I’ve always enjoyed a quiet appreciation for the simplicity
of this title. In future years I found myself present for the recording of albums with very
long and, if you don’t mind me saying so, quite pretentious names. Prog rock,
which we will come to in time, always seemed to include a large number of words
than were strictly necessary in an album title. But this is very much straight
to the point: “Where are the Sonics does anyone know? I say, I’m looking for
the Sonics, has anyone an idea of their whereabouts?” “Well they’re right here
as it happens. Here are the Sonics”. “Ah, the very chaps I’m looking for.” See?
Straight to the point and simply done. It’s not Here are the Sonics in Aspic or something of that nature. Where?
Here. Here are the Sonics.
Although, that’s not
the full title. There’s the punctuation as well.
Is there?
Three exclamation
marks.
Well, I take it all back then. That’s clearly excessive. I
would have thought one was more than enough to make the point that they were
definitely here but three is just unnecessary and a total indulgence.
The music is still
simple.
Well yes. There’s nothing very complicated about that.
Although it was the point at which I realised how established I had become in
the music business.
How so?
When I commenced employment in the industry there were chaps
playing music I had never heard of because I was out of touch with music
culture. Musicians were constantly performing material which was not only
unfamiliar but entirely outside the realms of my own musical experience. The
Sonics, however, performed songs like Roll Over Beethoven and I recall them
being quite taken aback to see me singing along. They evidently concluded I was
someone who might take offence to the idea of Beethoven’s name being besmirched
in any way and they expressed just this view during the recording. They were
quite surprised to be informed that I had been present when the Beatles
recorded the same song the previous year and in fact when Chuck Berry recorded the original version. I certainly enjoyed a newfound respect among musicians when I
shared that sort of intelligence.
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