Reviews (page 4 of 7)
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
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.
Dienstag, 03.03.2026 ~Abends bis Nachmittags~ Auf dem Weg nach Hause vom Silent Green, in der Verkehrsschule am Wassertorplatz; in der Sonne sitzend.
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
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.
Typical 60s electric sound, not bad
Musically, it's just some organ filled garage rock, but vocally this soars to the heavens.
Pretty good, especially for the era.
Album fake
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
An enjoyable surprise, good psyche surf rock vibes
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.
Never heard of this before. It was interesting, some early punk, some weird stuff, definitely keeps your attention.
Decent
These dudes are nuts
6/10 Favourite: Monk Time Least Favourite: Oh, How to Do Now
Not available on Apple Music
Only partially available
Nothing mind-blowing, but I enjoyed it.
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.
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".
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
Strange album. Well ahead of its time. It certainly laid the foundation for punk and other genres. Cool cool to see.
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
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
This album is ridiculous fun. Hard to find, too. Excellent garage/proto-punk that prided itself in taking nothing seriously.
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
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.
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.
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.
I've heard better and worse Garage Rock.
Very strange
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.
wtf
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.
Cool album I had not heard of
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.
3/4
Noch mehr alte (gute) Musik.
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⭐️
Doubt it will be one I return to but was an interesting listen for sure. Also album cover is kinda giving brat.
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
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.
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.
Time with blacks monks
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 :)
Oddly enjoyable!
3/5
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
Good
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.
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 one is interesting. I did enjoy it, I think it's 3 stars.
Could just about locate the album!!
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.
really cool proto punk rock! Love the organs
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.
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 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.
Nice story to it, shitposting before shitposting was cool
Eh meh
Good.
It's alright.
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.
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**
nice enough
3 stars Just learned about this. It’s nice to learn about something that was so groundbreaking for the time. But I wouldn’t listen to this for pleasure.
Already based for not being on streaming services, though with its extremely shrill mastering at times it made for a jarring listen at times. I can see how this laid the groundwork for a lot of Doors music in one sense and potentially James Brown in another. It’d be a good vinyl to own especially given it’s significance, but I can’t say many tracks beside I Hate You deviated much from a fast, Rhodes-driven storm of blues rock. Favourite: I Hate You Least Favourite: Shut Up 5.5/10
It's nice that it's such an early record and such a proto-everything project, you can definitely hear the influence they'd have in later works. On the other hand though, I didn't find it a good or interesting listen? They're not bad by any means, they're definitely innovative and not afraid to get weird, they find interesting moments in which they go far out and it works, but in many other moments, it doesn't work. And after the midpoint it kind of drags on. I think it could've definitely benefited from being like half an hour long. I thought the best one was "Oh, How To Do Now", but "Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice" was also interesting. It's like a 2.5 for me.
For some reason I read this albums release year as 1986 instead of 1966, so I was underwhelmed and confused until I looked again during the song “Oh How To Do Now” (which is a fantastic song) and realized it’s from 1966. With that in mind, I’m super impressed by the lead singers performances - so much personality & vibrance. Im a little split on this one. On one hand, it’s another rock album from the 1960’s. On another hand, it exceeded my expectations for a rock album from the 1960’s. Soft 3/5
first listen not terrible
A solid oldie but nothing too spectacular to me.
Very punk rock, interesting guitar riffs and lyrical word play.
It's campy and punk'ish, with that dooby dooby doo nonsense of the 60s. It's a little much at times, but kind of fun.
decent album
***An ok album
Couldn't find this on streaming service. Oh well.
They didn't have this album on my streaming service. Listened to bits and pieces. I bet this would have been wild back in the 60's. Enjoyed what I heard, but probably won't revisit.
Difficult to find the full album. These guys seem to be poking a fair bit of fun at themselves and having a good time as well as making some statements. Not too bad, and would have been interesting to see how they developed had they stuck together.
So this was fine. There was some moments of chaos I didn't love.
neat
It's not a great album, but for 1966 this is very impressive.
It was pretty ok!
Fun album. Well ahead of it's time - hard to believe it is from the 60s. 7/10
Pretty interesting; had never heard of them.
Strange album, the percussion was definitely the highlight
This was an interesting one. . I read a little bit about it for context, and some people think they're complete amateurs who managed to create a masterpiece, and some think they're a normal garage band that have an interesting backstory and that explains most of the critical acclaim. I think a fall more towards the latter. It's a fun album with some catchy hooks and a unique sound. I agree that this album is unique in that it would have been polished had it been recorded by a larger label in the US, and much of the charm may have been lost. To me it's a talented garage band having fun and recording their true sound, and I'm glad I listened to it.
Good album and definitely some proto-punk styling. Well worth having on this list.
This, to me, sounded like some bizarre mash up of The Doors and CCR but before both of those bands were putting out music (barely). Lots of organ and guitar and good drumming. The vocals were pretty wild and all over the place which works most of the time but is kind of irritating in spots. As I listened I kind of liked it more and more, however, for its sheer unique-ness. The yodeling is crazy but catchy! The history of the band is cool, and this album makes more sense with that perspective. A few soldiers stationed in Germany decide to form a proto anti-war punk rock band in the 60s and only releasing a single album is some wild lore. Standouts while listening were "I Hate You" and "Oh, How To Do Now" It's an interesting album, but do I was to listen to 45 minutes of it? Probably not again. Super cool though, this one deserves 3/5 stars
IT'S MONK TIME
З усіх альбомів 60х, що були у цьому списку, Black Monk Time був найцікавішим для мене (принаймні поки що). Перша пісня взагалі майже панк.
One of those 60's albums I can't truly appreciate because of how much has built upon it since its release. I had a pleasant time listening to it though. 3 Stars.
Generic political 60s rock
I can see why they only had one studio album. Kind of a mix between The Doors (probably because of the synthesizers) and happy punk rock? Definitely an odd mix that I can't say was great to listen to, but there were some catchy parts that I did enjoy. Mixed feelings on this so it gets a 3/5
Never heard of it.
At times really good, at times really weird, this may be the most emblematic album of the 1960s. I'm somehow surprised and not at all concerned that I'd never heard of this before.
Crazy that this was recorded in 1965.
++: Monk Time, Shut Up, Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Choice, Complication, Love Came Tumblin' Down, Blast Off! +: I Hate You, Oh, How to Do Now, We Do Wie Do, Drunken Maria +-: Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy, That's My Girl 7,0/10
You know what, hell yea Favorite track: We Do Wie Du
I think this was nice? Maybe revisit if it ever makes it to Spotify
So I couldn't find tis on my music provider - Tidal, however I did find a compliation called The Early Years (1964 to 1965). I also found the original album on Youtube, so after listening to the compilation listened to the album proper. Both are primitive and raw sounding. Tribal, tom -centric drums and stabbing guitars, organ fills that bring some sebance of melody and vocals that are amateurish but endearing and not bad in a raw bluesy style. All in all I liked both lstens. I appreciate their DIY attitude and I found the music engaging. I am tempted to give it 4 stars but it's a little too unskilled to merit that score. 3.5 overall (but 4 stars for hitting the right notes for me personally)
Was great the momentum and everything, idk the album was not on spotify
Day 21 First listen- The fact that this album came out in 1966 is crazy, I bet it sounded revolutionary. It was a nice listen! (3.5/5)
Never heard of this band. Only one song available from this album and only a minute and a half long, wacky for sure. Would listen to more if available but in short bursts.
Struggled to find the complete album, but listened to their “hits” on Spotify which covered most of the tracks, plus a few others and tried to pick off the rest on YouTube - quite enjoyed it!
Not available on Youtube Music :(
Quirky and unique. Enjoyable but I most likely won’t be back. 2.5/5
This was a hilarious and pleasant surprise that at time was comically enjoyable. And the story of how these guys formed is even more fascinating. Drums with no cymbals. Six-string banjo in place of a rhythm guitar. Gotta love it. Nothing more punk rock than that. And all taking place in 1966. It’s as if The Animals, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Iggy Pop and The Kinks had a future baby and named him Johnny WhiteStripeHiveStrokes.
Though I don’t have an ultra rating on this, I wish we had more lesser-known albums like this on the list. Delightfully quirky, enjoyed this one. Maybe just not enough to it to warrant more than average marks
Sure
"Alright, my name's Gary" is an all time opening line for an album. This was a nice little surprise. Cool backstory and a shame they were never able to make another album. Def seems like they had something that could have progressed into some really interesting music. And being described as proto-punk just sounds cool. 3.25/5
Absolutely wild album, wild story, just really didn't like 95% of the sound of the whole thing, but props for the precursor to punk
For some reason there is only 1 song on this album available on Spotify and I can't be arsed to use Youtube. Since I only listened to one song I can't really give this a fair review so I'll just go with a 3 out of 5 and move on.
Tough to find. What I did hear was interesting and understood why it’s a tough find.
This was OK. Couldn’t get too excited about it.
Could not find the album on Spotify so just listened to a few tracks from a greatest hits compilation - which was sufficient to get the flavour. Its another album thats on the list due to its ground breaking / subsequent influence rather than its intrinsic listen-ability. For 1965 its pretty fucking nuts how out there it is for breaking new ground and establishing templates. Its not the greatest listen but you can admire their balls.
A curious blend: garage rock warped by eccentric vocals, bursts of sharp provocation giving way to surreal humour. We've had a few mid-60s US garage bands recently and they all struggle to get past a two rating. Whilst this has some great raw energy, some great eccentricity (and points for the band donning actual tonsures), it feels like a bit of an artefact. But when some claim it's the start of punk, I can see it.
Well I can definitely tell they had fun with it. Not really sure what perspective they were going for with this. They seemed angry with something or someone, but also completely content with life. It was just all in all a tad off kilter. I enjoyed most of it, but mostly for the camp aspect. It was entertaining, not quality. 3/5
Incredibly strong start with the bonkers intro song and some bangers in there, but also a lot of filler. Cuckoo is bananas though, sounds exactly like Sparks
Far out kind of sound. Tight groove. Cool guitars. A little trippy. The band were Army guys in Germany in 1960s that dressed like monks. Couldn’t find the whole album anywhere but I bet it is cool and a good listen.
Liked it more than I thought I would when I first started listening - although there were a few songs I didn’t really like. Definitely one that grew on me on a second listen. Fav song: He Went Down to the Sea - also liked Monk Time and Love Came Tumblin’ Down Least fav: That’s My Girl
Minus points because it’s not on Spotify. Not a huge fan of the organ at the start of every song either. Meh otherwise Specific rating- 2.9 Fav song- monk time Least fav- pretty suzanne
Decent enough but no real standouts
Im a sucker for this sort of garage rock.
This is the kind of wild shit I was hoping for doing this project. American GI's stationed in Germany making groundbreaking pre punk garage rock with wild lyrics with a distorted banjo. I wish Spotify had this so it were more accessible to listen to again.
alright, not my thing, giving another star because this must have been so unique at the time
3 stars
Probably revolution for its day, not into it. Very 60's vocals, raw garage band but without that edge or interesting music. Proto punk? Maybe.
OK, not great.
I lol'd when I read this from the album's description: "In 2017, Black Monk Time was ranked the 127th greatest album of the 1960s by Pitchfork." Well, as they say in the first song, it's monk time... (Had to listen on Youtube since it's not on Spotify or Apple Music, bleh) This was a fine 60s rock album. I don't usually agree with Pitchfork on much nor do I have the time/energy to cross-reference the other 126 albums from the 60s that may or may not be on this list and compare it to this one, so I'll take their word for it... Low 3.
No Spotify means I lose sense of tracks completely. General impression is this vacillated between good and solid throughout. I enjoyed the fuzzy guitar and organ work throughout. Felt a bit surf-rock-ish at times and at others more psych. Vocals are rough, but intentionally so -- I can see why this falls into "proto punk." I'd say this is a mid-high 3 to my ears.
Nice energy and all, but nothing spectacular. File this away as "unremarkable"
Perfectly fine 60s rock. Kind of all sounded the same. Low 3
Not on AM :( off to YouTube for this one. Pretty standard 60's rock, going with a pretty even 3 on this one.
IT'S THAT SONG! IT'S THAT SONG FORM THE BIG LEBOWSKI! Did actually enjoy this more than I expected. I felt it didn't take itself that seriously in that good sort of way. Pleasantly surprised
I couldn’t find this album on my streaming platform, so I listened to a compilation album that included seven of the songs, plus five others so I think I did get the general idea. A weird record, but I did find it enjoyable and most of the tunes catchy, while still offbeat. I would normally give something like this two stars, but since I enjoyed it and I wasn’t just waiting for it to end, I will give it three stars.
Full album not available. Song I heard was deec. 3 stars.
It took me a while to find this one to listen to it. When I finally did, I wasn't sure what to expect. I can really only compare the experience to being at some sort of demented carnival, trapped in the funhouse with crazy clowns while on drugs. This album is what would blare over the speaker system. For some reason, I still enjoyed it. There's a lot of energy there, to say the least. I can't tell if the band members knew how to play their instruments before making this album, or if they decided to pick them up and learn as they went, adding some form of yodeling, screeching vocalist to really drive it home. Even with all the chaos it was coherent music, so I think the style was a deliberate choice. It's pretty interesting that this got made in the mid-60s when albums were geared toward studio-driven productions rather than more spontaneous efforts. No to mention using anti-war messaging in that time. I can see why the article says it's a precursor to punk rock and more modern alt rock. The style is like a weird blend of early and contemporary rock with the garage-esque production and oddity added in. Some points were almost like if 90s Green Day made a Crickets album. There were interesting builds at times and noticeable deconstructions at others. Regardless of the section, the instrumentation and vocals demanded attention. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if I knew what to expect going into it. I think the novelty of it is one of its greater strengths, because I don't know how much re-listening value it really has. Additionally, it got kind of grating as it went on, even with how short it was. This album was weird, but in an interesting and memorable way. It earned a lot more "style" points than substance points, which makes it difficult for me to evaluate. I can't say I found it great, but I did get something from it that isn't present in a lot of other albums. I'm glad I heard it once even if I don't know that I'll ever listen to it again. I will definitely think about it again, though. Overall: 3/5
Annoying had to listen on YouTube. But this was more aggressive than I expected. Pioneers of punk maybe? Looked them up and haircuts were priceless. Boys are boys and girls are choice - poignant stuff.
какая-то дисковакханалия, с трудом послушала полтора раза с вк, но потом вечером как-то отвлеклась и нормально сто раз прокрутила) но ста раз мне пожалуй хватит
I'm sure it must have been amazing to hear in 1966. To my ears it was fine, occasionally grating, but didn't overstay its welcome. Interesting and appreciable at least.
garage punk if it was the doors
Monks walked so 5678s could run
Couldn’t find it anywhere. Did find one of the singles and it was cool.
okay, interesting sound, some songs were too repetitive for me
Okayish
This feels like 60s to me. I don’t see myself just casually listening to this one again but it was fun for what it was worth. 3.5
yeah sure
Piola Proto Punk
Not bad. It's fine. Probably ahead of its time for sure. I appreciate that.
The Good: No escaping what time it is! The Bad: That we have to do it in the dark… The Ugly: Realizing that these monks are not religious… Always nice to have a virgin experience, even if it is with some monks. Did not know what to expect and reading the initial information did not really assist much either. What is undeniable is that I am getting sick and tired of labels… proto-punk, garage rock, psychodelic rock… oddly enough what would really apply here, in my humble opinion, would be alternative rock. Due to the country I live in, Spotify only had a couple of songs not greyed out, which meant that I had to scour the internet and find the album in streamin’ format, thankfully YouTube always comes to the rescue. So what did I think about the album? Well, it sure has rhythm, that’s no lie. And to be frank, the album flew by in a no time, which means that it was not a bad experience. However, there is little that I would say is memorable… so I will need to be simple here and give them Monks a 3* Maybe at some point in the future, should I recall the album and find it again on YouTube, I might give another score… 3*
not too terrible for punk
I had never heard of this group and the album started off with the lead singer talk-singing, which is an immediate put-off for me. The album did improve after that though. I do understand how this was considered pre-punk punk but a lot of the sounds on this album are somewhat similar to other bands were doing in 1966. It's not a totally foreign group of songs to my ears and it's sort of art-punk music. Despite the rough start, I did enjoy this album and there are a lot of ideas seemingly thrown against the wall that stick or will stick in the next decade. I listened to the 16 track version of the album and my favorite songs were: Shut Up I Hate You Oh, How to Do Now Complication (the first 5 seconds sound like a Hendrix song) Love Came Tumblin' Down (which feels like a typical 60's song) I Can't Get Over You Love Can Take a While
Couldn’t find original on Spotify
Another unknown for me, and thankfully an entertaining entry in this collection's mystery grab bag. I can definitely see how this oddball album from 1966 could be considered an early entry in the punk annals, although I'm not sure any real label applies to this incredibly prescient-sounding album, and the weird release history of the album makes it even more bizarrely backwater. It says so much about the American recording industry that the style and content of their music was so appalling to the studios that the album was never distributed in the US until 1994, and that the German label that produced the album apparently didn't care what this ex-US-military band was saying, about Vietnam or culture or anything, as long as it was an American rock band. It's nearly impossible for me (listening in 2025) to imagine how the music or the lyrics would have seemed so experimental and dangerous, but apparently it was. I really enjoyed the experience of listening to this album, and a few tracks really stood out--the outrageous opening track "Monk time", the driving dirge "I hate you" (which apparently was part of "The Big Lebowski" soundtrack, so kudos to the Coen brothers), and the eviscerating "Complication". I probably won't revisit this album, but I really like it that I've now heard The Monks (subversive as they apparently were) thanks to this project.
fun!
Unavailable. 😔
Both of its time yet just outside of it. Not entirely sure what to make of this one. There's are plenty of good moments but they return to the same well - a lot. Perhaps that is missing the point of the limitations of the genre. But I do think they present some interesting ideas within those boundaries. Less is more. But the tracks that work...work.
An odd little gem on the list.
Weird and hard to track down but interesting
☀︎considérant qu’il y avait seulement 1 chanson sur 18 que je pouvais écouter sur spotify et que je ne l’ai pas trouvée super, je sais pas comment je peux noter cet album lol
Couldn’t listen to the actual album but listened to enough know what they are about. Nothing terrible. Nothing compelling.
Monk time!!! Album was very cool but unfortunate it wasn’t on Spotify. Due to time constraints and the headache of listening on YouTube I did not finish the last 3 songs, I’ll go back at some point. But I got a general vibe for the album I was feeling a light 7/10 Favorite track: monk time
An interesting album, but not one I need to hear again. 3 stars or C-.
I could only listen to two tracks because the rest wasn't on Spotify ☹️
Just about worth tracking down, if it’s good enough for Mark E. Smith then it’s good enough for me. I don’t think there’s enough there for me, but I don’t regret listening.
Enjoyed this musically, especially the psychedelic/jam band energy. Unofrtunately none of the songs were particularly good. This is alright.
Definitely one of the stranger and more obscure bands on this list, The Monks were five American GIs stationed in West Germany who started a band because they were bored. They performed on stage dressed in monk’s costumes with shaved heads, the music featured pounding drums and a heavily distorted banjo and the lyrics were equally wild, attacking the war in Vietnam amongst other things. Nervous record companies refused to release their album in the United States because it was considered too experimental and controversial. In retrospect this can be seen as possible proto-punk record, crossed with weird art-rock and even a bit of skiffle. Monk-tastic!
This album wasn't on Amazon music but there was one called the early years that had most of these songs and I filled the gaps from YouTube. Didn't think it was very punky initially, each song was announced at the start in a 50s/60s rock and roll way and the church organ and acousticish guitar didn't help. Looking at a gig when listening to a missing track showed that they were proto punk in that they were unhinged and didn't give a fuck, an attitude that didn't really exist in bands at the time and could well have sparked the punk movement. I'm not sure the music was particularly good but definitely worth being on this list. 2.5.
Sounds way ahead of it's time. Very rough around the edges though. Think I recognised "we do wei do" but not sure why. 3
Bit gimmicky, I thought. I guess the time and place make the difference…
This was silly and more fun than I expected. I wouldn’t say it belongs on this list, but not mad I listened to it. It’s a good one time listen that brought smiles to my face and quite a few chuckles.
Cool background story to how they were formed. Definitely a different take on rock given when it was released. Velvet Underground & sex pistols vibes? I didn't hate it but it did get a bit repetitive. I applaud their experimentation in a time where punk rock wasn't exactly accepted
È stato epico quando I Monks hanno detto "it's monk time" e hanno monkato da tutte le parti
This was completely unknown, annoyingly difficult to track down and exactly why i'm here. The missing link between Booker T and the Sex Pistols is a description that couldnt be more accurate and i enjoyed it immensely. Ill need to go back to dig deeper but im happy to have found it.
Kind of sounds like a 1960s Geordie Greep album (this is a good thing)
Kind of like a proto-punk band in a way. Enjoyed some of it. But did get pretty repetitive by the end. 3/5
was tying to imagine how it would have sounded like if it was made in the 80s or later. In the album, drums just sound like someone was hitting a plastic stool..
very cool to listen to the first proto-punk album. i mean, just from a history perspective thats really cool. that being said... this album was just aight for me. it was cool, it was quirky, but i didn't even know when the album ended and then youtube started playing another playlist. three stars for historical relevance, and because 2 stars seems way too low for this
I was trying to figure out which Apple ad Boys are Boys and Girls Are Choice was from because the beginning of the song isn't too unique, and then the 'woo-hoo' part hit and it was a shot of nostalgia. But then I felt really old when I looked up the ad and saw that it was advertising features on the iPhone 7. Pretty generic 60s rock, but better than some of the others from the same decade that we've had prior to this one. Would come back to listen to a couple of the songs, but them not being on streaming services makes it difficult.
You know what? I liked it more than a lot of the albums on this list.
I'm just glad they sound like they're having fun.
Good listen, fast passing songs
Garage rock bliss! Some strong tracks
Ziemlich wilder Rock, ganz interessant aber irgendwie zwischen den Stühlen von Punk und Rock 3/5
Pretty decent, though annoying at times.
Ahead of its time for sure. In terms of how much I would want to listen again, it definitely gets a 3 (maybe even 2). But interesting to hear some faint sounds of the punk movement 10 years ahead of time.
Solid
An album that I couldn’t find on Spotify? Yeah it’s cool, but it makes you think of the hubris of this list. Was this the holy grail of brown paper bag bootleg recordings before the age of internet music? Is that where that hard-to-pin-down-best-ever quality comes for on this record? Honestly though, it is pretty fun and I enjoyed it, but not ecstatically. How do you pronounce Higgly Piggly as Hig-uh-lye Pig-uh-lye?
While punk is one of the genres I typically do not care for, this proto-punk album was actually pretty varied and interesting. Not bad. 3/5
where's i'm a believer
Pretty cool album. I think the story behind it is cooler than the music itself. It’s good and listenable proto-punk but nothing really stood out to me. Worth listening to but not a must-listen.
So I read up on this album and thought the circumstances of its creation sounded interesting. Threw it on while cleaning the house and had a mixed reaction to it. Won't be going in completely blind, but let's see how my views change on a more active listen. Monk Time Great energy to start off the album with. The frantic talky vocals give a chaotic and raw impression. Not much to say about the instrumentation other than it's solid. The keys stand out. Solid introduction. 3.5/5 Shut Up Great organ playing over a marching drum beat. Not crazy about the vocal melody. Really enjoyable instrumental passage. Points for originality but personally not loving it. 3/5 Boys Are Boys and Girls are Choice Swinging cursed Beach Boys injected with a bit of psychedelia and a slightly off chorus. Fine. 3/5 Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy Annoying guitar rhythm. Yodel inspired vocals are at least interesting. Probably constitutes as originial for its day. Can't say I'm enamoured with it, but it's not something I've really heard before. 3/5 I Hate You Boring instrumental. Great vocal performance, slightly unhinged energy to them which I like. There are some cool guitar effects there. Fine. 3/5 Oh, How to do Now Annoying, repetitive, earstabbing organ. Goes nowhere, does not build on anything. The chorus gets actively more annoying by the baffling decision to keep increasing the pitch and tempo. Horrible. 1/5 Complication I get the concept, but the execution does not translate into anything I'd want to listen to. Just does not work. Feels like a song designed to annoy you. Also the using the word "constipation" will not make me take your song sereiously. Annoying. 1/5 We Do Wie Du Structure is good. The organ melody on the verse works surprisingly well with the strange vocal delivery. Chorus is not as annoying as previous songs. Not great. 2.5/5 Drunken Maria Was this really needed? Call and response is the only barely memorable part. Gimmicky. Forgetable. 2/5 Love Came Tumblin Down The montonous rhythm is really getting old at this point. A fine track in isolation. Some difference in structure with a less repetitive chorus and some decent guitar. Fine. 3/5 Blast Off! Dark, apocalyptic. An explosion of sound. Nice to hear some different keys. Decent execution of the concept. Works well for what it is. 3.5/5 That's My Girl! Now this is awful... The "yeahs" and the hollering over another "Monks(tm)" instrumental. Just plain irritating. Torturous. 1/5 I Can't Get Over You Decent song. There's some charisma here. Chorus strangely works. Structurally boring, and nothing stands out instrumentally. Fine. 3/5 Cuckoo Torture. Absolutely hellish. Brainwashing music. If I ever revisit this know that I've officially lost it. The long term effects of exposure to this song need to be studied. Get me out. 1/5 Love Can Tame The Wild Some nice harmonies. Lyrics are sweet. Nice piano. Is that a banjo? Decent song. 3.5/5 He Went Down to the Sea Bass and percussion both make up for some great melody work. The verse structure is really good. The snare on the word "sea" is pretty fun. Love the addition of the horns. Triumphant. Great vocals. Great. 4/5 Monk Chat Nice little jam to round out the album. Nothing special, but a decent closer. 3/5 Got really tired at the end. Enjoyed some of the tracks. Was bored by others. Really didn't like some. Was totally just okay, not something I'll return to. Was fun to experience a piece of music history though, even if some of the tracks really didn't work for me. Points for originality. Innovative for its time. These factors bring the album up to a 3 for me, though I cannot give it any higher as I didn't enjoy half the tracks, though that might be a personal issue rather then a fault of the artistry on display. Fave Track. He Went Down to the Sea Least fave track. Cuckoo
Fav: Love Came Tumblin’ Down Least Fav: Monk Time Velvet Underground if they had joined the military
Favorite Track: The Only One Spotify Would Let Me Listen To
Hui, sind die am Marschiere? S Hammon- Örgeli isch schön presänt. Die hetted au am Woodstock-Festival uufträte. De abghackt Beat zieht sich dure. Die Lieder-Text sind durchus kritisch und Band hätt sicher Spass ghaa, ich nüd ganz äso😂
man they get a hell of a lot of use out of the keyboard on this one. frenetic pace, just loud and in-your-face, although done by design. I tuned out a couple times during the listen, but mostly out of boredom. Not bad, but also not for me.
Wasn't fully available on Spotify but the tracks I could get were pretty good
What I could find of this album I liked. It's goofy, fun music.
Is this the invention of punk? Whether is it or not. It’s crazy that this released right before Pet Sounds and the story behind it is pretty cool. The music itself has that energy and excitement. The straining vocals and blown out organ certainly make this unique. Favorite songs were Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice, Oh, How To Do Now, Complication, and Love Came Tumblin’ Down.
Sometimes an album comes along whose story is more interesting than the music itself. This is a great example of that. The Monks aren’t probably known by very many people anymore. Especially since punk has, in many ways, become the opposite of what it was originally created for. But they earned their place in the history books long ago. Maybe more so than any other punk group ever. Their story was far from ordinary though. It begins with five GIs stationed in West Germany who grew tired not only of their surroundings, but also the state of modern rock music. So they decided to create something antithetical to that sound in every way they could possibly think of. Considering this was released at a time where The Beatles were in the height of their popularity, and Revolver, Pet Sounds, and Blonde on Blonde would all release only a few months later, I can’t imagine the culture shock this caused. And The Velvet Underground’s debut was released for another year, so experimental rock hadn’t really hit its turning point yet. It uses distortion in a way that I doubt people knew, or wanted to know, existed at the time. The vocals are pretty awful by most standards, but I don’t think they really cared. In fact, I don’t think they cared about making something enjoyable to average audiences at all. It’s potentially the first real album in the genre that had legitimate punk motivations behind it. And it’s a huge landmark for the counter-culture movement. Now, all of this is great. But as I said before, this whole backstory intrigues me far more than the music does. It’s very rhythm based, and there are a few interesting moments spread throughout. But I wouldn’t call this the best sounding punk record I’ve ever heard by any means. It’s like the punk equivalent to Vincebus Eruptum. It comes from a very different time period, and doesn’t really sound up to par with what we know today. But I think everything behind this, and the very potent lyricism alone are enough to convey the message. Rating: 5/10
Kan ikke huske hvad sangene hedder fordi de kun er på YouTube. Men de er frontrunners ift punk rock. Specielt anden del af albummet er fedt, kan det passe det ender med at være sådan lidt folk inspireret? Idk men anden halvdel af albummet er virkelig godt.
Not much to hate. Just sounds like a bunch of guys having a fun time playing music together. I can get with that. They don't sound an awful lot like anybody else, which is good. Just some guys vibing. I don't really know who they influenced, but these guys are fine.
Pretty fun, shame it’s not on Spotify.
This is all over the place. Reading their Wikipedia entry tells me why. I like the more garage-y stuff. Some of it is a bit bonkers, for example Cuckoo, which apparently is a love song? They actually had the tonsures as well. Also, not a fan of the distorted sound. Interesting though
Fairly weird but still kinda ok. How do these obscure one-off albums make this list?
The Monks– Black Monk Time 60s rock with lots of chanting. Melody is ignored, mostly, but it has a lot of energy. Lyrical work, not so much. Sounds like they had a good time making it, though. 3/5
Pre-punk-post-punk.
This was an interesting listen. I had not heard of this band before, but I can see how they have influenced later garage rock bands and punk and post-punk music in general. I was disappointed that this album was not available in its entirety on Amazon Music and had to listen through YouTube. I will revisit this one.
Black Monk Time is the only studio album by The Monks, originally released in 1966. What an interesting band. They really took the Monk gimmick to the extreme, commonly performing in robes and even shaving their heads into medieval monk haircuts. But their sound is anything but Zen. This is hard hitting garage rock, bordering on early punk. The songwriting is meh but the performances are so energetic. They were truly ahead of their time.
Personally didn't like it that much, as in I never want to listen to it ever again, but I can't deny its importance and influence. Without the Monks, there's no Hives, and that's as personal as it can get.
The instrumentation here is still pretty good and ahead of its time, but at the same time, I really don’t like the vocals. I honestly would have preferred this as an instrumental album, considering how much the vocals just take you out of the experience. I get why they’re like this, but I really don’t like them. Anyway, I feel like three stars is good for this one.
This was a pretty cool album, almost like a history lesson in garage and punk rock. I likely won't revisit this one often, but I'm glad I listened.
Zany, wild man!
Rating: 7/10 Very good, proto-punk that sounds influential to a lot of the late 60s groups.
The explosive opening kinda set it up for failure. Theres a lot of cool proto-punk ideas, but mixed execution.
A primitive blast of proto-punk with a strange mix of childish sing-song melodies over dissonant guitars/keys and rhythmic thumping. The lyrics range from ‘bitingly angry about the Vietnam War’ to ‘wanting to go to meet girls and go to the dance’, with a few nonsense syllable hooks thrown in the mix for good measure. Full marks for historical importance and musical innovation, but it’s quite a rough and repetitive listen
Decent. Of the time
Interesting in context but not a 'have to hear'
Unavailable on Apple Music.
I honestly had no idea that punk rock's roots went back this far. Even more interesting reading up on this group and finding out that they were formed by American GIs stationed in Germany. Interesting origins (fittingly) for a group that didn't sound much like the rest of the musical landscape in the 60's. It's all pretty raw and a bit radical in its content. I can't speak for how commercially popular this group was at the time, but the fact that only one studio album was released probably tells the story. Seems like they've received more of a retrospective acclaim as the years have went on. Interesting and short record. Can see why this was included in the list, more so for it's influence on punk as a whole. It definitely sounds of the 60's based on instrumentation, but unlike popular rock music at the time based on lyrical content. As an aside, I've definitely heard the third track in an ad, probably for an Apple product or something.
Black Monk Time was not available on Spotify so listened to a best of comp that was. I’d never heard of them before but was surprised and you can definitely tell of their influence particularly on garage rock
Little weird, especially for the time it's released. But decent album.
Has its moments.
Interesting sound from these guys. Some songs were almost punk and others were clearly rock and roll. Kinda interesting, and maybe a bit disappointing they didn't make any more music after this.
It was a decent listen, but not super memorable.
Wouldn't say I hated it by any means but definitely not sure if I liked it. Nice and upbeat. Definitely need to give another listen.
Garage rock, some fun organ mixed in
Surprisingly fresh for the 1966 time frame. A bit of the simplicity of the California sound but with the antiwar sentiment
Influential, but not really good
standard 60s stuff
This was a good one. Never heard of these guys but I enjoyed this album
Interesting album.
What the hell! These guys are neither black nor monks! I can't believe this. You know what else I can't believe? I didn't hate this album. I wasn't sure I'd like this album much based on prior albums I've gotten. However, while I don't love this album, I do respect it quite a bit. I mean, this thing was super ahead of its time. This could've easily been released in the late 70s with little to no questions. But this album was released in 1966! That definitely justifies this album being on the list. As for the quality of the album itself? Well, I like the album, but it's far from my favorite. The vocals kind of fluctuate for me in terms of how I feel about them. Sometimes they're kind of annoying, but other times they fit quite well. The writing doesn't mean much to me either. It's not particularly bad, just not spectacular. The sound is alright. The organ is a bit overbearing, but at least it's played well. A very broad thing about this album that really struck me as being great is the presence of a punk-like energy. Between the nonconformity in sound, the sometimes political writing, and the general vibes of the album, I can definitely see how this was a big influence for the punk ethos as a whole. And you know what? That's great. That gives this album something that other "punk" albums like (I'm looking at you Hypnotised). Overall, I would say that I liked this album. However, my respect for this album is much higher than my actual enjoyment of the album. Still, I wouldn't really consider removing this from the list. It belongs here, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it myself. Solid 3/5.
Just weird enough to make the 1001 list. Never heard of or anything by The Monks, but they have a great 60s sound. Boys Are Boys and Space Age lead the way on this jaunty ride through the bazaar. Liked it enough to give it a (2.8*s)
Pretty cool little hidden gem. Didn't know what to expect but it wasn't this coming out of 1966. Despite some very basic drum beats it's got some really unique sounds. The more I listened to it the more I got into it. Wish it was on Spotify because I may have revisited this at some point, but unfortunately it looks like its going to remain as a lost/forgotten classic. Gotta love the name The Monks 2.84 stars
Loud, edgy and primitive. Pretty good!
Interesting….
I would probably like it but I can only find 2 songs…
I like the band, hate the singer. He’s got that obnoxious quality in his voice that reminds me of Captain Beefheart.
this is what this list is about. fun, different, unique.
Awesome proto-punk that I literally never knew about prior. Demented and fun.
En tiiä miten tätä musiikkia oikein kuvailisi, mutta hyvää se on. Veikeää ja aika hauskaa rokkia. Tää on nyt vissiin sitä proto punkkia. Parhaita ei silleen, enkä tiedäkkään koska youtube
Well I had to trudge to YouTube to listen to this so my vaunted track by track reviews will be forgone in favour of a slapdash review of what was an interesting, albeit sloppy, foray into proto-punk. Some of the early songs on here were great. Shut up and I hate you are not only great things to say, but made for excellent, angsty punk. The lead singer’s penchant for sounding like the Black Midi guy (50 years prior) and also being named Gary Burger or some shit, wore thin after awhile. At the start it was exhilarating but it ran out of steam. The anger and energy didn’t last and neither did my interest. For the pioneering nature and the initial buzz, this thing is impressive. What it lacks in polish is part of its charm. HIGHLIGHTS: Shut up, Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy, I Hate You, Complication
Wilfully obtuse freak-zone garagey art rock from way back. Probably groundbreaking in its time. I found it intriguing if a bit of a tough listen, though I was glad to give it a spin.
I think I got my hopes up too much reading up on the album before. I didn’t hear a ton of the protopunk sound I was expecting. Still had some fun songs and didn’t really hate any. Rating: 3.3
3.5
I like it. Sounds like 60s rockers having a good time.
One song does not make an album. Very 60’s Beach Boys / Beatles
I'm glad I got to listen to this, but that said, rating it, it's not punk enough for me, and it's not weird enough for me. I wish it was more of either and less of a blend. That said, certainly trend setting, important records that other people heard and did cool things with.
never heard of The Monks, but liked this..
Garage rockproto-pun. Del 66.
Never even heard of this band before, despite one of their songs being in one of my favorite movies. It simultaneously sounds like something that could have come out in the garage rock era with The Vines and White Stripes while also being something that came out in the 60s alongside The Doors or The Kinks.
Meh
sounds like the animals with more of a punk rock energy. and anti vietnam war messaging. quality listen.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Nice surprise!
Interesting German American protopunk.
Garage rock with lot of organ, almost punk sounding, that was probably pretty edgy for the time. One song sounded Doors-like. Not something I'd listen to very often, but it was OK.
These guys don't give a fuck, they just play whatever they want and sing some nonsense. Didn't expect this to be so old, has a later punk sound. Stand-out: We Do Wie Du
27 Minuten Hörspaß 😃
Interesting. Some good stuff here. Reminds me of Velvet Underground. 7.5
This was an interesting listen (youtube). One of the first times in the list I feel like an artist was a bit ahead of their time. Liked the punky nature of the songs, not always the singing voices, though. 3/5
Lemppari: We Do Wie Du Vähiten lempparit: That's My Girl ja Cuckoo
This album started so strong but then ended do badly. Between "I can't get over you" and "cuckoo", I was done. What the hell happened? It feels like they didn't even try for the end. Still, the beginning was good and had potential.
This is some proto-punk that came even before prog-rock. Historically it is very interesting especially because of all the psychedelic elements as well. However, I don't like the music itself that much so I give this a middle rating.
This was a pretty interesting album. At once a peer of the Beatles and early rock, but also some more dissonant punk-like elements. Love Can Tame The Wild was pretty catchy, and some of the later tracks got very trance-y.
Not on spotify
Most of album missing from Spotify
Album 456 of 1001 Sade - Diamond Life Rating : 3.75 / 5 Released in 1966, some hail this as the first punk album. I didn't research to verify that, so take it as you will. Came across as a bunch of guys getting together to blow off some steam and did so in a fine fashion. Parts of it were a mess but it is one to hear.
pretty simple. but crazy this came out so long ago.
A fun, grungy, 1960s garage sound - probably would not listen again but was enjoyable
Quite groundbreaking as this has a very 1960s rock and roll sound but also very anti-establishment and punk for a group of GIs who were stationed outside of the US. This was fine, but nothing earthshattering.
Pretty good 60's rock album with a heavy anti-war message.
Some really good stuff, some really weird stuff. All enjoyable.