Thursday, November 05, 2009

Compare and Contrast (An Occasional Series): Garage Bands of the Gods

From 1965, here's toughest American band of its (or any other) day The Sonics, featuring the astonishing and frightening vocals of the great and possibly demented Gerry Roslie, with their proto-punk masterpiece "Cinderella."




And from sometime in the mid-80s, please enjoy New York City local heroes The Fuzztones, with their supercharged cover version.





Okay, this may be heretical, but as great as the original is, and I'll grant you Roslie's vocals are in a class by themselves, I seriously think the cover is not only an improvement, I consider it one of the most exciting rock records ever. Three chords and a cloud of dust, as they say. Also great attitude and the addition of the tambourine and (especially) the blues harp is a stroke of genius.

If I was in a band I'd love to open a set with this, is what I'm saying.

4 comments:

steve simels said...

Note to self: These private obsessions may really be getting out of hand.
:-)

ms. rosa said...

Thank, God!

And to be completely, yet accurately, contrarian (oh, mon frere-ian): The Sonics, ftw.

Though I would snuggle with The Fuzztones anytime!

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Not for me. Two nice little slabs of garage rock that starts the weekend early, from this zombie's perspective....

Bruce Brodeen said...

Well, yr certainly right about The Sonics being in a class of their own - then, now and into the beer-soaked future....but good as this version from the 'tones is, it lacks the spark, vibrancy and sheer snarly delivery of Roslie, imho. Still, they took it on and got the top of the mountain to enjoy the view - can roll w/ ya on that, Steve!