" But I still think I can nod at it as a good enough time to give it a 4. I can understand an argument for why it could go lower—that it's just noise that later bands would refine into less noise—but I'unno. Here are The Sonics, and here I am pretty satisfied.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4 because I just admire the hell out of this. This is an extremely raw album for 1965 – it feels poorly recorded, poorly mixed, overtly loud, and doesn’t feel like it has as much professionalism as it’s trying to get across. I love every single thing about that – this is raw in a beautiful way, because it’s clearly made with a lot of love and respect to most of the songs they covered here, as well as their original ones. It’s not poorly recorded or poorly mixed – it’s recorded exactly how they want it to sound, because this is their style. It’s so deeply rooted in what would come to fruition roughly a decade later with harsher metal tones and punkier sounds – “The Witch” in particular feels like a damn Motorhead song, and this is 12 years before their debut album. Honestly, as much as I hated the loudness at the start of the album, in some kind of oddly charming way, it just grew on me – there are points where the screaming becomes too often and a bit obnoxious, but once this album settles in, what feels like ear-bleeding harshness tends to normalize itself and become kinda cool. The sax solo on Have Love Will Travel is a great example of this – it has a sort of scratchy effect because of how much the mic is being distorted, and it’s such a unique effect that I don’t really know if it can be replicated on modern day equipment. In that sense, this album is both desperately of its time and rather ahead of it. Does that mean it knocks it out of the park on every track? No, not really – there’s definitely a number of these tracks where the effects are still really overdone, and just makes me wish they had toned it down a little bit for a better listening experience. However, I think it gets it right on about 7 of the 12 tracks. There’s not really a bad track here. I think it’s a good album – I can see how people might give it a 1 or 2, but for my tastes, I admire the hell out of this for trying something so bold and loud. It’s probably closer to a 3, but I’m gonna go up to a 4. It’s worth listening to. Probably with loud-ass speakers in a garage somewhere, but it’s definitely worth it.

Lofi, fast and cheap. Further proof that good music (and albums) can be made on a budget with lots of filler. very few originals fill this album, but that's not what garage rock really is. The Sonics put together a tight and easy album that serves as a long lasting influence. 4/5

The WITCH! So cool. Love their sound. Proper 4.5

Timeless garage rock

The standard.

Holy moly! How did I miss this band before? Right in my wheelhouse. Straight ahead raw rock and roll.

Rating: 8/10 A really fun album to listen to, plenty of catchy songs and melodies. Also seems to have been influential in hard rock and punk. Best song: Have Love Will Travel. Worst song: The Witch.

I liked this a lot. I can totally see how it is so influential - punk 15 years before punk! Great stuff

Loved this!

Lively night at the local

4 out of 5. I haven't heard of The Sonics before and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. It can be a bit basic but given the year it's from that's not shocking or even bad

Really loved it. Loved hearing how this sound became the rock that followed. Loved the covers and loved the originals. Can’t understand why people didn’t enjoy it!

I enjoyed it, it was very raw and energetic

Some primo garage rock mixed in with a few undistinguished copycat tracks.

Good old rock n roll

Here's the first artist I'd never really heard anything about before starting doing this. Of course, anyone who's ever heard LCD Soundsystem before is familiar with the reference to them on Losing My Edge. But even with that in mind I had no idea what I was getting in for when starting this album. Listen to that blown-out production, the vocals are clipping, the instruments are being played shoddily, the harmonies are out of time. Perfect, a rock n roll record that isn't mind-numbingly boring. It's not like with Guided By Voices where each song is badly-produced in a unique way that injects each song with personality, but if I were to listen to any of these songs, this would be my preferred way of doing so. I truly do believe that the spirit of rock n roll is making as much noise as possible, and I think this sticks to that ethos, taking really basic songwriting and song structures and bending them to a level that would've felt unrecognisable in 1965. 7.5/10

Never heard of these guys. Happy that’s been corrected.

Great sound I like this a lot

This is pretty good. I wasn't overly impressed by their musicianship, but it's a lot of fun. The guitar distortion is excellent, and the vocals find a great balance between singing and screaming (lol). If the album was any longer without any other stylistic changes it might get old, but it's kind of the perfect length. It's also really solid from beginning to end, without any songs that are "duds". Favorite Song(s): Night Time is the Right Time, Good Golly Miss Molly

Never heard about this band. Was a great surprise

Very enjoyable, high energy early 60s rock album. We've sure heard many other bands go in the very same direction later on—at times with better results—but it doesn't make this album any less good. The only thing I disliked was the screaming (way too overused). Highlight: Have Love Will Travel 3.5 - 4 stars

This is definitely an interesting album from a historical perspective. It clearly presents an intermediary step between classic rock'n'roll and what later involved into punk rock. As clean as these guys look on the album cover, their sound is surprisingly raw for its time. I'd definitely prefer the original versions of the rock'n'roll and R&B covers, they just don't really do it for me in these raw, dirty garage versions. That they still sound somewhat good is a testament to the quality of songwriting of some of these fantastic classics. That said, the original material by The Sonics certainly works better in their transitionary style of rock. Favorite track: Psycho

Early punk sound plus covers of 60’s songs

just some classic rock'n'roll covers i guess, but nothing wrong with that

beach blanket bingo type beat

A very early 60s rock album. It's enjoyable and fun, though the lead singer's scream in every song is a bit much, but it does what it sets out to do and is very good for its era. I like their originals more than their covers, as I can hear better covers of those songs on other albums.

The Monks last week, a garage band I didn't know, The Sonics this week, a garage band I very much did. Name-checked repeatedly in 'Losing My Edge', I sought them out, pretty sure this would be Limewire times. So one track at a time. Then a few years later they started turning up in adverts on TV. Psycho. Have Love Will Travel. Whatever else. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Etc. Never going to be up there in the greatest recordings of all time but hell it doesn't half shake things up.

Rad

Never heard of them before. Amazing for their time.

Ooh, this joined some useful dots on my Jack Black-style, School of Rock, mental blackboard. Definitely a link between nice 60s-style guitar pop and the punk and indie stuff to come. Even a wee bit o' screamo! Who knew. Is it just in the UK they're a bit obscure? Good to hear some boys enjoying making some noise and being innovative. I enjoyed the blend of traditional rock n roll classics with the desire just to be properly noisy. My fave tracks, truthfully, were Gerry Roslie's originals; I shall endeavour to remember his name. (And I now know that Richard Berry wrote Louie Louie, which isn't on here, as well as Have Love Will Travel, which is. Satisfying musical knowledge.) 7 out of 10 but I'm feeling generous

listened on 06/08/25 whilst organising soap episode trackers

Though there's usually never a precise point that genres get created, you can always trace them back through albums and artists, and this one feels like a very early indicator of what punk would be. Super energetic and fun garage rock. I also love how despite most of the album being covers, it's 3 original songs that steal the show. 'The Witch'. 'Strychnine', and the classic 'Psycho' are 10/10 bangers. None of them sound like they came from 1965, it's insane. The vocalist also carries the whole thing on his back, his energy is untouchable, similar to legendary punk artists that would come later.

they're so fucking loud but damn this and a bump would be unmatched

Mid-sixties garage / rock 'n roll band -- a few Chuck Berry covers, drums, guitars, bass; just the essentials with simple chords. I can see how this raw sound would be influential to later bands, but I still think it's odd that I've never heard of them before this.

Raucous and life affirming despite being 60 odd years old, don't know why so many are giving this bad reviews

Evidence the the US northwest has always been grungecentric. I do love the feel of this album a true American garage version of the pop that was flowing freely everywhere. Raw, grating, celebratory and dark a great gem that more need to hear.

Sonics walked so the punk could run?? Idk this was the most pleasant surprise so far. Early tones of punk, garage, surf rock for sure

Very cool to hear such early versions of songs. I liked it.

I wish i could hear them live

Wow. Definitely ahead of its time. This is very different from most stuff from the early 60’s.

low fi fun

The recording doesn’t hold up. It sounds really old. Nevertheless, this album is full of hits which everyone knows; however, most of them are covers. This album came out about the same time as some Beatles albums did with the same songs. Interesting. The Beatles did them better, though. I love the screams..too many?

This rocks, did not expect it to go this hard. Excellent album

Oh hell yeah, this album opens with what sounds like a hard rock version of the 60s Batman theme song. These guys aren’t messing around. They’re rock n roll but they’re rocking so hard that they push the music close to heavy metal territory at times. And the screaming wail on the lead vocals! Wow. I was familiar with about half of these songs but the band totally transforms them and brings a wild energy. Even the guy on saxophone is a maniac! The production is pretty rough but the energy is through the roof!

Growing up my mom had a great record player and her, my brother, and I would dance in the basement to some great doo wop and early rock and roll vinyls for hours on end. This wasn't one of those records, but "Do You Love Me" was one of the songs (I think probably the version by "The Contours") and I haven't heard that song in so long and this was a huge flashback for me to those times. This version is so great, although similar to The Contours version. I really enjoy the performances on here. It's way more rock and rock than I was expecting and the energy is super high and fun and youthful. That was a real highlight of this listening experience.

"Here Are the Sonics" by The Sonics is a seminal album that epitomizes the raw, primal energy of 1960s garage rock. Released in 1965, this record is a high-octane explosion of gritty guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and snarling vocals that define the genre. Tracks like "The Witch," "Psycho," and "Strychnine" are adrenaline-fueled anthems that showcase the band's rebellious attitude and musical prowess. What sets "Here Are the Sonics" apart is its raw and unfiltered sound, captured in lo-fi production that adds to its gritty charm. The album's influence can be heard in countless garage and punk bands that followed, making it a cornerstone of rock 'n' roll history. Overall, "Here Are the Sonics" is a must-listen for fans of garage rock and a testament to the enduring power of raw, unbridled rock music. 4/5

A fun listen - transitional fossil style, it's the missing link between trad rock & roll and punk. Kinda basic, but fun all the same. I don't necessarily trust Dimery to pick a good example of such a transitional fossil, but skimming the wikipedia page for garage rock, it looks like these guys were big in the pacific north west, so arguably they are a forerunner of grunge? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Fave tracks - "The Witch" and "Boss Hoss" stood out, and happen to be two of the non covers, huh. They shoulda trusted themselves more and included more originals!

Liam’s fav

throwing ass to this in the club

Great songs performed with rawness and high energy, what more could you ask for? It made me dream of being a kid in the 60s and having bands like this performing at parties.

So this is the band I've been calling the "shouting garage band" all these years. I've been trying figure the name of Have Love Will Travel for a long time, too. What a relief to FINALLY get it. What a fun & raucous album. I wish more garage bands had this raw enthusiasm & talent. This is definitely an album I'll eagerly revisit.

Pretty cool to hear garage sounding rock from the 60's... a lot of the same song structure I've seen from other acts but I hear some more lo-fi and dirtier vocals than pop versions. I love the song Night and Day with the background vocal jarring with the main singer's. A lot of the best songs are just covers which makes me not give this the highest rating, but I did enjoy listening.

I liked it. Not a fan of the amount of covers but a solid album.

Fun blast from the past listen. Great energy and only 30 minutes long

This is fun. They really are raw and I love the terrible production quality. I bet I would have had a blast at their concerts where I around back in the day. I can't in good contious give a 5 to an album that's 2/3rds covers, especially one that has so many covers of black musicians repackaged for white audiences, so a 4 it is.

The 2nd best sonic since the hedgehog. This was a good album, quality 60s rock and roll with some top quality covers of of the classics.

Do you love me on aivan mahtava kappale, eikä sen tarvinnut edes kannatella tätä levyä, kun mukana oli kaikki muutkin hitit. Erinomaisen hauskaa kuultavaa siis. Ja tanssittava tietenkin. Aika metal huudot välissä! Keveää silti.

Passabler Rock'n Roll.

Really fun. Have Love will travel is the one that gets played a lot but other than that the original songs I liked best. psycho, boss hoss, the witch, and strychnine are all great. Nice protopunk, surfy garage rock guitars on the cover. Solid 4 or 4.5

Good group….

Swing type music.

60s garage band. Pop style rock. Upbeat. 2/3 originally but kept listening after a few days and liked more and more. 4

fun album. had only heard one song previously

I have forgotten most of it but to be honest but I remember that I enjoyed it and I liked their cover of do the twist and I enjoyed reading their biography

Great album, enjoyed the two listens. 4/5!

That's 60th rock...

This was pretty good

I love the rough condensed sound. 60s garage rock outfit from Tacoma. Released by a record label in Tacoma. Like a northwest MC5. Have Love Will Travel

Pretty decent early garage rock. Sits somewhere between Jerry Lee Lewis and the Stooges.

Cool garage rock and an important proto-punk record!

Äntligen energi och swag... slop

Rockzao classico vive beatles primeiros albus, bem tri

proto-punk garage rock at its finest.

Wow, this is a classic. I recognise so many of these songs yet I had never heard of The Sonics. These guys rock, high energy, high energy, great production - raw, especially the in-your-face vocals. It feels punk as well as pop. Really like this.

WHAT I ENJOYED: a lot of familiar tunes by a band I wasn't at all familiar with; listening felt sort of like being at a bar with a really good cover band playing -- easy enough to tune out the familiarity, but when you pay attention, better than you would imagine. GRIPES: this sounds like it was recorded on a potato -- it's hard to judge the quality of bass and drums (which maybe aren't even on some tracks?) because the sound quality is so poor. As with other albums of this genre & era, it is kind of sad to think about the erasure of Black artists who pioneered many of the styles showcased here. RECCOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE: the (early) Black Keys, Little Richard, Elvis' rock catalog #345 revealed / #493 rated

Loud, clearly the precursor to greater things to come, but slightly repetitive when taken as a whole.

Very raw/rugged guitar and especially voice. He might just over use that "WWWAAAWOOOO" scream abit too much, but I still liked it as it fit in well with the album. Actually I'm currently listening to "Night time is the Right time" and it might just be too much. Drags it down from a 4 to 3.5.

So much energy in "The Witch"! Super old school and I can hear the amplifiers oversaturating haha! "Do You Love Me" is a classic and this cover is fun. "Roll over Beethoven" is really nice. Lots of Chuck Berry inspiration? "Have love with travel was quite good" In terms of energy and groove it's quite constant throughout half of the album I like the drumming in "Psycho" "Night Time Is the Right Time" feels really Elvis sometimes. Man solos back in the days on guitar were quite basic haha I liked it though

First time listener nice tightish sound. A good few classic songs. Worth a listen.

I’m a sucker for 60’s rock music and this record hits just the spot between the covers of iconic songs and their original songs like The Witch and Psycho. So so fun. Also love that the actual title of this album is !!! Here Are The Sonics !!!

A great garage rock set that moves quickly.

Can’t help but love the raw, gritty, no apology sound of 60s rock n roll. From surf rock to punk rock, the sonics hit you with the Boom and get ur heart accelerating to next gear. Any of these tracks can be used in a Quentin Tarantino film and totally make it a memorable scene. i.e. “Guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it.”

Classic rock n roll Nothing can go wrong with this.

Fuck me ... what a voice and energy. I thought this would be a run of the mill 60s album but this is HARD bluesy music. I can 100% see why this album is on this list. 1st its a great album with lots of covers but 2nd this feels like a transition record that showed future rockers on how to take 60 music to the next harder rock level. Awesome!

The songs are not that great, but the raw and heavy intention behind every tracks make it impossible not to have fun and enjoy. Pretty noisy and rebellious stuff for 1965. This goes straight between an early Kinks album and The Monks.

The Sonics are one of the rockier bands of the the 60s Rock'n'Roll. It is mostly a selection of songs written by other people which they adapt in a rawer style that is quite different to e.g. The Kinks of that time. It doesn't work on all of the songs and by the time you hear track 5 you get the formula. Some songs are very good for what they want especially 'Have Love Will Travel' that was so wonderfully used in Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla. All in all this is a great album with some songs full of energy - and others you'll skip.

Great collection of hits. Production just a bit too raw.

Loved the raw and powerful energy on this album. It contains a few original songs and a lot of covers. The sound is way ahead of its time (1964), it is proto-punk. A fun listen.

This is the first real revelation since starting my 1001 album journey. The fact this is a debut and it was recorded in 65’ and they penned an original as dark as The Witch is phenomenal. You can see how this influenced so many. The distortion, unhinged vocals great riffs and great choice of covers makes it a seminal record. It’s been a real joy listening to this, it must have shocked the audiences back in the sixties.

Long story short, this is a garage punk record. The crappy production that fluctuates on a dime, the low quality vocals where the guy is screaming his lungs out, it’s all good. The vocals and the punchy sounding drums really do stand out on every song. The guitar and saxophone, as enjoyable as they are, don’t stand out as much, probably because of the production. In some ways that adds character and in others, is a drawback. The albums good but flawed. I’d give it a 7/10.

I've never heard of The Sonics, so I was relying on user reviews to give me an expectation of what I was in for. The reviews are pretty polarizing, so I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this a lot, or think that it was overrated. To my pleasant surprise, I really enjoyed this album. You can definitely hear the punk influences that are present here: the fast and sometimes chaotic drum fills, cymbal crashes, buzzing guitars, and raw vocals. I'm usually not a big fan of albums that have a lot of covers (I'm looking at you, A Girl Called Dusty), but this really landed with me. A lot of it reminded me of Iggy and The Stooges' Raw Power, and I really love that album. I think this album has solidly earned its place on this list!

PREFS : The Witch, Do You Love Me, Roll Over Beethoven, Boss Hoss, Have Love Will Travel, Psycho, Money (That's What I Want), Strychnine MOINS PREF : Dirty Robber

Nondeju had het eergisteren nog over deze guys in een review. Vind dit album heel leuk, Have Love Will Travel, Roll Over Beethoven, Money, Do You Love Me allemaal leuke nummers. Hou van die muddy sound, voelt als hele early garage. (Tidal Wave van Thee Oh Sees/Osees is Have Love Will Travel! Zo ken ik dit)

7/10

parece beatles só que melhor kkkk

Genres: Garage rock, rock and roll, proto-punk, proto-grunge Formed: Tacoma, Washington in 1960 Run time: 12 songs, 29 min, 20 sec I assumed garage/grunge were from the 1990’s, so I was surprised to see this 1960 album labelled as such. In keeping with the time, all songs are between two and three minutes long. All songs have over 300k plays on Spotify. A couple have over 1M plays and the most popular, “Have Love Will Travel”, has over 33M plays. The album features four original songs "The Witch", "Psycho", "Boss Hoss" and "Strychnine". The others are rock and roll and R&B covers. Most of the covers are famous because they were already well known or have been covered by other bands. “Do You Love Me” Brian Poole and the Tremeloes in 1963 and Dave Clark Five. “Money (That's What I Want)” The Beatles in 1963 and The Flying Lizards in 1979 Listening to the track "Walking the Dog" reminded me of the sound of the Rolling Stones. I wonder why the Stones became massive and The Sonics didn’t. They both sound similar and both drew from the same pool of rock and roll and R&B songs. I loved just about every song on the album and will listen to it again. My Rating: ****

Lots of covers

Very raw 60s garage rock. A few more covers than I like to see on an album, but they do add a fun grittiness to everything they do.

Enjoyable, nice energy

Very simple in both song and execution but they somehow manage to transfer the energy and excitement making it a great album in my book.

Worn out by this era for now

Bello, allegro e ci sono anche un paio di hit famose. Bello bello.

Good stuff, had to listen it couple times because not used to the genere

Very upbeat cool early rock sound.

Possibly the advent of punk. This record is high energy, lofi, and messy as hell. The Sonics are oft-cited as influences by the White Stripes, Mudhoney, and Nirvana. Their overdriven and distorted sound lends to an air of rebellion in an age of over produced popular music. These guys are great musicians and seem like they just wanted to play rock on their terms. The 50s rock and R&B influence is apparent especially with the R&B style saxophone solos.

Fun album. Enjoyed how raw it seemed

Absolutely cracking bit of garage rock.

4/5 - kurzweiliger Garage Rock n Roll

Very punk-like, and probably served as inspiration for bands such as the Sex Pistols and Clash. I really enjoyed it.

уже кажется третий раз переслушиваю и не помню о чем поют ...

Let’s face it - no British Invasion - no regional garage bands all over the U.S. & definitely no Sonics. They may have existed before the Beatles & the Stones got to America, but without the invaders, we wouldn’t be reading about them now. I enjoyed this. There’s not one cover version here that’s as good as the originals by The Contours (Do You Love Me), Chuck Berry (Roll Over Beethoven), Richard Berry (Have Love will Travel), Money (Barrett Strong), Walking The Dog (Rufus Thomas), Night Time Is The Right Time (Nappy Brown & Ray Charles) & Good Golly Miss Molly (Little Richard). Or the British covers that preceded this album, by Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, The Beatles, The Stones & The Swinging Blue Jeans. But it doesn’t matter. The greatness of garage music was in the garage. And this is as good as that shit got. What’s more, it includes 2 absolute classics, written by the band - Psycho & Strychnine, which were just as covered by future garage & punk outfits. Loved it.

Strychinine, Psycho and The Witch are garage classics, and the covers are well chosen (even if no improvement on the original, or even some of the subsequent covers). But it is the delivery that really sells this album. Fast, loud and out of control, lots of distortion and screaming, this is honest, take-no-prisoners garage rock. This is a 29 minute long adrenaline rush, which never lets up. I really enjoy the energy of this record.

Enjoyed the energy. Felt a little dated, probably due to the number of covers of their songs down the years, but still liked it

Some crackers on there

At first, I couldn't believe this band had this many hits on one record...until I learned that about half the songs are R&B covers. Songs like The Witch (which sounds like the grandfather of ska) and Boss Hoss and Psycho were written by The Sonics and are pretty decent, but the covers of Do You Love Me, Roll Over Beethoven, Have Love Will Travel and Night Time Is The Right Time put this record over the top. Pretty simple insturmentation, and lots of James Brown style WOOOOs from the lead singer. This was better than expected, even if the hits don't belong to the band.

Raw and brilliant musicianship with terrible sound quality. I know some will say this is the point but it is poor to the point of distraction. Overall though, the music makes it worth edges the fourth star.

Huh. They did shake it off baby. Crazy.

Lively rock 'n' roll, a fun listen!

I can't believe this was 1965, I love it. Build a bomb in the garage

Some Vintage Garage Rock, and I personally thought it was pretty hyucking good. Could use a little less covers, but not the biggest deal in the world.

"!!!Here Are the Sonics!!!" Is the debut album from Tacoma, WA garage rock band The Sonics. The album has four original and six cover songs. All the songs are fast-paced, early punk and have a guitar solo. Garage indeed. Oh, and lots of screaming from lead singer Gerry Roslie. Side A begins with their song "The Witch." A repetitive drum beat. A buzzing guitar. Sax in the background. The song goes from fast to faster. And we're off. About a woman. The sax and piano are prominent in "Boss Hoss." The Jerry Lee Lewis-ish piano playing puts this firmly in the garage/punk category. With this car he can't lose. The best cover on the first side and the album is their version of Richard Berry's "Have Love Will Travel." Put this song on you will immediately recognize that guitar intro and scream from at least one commercial. The Sonics pretty much made this song their own. "Pyscho" opens the second side. The sax. Another very 60's sounding song. I thought I had Little Steven's "Underground Grage" radio show on. And the best song title goes to "Strychnine." The longest guitar solo. The piano going crazy. "I like the taste of Strychnine." Can't get much more punk than that. I know I overuse the fun description but this album was fun. I also appreciate two to three minute-long songs and albums coming in under 30 minutes during this challenge. This album has to be very influential in the scope of things for bands like The Stooges and The Cramps and the whole punk movement. Three chords and lots of screaming will do it every time for me.

Canciones típicas de grupo americano de los años 60. Un tanto de rockabilly, ritmos un tanto rápidos y melodías un poco repetitivas. Aun así, gusta

Lots of songs I have heard but did not know they covered. Like other covers better tho.

I liked it a lot. Some heavy sound for the time 4

Supposedly an album (and a band) that was an inspiration for many "rebellious" bands, like Nirvana or White Stripes. "Here are the Sonics" is a mostly cover album, including remakes of famous rock'n'roll songs, but recorded in a really raw and rough way. Term "garage rock" is very fitting here. Probably the sound was the main attribute, that made them famous. Nowadays, a lot of big bands try to replicate this garage sound, with a better or worse outcome. This way of recording is now equivalent with punk/metal attitude, so the influence went pretty deep. As for the songs themselves, they are entertaining, and a bit more "rock" versions of rock'n'roll. The vocal was also a very positive surprise, it really fitted in the album. In general, a pretty good album.

I'd never guess this was a 1960s band. Lots of covers on the album. I really love their sound... very old school punk!

This gets an extra point for the history behind it and the influence it had.

They were pretty punk rock for 1965

Didn’t realise they did all these songs! Great shower music

If you like this sort of thing (and I have to be in the mood) this is probably as good as it gets

It's noisy in a fun way. Feels revolutionary

Very good

Upbeat, strong, gritty classic rock. Lead singer has a great voice for rock. Seems like later groups drew on this album as inspiration for their sound.

Great album. Raw but in a good way

First heard this group on the Nuggets compilation as a teen, and being a teenager I loved the raw sound. This album is more of the same but it could probably do with a little bit of variation. Still a great album though (must be played really LOUD to be fully appreciated!!)

Stand-outs: "Boss-hoss," "Have Love Will Travel," "Strychnine"

I like the idea that The Sonics are on the bridge between classic Rock 'n' Roll and Punk. They have a raw energy and exuberance that is pretty incredible.

The tunes were fun with a rough edge. I can dig it!!

Looking at the wholesome fivesome on the album cover made listening to the opening track “The Witch” quite a surprise! Absolutely unexpected - like a punky-grungy Beach Boys sound. I was expecting something much tamer. Then I start reading about this band I have never heard of and discover that they are from the Puget Sound - birthplace of grunge and my stomping ground. Incredible that in 1965 this was going on. The songs are built on a simple set of chord progressions and has a lot of typical characteristics of music of that time, but there’s a dirty energy that makes this stand out. I like this partly as a historical artifact and partly for the way it genuinely surprised me. And after repeated listens the gritty recording quality became part of the sound. I see why this is here!

I get the wow criticism, but this has a cool vobe of its own.

Great album! Lots of classic and loves the lead singers voice!

This is good. And I learned a new term - Garage Rock. Makes total sense. This is raw and catchy, like an anti-Beatles while still sounding like a, well, garage version of the Gidget beach movie soundtrack. Good mix of covers (I think?) and original tunes.

Pretty awesome. such energy!!

This album is so much fun from start to finish, albeit in a dumb way. Here is a '60s band who don't take themselves too seriously. Of course, that leads to lots of potential problems. In this case, we got mediocre covers and way too much "WAAAAHH!". Either the mixing, the recording, or both are freaking bad. Though I like it, it gives the album a raw, no-bullshit atmosphere. Despite all these, it's one dirty and fun rock album. I enjoyed the experience.

I'm classic, Jurassic, I'll stick it in your ass-ic. A rockstar, a cockstar, a shove it in your ass-tar. I'm a legend, a bellend, i'll stick it up your rear end. Yo, I'm the champagne, the propane, the reason you got ass pain. I'm a baptist, a rapist, you're gon' get your ass kissed. I'm a big spender, sex offender and some might say 'a bender'. I'm a gangsta, a panther, and at weekends, Samantha. I'm a weirdo, a hero and a mega paedo. I'm fantastic, I'm plastic, I once dated a spastic. I'm a necrophile, a paedophile, i've even fucked a crocodile. Mic drop.

Similar to other sounds of the era, but seemingly pushes the genre forward with raw, albeit straightforward, lyrics.

1960s garage band goes hard

Intriguing and energetic! What an exciting album. Some songs I don't love but wow this was fun 7/10

Raucous and fun, I liked this.

Never listened to them before but I really enjoy this! Pretty wild that this came out in 1965. I can hear early elements of metal, punk and psych rock already seeping into this. Especially impressive coming from the dorks on the cover!

Some classic nuggets on here, baby

Gimme that old time rock n roll

3.75

4.5/5. I like garage rock. Simple, nothing crazy going on, but good.

This got me to listen to more than just a handful of popular songs of theirs. I can see how influential they were.

Short album, but it is packed with either independently awesome songs or the bases for covers

Liked the majority of the songs and remember them from growing up. Dang I’m old!!!

Quite a sound, really exciting to listen to. I wish there were fewer covers on it though, that would have brought it to the next level to me. Some of these songs have been covered so many times they're really played out - like "Money" - do you really have to cover a song that the Beatles AND The Rolling Stones had already covered? Even so I admit, they did a pretty good job.

I'm a huge fan of the Nuggets boxed set, which features 3 of these songs; The Witch, Strychnine, and Psycho, so I was familiar with those tracks, but for some reason I never explored their music any further. While those previously mentioned tracks are included on the Nuggets compilation for good reason, their other originals, and even their R&B covers, are performed with a raw intensity that was noteworthy for the time. The effect is reinforced by the lower fidelity recording, but all credit is due to the performers. Undoubtedly one of the earliest examples of proto-punk, but I guess the wider world wasn't quite ready for that yet. Would have been an absolute blast to see them live around the time this was released.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA *SICK GUITAR SOLO*

Garage band fun

Lots of covers, some good some meh. Really enjoyed their sound though.

This album rocks - 4 stars

A bunch of crazy kids performing R&B covers to their wildest hearts' contents. Sure, the production sucks, but it adds to the insane rawness that these guys are doing whatever the hell they want, and they pull it off with insane enthusiasm. Even the sax tries to jump out the record, restrained only by the limitations of the medium that controls the music. In under half an hour, we get 12 short tracks, and not a single half assed effort in any of them. The intro "The Witch" already establishes this album's place on this list, as one of the best garage rock hits of the 60s that would influence the the punk movement. There are some weak picks, but nothing you can't enjoy, and they're all short enough that you could wait out for the next pick. The highlights are well-dispersed so you never go more than a couple songs without a song you either already recognize or sticks out. Favorites: The Witch, Have Love Will Travel, Psycho, Strychnine

Quick, fun, dirty collection of rock n roll covers & originals. A tentative 4, for the live, unhinged feeling throughout the album. My reservation is that most of my favourite tracks were the covers, but hey- it’s not like I have a limited amount of 4s to give out HL: Psycho, Roll Over Beethoven, Night Time…, September 21, 2022

Interesting album, great album and garage rock, interesting that all the covers have better versions but this still somehow works very well as an album.

Good music

musica vibrante, guitarra distorcida, vocal animado

Yeah.

Liked it, a lot of covers on the album but with their twist to it.

15th August 2022 Listened while working from home. Seb over in the evening, face masks and DB Cooper documentary. I did not know full on garage rock came this early. So much drive and energy and wild production for a mid 60s record, great fun.

Started strong (for a band from ‘65) with opener “The Witch”. As I listened to this I was thinking that “if the only music in my collection was circa 1965 and prior, The Sonics would be in heavy rotation”. Next track, a cover of The Contours’ “Do You Love Me”, was pretty lame; but the band rebounded with a pretty decent album! Solid throughout. Harder and edgier than most pop/rock of the day. “Strychnine” was an old favorite of mine - had it on a cassette mix-tape back in the day. I mistakenly always thought this was by “the13th floor elevators”. Cool. 3.5 and rounding up.

Obviously, this band influenced the creating of the Seattle basketball. Only a year after this album was released, the Seattle Sonics were created. Coincidence? I think no. Regardless, it's hard to imagine the impact these guys had more than 50 years ago with clean cut looks and song titles like Witch, Psycho and Strychnine they probably wouldn't have appealed to the masses without some cover songs. It took me a little bit to realize the significance (basketball and whatnot) but I did enjoy this album and feeling the energy of them beating on their instruments. Will probably listen to these guys again.

Knowing nothing about The Sonics, I was immediately excited by "The Witch" and eager for what would follow. Unfortunately, what followed were two covers of classic but much less inspiring early rock'n'roll. The Sonics' original work is incredibly revealing, unveiling connections between blues, rock, and punk that are always apparent but never as explicit as on "Here Are the Sonics." The covers are a bit hit or miss, with the early appearances of "Do You Love Me" and "Roll Over Beethoven" probably hurt most by the fact that they weren't "The Witch." Later in the album, it dawned on me that I couldn't recall another singer as influenced by Little Richard, with Gerry Roslie channeling the icon and originator with shouts and hollers and yelps. And maybe a little too influenced? Nevertheless, I actually thought The Sonics somehow improved on "Good Golly, Miss Molly." But again, it's their original tracks that really stand out. "Psycho" and "Strychnine" are revelations. I'll definitely check out their follow-up, "Boom," to see if they can recapture the magic. Unfortunately, it sounds like it ends there, with the next album heading in a different direction before the original lineup broke up. But they had a pretty amazingly outsized influence on the future of multiple rock genres despite having less than 10 original songs.

Good versions

Voici ce que j'en ai déjà dit: "Ça rock solide. Plusieurs reprises, mais l'énergie qui se dégage de cet album est folle. Tu comprends avec cet album qu'on s'en va vers des bands comme les Stooges dans les années qui suivent. Une écoute vraiment agréable. Pièces préférées: Strychnine, Do You Love Me"

Solid

This was a fun listen, I enjoyed the rock & roll covers through the lens of a dirty garage filter. From the pick of the original tracks, The Witch definitely stood out. It was nice to hear a new take on the classics; however, I still enjoy the original recordings more than The Sonics's interpretation. This album coming out way before any Velvet Underground recordings puts them ahead of the curve in terms of developing this signature "dirty on purpose" sound. That opened the door for loads of great music over the years. Fave tracks: The Witch, Roll Over Beethoven, Strychnine, Good Golly Miss Molly

041223 14:43 4.5

Brilliant proto-punk adding even more electricity to classic 50s rock’n’roll, but less noisy than Stooges. A bit like The Monks with added joy.

Cooler than you.

Spoko, pełno coverów, jedynie jakość drażni

Ohhh good stuff here, definitive garage band album, fun and rowdy. Strychnine might the ultimate garage band song, it still sounds timeless. This is the band the White Stripes and the rest of the revivalists listen to.

I liked the energy. I liked the noisy rock that would become punk. Maybe too much noise and energy for a sleepy Monday morning.

Good fun dirty rock n roll. A lot of covers, some new songs. Strychnine is a banger. Really enjoyed listening to this album I wasn’t familiar with!

Refreshingly raw, Hamburg Beatles level rock and roll, everything pushed into the red. Must learn more.