The Sonics "Psycho-Sonic" 2003

PSYCHO-SONIC is a 29-song retrospective of garage-rock band the Sonics, whose name was inspired by the Boeing aircraft surrounding them in their hometown of Tacoma, Washington. The collection includes the Sonics' first single, "(She's a) Witch" - which reportedly holds the record for the best-selling indie single in the Northwest - plus two live versions of the song. In an era when the raw sounds of '60s garage-rock heroes the Sonics have been featured in an SUV commercial, it's possible to underestimate the fierceness of their straight-for-the-jugular attack. That is, until you hear the quintessential Sonics compilation, PSYCHO-SONIC. Here are 29 tracks of garage-rock grandeur featuring Tacoma's favorite sons in all their unfettered glory, tearing into a mix of blues, R&B, proto-psychedelia, and frantic rock & roll that's often gotten them labeled as "the first punk rock band.
"Everyone would agree that the Sonics reached their peak on their 1964-65 recordings for Etiquette. This 29-track compilation has everything they recorded for the label, extended not just to everything from their singles and two albums, but also with an alternate take of "The Witch" and live recordings of "Psycho" and "The Witch." Consequently, it's the best Sonics release on the market, though you should be warned: it's not wall-to-wall greatness. After the first half-dozen or so songs, you might well be ready to buy into their legend as one of the great (and certainly rawest) '60s garage bands, as those tracks include their toughest elementary riff-fueled pounders: "The Witch," "Psycho," "Boss Hoss," "He's Waitin'," and "Strychnine." But too much of the rest is filled out with covers of '50s and '60s rock and R&B standards, and the relentlessly frantic bang-it-out frat punk and throat-tearing vocals get blurry after a while, though at least they threw in a little-covered tune with their version of Adam Faith's "It's Alright." [The 2003 CD edition of this anthology, incidentally, is substantially different from Big Beat's first release of the material, though it has identical tracks and the same title. It's taken from first-generation tapes, and also has a 20-page booklet of liner notes with extensive quotes from several band members (including lead singer Gerry Roslie) and others involved in the group's career.] --Richie Unterberger, AllMusic (Rating: 4,5/5 stars)

trax:
01. The Witch 02. Boss Hoss 03. He's Waitin' 04. Psycho 05. Louie Louie 06. Strychnine 07. Cinderella 08. Shot Down 09. Have Love Will Travel 10. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark 11. Dirty Robber 12. Keep A Knockin' 13. Money (That's What I Want) 14. The Hustler 15. Jenny Jenny 16. Hitch Hike 17. Roll Over Beethoven 18. Skinny Minnie 19. Do You Love Me 20. Walking The Dog 21. Good Golly Miss Molly 22. Night Time Is The Right Time 23. It's Alright 24. Let The Good Times Roll 25. Don't You Just Know It 26. Since I Fell For You 27. The Witch (Alternate) 28. Psycho (Live) 29. The Witch (Live)
Re-issue of the two LPs released in 1965 along with B-sides and alternate takes:
- tracks 1-12: !!!Here Are The Sonics!!!
- tracks 15-26: Sonic Boom
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