The Sonics "Here Are the Sonics" [1965]

So if you always thought The Troggs were too intellectual, you're in luck: The Sonics' debut, "Here Are the Sonics," comes off like a horribly ill-advised, pastey-white Little Richard cover band with big, dumb guitar. Why they weren't laughed out of the industry right away was because they were from the absolutely inconsequential Tacoma, WA. (Let's put it this way: even during Seattle's heyday in the 90's nobody gave a shit about Tacoma.) Apparently they built garages there, however; I'm sure the city planners would like to have that decision back after hearing this screaming, sloppy collection of mostly rock 'n roll standards which was recorded with the VU meters so far into the red they'd have made Leslie Kong throw up. Track after track these guys can barely choke down Hamburg-era Beatles, with the overall effect very reminiscent of the principle of cloning generating stupider and stupider renditions of the same thing. But wait -- this Pacific-Northwest train of misfortune doesn't end there: eventually the Black Keys found these numbskulls and managed a further rendition of this remedial rock yet even more stupid. It boggles the mind that anyone besides lumberjacks who couldn't access anything else to listen to back in the day would subject themselves to this.