Raw and ragged, the Sonics emerged from Tacoma, Washington, in a savage burst of proto-punk energy. Lead singer Gerry Roslie pleaded into the mic with the fiery delirium of someone of questionable sanity, guitarist Larry Parypa and the band raged behind him, and saxophonist Bob Lind pumped extra heat into the mix with his solos. It was a combustible combination, one that was somewhat short-lived, and didn’t fit well with major-label aesthetics of the time.
Most of their songs were covers of early rock-and-roll, which they played with reckless abandon; but their few, oft-anthologized, originals have also left quite a mark. This short playlist compiles the best of their originals, and concludes with a few choice covers. Freak out, and dig it.
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