Boom by The Sonics

The Sonics' second album, Boom, might not have quite as many barn burning classics as their debut, but even a "lesser" Sonics record is still an epic document of amped up 60s garage rock. I have no idea how popular The Sonics might have been during their heyday but the influence their music, along with the music of bands like The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, has had over punk and rock bands in the last 40+ years is considerable. Highlights from Boom include "He's Waitin'," a kind of freaky morality tale, and "Hitch Hike," a sort of companion to their more well-known "Have Love, Will Travel." The band even does a take on the immortal "Louie, Louie," though their version sounds more like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" than The Kingsmen.

Rating: 83%

(Image from uulyrics.com)