Black Monk Time

The story of the Monks is one of those rock & roll tales that seems too good to be true -- five Americans soldiers stationed in Germany form a rock band to blow off steam, and after starting out playing solid but ordinary R&B-influenced beat music, their songs evolve into something that bear practically no relation to anything happening in pop in 1966. If anything, the Monks were far wilder than their story would suggest; they may have looked bizarre in their matching black outfits, rope ties, and tonsures, but it was their music that was truly radical, with the sharp fuzz and feedback of Gary Burger's guitar faced off against the bludgeoning clang of Dave Day's amplified banjo (taking the place of rhythm guitar), as Roger Johnston pounded out minimalist patterns on the drums, Eddie Shaw's electric bass gave forth with a monstrous throb, and Larry Clark's keyboard bounced off the surfaces of the aural melee. This would have been heady stuff even without Burger's wild-eyed vocals, in which he howls "I hate you with a passion, baby," "Why do you kill all those kids over there in Vietnam?" and "Believing you're wise, being so dumb" over the band's dissonant fury. The closest thing the Monks had to a musical counterpart in 1966 were the Velvet Underground, but existing on separate continents they never heard one another at the time, and while Lou Reed and John Cale were schooled in free jazz and contemporary classical that influenced their work, the Monks were creating a new species of rock & roll pretty much out of their heads. Given all this, it's all the more remarkable that they landed a record deal with a major German label, and while Black Monk Time, their first and only studio album, doesn't boast a fancy production, the simple, clean recording of the group's crazed sounds captures their mad genius to striking effect, and the mingled rage and lunatic joy that rises from these songs is still striking decades after they were recorded. Within a year of the release of Black Monk Time, the band would break up (reportedly over disagreements about a possible tour of Vietnam), and the two singles that followed the LP were more pop-oriented efforts that suggested the Monks couldn't keep up this level of intensity forever. But in late 1965, the Monks were rock & roll's most savage visionaries, and Black Monk Time preserves their cleansing rage in simple but grand style.

These guys were either music trolls who didn't give a fuck, visionaries who were waiting for the rest of the rock world to catch up to them, or (mostly likely) both. At times it's post-punk before punk was even a thing and this Aussie likes it and gives it five bowls of Weet-Bix out of five.

When I read pitchfork rated this 'the 127th greatest album of the 60's' I knew I was in for some bullshit.

I cannot overstate just how much this rips. The music on here is so primitive that I felt my IQ points dropping. One gets the impression that the band couldn't spell the word 'subtle' as a group effort, let alone understand it any kind of conceptual sense. There is a magic zone, however, between ambition and execution that this album occupies. Just to take one example - the drumming is so rudimentary that it morphs into something quite hypnotic and almost martial in its simple insistence. Limitations become an asset and something weird and wonderful is brought into the world. As a consequence, this feels like the headwaters for a lot of punk, garage rock and even krautrock. Superb.

A few weeks ago I got some forgettable album from some forgettable band that played forgettable music around the same year this came out. I said something like: "there was so much going on that was revolutionary or excellent around this time that this being included in this list is just asinine" Black Monk Time is one of those albums. This is just phenomenal when you consider what was going on in music at the time. This is on par with the likes of The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. Just amazing music made the way they wanted to make it. I will admit that my total enjoyment of the music itself is probably a 3, but it gets extra points for how and when it was made. This was at the beginning of my favorite movement in music. I'm glad this project got me to listen to this. I needed this.

Fuck yes. Stooges, eat your heart out. Awesome proto-punk that I literally never knew about prior. Demented, fun, and way ahead of it's time. Favorite tracks: "I Hate You", "Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy", "Monk Time"

The album that apparently invented punk rock AND krautrock. This sounds a bit like Booker T and the MCs trying to play the Sex Pistols. Undoubtedly musically and lyrically innovative and influential; it's incredible that this was released in 1966. However, to my modern ear it's pretty much unlistenable. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: We Do We Do Date listened: 25/08/22

Fantastic! This is a good example of 1001 albums revealing a hidden gem. I took a guess this was made in the 90s and was shocked to see it was 1965! This beats freakout by zappa, which is the closest album I can compare it to. As for a review, these guys were way ahead of their time. Super talented band. Completely uninhibited and a feat for the ears. Favorite song - Shut up / complication. Least favorite: cuckoo. I did not include the bonus songs in my review. Lower to 4 stars with the bonus songs.

This record is fucking bananas and I kind of love it. Also, I can’t believe it came out in 1966 - in Germany. Holy shit.

It was fucking awesome. Take the who, royally piss them off, and throw in some doors.

This is genuinely one of the best album's I've gotten in this project. From the story, to the lyrics, to the outfits, to, of course, the music. This feels like Velvet Even More Underground. It's like pre-punk post-punk. I LOVE THIS.

A hidden gem. I had never heard of this band but after listening to this album, I can hear tinges of punk within an experimental framework. It's interesting to think about what was coming out in 1966, the Beatles' Revolver, the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds etc., and Black Monk Time sounds completely different. Truly incredible

my favorite phase in a lot of rock bands is that phase where their ambition exceeds their abilities and usually that's the part that gets swept away and hidden when the band makes it big. but that phase was it for the monks- weird skronky ideas that sound like rough drafts, stabs at early proto-prog, and a lot of quirks that would show up later in punk. except the compositions are almost childlike in nature, delivered unenthusiastically and clumsily. shitpost by band that knew what they were doing or amateurs with ideas exceeding their talents? this thing's kinda great.

Points for being unique and ahead of its time, and a fair bit of music I genuinely enjoyed, but as is often the case with the avant garde I found a fair bit of it pretty trying as well.

Found the music quite irritating, actually

holy crap. the only thing i can say is that it really is amazing that there is essentially something different to hate about every single song on this album. they are way too much up their own butt with psychedelic clown music.

Hoooooly shit. Literally? These boiz are living on another plane than the rest of us. Tonsured heads gimmick, 6 string banjo, every instrument a rhythm instrument, ludicrous horny antiwar lyrics from a bunch of post discharge germany stationed army men all years before any of this would ever happen again. Showmanship and innovation. If you can't see this is a 5 you may as well give up.

God damn. THIS is why I use this website. Never even heard of these guys and they are absolute FIRE. Favourite tracks: all.

What in incredible album and discovery. This has all the spirit that so much of the mid-60's music is missing for me. There's hypnotic rhythms, straightforward punky lyrics, jangling garage sound guitars. This is going straight on repeat

This would be pretty revolutionary if you had never heard 60s garage rock before. But I have. I believe this is on the list for two reasons: 1- Dimery won't allow compilations, which rules out including Nuggets, which is a really great listen and was genuinely influential on many bands when it was initially released (first volume in 1972), making this underground proto-punk sound more widely accessible. 2- The rock snob's obsession with obscurity, especially if combined with a good story. US servicemen in Germany dressing up as monks and releasing a widely ignored album that becomes 'lost' really fits the bill. I find this fetishization of obscurity a form of snotty gatekeeping, and certainly don't regard it as an automatic indictor of quality. This album is not incredibly original. Nuggets reveals that there were many 1960s garage bands that sounded a lot like this. And the songs aren't particularly original; they are pretty standard contemporary riffs with hastily improvised and highly repetitive lyrics over the top. For example, 'We do, wie du' is a pretty barefaced re-write of 'I'm Blue (The Gong Gong Song' by the Ikettes. Anyone making an argument that this record was influential on anything (and I have seen people claim this was an influence on the development of punk or krautrock) is delusional. This album was essentially unheard for 30 years before being embraced by the Obscure Reisssues community in the 90s. There are plenty of other very similar bands that were influential on those genres that people actually had a chance to hear. They did not learn this from The Monks. That being said, I dig a bit of noisy 60s garage rock. Three stars

Holy shit, everything about this album is amazing! A group of American soldiers stationed in West Germany just when the Germans were getting eager for American rock n roll. They were possibly the most free rock band on the planet at the time, benefitting from a language barrier that allowed them to access unimaginably dark lyrics and a budding German record industry that didn't quite know enough about commercial appeal to stop them experimenting with everything. The Beatles had to earn the right to experiment. The Monks were just in the right place at the right time. And thank god they were. This album is one of the most influential works in the history of recorded music. It immediately shaped the budding German rock scene.

Not available on streaming services as of Nov 2024, but look around for it and you will be well rewarded. This is an outstanding album and one of the rare times I agree with this list. Its just different from everything else in the best way possible. 5/5

I adore this album and its pioneering impact.

So raw, primal and absolutely strange. I've loved this album since the first time I heard it and it has only continued to grow on me since.

Man, what an album. It's like the animals found a time machine and grew up listening to the white stripes! It's proto everything! Edgy and punky but still loose and fun. So hard without taking itself too seriously. Dope shit.

Hearing Black Monk Time’s aggressive garage/proto-punk for the first time is like finding the missing key to a door you already kicked down.

I liked this! As an early punk and garage rock fan, this seems like important listening. It's a bummer it's not on Apple Music because I'd consider listening to it again.

Frustrating I had to listen to this through YouTube, as I really enjoyed this so impressive it came out in 1966, clearly a massive proto punk album. Not a perfect album but clearly influenced so many of those albums that would follow, 4 stars.

What a weird and wonderful album. Can definitely feel the roots of punk rock and psychedelic in this album. Some songs sound like they could directly be the queens of the stone age

This band was way ahead of their time, like, this was a 60s record? It's so irreverent and punkish in tones and just seems like a bunch of young kids breaking shit and having a good time and I dig it. Honestly reminded me a bit of The Electric Prunes, but stronger and more "I don't give a fuck" I really liked "We Do Wie Du"

Funky, psychedelic. Hammond organ, perfect

This is some wild shit that I’ve never heard of. Wow

another very fun listen, very proto-punk great 60s vibe, i hate you and higgle dy piggle dy are bangers

The entire concept surrounding The Monks is still one of the funniest things ever, like, what do you mean a bunch of American G.Is stationed in Germany got bored and made a band where they wore monk costumes and played proto punk? It's silly but it works by the simple identity they built up for themselves especially when their music is as unusual as their entire presentation. Not so much your average garage rock thing as they add organ or really squelchy and noisy guitar riffs, sometimes adding silly humor or commentary on 6s things. All these simple things add up to, while not an amazing album it is one that I enjoyed quite a bit.

Anticipates Devo and other herky-jerk rockers by a decade or so. Their descedants were an improvement.

1.5 not very good but understand it was influential

That was banging

Volvemos al reto luego de un día de pausa con esta rareza musical que conocí por la banda sonora de "The Big Lebowski" (gran película y soundtrack). Todo lo que tiene que ver con el origen de las cosas siempre me atrapó, por lo que el proto-punk no escapa de eso. Álbum crudo, nacido de las ganas de experimentar y de reinventar el rock por un grupo de pibes aburridos de los sonidos de ése momento. Tremenda recomendación. Hasta mañana.

Probably the best thing any US soldiers did in the 60s. This album, which I'd never heard of, is a total shot in the arm - aggressive production, demented dada vocals, smashing rhythms and jagged arrangements make this one of the most refreshing and transgressive sounds of the time. Occasionally, a great little pop song breaks out. Favourite tracks: Monk Time, I Hate You, Oh How To Do Now (that bass!!!!), We Do Wie Du, Love Came Tumblin' Down

That was fun as hell. Punk rock, before even exists! 60's always manage to amaze me. 5 stars.

I am blown away. A bit like the Beach Boys meets Nirvana?? Every song is fun! They are clearly having a ball here. This band ought to be much better-known! And doing this in 1966 was extremely ahead of its time. 4.55

Absolute banger from start to finish. Standing on the shoulders of giants, these guys made something entirely new. You can take my rhythm banjo from me when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

Not sure how I've gone so long without ever hearing anything about this album or artist, but very glad that's been fixed now. This totally rules. Great proto-punk. Now I've got to track down a physical copy.

Considered experimental but somehow very accessible. Felt honest and definitely adding this to my playlist. Except I can’t find it except on YouTube. Ughhh Highly recommended.

What a blast, such great fun. An unexpected delight as this list often provides. Faves: Monk Time, Cuckoo

This kicks ass! A great surprise discovery from the list. I'd apparently listened to a track or two of theirs before, but very grateful to be introduced to the album, cracking stuff. And from 1966, too - mindblowing! Imagine if their record company had had the stones to distribute this in the US - punk might have arrived a couple of years earlier. We could all be living in moon bases by now. Fave tracks - "Monk Time" -> "Shut Up" is a hell of a one two opening! The weird yodeling of "Higgle-Dy - Piggle-Dy" and "Cuckoo" - great fun! The in your face 'tude of "I Hate You" and "Complication". "That's My Girl!" is pretty racy for the time! 😳

Never heard of this until now. Crazy ass proto-punk shit from 1965. It reminds me of The Velvet Underground and The Doors but severely lower IQ, very very cool

Fantastic. Wish it was on Tidal.

Crazy fun.

Mooi lekker punk

En 1966, The Monks (groupe de GI américains basé en Allemagne) a sorti "Black Monk Time" son seul et unique album. Pionniers du proto-punk, du proto-krautrock et du proto-VU, ce groupe au style provocateur (tout de noir vêtu et avec une tonsure de moine) a ouvert la voie à des centaines de groupes qui officieront par la suite dans des styles pourtant très éloignés les uns des autres. Cités en tant que référence autant par les White Stripes que par The Fall (excusez du peu), leur musique décomplexée et très corrosive pour l’époque au son très brut fait des Monks un excellent groupe de rock garage voir un groupe punk avant l'heure. Voix déglinguée, paranoïaque ou explosives, guitares saturées, enregistrement lo-fi et rythmique en avant, les Monks se font plaisir en jouant leur musique. Comme les Beatles, ils ont joué dans les mêmes salles de concert et les mêmes bars à putes d'Hambourg et certainement attrapé les mêmes maladies vénériennes. Mais à la différence des Beatles, ils resteront totalement inconnus du grand public. Un album à écouter, un groupe à découvrir et un joli 4/5... Allons, soyons fou et rendons à César ce qui appartient à César… Ce sera à un beau 5/5.

Oh... much better than I expected. Find it on YouTube

very good

Wow this is from 1966! Sounds clearly ahead of it‘s time with punk and blues rock elements. I didn‘t know music like this existed back in the 60s and I guess besides a few exceptions it did not exist in the mainstream music.

Very nice!

Wow, this was pretty neat. I agree that it was important for me to have experienced this one in my lifetime.

Somewhere twixt Buddy Holly and Pere Ubu there lie The Monks. I was entertained and educated, exactly what I'm here for.

I thought we had pretty good 60s coverage, and then came The Monks. The primal rhythms instantly had me bouncing around the house as I collected and took out the trash. Teetering on the edge of novelty, this album never really crosses that line. This was a ton of fun to listen to! It’s a shame the album wasn’t available in its entirety on Apple Music in the US, but by playing the songs I couldn’t find on YouTube I was able to enjoy a fantastic live performance of Complication. This seems like such a no-brainer for this list. Fascinating and wonderful!

At first I expected this to be boring garage rock but as the album progressed, I couldn’t have been more wrong. These guys pulled in unusual instrumentation (banjo!), unusual influences (German folk music - yodeling!), irreverent and sometimes humorous lyrics. They were off on their own and way ahead of their time.

You had me at electric banjo. Proto-punk before proto-punk even existed, let alone punk. Throbbing, primal drum beats, jangly electric guitar (and banjo), thick bass lines, political lyrics... but also fun and wacky, with some klezmer(??) / carnival influence, as well as '60s doo wop. Very weird, in a good way. Gives the Mothers of Invention a run for their money.

"Black Monk Time" is the only studio album by German-based American garage rock band the Monks. The Monks were composed of five American GI's stationed in West Germany. The band members wore black habits with cinctures wrapped around their necks and hair worn in partially shaved tongues. Well, at the very least I learned two new words today. The album is considered a landmark recording in the development of punk with a subversive style and blunt lyrics. It had no commercial success and was not released in theUS until 1994 due its condemnation of the Vietnam War. It did receive wide-spread critical acclaim retrospectively. The album starts out fast with "Monk Time." A ringing guitar, a hypnotic marching band drumbeat and a pyschedelic organ. Lead singer Gary Burger howls "Hi, my name is Gary." It's hard time. It's monk time" being repeated in this anti-Vietnam War song. "I Hate You" proves grunge did exist in the 60's. Slow with the bass and drums. The guitar sounding like an engine. Burger chaotically screaming why he hates her. The next song, "Oh, How to Do Now," speeds things up. The organ has a grinding sound. The guitar is awash in feedback. The whole group singing while Burger is yodeling over the top. This is the first yodeling I've come across in 614 albums. Echoing guitar slashes open their single "Complication." A pounding drum and bass. A chaotic organ. Multiple vocals singing "People die, people cry for you." Burger singing "complications" simultaneously is his whacked-out voice. Another anti-war song. The rhythm section gets a Bo Diddly beat going in "Drunken Maria." An over-the-top organ. The band repeating "Sleepy Maria don't drink. Drunk Maria don't sleep." Sometimes, simplicity works. This album was great, in your face, minimalist and punk. Their style was a mix of Suicidal Tendencies, Frank Zappa and an even more whacked out Angus Young on vocals. But, it works. Most songs are rhythm driven by a pounding bass and drums. An eerie chaotic organ along with a guitar that slashes and uses feedback. They also add a banjo in at times buried in the rhythm. Most vocals are short sentences. Crazy does not do justice descrbing lead singer Gary Burger. He's somewhat beyond that. The lyrics are more serious when addressing anti-war and comical with everything else. I see their influence in punk and in the band Kraftwerk (minimalist vocals). This is an album that everyone needs to listen to.

The things which exist that escape most people. What a find and a gem this one off record. Every punk band has this record in their DNA whether they know it or not!

We Do Wie Du, we do we do we do Marc Riley on 6 Music.... Yes it's ridiculous this came out in 1966, and it's ridiculously good. You very rarely find garage rock bands where the whole album is good. Cool band story too. The 4 bonus tracks are mainly curios, although Cuckoo is great fun.

This could be released today and still be amazing. A timeless album for us garage rock heads.

I had zero clue about The Monks. I came out thinking "how the hell have I never heard more about The Monks?!" This must have been akin to Thrash Metal back in 1966. There's Beatles, there's Doors, there's Beach Boys ... but done at 100mph with everything turned up to 11. It's a shame it isn't available on Apple Music and I had to listen on YouTube again ... but I will be back for more. I loved it.

Cool to see the origins of garage rock so clearly here. As that's one of my favorite genres, I really appreciate this album. So much of that sound is already so clear here. Plus the songs are just catchy bops.

This was an incredible listen. Really enjoyed this. This must have been pretty revolutionary.

Upbeat, lively. Cacophonous. Not a lot of lyrics. Rock-a-billy/beatles/punk.

Total banger

So far ahead of its time. It's honestly quite surprising to think that this came out when and where it did. Yes, it does get pretty out there at times, but it's genuinely interesting to listen to.

Such an amazing hidden gem.

Wait, wait, wait! This exists! Rhythmically sonic and playful -- a fun, unexpected moment in time. I praise this album because it's both unexpected (how did I miss this?) and a joy to listen to repeatedly.

Now this is some interesting proto Punk garage stuff. I loved it, but it does get an Asterisk low 5 for being off Spotify and only on YouTube as far as I could find it.

Similar sound to The Animals, same keyboard sounds but overall easy to listen to

These guys didn't give a fuck in the most interesting way possible. Their unique context allowed them to get away with pushing the envelope further than most could at the time. The sheer intensity of the playing on this album is simply amazing. So uninhibited, with this fierce bitter anger underlying every note of their mutant garage rock, no matter how sarcastically sweet they try to make it. Sounds at once overly rigid to the point of absurdity, and like sheer wild abandonment. I'm so glad they made their catharsis into an album.

1966? Holy shit. The subversiveness feels much more modern in terms of sensibilities, I would have believed this to come out this year even. It's unhinged in the best way, not too abrasive but they got something to fucking say. Continues to build the case that I am a huge fan of protopunk over modern punk. I mean, look at this shit. Brilliant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H-fmmNmrRs Only album by them, very punk rock of them. *chefs kiss*

Wow! Somebody needs to do a doco on these legends. Had never heard of them but won't ever forget them.

This is brilliant. I am actually disappointed that I'd not heard it previously. Especially liked We Do Wie Du, but the whole album has a lovely pre-punk feel that really strokes my yak. I'll definitely be coming back to this.

Well this is...........ahead of it's time. To give some background to my 5 star rating I'd just spent the morning listening to artsy twaddle from the 50's in another chart so when I put this on it blew the cobwebs away. 5 stars for impact alone. These guys just don't give a damn and it's great.

Off-the-beaten-path and hokey and spastic in places, but these guys took a risk. Though they fizzled, easy to find the influences in other music that I enjoy.

Higgle-dy - Piggle-dy, mfers

Psychedelic proto punk gold. The velvet underground, Stooges and the Doors with a pinch of Captain Beefheart thrown in for good measure. This is what I love about 1001 albums!

Amazing find. Loved every second of this. The shrill voice, the punk aspects.

Superb. Love The Monks.

Over a decade ago I listened to this because it was on a Pitchfork list, and unlike a lot of the stuff on there, it blew me away. It sounds like pre punk punk, except with bizarre instrumentation (Hammond and banjo feature as a standard part, but played as part of a punky set up). It is slightly angry and slightly silly (Higgle-dy, piggle dy?) And all bloody brilliant.

Up until now only knew a couple of Monks songs (from Nuggets, Fall covers, soundtracks etc) but had never listened to the album. This album is much, much better than your average 60s garage rock album. Together with "Elephant Mountain" the two best albums that I found out about through the 1001 Album Generator. (Unfortunately I listened to the version with bonus tracks - skip these tracks!)

First time I've heard this album. Good!

What a pleasant surprise this is! Early garage rock and/or proto-punk. A band with an image: the monk haircut. Consisting of American soldiers based in Germany. The songs are great, the lyrics funny and lots of energy!

Wild ride! Crazy to think this album came out in '66. Very early punk elements, quite avant-garde for it's time. Loved it.

Just great stuff

I loved it. Fun sound, funny band photos.

Great

Mayor of Turtle River!!

Wow, this was fun and fresh. I can't imagine what it would have been like to hear them live: like the scene in Back to the Future when Marty plays Johnny B. Goode at the prom and starts playing the guitar behind his head then lying on the floor while playing before he kicks over an amp. Go Monks Go!

Feels ahead of its time and is still very listenable and fun.

This is a great album! I'm shocked I haven't heard it before. I can see how it would be incredibly influential for punk and rock. It's fun and weird. More please.

Proto-punk/krautrock. A bunch of American GIs make a warped rock n roll album. Crunchy guitars, distorted hammond organ that descends into carny mode, pounding drums and relentless rhythm. Great considering they knew no one would listen. Best Tracks: Monk Time; Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Choice; I Hate You

Oh, how I wish you were actually on Spotify. Maybe one day I'll find a pressing out in the wild.

7/10

4/5