I think songs like "Wild Man" and "Born Loser" have a haunting minimalisitc quality of the primitive garage style.  Garage Punk in my opinion, was never a genre to display techincal mastery, that was left to the Progressive Rock (Led Zeppelin, Rush, Black Sabbath, Cream, Hendrix). To me, it's about a primitive inarticulate emotion.  A form of musical expression unrefined, experimental, raw, channeled within the confines of it's own limitations.  I do agree reluctantly, that the guitar was a little bit thin.  It could have been produced and engineered better (maybe some backround rhythm gtr).  I think though, if you put those early songs within the context of their times they were revolutionary as far as the dark theatrical "psychotic" impression they produced.  I guess I would just hate to see some bands butcher great songs by running them through a Grunge processor.

Hi, I'm a fan of wild rock'n'roll too. Here's my top ten of the wildest songs ever:

10. Tony Conn - Like Wow

Hard to choose really. There are myriads of wild rockabilly songs. This one has interesting orchestration, like Tyrone Schmidling.

9. Jesse James - South's Gonna Rise Again

Love the voice.

8. Project Blue - The Banshees

Timeless classic.

7. The Ranger Sounds - Ricordami

Incredible Italian band!

6. The Pinetoppers - Shout Bamalama

Otis Redding when he he tried to sound like Little Richard.

5. The Valiants - Good Golly Miss Molly

This one was released before Little Richard's and is much faster and wilder!

4. Adrian Lloyd - Lorna

Real punk gem.

3. The Phantom - Love Me

Opening scream is unbeatable.

2. Bunker Hill - The Girl Can't Dance

Link Wray played on that one.

1. Ralph Nielsen & the Chancellors - Scream

I don't know if this is surf, rockabilly or 60s punk but it is truly the wildest!

Hope you like it.

I've always had a fascination with 50's and 60's Punk (Hasil Adkins, Gene Maltais, Joe Clay, Jerry "The Phantom" Lott, The Benders, The Sonics, etc.) Does anyone know of any bands/songs that really get the blood pumping? Let me know. Thanks.

Hey check out my next DJ gig.  No mention of my name, radio show, website, or station...  AWESOME!

Everything you said about the Kingsmen's version is my sentiments exactly.  I just had the feeling that most everyone here would choose the Sonics just for its sure intensity and buzzsaw sound but it's nice to be proven wrong in this case.  I notice that some people said Swamp Rats as their favorite but that wasn't the question.  Anyway, as the guys from Delta also proved, the Kingsmen version is funner to get drunk to (although it WAS off by a year and a half).  Speaking of being off by a year, I also thought for a long time that the Richard Berry recording was 1956.

Dammit said:

     I'm with you on this one, Rod...(Love The Sonics, btw - i even met you finally (in person) at the Sonics' Olympia New Years Eve Show)...As Mole noted, the chords for the Sonics version are different. They're virtually different songs; Kingsmen version has the E minor chord, whereas the Sonics version is all majors -- Meaner, yes! The word "Menacing" comes to mind...Another great blueprint for Punk Rock, brought up by the mighty Sonics. (The Swamp Rats heard this (and Psycho) and fuzzed it up bigtime!). Speaking of 'blue prints" The Fabulous Wailers MUST be mentioned here. Because they were the first ones to do it with this wild/Northwest/balls out/ rhythm/style/arrangement as what the Kingsmen did a year or two later. LOVE the Wailers and their version was innovative, but The Kingsmen took what they did and SMASHED it out of the park.

     As great as all these versions are, there's just something magical about the Kingsmen version. The gaffs/mistakes, the sound quality (!) Great (((live))) room sound...The epitome of "Garage" sound...(even if it wasn't literally in a garage). First & foremost, Jack Ely's lackadaisical vocal is just so great. His delivery, the phrasing is top rate....Add to that a fantasticly succinct guitar solo (super well crafted & executed; pity/laconic in the best sense), wicked electric piano intro & all throughout (Don Gallucci, later of Don & The Goodtimes fame, & Stooges - Funhouse production), and Lynn Easton's lively drumming. It's relaxed/loose and intense all at the same time....like the best R&B ever made (usually black musicians). White kids usually sound nervous and hyper and that sound is great too, but they usually can't get the "relaxed/intensity" thing...I'm all for spazzy white punk rock, but The Kingsmen nailed this one with relaxed/intensity...Finally, i gotta bring it back full circle to Richard Berry, the creator/writer & original performer of the song, Louie Louie. His original 1956 recording of Louie Louie is thee KIng Shit! and is only equalled by The Kingsmen, in my opinion. Yes, rating songs in-order is stoopid anyway, but those are my two top faves that I always go back to (for Louie Louie) -- Richard Berry ('56) & The Kingsmen ('63)...(and the sonics!) heh heh... O_0

** What I meant was: "1957" for Richard Berry & The Pharaohs original (a B-side on Flip!!)

     I'm with you on this one, Rod...(Love The Sonics, btw - i even met you finally (in person) at the Sonics' Olympia New Years Eve Show)...As Mole noted, the chords for the Sonics version are different. They're virtually different songs; Kingsmen version has the E minor chord, whereas the Sonics version is all majors -- Meaner, yes! The word "Menacing" comes to mind...Another great blueprint for Punk Rock, brought up by the mighty Sonics. (The Swamp Rats heard this (and Psycho) and fuzzed it up bigtime!). Speaking of 'blue prints" The Fabulous Wailers MUST be mentioned here. Because they were the first ones to do it with this wild/Northwest/balls out/ rhythm/style/arrangement as what the Kingsmen did a year or two later. LOVE the Wailers and their version was innovative, but The Kingsmen took what they did and SMASHED it out of the park.

     As great as all these versions are, there's just something magical about the Kingsmen version. The gaffs/mistakes, the sound quality (!) Great (((live))) room sound...The epitome of "Garage" sound...(even if it wasn't literally in a garage). First & foremost, Jack Ely's lackadaisical vocal is just so great. His delivery, the phrasing is top rate....Add to that a fantasticly succinct guitar solo (super well crafted & executed; pity/laconic in the best sense), wicked electric piano intro & all throughout (Don Gallucci, later of Don & The Goodtimes fame, & Stooges - Funhouse production), and Lynn Easton's lively drumming. It's relaxed/loose and intense all at the same time....like the best R&B ever made (usually black musicians). White kids usually sound nervous and hyper and that sound is great too, but they usually can't get the "relaxed/intensity" thing...I'm all for spazzy white punk rock, but The Kingsmen nailed this one with relaxed/intensity...Finally, i gotta bring it back full circle to Richard Berry, the creator/writer & original performer of the song, Louie Louie. His original 1956 recording of Louie Louie is thee KIng Shit! and is only equalled by The Kingsmen, in my opinion. Yes, rating songs in-order is stoopid anyway, but those are my two top faves that I always go back to (for Louie Louie) -- Richard Berry ('56) & The Kingsmen ('63)...(and the sonics!) heh heh... O_0

The Zombies are on my rip off list, too.

You never considered them surf? They always had a heavy surf influence. If you see them these days they are TOTALLY a surf punk band and mostly play the surf circuit.

ratoonie said:

agent orange!!!!...... i never considerd those guys surf!! but i was Living in S.F. at the time ......83....?????
I think therye back togethr?!

I got mine !!!

there's already 630 people attending the event "according" to facebook...

got my tickets! now to arrange lodging...

Holy crap I'm there!

the Bell house websites says the place holds about 350-400 people so i reckon it will sell out pretty quick

Does anyone knows how many tickets are available ?? is the venue big enough ??

i 'll try to figure how to get there, i've just come back from NY two weeks ago !!!!

got my tickets - now I gotta get together the airfare from OZ !

Yeah, 'cept it's missing the Mummies! Oh, well.

Mardy Pune said:

Wow!!!! Now that's a lineup!

Wow!!!! Now that's a lineup!

My god... this is insane, I gotta be there! I have to find a way!

The Unknowns back when they wore those Klansmen looking robes and hoods. For obvious reasons, they did away with them.

+ 1 Los Straitjackets and Nobunny spring to mind

went to Gonerfest last year - one of the best party times I've ever had - I was planning on going again this year but then saw the Norton lineup and decided to go there instead - bummer I just can't go for 8 weeks & do both

Nope.

Thanks for the heads up though!Is it mainly a discography/history of Japanese Rock, or does it get as I expect Julian Cope - in depth?

Although this is probably inappropriate, since I play bass, but... 

I play through a Ampeg B-15R Portaflex. I paid a ton for TONE! I never ever thought that little amp would do me justice in a two 100+ Watt  guitar setup (Fender Twin Reverb '65 Reissue and an Ampeg ReverbRocket Reissue) live or recording - It did. Good tube amps are 100% worth the money seriously. In all honestly no matter what you play, no matter the watts. I think that probably 50% is your attitude and how you play it off, 45% your amp and 5% your instrument. Yeah, shitty instruments suck, but you can really get past that or weed out the ones that stink. A good amp with good tubes and speakers are key. You can dial in a killer sound on any instrument just out of the warmth.

Honestly, I'm not trying to be a gear snob. I've played all sorts of cheap shit for years and loved it! With that said, I've never had as much ease at getting decent tone out of that Ampeg as I've ever tried on "real vintage" gear or cheap shit. Never ever had needed a pedal, compressor, etc. Just easier and I'm much happier for it. Whatever upgrades you're going to do to a tube amp will cost a lot of money, but seriously - it makes the dirty sound dirtier and the clean sound cleaner.

I know that didn't help much with the decision, but invest in your amp! Even the small tube guys scream and cry for those who aren't wise!

Not to be disrespectful, but I thought 100 Years Ago was about the weakest song they ever did. I dunno, just goes to show ya, no accounting, etc.