Sonic's Rendezvous Band

Although the late-'70s punk supergroup Sonic's Rendezvous is remembered as a band with great potential that broke up too soon, few have actually heard any of their music (besides playing live, only one single was issued while they were a band, with several lo-fi bootlegs surfacing since then). The band featured legendary MC5 guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith on guitar and vocals, Stooges drummer Scott Asheton, and two other members prominent on the 1970s Detroit music scene (bassist Gary Rasmussen and second guitarist/vocalist Scott Morgan), and in 1998, their first fully authorized album was finally released. Sweet Nothing is a crystal-clear soundboard recording of an explosive ten-song live set, recorded at the Second Chance in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 4, 1978. By combining the amphetamine-fueled rush of the MC5 with the Stooges' hard-hitting assault, Sonic's Rendezvous is easily one of the most fiercely rocking outfits not only of the punk era, but of all time. "Asteroid B-612" combines soulful vocals with frantic ensemble playing, "Getting There (Is Half The Fun)" is a glorious merger of punk and early Ted Nugent, while the attitude-laden "City Slang" out-sneers any of the punk bands blasting away at the time. Sweet Nothing is a must-have album not only for fans of the MC5 and Stooges, but also for those who appreciate good old-fashioned, high-energy, positively electric rock & roll. [The CD contains an unlisted bonus track, as well as a 12-page booklet.] ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide