Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Some tracks recklessly unhinged (which I like) others stir my dislike for rockabilly/psychobilly (which the monks obviously predate)
This was a fun discovery - formed by 5 American GI’s stationed in 1964 Germany. Very rhythmic, alternative 60’s (but really more of a 50’s) rock sound.
Garage rock exmilitares hablando contra la guerra de Vietnam y un sonido que se encuentra cerca del punk
Buen disco, lo disfrute bastante. Tiene cosas muy interesantes, creo que su música es muy única, claro que con muchos aspectos de la época pero tienen un estilo distinto. Creo que tienen un sonido muy arriesgado, original y nuevo para la época. Además combinan muchos estilos y géneros, desde el rock, obvio, hasta el punk y el psicodélico. Me gustó mucho la predominancia del elemento rítmico en el disco. Le da carácter y potencia a cada pista. En general buen disco.
This was a fun little album. It went by pretty quickly for some reason. This did not sound like a 1966 album to me, so I definitely think it's ahead of its time. I'm noticing myself saying that a lot about a lot of the albums from this time, which only reaffirms what I already know about the music technology and creativity. Some of these songs sound corny, like an early 2000s pop song, but that is impressive given the context. The last track was my favorite, the mallet instrument reminded me of Sufjan Stevens or something. I can't decide between two or three.
Another one I'm not familiar with (other than a vague sense that I might have come across a reference to them once or twice). This sounds to me like classic mid-60s garage rock, such as you'd find on the classic (double album) collection, "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-68" (worth checking out, some time, especially if you liked this one). It's pretty good stuff, but I'm not sure that I see that it stands out that much from similar things being done around the same time, such as the tracks on "Nuggets." Still, for sure, it was an exciting time, of great musical growth and excitement. I'm not sure how to decide between 3 and 4 stars. I think the test of "would I want to listen to it again?" (answer: probably not?) suggests it should get 3 stars. But I'd probably do 3.5, if I could. P.S. I just read that they were included in an expanded version of Nuggets in 1998. So there you go.
not mad I listened to it once. wouldn't listen again I judge based on sound above all else so I don't care that much about their context or how unique they were "for their time" They sound like horny GIs, but otherwise not that different from any garage band I did enjoy the simplicity and focus on rhythm though
This was a good album, definitely not what I thought but good!
As clear as ambient hip hop beats go, pretty good. If nothing else this list has been good for building a library of music to put on in the background.
4.1 I dont know if this is one of the coolest discoveries from the list for me or one of the lamest depending, on how much the image was manufactured. Watched some old videos and it seem a little bit contrived but I really did line some of the songs and tones.
Favorite track(s): Monk Time, Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy, Complication
Not all of it was available to listen to but what I heard I really liked. I’ll give it 3 for now but will revisit in full
4/10
Wow!
I tend to be fascinated by moments that represent liminal spaces. American GIs stationed in Germany performing dressed as monks, in almost direct opposition to Beatles inspired rock and roll. These songs are full of spirit. At times vulgar. They seem to possess punk rock spirit. Interesting use of effects like wah wah and distortion. An example of the kind of thing you want to discover on this list. Who were the true renegades?
I think “proto-punk” is the perfect description of this album. With a “regular” punk you would hardly find any electric organ though, but here it’s everywhere, and you know - it’s not bad! Quite peculiar stuff, but interesting. At times even clever (I’d boldly say Cuckoo is borderline genius), guys surely talented.
Not available on Amazon music
pretty cool considering the time it came out, but not my fave
This one is crazy to have been recorded in 1965 but not my favorite thing but it's still good.
Considering the date of release, this album was way ahead of its time. It's a shame that this isn't more easily accessible. I had to switch back and forth between Spotify and YouTube. The standout tracks were "Complication" and "That's My Girl", which were unfortunately both on YouTube. Guess that means I should buy the vinyl, right?! Lol
Loved this! It’s manic, fun, and has some legitimately great music/vocal sprinkled in there. I’ve heard of The Monks, and have an interest in off kilter music like The Shaggs and Daniel Johnston. So this was a great puzzle piece to add to both that and the proto-punk mosaic of my musical expedition.
Not on Apple Music.
Very niche album with a very cool sound. Liked it!
One of those delightful surprise discoveries. Lived it.
I love garage rock. Apparently I love garage rock with good songs.
The reason I am loving this album list is because of The Monks and particularly the few songs from this album available on Spotify. I doubt I would have hearf of this band otherwise.
A bunch of American GIs in Germany shaved monk haircuts, picked up an electric banjo, and apparently decided repetition was a personality.
Feels ahead of its time
2.5, but giving a 3
Somewhere between Violent Femmes and Jay Reatard lies The Monks. Pretty good, but sometimes tedious.
could only listen to 3 songs on Spotify.
This is hard to rate for me because it used to be 18 tracks but now spotify only shows 3. The 3 songs where fine. I will give it a 3 just because I know there was some quality in the now deleted tracks.
Couldn't get the album to play via Spotify so I checked it out piece by piece. Couldn't get all of it but it was decently punky old brit stuff and I didn't mind it.
this is what it feels like when the time changes
It didn't suck, it's just exactly what I'd expect from 5 white guys in the 60s. They were so up they had nothing to actually talk about so they just made whatever the fuck this is. I bet if this shit goes hard at a bingo night in a wisconsin retirement community tho Highlights: Higgle-dy Piggle-dy
I think it was great for its time but now there’s just so much better. Some of the music I enjoyed and it definitely gets points for revolutionary for its time. I had to search a little bit to find where to listen to the album. Favorite song: We Do Wie Du
I do already rather enjoy that 60s garage rock sound, but the experimental flair on some of these songs, plus the singer sounding like you plucked him straight out of a high-tier mid-70s hard rock band, really give the edge to this album!
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh. Unnecessary
mother of god these guys blow — Standout: Love Can Tame the Wild
The first time I listened to this and was enjoying it, thinking that the organ stuff distinguished it nicely from all the other guitar man bands on this list. Second time I was just very bored. Sad.
I went to YouTube to listen to the full album. I see why they didn’t bother putting most of it on Spotify.
hell yeah. it's my birthday and i love this record
Alright. 3/5
Just another random rock band from the '60's that comprised mostly of noodling and lyrics that were probably shocking at the time but are just weird now. Throw in hammering on an organ to compound the headache you will inevitably get from listening to this for too long.
I’m really tired of albums like this appearing on a list of all-time great albums. It seems the author of this list is picking intentionally obscure artists like this and the Triffids. There is so much great music out there, that’s it’s annoying to sit through these albums. The album is uneven - some songs were OK but many were amateurish.
3.5
4.0/10
copyright hell
An interesting experimental 60s record. Like if the early Beatles came from another dimension. 2.75/5.
This sounds like every other album from the 60s, which isn't a bad thing, but not special
idk what this is. how could this possibly have come out in 1966? oh, it didn't it's mislabeled on the music service i was using. it's boring 60s rock that sounds like all the other boring 60s rock. whatever got mislabeled as part of it was good tho
I really enjoyed the front half of this (every band should share their stance on the atomic bomb up in their opening tracks, imo) but the back half trended more Beatlesy and was kind of disappointing. I'm going to grant it a fourth star for being weird though...like wdym you were soldiers stationed in Germany and just went "let's put out one album then never again" and also shaved your heads into monk hair.
Starting the album it defo sounds like something my dad would listen to. its defo giving like frank Zappa vibes almost. - 8:57 am Just finished the album, not necessarily my thing but I love the sound that this album has to it
cool political message, liked listening
This feels like the most generic psychedelic rock album ever. Like chatGPT spit it out using prompts of other 60s albums. It’s perfectly fine, but didn’t really stand out in any wau
Just OK - not sure what the deal is on this. Yes it's experimental garage rock/R&B sound but other than being aggressive, It's not that good. Over rated by the critics.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. A nice gem.
It's grew on me the longer I listened. The organ really carries the load on a lot of the songs, adding needed texture. Pretty good overall. Favorites: The last 1-2 minutes of Higgle-dy Piggle-dy, the organ in Love Came Tumblin' Would I listen to it again: Probably
It must have been wild listening to this when it was released.
Every song sounded literally the same idk.
Dienstag, 03.03.2026 ~Abends bis Nachmittags~ Auf dem Weg nach Hause vom Silent Green, in der Verkehrsschule am Wassertorplatz; in der Sonne sitzend.
Mittwoch 04.03.2026 In der TU Bib Fasanenstraße beim Adorno Text lesend, auf Arbeit in der Ecke sitzend beim essen meiner REWE Salatbowl
Really cool, definitely doesn't feel like it came out in 1966. On musical merit alone it's just solid, but I'll give it points for being so ahead of its time.
One of the most influential albums of all time. It is wild that they were developing that sound that early in the sixties. It remains a hallmark in proto-punk and overall music history. 9/10 [KEEP]
I love it. Another I have on vinyl. I love the first song where he just screams "No no no I don't like it" after a weird noise from his band. I don't know of a more perfect song to send to someone than "I hate you", friend or foe. Makes me think of my coworker who passed away. I hope he has some peace now.
Alas, very few tracks available on Spotify to adequately judge this album.
Listened to what I could because Spotify didn't have the whole album. I thought it was a bit shit, but in a weirdly enjoyable way. Bang down the middle. Can't give 2.5 stars, so they can have 3
Black Monk Time is exactly why I’ve loved taking on this 1001 albums challenge. I’ve stumbled across an absolute belter here, the kind of record that makes you stop and wonder how it ever slipped under your radar. This is one I’ll keep coming back to. It’s genuinely hard to believe this came out in 1966. It sounds startlingly modern even now. The Monks were clearly miles ahead of their time, abrasive, stripped-back and confrontational in a way that feels more punk than mid-60s rock. The rhythms are relentless and the lyrics are minimal yet punchy and direct. There’s nothing polished about it, and that’s exactly the point. It’s fun, fast-paced and raw, but also clever. Beneath the repetition and simplicity there’s a sharpness and intent that makes it powerful rather than primitive. Favourite track: Monk Time, urgent, hypnotic and brilliantly weird. Least favourite tracks: Everything here earns its place. Album artwork: Wonderfully simple and distinctive. The stark, almost DIY aesthetic fits the music perfectly.
Awesome beyond expectation for its time, I can hear the Krautrock essence Overall it's a surprise blast, probably not just biased because he sounds like the black midi guy
"Monk Time" was a bit of a trip. We're all monks! or supposedly so. There is a bit of that Synth garbage that the Doors made heavy use of back in that era on this album, that I've described that as "noise for noises sake". I can't tell if this album is good or trash. I kinda like "Oh, How to Do Now". But not enough to make a dent in my opinion My opinion; No I don't really like it. Any of it. But it's just strange enough to be interesting.
That was kinda weird and kinda fun, but also sorta terrible, but I had to listen to it again. It deserves another listen but I don't want to.
Cool tunes but nothing incredible or worrhy of 4-5 stars. Jist good music from a soecific era early 70 late 60 and sound like a lot of those bands from then
Typical 60s electric sound, not bad
So innovative and different for its time. Man I want some of what they were on. I wonder if Andy Warhol sat the Velvet Underground down and said listen to this man and do similar stuff but better. Who knows. I love the uniqueness and weirdness of both. Far out man ;-)). Innit.
Musically, it's just some organ filled garage rock, but vocally this soars to the heavens.
Pretty good, especially for the era.
Album fake
Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🪙🔤⬛ Production: 🕰️😑👍 Music: 😎🔄🤨 Rating: ☯☯(☯)/5
Very early punk stiff, expected to like it more than I did but still very cool stuff.
This is really fun and unique! Wish it was on streaming. 3.5
didn't quite get, not memorable
Probably 4 and a half but doesn’t deserve to be marked as a 4
Great 60s weirdness, like a prototype for Devo
Brutal and primitive, the anti-Beatles in the best way
An enjoyable surprise, good psyche surf rock vibes
I did my best to stitch this album together with whatever tracks I could find online. I gotta say, it was overall very … marchy (?) The lads found a beat and stuck with it. I didn’t mind it as I was trying to match my running stride to the cadence, but otherwise the collection’s same-ness was boring.
I know this is hypocritical, but if this was released in 1996 or later, I'd write it off as pretentious hipster bullshit. Since it's actually from 1966, I consider it ahead of its time.
Very ahead of it's time
Worth listening to. Would probably listen again.
The spotify album is full of AI tracks. I will have to revisit this one day if they ever clear that up. I liked what I heard of legit music. *I listened on YouTube. Very cool album. I like the vibe and energy.
Never heard of this before. It was interesting, some early punk, some weird stuff, definitely keeps your attention.
The Monks have the charisma of The Strokes and the creativity of Ween. Just seeing their approach to making music is sort of a beautiful thing. Guitarist and vocalist Gary Burger (all time name btw) later reflecting that they “were just a rock and roll band that really had a lot of fun” is also so inspiring. Their proto-punk style and ahead of their time style was born out of purity—a desire to just create. The Monks really could have been The Beach Boys of punk. It’s a shame they didn’t get the opportunity to continue to advance and develop this premier sound. I thoroughly enjoyed how sloppy the record was while remaining well put together, which is why it’s a little disappointing to have this be the complete picture, not getting to see any refinement or artistic growth. Even so, I’ll choose to be thankful to even get the opportunity to hear these songs, as well as the fact that the artists were able to see more people resonate with their music while they were living. Faves: Monk Time, Shut Up, Complication, Oh How To Do Now, We Do Wie Du
It's annoying that this isn't easily available on the regular music streaming platforms. I quite enjoyed it once I managed to find it, it's got a cool experimental rock vibe. The full album is available on YouTube, but I'm out of luck when it comes to adding any tracks to playlists, so I'd definitely buy it if I saw it.
Decent
These dudes are nuts
6/10 Favourite: Monk Time Least Favourite: Oh, How to Do Now
This is what Velvet Underground would sound like if they tried to make dance music. And, much like the Velvets, The Monks are much better as a concept than an actual music band.
Not available on Apple Music
eh, punk is very difficult to master between ear-rape and peak. This is the former
my self loathing bad songwriter side suicides when they heard weird experimental shit because they can never experiment in music. the only thing they do is to write extremely self loathing lyrics first under an urge of self expression, strum some acoustic guitar, and try extremely hard to shoehorn the melody they came up with into the lyrics. 4/5
Definitely not my kind of music... sometimes fun, but mostly found myself really wanting to skip through
Only partially available
Another band I probably would have loved 30 years ago. Not sure I enjoyed it too much now though. Good fun for a bit then I got a bit too bored of the same sound over and over.
Weird not sure I listened to the right album
Nothing mind-blowing, but I enjoyed it.
Day750 - if you could get into sixties garage rock with organs and hand clapping more power to you
4.6
This is an internet hipster ass pick. But im happy yall showed me this. Its a record way ahead of its time. There is a great punky ascetic. Kicks ass and no surprise some of the greats of that genre were into it too. Feels like an artists artist. They just write kick ass proto punk jams with some crazy and sloppy riffs and the organ is killer all over the thing. Just going hard as hell in a time when it wasn't just for church music, hymns. I get the parallels with something like neutral milk hotel. Its a similar story where they make 1 cool album and give up but get their flowers way down the line cause of some shitty forums. Guys deserved more than they got so im happy about it. Kicks ass and will stay in rotation
I’ve never heard of The Monks before, so I have no idea what I’m going to be in for on this album. Heading into this project, I really thought that I’d enjoy the albums from the sixties quite a bit, but it’s wound up being one of my least favorite decades of music so far. I’m hoping that The Monks can reverse that trend! While I didn’t love Black Monk Time, it was a really unique and interesting album, especially when looking at it in terms of the impact that it had, and how it probably helped shape music moving forward. I listened to this album twice, and things definitely clicked much better for me on my second time going through it. I really like how the band used traditional sixties pop techniques while also using some rougher experimental techniques to craft their sound. The smoother parts of the album conflicted with the rougher parts in a way that I thought was really interesting, almost like this album’s sound was analogous to the relative calm of the fifties shifting into social and political turmoil of the late sixties. I really enjoyed the use of the Philicorda, mostly because of what a stark contrast it was to the sometimes metallic and sometimes booming sound of the percussion. Some notes on some songs that stood out to me: I loved the metallic percussion on the opening track, and the vocals were awesome too. The sound was so raw and full of emotion, but also a precise chaos. I loved the Philicorda too, and it was really cool when the group vocals kicked in. I loved that bass sound (not sure if it’s the bass guitar or the Philicorda) on “Boys are Boys and Girls Are Choice.” The way the band incorporated sixties pop into their sound created a really interesting contrast with their rough garage rock sound. I loved the cascade of the opening drums on “Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy.” This was more of a traditional drum sound, and not as metallic as earlier on the album, but I thought it still worked well. I liked the trudge of “I Hate You.” These guys have a pretty narrow sound, but they still do a lot within those boundaries. There was a good groove to this song, while still keeping the chaos. That Philicroda playing was really good too. This was a shining example of how The Monks used contrast in their music in a really effective way. “We Do Wie Du” stars off with that doo-wop sounding trumpet, and while the lead vocals contrast with that, I like how the backing vocals match the doo-wop energy and sound. “Blast Off” was really fun. The percussion was great, the Philicorda was excellent, and the coordination of the rhythmic elements was awesome too. “That’s My Girl” had some really fun backing vocals. This was probably my favorite way that The Monks used traditional pop music techniques and blended them into their chaotic sound. Black Monk Time is a really solid album, and it was fun to listen to something so obscure yet so impactful on other artists. It took me a minute for this album to click with me, but I’m glad I had the time to listen to it twice.
Not my thing
I found this surprising and delightful in its mix of garage band DIY rock and doo-wop and Motown sounds.
I'm into this.
Peculiar. I saw hints of 3-era Portishead, punk, stoner, zappa - just a weird combinatiom of noises, including one which I now recognise as Marc Riley's jingle on 6Music. Its not...great. i enjoy the vibes but it gets a bit much sometimes, even for me. That said, you can see how it predated a lot of great stuff. It's ok in places - let's call it a high 3/low 4. Scrapes a 4 because the high points are FUN.
This was an interesting little time capsule. Am I going to make a point to listen to this again? Nah. But it was fun to listen to and the music wasn’t terrible.
This album feels a bit too sparse and lacking energy at certain points. Some songs are kind of fun, but there’s nothing special here. Too simple and unrefined for my taste.
Radical jamz
What an odd curiosity I've come across. The singing is off, and the keyboards are too random. I still like "Black Monk Time", even with its said flaws. There are many albums from the 60s that are worse than that. I'll have the Monks over any 80s synthpop group. 3 stars for "Black Monk Time".
The album "Black Monk Time" doesn't exist on Spotify, YTM, or Apple Music, so I have no idea if what I'm listening to is correct. I picked the "The Early Years" album and tried to listen to the tracks as stated on the Wikipedia page for the album. Wasn't that impressed by any of the tracks I heard.
It must have come as a huge shock to hear this in the mid 60s. The birth of punk rock. I get how influential this album was but for me it became a bit samey in the 2nd half. Loved the Doors-inspired organ and the dirty distorted guitar though.
Absolutely love being a part of learning a punk rock history, their instrumentals, and their vibe fan fantastic. Wish they’d produced more. loved learning about the American GIS and Germany in their monk outfits. How great
anti war messaging from the 60s. Makes fun of the red scare a bit. fun listen but not one i'd go back to.
Fartfyllt och rätt lattjo ändå, särskilt för att vara psykedeliskt också. Var säkert före sin tid på många sätt, men i mina öron kan det inte bli mer än en trea i betyg.
The only way I can describe the listening experience, is like watching rocky horror picture show for the first time, completely blind, in the sense that I had absoloutley no clue what was going on. It is unique, I'll give them that. The mash up of the extremely distorted guitar and banjo gives off something I've never heard before, but throughout the album I've grown quite fond of it. Whilst they won't be in my top 10 I can appreciate its obscure sound for its time, and it was hard to believe it came out in the 60's. I enjoyed the insanity and the use of an organ was certainly a choice, but entertaining and worked surprisingly well. During some points however, I was laughing my arse off, and cuckoo reduced me to tears. Overall quite a fun album, and definately wacky as hell. After reading up on the band I wouldn't have expected anything less from the band. Favourite song : monk time
Not bad at all.
Scrubby
I liked Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choices the most.
This started quick and strong. I see how it influences punk, that first track reeks of pure punk energy. The rest of the album fluctuates a bit, which I think makes the overall concept feel a little less than amazing. Nothing wrong with the tracks, it's just a bit ADHD from one to another. I would still own this record. It feels like the perfect cross between 60s rock and punk rock. I loved the way the vocals feel and screech against the electric rockabilly setup. 3.9/5
aight
Really enjoyed this album, ahead of its time
This was fantastic. I had so much fun listening to it. The world wasn't- and probably still isn't- ready for The Monks. Punk AF. I loved it. Right up my street.
🥞
They are basically proto-everything. Just so much crazy fun and so ahead of the curve. Quirky garage/psyche rock done extremely well; it’s so off the wall, it would be easy to miss that they play their asses off.
Strange album. Well ahead of its time. It certainly laid the foundation for punk and other genres. Cool cool to see.
Une bande d’ados qui jouent dans le sous-sol de leurs parents ? Plutôt primal… et primaire! Un début de rébellion. 2,5/5
Difficult album to find, but I found some of the songs on it. It's a strange mix of "yeah, I see where this influenced some stuff" and "wtf is this?" Overall, probably about a 2, maybe 2.5.
Review - Had it's moments. Definitely ahead of it's time, protopunky, but not sure it's an album that needs hearing before you die. Also it was a pain to find on streaming services. Rating - 5/10 Need to hear? NO
0/10
If you were to put the cats of Greece, the beetles and Bjork in an album this will be it
Holy shit this was great
I’m not sure what this was - three tracks?
I could only listen to like half of it???
Liked that
Weird, fun, punk
quirky and old but the antiwar jarhead vibe gives it a nice mystique, overall pretty cool. Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy is silly but probably my favorite track
Rating: 7/10 So weird and out there but I respect the shit out of it. Very punk and I love how they made this album and then peaced out forever
Super cool weird album that's a great listen. The band knows they're cookin up some cool shit. WAY DOWN ... to HEAVEN 7.7/10
This album is ridiculous fun. Hard to find, too. Excellent garage/proto-punk that prided itself in taking nothing seriously.
As a Vietnamese... some of the first words I heard when this album started were "Viet Nam" and "Viet Cong" genuinely gave me chill.
only three songs from this album on spotify so I dont think I can judge it fairly but from what I heard its kinda sounds like hold music, not my favorite but i can see some potential- cant rate this
I shouldn't like this for the same reason I don't like a lot of EDM, it was pretty repetitive. That said, I couldn't help but enjoy this. When I first started listening, this felt a lot like "what if The Doors met punk before it was even a thing?" Strange, no doubt, but oddly fun to listen to. Just a bunch of guys getting together to jam and suddenly they are making a record, with no clue what to do. And yet, it works. Is it great? No. Is it a worthy inclusion, given the back story and how this was effectively very early punk? Yeah.
This was a great listen, punky enough.
Enjoyed listening to this, as a snapshot of what was bubbling under the radar in 1966 Kind of like the Kinks meets the Velvet Underground! It's not going to make it to my collection, but cool nevertheless
Etwas anstrengend
We Do Wie Du was my favourite, only a few songs were still available.
Someone gave me a copy of this about 30 years ago, and I was not ready for it at the time. Really good psychish garage rock. Shame this was buried for so long, but the influence shines through despite some corny lyrics.
Annoying album wasn't on Spotify
New to me band and album. I couldn't find it on Spotify so I only listened a couple times on YouTube. Solid. Too bad they only had one album.
I feel like the A- and B-sides of this album are two completely separate ideas. I wasn't a huge fan of either.
Meh just not for me
Have always meant to listen to this but never have, reminds me of the Sonics - wouldn't sound out of place in a comp somewhat like Nuggets. I really enjoyed it
I didn't have a bad time with this, but equally it doesn't feel like there's a huge amount to return to.
2.5 stars sort of an unremarkable album. nothing really stuck out to me as overly interesting.
They may very well have been pioneers of late-60s psychedelic rock and/or punk. But I feel like if I have to do that much research into the context of the album, I’m just looking for a reason to like it rather than just rating it on its “stand alone” merits. In that sense, it’s an ok representation of the genres, but not that much fun to listen to.
Forerunner to punk? Ok, it was worth a listen. And while I liked their garage sound and their counterculture sensibility, they are missing that extra something to be worth further listens.
I kinda liked it. Can see how it was influential in later punk rock albums. Seem more talented than a lot of punk rockers, though. 3.5* Probably would have loved it at the time, though, had I been born several decades earlier.
Undoubtedly innovative synthesizer music at the time, boring music today
I've heard better and worse Garage Rock.
Very strange
Baaaad
Has the vibe of a bunch of lads just having a grand time faffing about. Luckily, it's charming.
A combination of gritty and janky that is rather hard to find and listen to. A mixed bag of early punk rock vibes with fuzzy sounds and a varied vocal performance with yelps and all in it.
Dang this is so good. Groundbreaking, modern, catchy, interesting. What the heck?
an interesting mid 60s time capsule
wtf
Seems like a definite precursor for a lot of abrasive music that came later. I enjoyed it overall a lot. Some songs sounded like the Kinks, while others had some screaming vocals that really left an impression.
Good background music for work, can’t say I’d enjoy it at another time. Couldn’t hear the lyrics for some odd reason even though Spotify said there were lyrics, not sure what was up with that.
If everything here had the same energy and attitude as the opener, this would be the lost classic that it's hailed as. The opening lyrics are great. "My name's Gary!" "It's monk time!" "Why do you kill all those kids over there in Vietnam!" It's a skeletal, blunt force protest song years before the summer of love and "Fortunate Son." The bare bones, repetitive instrumental hits hard. But after that the lyrics instantly get let interesting, and some of the tracks just have nonsense lyrics. It's only thirty minutes long, so the one-note assault of organ, guitar, and electric banjo doesn't get old. But there's very little substance, and not enough interesting hooks or riffs. The Modern Lovers stand out as a band that took this framework - complete with organ - and churned out some great songs with it. Ahead of its time and worth hearing the opener, but only kind of interesting as a full album.
It's just not very good... there's much better 60's garage and proto-punk out there.
60s psych-rock. Doors/Jefferson Airplane adjacent. Not bad Shut Up even has some punk attitude in there. Garage too. Compilation is also very proto-punk Best track - Monk Time, Higgle-Dy Only We Do Wie Du available on Spotify 4 stars
Álbum ficou errado no Spotify
144/1089 Bizarrely, not only are most of the tracks not on Spotify but 2 of the 4 that are (I hate you and Complication) are random royalty free youtube ad tracks After finding the songs on Youtube i can safely say, this music is not for me, i find this style quite irritating personally. the impact at the time etc i’m sure was cool but it’s the sort of thumpy punk-ish rock sound from this era that i just don’t care for Love Came Tumblin’ Down was probably my favourite if i had to choose 15/100
Cool album I had not heard of
it was fine
These guys were SO ahead of their time. This is punk, before punk was a thing, layered over surf rock. It's a bit jangly, a bit loose, but then the lyrics. THE LYRICS! "I hate you! But call me." I mean... wow. It's interesting and provocative, but rough to listen to because it feels like it's produced so cheaply. Give it a chance though, and it might just grow on you. My Rating: 3/5
Solid out of the gate.
That's punk, OK BUT 12 songs quite the same - thats bullshit.
Solid album, but I appreciate it more for shaping punk rather than love it. It's got cool, interesting and minimal moments but can be inconsistent.
I didn't think this was bad at all, actually, even if a bit of an oddity. Several enjoyable tracks on here. Solid three.
So good. Highlights: Shut Up, Drunken Maria, Blast Off!
An interesting piece of history, but not something I would seek out. Seeing the performances on YouTube, I can imagine it was a jarring band in the 60s
3/4
Noch mehr alte (gute) Musik.
This was crazy and I think it inspired Pixies
Monkey time!
Energetic tracks that feel ahead of their time.
Points for being unique and ahead of its time in 1966, and some songs that I liked. However, as is often the case with the experimental amateurish groups, there were some songs that just weren’t very good. 3⭐️
What this list is about, dude, brand new to me and rad as hell
Probably avant-garde at that time and the story behind this band is interesting but I'm probably too young to enjoy it. Might revisit it one day, why not...
Wanted to like it a lot more than I did. It is raw and experimental for the time, but didn't have anything I want to listen back to.
Funny, funky, rock'n'roll. Lyrics again ... 2,4
Sounds like a jumbled mix of instruments.
Doubt it will be one I return to but was an interesting listen for sure. Also album cover is kinda giving brat.
This is badass, I’m excited to listen again
Weird and energetic and abrasive. Gold star for the Hammond organ.
Damn, never heard of this group before but glad to know this exists. An atypical, abrasive, experimental piece of work for its time. A bit inspiring
Listened Before? N Unavailable on Spotify
Very strange music. What’s with the organ music? Weird!
This is #day465 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how am I supposed to listen to this album if there are only three songs available on Spotify? I checked YouTube Music: nothing. Then I went to YouTube and finally found it on a random channel. So here I am, actually listening. Now, this sounds unlike anything else from the time. And the band's whole story is just mesmerizing: "an American rock band formed in Gelnhausen, West Germany, in 1964… assembled by five American GIs stationed in the country who grew tired of the traditional rock format…" And the rest is history. That organ, though. This is a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day466.
The Monks were pretty much right there in protopunk. A bunch of American GIs stationed in West Germany, thankful they didn't lose the military draft lottery of getting their asses sent to Vietnam but plenty bored enough standing around, doing nothing, decided to make their own rock and roll band. Free from their hometown values of the USA and seeing the rise of the Beatles and the British Invasion from Europe gave them a special creative place in the 60s: to make some foul mouthed anti-war, pro-fornicating riff-based boogie rock. What The Monks talked about wasn't totally new in the recording industry, The Fugs were even more vulgar and four times as political as Monks. What made The Monks stand out more was that they were much more musical than The Fugs and less laser-focused on left-wing ideology (they were, after all, in West Germany not East Germany). But the catharsis of being in the mid 60s is all present in Black Monk Time (their sole album). Everything you would expect in punk music but placed in 1966, and without the 70s standards of recording technology. This was before Sgt. Pepper and the Psychedelic explosion that would change music forever. The punk sentiment was there, not just having long hair and defying nuclear family middle-american norms, but talking shit and being more explicit about fucking. MC5 would become The Monks on steroids (and like The Fugs, making music about left-wing 'Revolution') and The Stooges would take heavy inspiration from Monks to do their own thing. Those other two artists are seen as kingpins of Protopunk, which Monks can't take full credit for creating, but are definitely the bridge between music from the early 60s that was derivative at the time (The Kinks - You Really Got Me) and the latter 60s where the music sounded as chaotic as the lyrics. The bridge before the bridge between punk and post punk. While at the time Black Monk Time was not successfully commercially and nearly forgotten about in its initial time, until more musicians decades from its release would go out to praise Black Monk Time for inspiring them, people like Jello, Mark E Smith, Jack White and the Beastie Boys to name a few. The Monks are as important to rock and roll as the Sex Pistols or the Stones: being saved from history and being reissued several times after their one-and-done. It sounds maybe a little more primitive today--but that energy is still raw and right there. These guys dressed up as monks and talked shit about anything that they didn't like and made songs about wanting to bang women (which was the style at the time). Their influence is still felt on music today, perhaps more than they ever thought when they were just fucking around, being bored as hell stationed in West Germany and decided to make a rock album.
I'm not a fan. I'm happy that I listened and it seems like it deserves it's place in the list - given it's such an early example of a band doing something like punk. I won't be seeking it out though. Kind of durgey in parts. Actively annoying in tone and delivery in parts. Then quite a lot of stuff that just doesn't feel that interesting to me.
Only a few of these songs were available on Spotify and the few that were there weren't great. 2.4.
Discovering music like this is what keeps me going on this listening journey through all the really horrible electronic music. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
Ahead of its time
Such an innovative forward looking album that also manages to sound nice.
It took me a while to find this album for listening. Once I did however, I'm very glad I spent the extra effort. The band's history is interesting (formed by ex-GIs in Germany just as the U.S. buildup in Vietnam really started to gain momentum), and musically I can absolutely hear this as the grandfather of punk.
I knew very little about this band when I listened to the record, but found out they were all ex-GIs who put this together in Germany. I'm not much of a "garage rock" person, but I can see a lot of influence this band has had over then next many decades. Being a band made up of military folks making this kind of music in the 60s must have been a wild thing to contend with, considering most of the anti-war sentiment permeating the culture. The whole record feels very much "let see what happens" and that contributes to a lack of a narrative thread. Vocals are feral and impressive, the musicians sound like they're having fun (especially the guitars and organs); it would have been special to see this band live.
super fun! i can see myself listening to this whole album through whenever the mood strikes.
If the Doors were on more german and on drugs…
A pretty strange album that certainly shows it's proto-punk age. Would be curious if this album was ever remastered or remixed, since the production is pretty rough. Some interesting things going on and props for almost inventing a new genre, but a rough and raw listen that didn't really hold my attention. Top tracks: I Hate You, Complication
More organ and repetitive riffs than I was expecting based on the Wikipedia description. Very swinging 60s sounding to me. Meh.
Time with blacks monks
Wild, unruly, and real. I loved it. Truly an album that I needed to hear before I die. Props to this project for putting it in front of me.
Mest 4/10 albumet jag hört, avantgarde proto rock/blues etc. MEN väldigt experimentellt och VÄLDIGT före sin tid. I mean det låter som skit som Beatles och The Doors skulle göra och albumet kom 1966. WILD. Så bara för att det basically är The Doors med en sångare som är hög på koffein och kokain får den 3 stjärnor :)
Wonderful album
geordie greep and ween
Oddly enjoyable!
The songs are mostly fine overall as rock tracks. There's a few weird ones i think i kind of dig
I'm very ambivalent on this one. It has very high highs but a lot of it feels otherwise unnotable. I think I overall enjoyed it more than not, though, and these guys were definitely ahead of their time.
Instrumentation was fine but the vocals I found very irritating. Was waiting for this album to be over
3/5
Had to go via YouTube and sound quality wasn’t great, but I can dig it.
I wonder if there will be other colors that combine to make a Voltron-like, ultimate Monk album.
Weird one, but not terrible
hørte det ikkje... sorry
Super interesting, can hear how this was highly influential. 8/10
I usually love 60’s music, but what in the world was this? Seriously bad.
Good
Pretty terrible stuff. The addition of the organ feels totally out of step with the vibe they’re going for. Unintelligible lyrics and utter lack of melody.
Je me rappelle la forte impression de ma première écoute de cet album. Des soldats états-uniens stationnés en Allemagne qui font un seul disque pour établir les jalons du rock garage... Premier album des Sonics sorti en 1965. Premier album des 13th Floor Elevators en 1966, tout comme cet album.
J'hésite entre 4 et 5, je pense pas réécouter souvent, mais le son et le côté novateur super intéressant. Un mixte entre The Ventures et Iggy Pop. Si Iggy Pop est le godfather of punk, eux c'est quoi, les parents?
So this is where the Urinals -> Minutemen -> etc. line of punk came from! Where have you been my whole life.
Enjoyed what I heard of it but it was hard to find - had to listen in YouTube - needs another listen
It’s seemingly impossible to listen to this album on streaming services at the moment, so I’ve just listened to whatever songs of theirs I could find. A really interesting band, and you can tell how The Doors were hugely influenced by them. It’s a shame I can’t find a way to listen to this album, but from the one random compilation that seems to be on YouTube, these guys are pretty fun.
Not on Spotify so had to go to Internet Archive for this one. This is absolutely brilliant, had me hooked right away. Crazy how they made one brilliant album that was far ahead of its time and that was it. Top Tracks - Monk Time and Complication
Not sure what album this is gonna be based on the cover, though it's funny that some editions of this album have the record label aligned with the off-center text. I know rock albums enjoy their fair share of black album covers with minimalist designs, so I'm hedging my bets on that. This is likely to be hard rock, based on the decade of release. Not available in my country. Hmm, well played. Garage rock, ey? I've never cared for this genre of music and have disdain for the hipsterisation of it during the mid-2000s, but this isn't too bad. The melodies are solid, though there isn't too much going on here which woos me. The organs are pretty droll, too. They detracted a little bit from the listening experience. Still, this was a decent ride "Boys Are Boys, Girls Are Choice" has a good sound going for it. Not sure whether it's the organs, but that one tone which appears in the beginning of the song gives the track a fun, campy energy. "We Do Wie Du" is another decent cut. The songwriting is decent - big fan of the vocal melody, and the guitar solo near the end of the track is pretty cool. "Drunken Maria" also has a good sound to it. The campy sax is pretty fun. Book time. "...first punk album". Nothing in there beyond that tidbit. Moving over to Wikipedia reveals that this album found critical acclaim over time, but that's about it. Being a seminal punk album is a pretty good qualification for making it onto this list, so I can cosign this inclusion. Good pick.
Given that this was a YouTube-only listening experience, and that I didn't find out about the YouTube option until after I was done with work, this album had a very limited opportunity to grab my interest and make me either sit in front of my computer or with my phone open to listen to it. It failed. Cool story about the band, but this project is hard enough to keep up with as it is. And it's so easy to put music on the streaming services. I'm deducting a star for inconvenience. So, that's a . . .
Tidal doesn't have this album, and I didn't have the chance to try and find it on other platforms. So, instead, I Iistened to everything these guys had available on Tidal. Dang! They just had one banger after another. I read on Wikipedia that they all used their instruments as percussion, and you can really hear it. Songs like "Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice" and "I Hate You" seem to pick really propulsive grooves and every instrument rides along with it. This is very, very much my jam. I probably give too many 5s, so I'm going to marshal them more carefully, but this is darn close to a 5.
Weird and wonderful. I’ve been a fan of this album for a while along with the 60s garage rock, proto-punk stuff from the Nuggets compilation more generally. I like the primitive, drum/rhythm forward sound. I also appreciate their strange back story. The front half is stronger than the back half, but still very glad this exists in the world.
I prefer my punk a bit more pop- and less proto-, but this is good stuff. Too bad they only made the one (I think - haven’t done much research on them).
3/5 - This probably deserves another point just for the story behind it and their outfits, but it's about a 3 in terms of my listening enjoyment. This is primitive proto-punk, surf-ish rock, I guess? It's pretty hard to categorize, and a few songs were just straight up WTF? (Cuckoo, anyone?) I could probably find a song or two to add to a mix, but given that it's not streaming anywhere, even that's a tough call. Weird stuff. Glad I heard it, but doubtful I'll ever be in the mood for "I need to hear The Monks."
This was pretty awesome. Crazy voices/instrumentation. It's out there and experimental and you can see how inspirational it would have been to a lot of bands back then (if they heard it). All great songs, but "I Hate You" might be my favourite. Almost sounds like Robert Plant singing. Need to re-listen.
Fun listen
Kind of a funny mismatch between the lyrics and music. And some texts are dark funny, or about serious stuff, and ... 'cruel funny' But I don't the instrumental Part... 2.89
This one is interesting. I did enjoy it, I think it's 3 stars.
Interesting melodic proto-punk
Could just about locate the album!!
American GIs in Germany form a band. They dress as monks, replete with tonsure haircuts. They get a Hammond, a drum kit with no cymbals, a little distorted guitar, and a distorted fucking banjo, then top it off with some mad bastard shouting and wailing all over it. You couldn't make that shit up. It probably shouldn't work. But fuck me if it isn't fucking amazing. Never heard this before but ill be listening to it a lot in future.
It’s a shame this one isn’t easier to stream it’s got quite a punchy sound for its age
Feel like a lot of the reviews are not positive, but this was pretty fun. A bit much at times, but still fun!
punkish. loud. brash. words.
You can see why it was influential. But it very average.
Sounds years ahead of its release. Must’ve been absolutely incredible to it’s contemporary audience.
More sixties slop.
This is some good ole hippy punk. Some good stuff here. Im giving it a 5 because it seems pretty unique.
Honestly this is getting 1 star because I couldn't get this on Apple Music and when I did it was just not that great.
really cool proto punk rock! Love the organs
This is what I would expect from the 1001 Albums list. Nice gem, that I have never heard of before today.
Psychedelic proto-punk/garage rock that just isn't really for me. It's fine and an interesting mash up of genres, just isn't scratching my brain right.
Cumple con la premisa de un álbum proto-punk alemán compuesto por soldados con mensaje antiguerra, aunque no puedo decir que me guste. Es interesante la originalidad de la propuesta, un estilo más bien rítmico, minimalista (supongo que enmarcado también por una habilidad musical no muy virtuosa por parte de los músicos). La música suena caóticamente ordenada. Tiene cierta agresividad y es un poco esquizofrénica. Sin embargo tampoco es excesivamente experimental, y eso es interesante. Contienen estructuras de canción popular, pero es la forma en que la llevan a cabo donde se destaca por su rareza.
This is number 1002 for me. 1001 was disappointing. This is awesome. I wouldn't have known about it without this challenge. It rocks and it has soul. Wild. Everything I like about music. Favorite song: I hate you.
Jesus this album is fucking wild. Shame it never got a release in Americs when it came out, I feel it'd be even moreso heradled as a classic odd album. This is punk about 10 years earlier, it's insane. I can't imagine how much it influenced rock. And it's so catchy too. Hope it comes back to spotify soon
Trailblazing unrefined sound from a gaggle of US GI's stationed in Germany who wore the outfits and haircuts of monks. Every instrument is a rhythm and the vocals are grating.
I think the Spotify link might be broken. I got one, under three minute song by this band, and then some seemingly unrelated tracks that sound like the background music for a corporate recruitment video. I didn't hate the one track but I guess this gets 2 stars from me.
German Garage Rock from 65
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would…for the first 11 or 12 songs. Unfortunately, it’s 16 songs long — too long. I don’t know what this is, but it’s wild and weird. I thought it was good fun until the latter third of the album, which just seemed to get weird for the sake of being weird, as opposed to being original and eclectic.
2/5 proto punk
weird album giving like beatles kind of vibes
good! overall a fun listen
Shut Up and listen to this. It will make you Blast Off!
First time in this list that an my opinion has completely switched while listening to it. First track made me think it’s some plain punk rock but then the middle two tracks have a despondent glory to them that I love.
Weird
Nice story to it, shitposting before shitposting was cool
Eh meh
7/10
Could only listen to 3 of the 18 songs. Spotify did not make the others available
Vale como curiosidade/ excentricidade: órgão e um banjo elétrico feito à mão.
Really interesting and unique album that mixes 60s psych and garage rock with punk rock elements. I love the energy and the combination of guitar, electric banjo and keyboards. The music itself seems hyper-focused on rhythm (which I love) and the lack of cymbals with the drums just reinforces that. It was consistently great so I don't really have a favourite song.
1.91
Umm some of this was okay and then it started getting kind of weird and uncomfortable. It turned me off, but it was okay.
Some ok rock and roll, nothing mind blowing, but a decent listen. Best song: Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy
strangely hard to find this album on streaming services
Good.
It's alright.
𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 is raw, abrasive, and downright strange, but that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating. With distorted banjo, pounding rhythms, and shouted vocals, the Monks created a proto-punk sound years ahead of its time. It may be too weird for some listeners, but its boldness and energy make it a unique and influential gem of the ’60s underground.
I just agree with everyone else who gave this 4 or 5 stars - a great find, tons of fun, stands out from the rest of these albums for so many reasons. Love it.
underlistened, hard to find too
Whoa I didn't knew about this album and it rocked so hard!!! Proto hard rock? Or whatever from the 60s. With killer songs and sound. The cuckoo cuckoo bonustrack was aberrant but the rest were super cool. The other bonus track with the horns etc sounded a bit like Love. So this album is ground-breaking at some many levels and at the same time a complete unknown.
What a strange little beast. Weird rhythms with childlike lyrics, it's garage rock trying prog rock? It’s sloppy, awkward, and a little stupid. Feels less like an album and more like a shitpost with drums, guitars, and an organ. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice - I Hate You - Complication **NOT WIDELY AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY**
This was a lot of fun, psych pop from the early sixties.
This was miles better than I expected. I can't believe how early this is and that they are German influenced. Really interesting listen and one I would've missed without the list.