Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Probably the best thing any US soldiers did in the 60s. This album, which I'd never heard of, is a total shot in the arm - aggressive production, demented dada vocals, smashing rhythms and jagged arrangements make this one of the most refreshing and transgressive sounds of the time. Occasionally, a great little pop song breaks out. Favourite tracks: Monk Time, I Hate You, Oh How To Do Now (that bass!!!!), We Do Wie Du, Love Came Tumblin' Down
I had to find this one on YouTube as it didn’t seem to be on Spotify anymore. Safe to say, wasn’t really a fan. Some parts of it sounded okay but to me, it was mostly just noise
That was fun as hell. Punk rock, before even exists! 60's always manage to amaze me. 5 stars.
Ziemlich wilder Rock, ganz interessant aber irgendwie zwischen den Stühlen von Punk und Rock 3/5
Classic 60s garage rock rivalled only by The Sonics in terms of hard edged proto punk playing rock n roll with the VU permanently hitting red. Great stuff
Like the kinks but terrible
Glad I endured the YouTube ads to listen to the whole thing, much better than the couple of mediocre tracks that Spotify offered up.
Pretty good punky noise.
Enjoyed this more than I expected to.
Pretty decent, though annoying at times.
Pretty interesting!
I am blown away. A bit like the Beach Boys meets Nirvana?? Every song is fun! They are clearly having a ball here. This band ought to be much better-known! And doing this in 1966 was extremely ahead of its time. 4.55
Surprisingly rough and tumble album given the time. it is rife with unique ideas without novelty. I don’t know that I fell in love with it but I do admire it deeply.
What I start composing on day 6 in the padded cell
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
I can see how this would be considered early punk. Being released in ‘66, definitely some pioneering thinking and adventure in rock style. That said, not much that I would need to come back to.
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?
It’s pretty insane that this came out in 1966. Definitely way ahead of its time, and easy to hear how this could have been massively influential. Sort of a Marty McFly in Back to the Future moment. That said, it was be a case of “just because we can, should we?” Honestly it’s pretty hard to listen to at points, so it’s one I’m okay with leaving in the past.
Sirkusmusikk fra en alternate reality Tarantino-film.
En skal høre mye ass..
Couldn’t hear it
Really cool album from a brand new artist to me. Seems like multiple genres could have spawned from the Monks here.. 4/5
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
Found on YouTube. Pretty fun, shades of the Stones and the Doors, but overall not something I’ll particularly remember or revisit.
Some interesting arrangements, but gets a bit screechy and messy in a lot of places. Certainly can hear how influential it was, but it's not really a record for me.
From the first second I knew this would be a passively listened to album. Whatever the lyrics may be, I immediately hated the voice and knew it would be a hard one. Squeaky boring yucky.
Points for the strident/direct fuck you to the war at a time when it was probably taboo (and especially for GIs!) and I've read about their schtick which is interesting but we're here for the music and holy hell the music sucks so spectacularly hard that maybe they were just 60 years ahead of the "Sirs, this is a Wendy's...." meme. Hard to believe they never made it big. 2/10 1 star
Not available in my country on Spotify, but after listening through the album that doesn't sadden me one bit. This really wasn't particularly good. Very messy overall, and it made me really dislike electric organs. It does remind me a bit about The Doors at times, but that's probably due to the organs. And they manage to pull that off way better than these guys. Was quite surprised by the amount of fairly straight blunt sexual language and references they used. Bust certainly have been frowned on in 1966. I read on Wikipedia that this paved the way for Punk rock quite much. While that may be true, it's not anything I will be revisiting any time soon or recommend to anybody, really. Weak 2.
Wait there was punk in the 60s?! This was such a fun album, feels far ahead of its time. Just high energy, silly, punk. I doesn't overstay it's welcome feels part troll part political. Weak 4 star, mainly for being so ahead of its time.
where's i'm a believer
Really rough amateur stuff. In 1966 it may have taken a lot to produce this but not by today’s standards
I don't want to be too negative because I'm sure the band members of the monks are lovely people. But that was shit.
The entire concept surrounding The Monks is still one of the funniest things ever, like, what do you mean a bunch of American G.Is stationed in Germany got bored and made a band where they wore monk costumes and played proto punk? It's silly but it works by the simple identity they built up for themselves especially when their music is as unusual as their entire presentation. Not so much your average garage rock thing as they add organ or really squelchy and noisy guitar riffs, sometimes adding silly humor or commentary on 6s things. All these simple things add up to, while not an amazing album it is one that I enjoyed quite a bit.
Having an international perspective I can point to a dozen Australian proto punk bands who got interest overseas and would be more influential than this. It’s ok but listening to Australian acts like the masters apprentices, lobby Lloyd, Easybeats (to a degree), Billy Thorpe. English acts like the troggs, or the kinks. Americans are obsessed with having the most influential bands. I’m not saying these guys weren’t. But there were other garage rock and proto punk bands in the US. So this becomes some hipster bs, if you don’t know this you’re not cool rubbish. This is the type of attitude that gives us 550 Neil young albums on this list. Go and put on The Monkees - stepping stone is a much better song. 3.5 for the record. Minus two for its non essentiality. Rounded down. 1.5
This would be pretty revolutionary if you had never heard 60s garage rock before. But I have, so there is not much to surprise or delight here. I believe this is on the list for two reasons: 1- Dimery won't allow compilations, which rules out including Nuggets, which is a really great listen and was genuinely influential on many bands when it was initially released (first volume in 1972), making this underground proto-punk sound more widely accessible. 2- The rock snobs' obsession with obscurity, especially if combined with a good story. US servicemen in Germany dressing up as monks and releasing a widely ignored album that becomes 'lost' really fits the bill. I find this fetishization of obscurity a form of exclusionary gatekeeping and I certainly don't regard it as an automatic indictor of quality. This album is _not_ incredibly original. Nuggets reveals that there were _many_ 1960s garage bands that sounded a lot like this. And the songs aren't particularly original; they are pretty standard contemporary riffs with hastily improvised and highly repetitive lyrics over the top. For example, 'We Do, Wie Du' is a pretty barefaced rip-off of 'I'm Blue (The Gong Gong Song' by the Ikettes. Anyone making an argument that this record was influential on anything (and I have seen people claim this was an influence on the development of punk or krautrock) is delusional. This album was essentially unheard for 30 years before being embraced by the Obscure Reisssues community in the 90s. There are plenty of other very similar bands that _were_ influential on those genres that people actually had a chance to hear (cf. the aforementioned Nuggets compilation). They did not learn this from The Monks. That being said, I dig a bit of noisy 60s garage rock. Three stars
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.
I mean like is this for real. GI’s in Germany record in ‘65 an album that’s so influential if anyone heard actually heard it, the way it was recorded allows/makes it musically isolated and unlike anything else at the time released, stopping it being diluted and allows for the time lyrics as blunt as hell, pure garage, proto punk. Wasn’t officially released in the US until ‘94. Can’t stream it in Feb 2025, let’s keep it in the hidden gem category. 4 star.
Interesting sound, especially for the time. Sometimes it sounds like youre listening to a much more modern album.
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
Yes, very cool
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
A very unique and ahead of it’s time garage rock album , but it’s so much more than that. It’s pretty fuckin out there for 1966!…by American GIs…in Germany... Quite fun too. The rhythm section pounds away with a clanky rhythm banjo, psychotic organ, spastic distorted feedbacky guitar solos, and a soulful singer on the edge of breaking. It’s really herky jerky and quite psychotic. It’s political, silly, nonsensical. It has elements of several previous, current, and future genres. I’m Not sure about the actual influence, but seems to be a precursors to experimental rock forays (Velvet Underground, Zappa, Beefheart), late 60s garagey psychedelia, punk/post-punk scenes, and probably more.
Kul, nyskapande, monk city!
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😂
monk time. recht funny. es isch ebe. mega energie die buebe. afoch soldate wo in dütschland stationiert gsi sind höö? sie mega anti vietnamchrieg ich mag sie. oke söll als mega punk vorläufer gelte. gsehs uhuere. sie gebed meega gas und so würklich mega melodie hends nöd. hahahaha sie hend sich amel tonsure gschnitte wie geil. i hate you mega chillige song. ich ha e huere gueti ziit sie sind komplett unhinged aber s macht huere spass. ui de gitarresound uf complication isch geeeeeil he ich ha e extrem gueti zuit gha da gut e vieri.
MONK TIME STEREO TIME hahaha es isch scho reeecht unhinged und ich finds gad rechr geil shut up het mi ah öppis anders erinneret iwie poah die gitarre bi higgle, richtig geil verzellt es isch alles chli luut und es schepperet und er quietscht und quängelet aber es isch sehr e spannendi erfahrig au de gegesatz vo chaotische und fröhliche melodie findi megaa hobbla scho fertig! ja das isch es 4i, rein musikalisch isches für mich zwüscheme 3 undeme 4 aber jz gits mal es understützigs-4, will ich suscht nie uf das album gstosse bin und ichs historisch sehr spannend find
A true marvel that this existed in 1966. Let's get weird 🤘🏻
Not very inspiring but some solid 60s rock
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.
Like a precursor to Gogol Bordello. Super crunchy punk folk. I bet Tarantino loves this album
Absolute banger from start to finish. Standing on the shoulders of giants, these guys made something entirely new. You can take my rhythm banjo from me when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
What the Hell. No.
Wasn't fully available on Spotify but the tracks I could get were pretty good
basic unadorned rock - not enough complexity for me. it just bores me.
Oldies but baddies. It’s like if you took normal sixties toons and kept giving them acid till they went insane. Unhinged at times. It’s kind of a bad trip. 3/10
It’s not on Spotify so I found it on YouTube. I quite liked the off beat oddness of this album. Kind of like if The Doors and The Velvet Underground are in a tag team fist fight with Dick Dastardly and Muttley from Wacky Races. There’s some left field humour to it all.
I get this is a very influential album... but it just stinks. It's creative but so so so grating. Genuinely unenjoyable. The weird vocals and the use of the electric keyboard bothered me a ton. I'd say I can't get over you is probably my favorite track, but it was hard to pick even one.
I ... did not like this album very much. It may have some kind of pre-punk roots or IDK, something that makes it special somehow, but the issue, for me, is that it doesn't really do anything in particular very special. It wasn't really punk, it was not charming, it wasn't even classic rock or 60's pop... Instead of defining some alt genre (which is great!) it sort of sat at the edges of a lot of stuff. I don't hate on it, but it is not ... I don't know where or when I would recommend it, so I probably wouldn't.
A bit goofy, but pretty good. It’s definitely got heart.
Well, yeah, interesting, but I don't see myself listening to their whole album.
Monks, a proto-punk, garage band comprised of American GI's stationed in West Germany, all the members sported tonsures and produced music that would inspire no wave doom duo Suicide, they also sound like a minimalist Silver Apples and British post-punk band from the early 2000s, Clinic. Slashing guitars and droning organ very simple and repetitive percussion, evidently the band preferred to emphasize rhythm and distortion rather than melody. At times it sounds like the Fugs or the Unholy Modal Rollers went electric, with a similar sense of irreverence and experimentation, at other times it is the early Velvet Underground fronted by Iggy Pop. Six-string banjo and floor tom for the vocalist it still sounds fresh and surreal.
What I could find of this album I liked. It's goofy, fun music.
I haven't automatically fallen in love with this album when I first listened to it, but as a very early missing link between the MonkEES (lol), The Sonics, Frank Zappa, Can and the Stooges, *Black Monk Time* should at least be considered as a little *more* than an interesting curio. It's an album that often straddles the line between the primal, raucous stuff going on in the foreground, and something far more experimental in the background (with that amplified banjo, for instance, or that echoey organ). Both aspects being groundbreaking at the time. Not always a 100% thrilling listen, retrospectively, but often a lively or slyly sardonic one at least. The first two cuts, "Monk Time" and "Shut Up", remain my favorites in the LP (it's more of the same after that, even if it is in slightly different declinations each time). And gosh, that lead vocalist was wild, but only as wild as the crazed-out instrumentation if you pay a little attention to it. Can see why young German audiences watching those discharged American soldiers playing this live around 1966 would have a different view of rock music right after. Some folks see The Monks as the direct progenitors of krautrock. Not sure I can fully give credit to that take, but I certainly want to! 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: around thirty or twenty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 460 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 273 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 334
A pretty fun garage band. I liked it.
Vissa helt intressanta grejer på den här plattan särskilt med tanke på när den är gjord.
They don’t do anything that their contemporaries didn’t do better. I can hear how they might’ve been influential but there are many influential bands, especially in the sonic space that The Monks seemed to occupy, that have been rightfully overshadowed by their successors.
What the everlasting fuck?
23/01/25 Short and sweet and it wasn't all bad. Odd that it is an album though.
Not sure how I've gone so long without ever hearing anything about this album or artist, but very glad that's been fixed now. This totally rules. Great proto-punk. Now I've got to track down a physical copy.
Feels wildly ahead of its time and crosses so many genres in a good way.
Considered experimental but somehow very accessible. Felt honest and definitely adding this to my playlist. Except I can’t find it except on YouTube. Ughhh Highly recommended.
Great album and given the history behind it, one that I will see myself listening to again and again. Apple Music nor Spotify host it, so I had to go to YouTube to find a version, so of course, the quality of the music was suspect.
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
A swinging sixties banger, loved this!!
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.
Wasn’t even on Apple Music, so had to go on YouTube. And it was boring
Meh classic 60s happy music that I don’t really like 4/10
Not to be confused with the UK band in the 70's, The Monks, the German-based American, The Monks seemed to be ahead of their time when their only studio album, Black Monk Time was released in 1966. Their garage-rock sound, with the psychedelic organ sound and Troggs-like beats is definitely a forerunner to proto-punk sounds of the early 70's. I had never heard this album before, but feel I may have heard some of this before or by garage-rock imitators, so this is clearly an influential record. The closest comparison at the time is The Animals, especially with the dominating organ and dirty, rough vocals. Interesting, to say the least. Thanks for making me aware of this hidden gem.
no idea how to rate this one. its kinda brilliant but also i definitely didnt enjoy listening to it again
I put this one off for MONTHS because it was so hard to find. I finally got around to listening to “The Early Years” on Apple Music. Why is this music so hard to find? It’s great. It’s fun, it’s angsty, it feels way ahead of its time.
Black Monk Time, by The Monks, is an album that, despite its short duration, stands out as a revolution in the music scene of the time. Released in 1966, it goes beyond simple rock, featuring lyrics that address complex and provocative themes, reflecting a social awareness that was unusual for the genre. The fusion of experimental rhythms and a raw and direct sound reveals the band's audacity in challenging established norms. The songs, full of irony and social criticism, have a lyrical depth that gives the album a prominent place in the history of music, showing that brevity is not always synonymous with superficiality.
Not available in the EU on Spotify. The only song that I could listen to didn’t strike me.
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.
What a blast, such great fun. An unexpected delight as this list often provides. Faves: Monk Time, Cuckoo
This kicks ass! A great surprise discovery from the list. I'd apparently listened to a track or two of theirs before, but very grateful to be introduced to the album, cracking stuff. And from 1966, too - mindblowing! Imagine if their record company had had the stones to distribute this in the US - punk might have arrived a couple of years earlier. We could all be living in moon bases by now. Fave tracks - "Monk Time" -> "Shut Up" is a hell of a one two opening! The weird yodeling of "Higgle-Dy - Piggle-Dy" and "Cuckoo" - great fun! The in your face 'tude of "I Hate You" and "Complication". "That's My Girl!" is pretty racy for the time! 😳
Never heard of this until now. Crazy ass proto-punk shit from 1965. It reminds me of The Velvet Underground and The Doors but severely lower IQ, very very cool
Pretty fun, shame it’s not on Spotify.
Nicht schlecht aber keiner erwähnung wert Nett!
нет
This sounds like an album where the making of it made so much fun. Easy lyrics, simple musical concepts but somehow it fits together and I also found it fun to listen to.
This goes hard, actually. A nice little discovery. Gonna listen to it twice.
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
1.5 not very good but understand it was influential
Fairly weird but still kinda ok. How do these obscure one-off albums make this list?
I can't believe this came out in '66
Although it gets a liiiittle boring because a lot of songs sound the same, this album is a 100% match to my music taste
I’m thankful that there were only 2 tracks listed on Spotify, because I didn’t really enjoy either of them. Usually I would seek the complete album to make sure I was judging it fairly, but I just couldn’t be bothered. Merry Christmas 🎄
There was only 2 tracks (3mins) of this album on the linked Spotify - it was ok, but not enough to make me want to seek out the rest of the album if it means listening through YouTube - it’s Christmas Day and I’m too full of pudding to be dealing with that kind of bullshit
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
Fantastic. Wish it was on Tidal.
Crazy fun.
This album's production is both creative and influential. The vocals align with the creativity of the production, but their harshness affects the overall listenability of the album.
Great stuff right here. I love the first few tracks with their experimental, unhinged, wild style. Definitely Proto-punk/garage/avant-garde/however you want to describe it. The back half gives a more mainstream garage rock sound, as if the band were either leaning towards more pop-appeal, or were getting "better" with writing and playing, or were pushed in a different direction. It's not as satisfying for me, but it's still pretty solid.
Black Monk Time by The Monks If only they’d taken a vow of silence. Unfortunately, this album just wasn’t for me. Black Monk Time is a very experimental and abrasive listen, and while it’s hailed as a precursor to punk, I couldn’t really get on board. Wikipedia describes it as a precursor to punk, a genre that I’m not particularly fond of. Pop-punk, sure, but classic punk often feels more like something I tolerate than something I enjoy. The chaotic sound and the repetitive nature of the music made it a challenging experience for me, and the vocals—delivered with a lot of aggression and a certain strangeness—didn’t help matters. That being said, I did listen to the entire album, and I can at least appreciate the raw energy and rebellious spirit of the Monks, even if it wasn’t something I personally connected with. While I understand the significance of this album in the context of music history, it’s not something I’ll be revisiting anytime soon. Score: 2/5
How the hell do you create post-punk in 1965-66, well before punk was even a thing???
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.
Absurd It brings on the table so much things: it's revolutionary, funny, stupid and go on
these funky boys are just having fun
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!
👎
They‘re so unusual
Rating: 7/10 Very good, proto-punk that sounds influential to a lot of the late 60s groups.
Holy shit, everything about this album is amazing! A group of American soldiers stationed in West Germany just when the Germans were getting eager for American rock n roll. They were possibly the most free rock band on the planet at the time, benefitting from a language barrier that allowed them to access unimaginably dark lyrics and a budding German record industry that didn't quite know enough about commercial appeal to stop them experimenting with everything. The Beatles had to earn the right to experiment. The Monks were just in the right place at the right time. And thank god they were. This album is one of the most influential works in the history of recorded music. It immediately shaped the budding German rock scene.
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
That's not my taste in music.
Interesting in context but not a 'have to hear'
Das Album hat mir gut gefallen. Auch die Geschichte der Band fand ich interessant. Gestern habe ich ausführlichere Notizen zu dem Album geschrieben. Leider sind die verschwunden. Daher bleibt es jetzt bei diesem Kurzkommentar. 4/5
Unavailable on Apple Music.
Not available on streaming services as of Nov 2024, but look around for it and you will be well rewarded. This is an outstanding album and one of the rare times I agree with this list. Its just different from everything else in the best way possible. 5/5
Overall, I liked it. It was pretty chill.
Experimenteel. Te experimenteel en daardoor dus gewoon irritant eigenlijk. Een soort The Doors (zonder ome Jim dan) met een handvol Devo en wat Zappa erbij. Ik vind het deze keer niet extreem kut, maar het is wel dermate irritant dat ik dit niet voor m'n lol op zou zetten. Het op veel tracks nogal aanwezige orgeltje is nogal raspend en dan is het in combinatie met de zang toch wel een tikkeltje dodelijk allemaal. Het is waarschijnlijk belangrijk dat deze muziek toen gemaakt is, maar je hoeft er nu niet meer naar te luisteren. Net zoals je met microscopen uit de 17e eeuw nu geen serieus onderzoek meer doet. Eén tot twee sterren. Ik hou hem op 1 vanwege de irritatie.
Erm, wouldn’t listen to anything again
I adore this album and its pioneering impact.
This album sounds very much from its time. It has more of a novelty vibe than anything else. It has hints of directions that rock would soon go, but this just sounds dated. The instrumentation is better than the vocals, but even then, it's very simplistic as is typical of garage rock. There are some good moments, but overall it's kind of a throwaway.
Thank you "No Dogs In Space" for introducing me to this album before it got pulled off of Apple Music, and for giving it context. Listening to 8 hours of podcast for each of these albums seems a little unpractical but it does help understand them.
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.
Je peux comprendre l'inclusion de cet album comme il semble avoir eu un impact considérable sur la scène punk, mais je trouve que ça a quand même mal vieilli. Je respecte le statut, mais pas tellement ma tasse de thé. 4/10
if any artist was capable of going back in time to make an album before most of their influences even existed, simply thru Sheer Force Of Contrarianism, maybe itd be mark e smith because this reminds me way more of the fall than i does the ramones, or even the early garage-y kinks singles. i dont wanna imply the main virtue of this thing is coming out in 1966 but its pretty impossible not to think about...i havent heard the sonics, but how much sounded like this Ever at this point in time??? it all comes out of genuinely creative and eccentric choices mixing antithetic repetition of barely-formed lyrics, free jazz atonal instrumental flourishes, and essentially no recognizable compositional conventions of the time whatsoever (at least, none that arent distorted beyond belief). a bit exhausting even at a short length but this still packs an unbelievable punch, i cant even imagine how it sounded on release to whatever small number of people actually heard it
Hoooooly shit. Literally? These boiz are living on another plane than the rest of us. Tonsured heads gimmick, 6 string banjo, every instrument a rhythm instrument, ludicrous horny antiwar lyrics from a bunch of post discharge germany stationed army men all years before any of this would ever happen again. Showmanship and innovation. If you can't see this is a 5 you may as well give up.
eh
Kinda based to have one song. Good song had me wanting more
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
Not available in Canada so what do you want from me. I’d I had to guess based on this book so far it’s probably guys playing ‘Summertime Blues’ and they played it heavy and people said this was the start of punk.
This album sounds like the prototype for the Dead Kennedys. It does feel like the last couple songs, don't match the rest of the album. And where out there to try and make "normal song" for radio play/sales.
So raw, primal and absolutely strange. I've loved this album since the first time I heard it and it has only continued to grow on me since.
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
Very interesting and unique album, definitely ahead of its time. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Favorite song - I hate you Least Favorite Song - I can't get over you
Mooi lekker punk
standard 60s stuff
This was a treat, had not heard this band/album and it confirms I really do like psychedelic and pre punk rock
A bit whacky and their only album. Not terrible but not worth it.
La pochette, déjà, annonce la couleur ou plutôt l'absence de couleur. Cinq types en noir, l'air aussi sympathique qu'une porte de prison, avec une tonsure. Oui, une putain de tonsure de moine, en 1966, l'année de "Revolver" et de "Pet Sounds". Tu poses ton casque sur tes oreilles. Et là, c'est le grand "WTF" de l'histoire du rock. La première seconde de "Monk Time" est une déflagration. Un banjo électrique saturé qui sonne comme une scie sauteuse asthmatique, une basse qui martèle un seul et même riff caverneux, et un type qui hurle "Alright my name's Gary! What's your name?!". On est en 1966. Je le répète, parce que c'est important. Pendant que les Beatles chantaient "Yellow Submarine", ces types-là étaient déjà en train de le saborder à coups de larsens et de feedback. Pendant que les Beach Boys harmonisaient sur les plages de Californie, The Monks étaient en train de bétonner la côte pour y construire un blockhaus. C'est quoi ce bordel ? Ce bordel, c'est le son de cinq G.I. américains, paumés en Allemagne à la fin de leur service militaire, qui décident que le rock'n'roll est devenu beaucoup trop poli, beaucoup trop propre sur lui. Alors ils ont tout jeté par la fenêtre : les solos de guitare, les harmonies vocales à la con, les chansons d'amour niaises. Et à la place, ils nous balancent une musique abrasive, squelettique, méchante. Une rythmique tribale, quasi militaire, obsédante, qui tourne en boucle jusqu'à l'hypnose. C'est du krautrock avant que les Allemands eux-mêmes ne sachent ce que c'est. C'est du proto-punk tellement en avance sur son temps que les Ramones, à côté, passent pour un boys band. L'orgue de Gary Burger sonne comme un appel à l'émeute dans une église en feu. Le banjo de Dave Day est une insulte à toute la tradition folk. C'est un instrument du diable, un truc pour faire dérailler les trains. Et la voix... la voix de Gary est possédée. Paranoïaque sur "I Hate You", hystérique sur "Complication", complètement déglinguée partout ailleurs. On dirait un patient échappé d'asile qui aurait pris le micro en otage. C'est ça, la musique des Monks, une tension permanente, une agression sonore jouissive. C'est du rock de garage, mais le garage est rempli de bidons d'essence et l'un des mecs joue avec des allumettes. Le plus dingue dans tout ça, c'est leur histoire, comme les Beatles, ils ont écumé les clubs d'Hambourg. Ils ont joué dans les mêmes bars à putes, sur les mêmes scènes poisseuses, et ont probablement attrapé les mêmes maladies vénériennes que les Fab Four. Sauf qu'à l'arrivée, l'histoire n'a pas retenu leur nom, les Beatles sont devenus des icônes planétaires, The Monks sont restés une note de bas de page pour les dénicheurs de pépites, une secte secrète dont les membres se reconnaissent d'un simple hochement de tête. The Fall, les Dead Kennedys, les White Stripes, tous ces groupes leur doivent quelque chose. Ils ont pillé le son, l'attitude, l'énergie corrosive des Monks sans même que le grand public ne sache d'où venait le butin. Et qu'est-ce que ça fait d'écouter ça pour la première fois ? Ça fait l'effet d'une décharge de 220 volts et ça te rappelle pourquoi, à l'adolescence, tu voulais faire de la musique, pour cette énergie brute, cette absence de compromis, cette envie de foutre un grand coup de pied dans la fourmilière. C'est une musique qui ne calcule rien, qui ne cherche pas à plaire. Elle EST, tout simplement violente, primaire, essentielle. On est à des kilomètres de la production lisse et aseptisée d'aujourd'hui. Ici, pas d'Auto-Tune, pas de pro-tools, pas de "on va refaire la prise". Ça sonne comme si ça avait été enregistré en une seule fois, dans l'urgence, avec la Gestapo qui tambourinait à la porte. Le son est rêche, lo-fi, et c'est parfait comme ça car c'est le son de la vérité. Cet album n'est pas juste un disque, c'est une anomalie, une météorite qui s'est écrasée en plein milieu des "Swinging Sixties" et dont les radiations se font encore sentir aujourd'hui. Mon avis, que j'ai donné en préambule, était un modeste "3 sur 5", puis "4 sur 5". Quelle connerie, l'enthousiasme de la découverte. Après plusieurs écoutes, le casque vissé sur les oreilles, le volume à onze, le verdict est sans appel. C'est un 5 sur 5. Un 5 sur 5 qui sonne comme une évidence, une mandale dans la gueule qui fait un bien fou, une pièce maîtresse, un monolithe noir qui se dresse, menaçant et magnifique, dans le paysage musical.
This was a good one. Never heard of these guys but I enjoyed this album
Interesting album.
Oh... much better than I expected. Find it on YouTube
Thanks to No Dogs in Space for exposing me to the Monks. Their story is very interesting and certainly unexpected. For 1966, this sounds like nothing else around. Very cool!
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 impressive for 1966, good band name, simple cover art, not a lot to dislike here. I had to listen to it on YouTube so I couldn't follow along with the song names but there were def a few I enjoyed. 2.25
Now we are getting into some deep list stuff. Never heard of The Monks before but wish I had. This album is great fun with playful songs that don't get too cheesy. The band is on the strange side, especially the lead Burger. They sound like a mix of a bunch of bands from the 60s like Kinks, Byrds, Hollies, Doors. I'm into their sound...good use of organ and sprinkling of other instruments. I'm a monk, you're a monk, were all monks...3.55.
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!
Tolerable punk rock from 60s. Just the fact that I kind of liked it, makes it an exceptional feat. Pretty nice, old, trailblazing album.
Man, what an album. It's like the animals found a time machine and grew up listening to the white stripes! It's proto everything! Edgy and punky but still loose and fun. So hard without taking itself too seriously. Dope shit.
Þökk sé höfundarétti fékk ég bara að hlusta á tvö lög af plötunni og það þýður bara eitt. Ein stjarna í refsingu en það er í lagi því þessi tvö lög voru ekkert spes þannig séð
This is like the "music" me and my buddies would make after getting stupid drunk. The monks might have had a lot of fun creating this album, but it was not fun for me to listen to it.
Some interesting things going on in this record. Firstly, the fact that it was released in 1966. These guys were at the head of the punk movement for sure. Fast and rough. Sounds like The Stooges but 2 years earlier. It's like someone took speed then played Velvet Underground songs. Dude simply abuses the shit out of his keyboard. Maybe not the best music I've ever heard, but this was definately at the heart of the punk movement. Given that tidbit of information, it's really solid! Favourite songs: Drunken Maria, Complication, Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Choice, We Do Wie Du Least favourite songs: Blast Off! 4/5
God damn. THIS is why I use this website. Never even heard of these guys and they are absolute FIRE. Favourite tracks: all.
I like this a lot. I can't in good conscience, give it five stars because it's new to me and I'd have to see if I return to it some more. But I'm digging it. It's more 60s proto-punk like The Sonics. It reminded me of all sorts of things from The Cardiacs to the Fall (who covered some of the songs) to early Frank Zappa and the Mothers. Oh, and Clinic. It has this great abrasive sound - distorted guitars and the clean organ droning away. I love some of the "guitar solos" which are just noises. And the singing itself, which, somehow, sounds very 60s despite just being a voice. It's a sound that feels weird for being made up of 60s pop and modern gritty punk. Like a kind of Evil Monkees. Great stuff! If I was still doing compilation tapes I would be earmarking some tracks here to be thrown in between something similar-but-different. Interesting. Fascinating. Great!
Interesting….
I would probably like it but I can only find 2 songs…
Not worth the effort it took to find
I like the band, hate the singer. He’s got that obnoxious quality in his voice that reminds me of Captain Beefheart.
I started this list fully intending to listen to all albums in full. I now see that is futile. This was certainly interesting, but I don't want to listen to the whole thing, so from here on I will forgive myself for the albums I gave up on in the past and give myself permission to abandon future albums if they aren't working for me.
What in incredible album and discovery. This has all the spirit that so much of the mid-60's music is missing for me. There's hypnotic rhythms, straightforward punky lyrics, jangling garage sound guitars. This is going straight on repeat
this is what this list is about. fun, different, unique.
This had some early Black keys and Jack White sounds going on. That dirty garage rock stuff. But it wasn't that great. At least not what i want to listen to. Forgettable but tolerable.
I couldn’t find this album, but there earlier‘s album had some weird stuff on it.
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.
In a nutshell: wild noise. Cool guitars, obnoxious organ, sweet drum rhythm. Think MC5 meets Devo. It’s surreal garage rock with a avant-garde twist . A YouTube user described it as “Dadaistic rock” (accurate). Perhaps the album could be proto-Krautrock as well as proto-punk. It won’t be for everyone. I can see why it’s on the list though. Overall: 4/10
Not available
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..
by 60s/70s standards this is a proto punk blend of the Mothers and Residents but a more apt comparison somehow is Ween...explosive, playful theatricality that morphs from genre to genre, serious to silly in an effortless cycle...i don't love all 16 songs but the spirit and execution of this thing is so uniquely beautiful 8/10
Cara de anos 60 bem marcada, assim fiquei na dúvida se foram duas ou doze músicas. Bem repetitivo.
Garage rockproto-pun. Del 66.
This is like Black Midi in the 60s
Honestly pretty good. Had to listen on youtube
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
This album is unavailable on Spotify in my region, except for a few songs. But it's old-timey punk rock. It's not something I'd listen to myself, but it would work well in some OSTs for sure.
very good
sounds like the animals with more of a punk rock energy. and anti vietnam war messaging. quality listen.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Travesty this isn't on spotify! This is some kooky oddball 60's stuff that I gets my blood pumping. I'm into it. Music ripe for a Tarantino spotlight. So groovy, so of it's time, but in the coolest way. I'm digging it.
Nice surprise!
I don’t care
The only thing good about this is the album length
I wonder if it is just a region thing, but this album was not on any music streaming service available to me. So I had to find this one on YouTube; and I find it a shame because I would love to have it in my library. Perhaps I'll hunt down the physical LP? This is the one of the reasons I started this whole thing: I wanted to force myself into listening to a diverse selection of music. But I also wanted to discover hidden gems that I otherwise would have went my entire life not knowing about. I wasn't familiar with this band at all. Their origin story is quite interesting and unique, which I think is completely projected on this album. They seemed to be very much a product of their era, yet had a vision that was totally ahead of its time. The psychedelic elements are straight out of the late 60's, but their punk rock elements were almost an entire decade too soon. I can understand why 'Black Monk Time' isn't on some bestseller list, but I'm also retroactively frustrated about it. This is a pure record. It is raw, it is primitive, it is daring (for its time), and the world of music took considerable time catching up to it. This is definitely a band that deserve a lot more credit than they are getting. A must listen if you like psychedelic rock. But also a must listen if you like punk in its most stripped back form.
Interesting German American protopunk.
I liked this! As an early punk and garage rock fan, this seems like important listening. It's a bummer it's not on Apple Music because I'd consider listening to it again.
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.
Frustrating I had to listen to this through YouTube, as I really enjoyed this so impressive it came out in 1966, clearly a massive proto punk album. Not a perfect album but clearly influenced so many of those albums that would follow, 4 stars.
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
How dare you leave 1 available track from an entire album? I will not put more than one, 1/5. Although I think their songs are cool
I understand the historical significance of this album. That being said, my reviews on here have always been about my own personal feelings about the music, not why it’s important or anything like that. So while I get why this album is on the list I did not particularly enjoy it. It was kind of annoying. Although I did like some of the keyboard parts when they got all sloppy and noisy.
proto
True freak music of the 13th Floor Elevators variety
I reckon I could get into 60s garage music
27 Minuten Hörspaß 😃
5/10 This was fine - but incredibly rough around the edges and a bit same. Can’t really blame it for that, it is 60s garage rock. Does what it does well, perky guitars and rhythm, the whole thing succeeds or fails on the vocals. On some songs they are OK, on some they are grating So a very mixed bag. Best: Higgle-dy Piggle-dy
Wow this is from 1966! Sounds clearly ahead of it‘s time with punk and blues rock elements. I didn‘t know music like this existed back in the 60s and I guess besides a few exceptions it did not exist in the mainstream music.
having to listen on youtube with a minute of adverts per song probably didn't help. 47/100
Very nice!
Interesting. Some good stuff here. Reminds me of Velvet Underground. 7.5
Really good, way ahead of its time. Just wish it was on Spotify.
Yeah this one can stay off Spotify
Is it important in music history? No. Did it impact anyone? No. Is it still entertaining? Yes. Now, it's not prime entertainment, but it's still neat for a deep '60s dive. It's full of nonsense lyrics and random instruments, but it's decent enough.
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
mjög skemmtilegt. hrátt bílskúrsrokk. áhrifavaldar. furðulegur samsöngur á köflum. stælarnir minna svolítið á devo.
Amazing album. Starts crazy and stays there, and it's almost 50 years old
I always like when an album comes up that really feels like music history as well as something unique. This made me a little giddy especially thinking of it in a 1966 context. Terrific!
Wow, this was pretty neat. I agree that it was important for me to have experienced this one in my lifetime.
Somewhere twixt Buddy Holly and Pere Ubu there lie The Monks. I was entertained and educated, exactly what I'm here for.
I thought we had pretty good 60s coverage, and then came The Monks. The primal rhythms instantly had me bouncing around the house as I collected and took out the trash. Teetering on the edge of novelty, this album never really crosses that line. This was a ton of fun to listen to! It’s a shame the album wasn’t available in its entirety on Apple Music in the US, but by playing the songs I couldn’t find on YouTube I was able to enjoy a fantastic live performance of Complication. This seems like such a no-brainer for this list. Fascinating and wonderful!
Lemppari: We Do Wie Du Vähiten lempparit: That's My Girl ja Cuckoo
Jesus, imagine being around in 1966. There wasn’t much new music, maybe you take a chance on this to try something new, and then you get home and get fucking BORED out of your goddam MIND. Bullshit.
Unavailable for streaming, so I listened to the “early years” album. Didn’t grab me.
Not good
De iets minder getalenteerde broertjes van de Doors. Waaruit maar weer blijkt dat ook in de jaren zestig dingen gemaakt zijn die uiteindelijk uit het collectieve geheugen zijn verdwenen. Toch heeft het wel een aanstekelijke energie. Even op Wikipedia gespiekt, het schijnt een punkplaat te zijn vanwege de teksten. Maar daar heb ik dus totaal niet op gelet.
Punk is van allen tijde. Weer een band die volgens mij prima weet wat ze doet. Maar het allemaal expres verpest met overstuurde instrumenten en stembanden.
Grondleggers. Ik heb er allemaal niet zo veel mee. Maar dit zal niet de laatste grondlegger-plaat zijn waarschijnlijk. Ik had vooraf denk ik toch wat meer popmuziek in de lijst verwacht, type Phil Collins en Duran Duran enzo. Ondertussen draait K!NK radio hun top1000-albums lijst. Dat staat dan weer vol met 'lowlands'-muziek van de afgelopen jaren. Zijn dat allemaal albums, die je ooit gehoord moet hebben? Ook niet per se. En dan is het juist wel weer leuk om er af en toe een grondlegger-plaat tussendoor te hebben, om die muzikale geschiedenisles van de bovenmeester in je op te nemen. De drums, of het getrommel, klinken wat blikkerig. Er zit heel prominent een orgel in. Het doet me wel denken aan wat andere muziek van iets later, ik weet alleen even niet wat. Soort boze Beach Boys of Beatles, of Focus ofzo (als ze gaan jodelen, dan weten we het zeker). Iets in die hoek is het wel. Folky Cuby and the Blizzards. Alleen is het nog niet echt muzikaal. Het is meer herrie maken (in de brave 60s tijd dan wel, niet zoals Napalm Death herrie maakt). Ik moet zeggen, ik had er vooraf echt hele lage verwachtingen van, maar het valt me nog alleszins mee. Zet ik het echt voor mijn plezier op? Nee, dat ook weer niet. Maar het is nog wel te doen.
Ahead of their time 👍
Not my cup of tea, but also not the most horrific music I’ve subjected my ears to.
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.
I enjoyed this album but I don't really get why some people were raving about it. I can sort of see the super early punk starting to emerge but it was mostly just kind of a straightforward rock album from the 60s. Nothing that would make me even really think to look to see who it was if I heard it randomly somewhere. 2/5
At first I expected this to be boring garage rock but as the album progressed, I couldn’t have been more wrong. These guys pulled in unusual instrumentation (banjo!), unusual influences (German folk music - yodeling!), irreverent and sometimes humorous lyrics. They were off on their own and way ahead of their time.
Not on spotify
Most of album missing from Spotify
Definitely can see it being influential, and I like the overall vibe of these songs. For 1966 I can see how amazing this would have been... doing a 3.6+
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.
Nö! Uninspirierter Lärm. Da klingt Nachbars Rasenmäher besser!
pretty simple. but crazy this came out so long ago.
Just no. I hope to never hear this music again. If I was making a terrible 60s movie, I would choose it for the soundtrack. Just awful. How embarrassing it must have been to put this out at a time when we had The Beatles.
na spotify niedostepne
Couldn't find this anywhere so I can't really rate it.
You had me at electric banjo. Proto-punk before proto-punk even existed, let alone punk. Throbbing, primal drum beats, jangly electric guitar (and banjo), thick bass lines, political lyrics... but also fun and wacky, with some klezmer(??) / carnival influence, as well as '60s doo wop. Very weird, in a good way. Gives the Mothers of Invention a run for their money.
I had to find this album, the digital equivalent of digging through crates of vinyl, simply because it's nowhere to be found. Not on Spotify, not on Apple Music, not on YouTube Music, only available as a YouTube video of the whole album. And it's weird as fuck, fuzzy everything, Doors-like keyboards, seemingly random lyrics, basic beats that Meg White would be proud of. Actually, this is the birth of The White Stripes 30 years early.
A fun, grungy, 1960s garage sound - probably would not listen again but was enjoyable
There is only two songs from this album avilable on spotify and it is an interesting album, very funny rock music. I like the playfulness
Of all the albums we've listened to so far this is the one that I have been feeling the least. I just didn't want to listen to it. It's not that all of the songs were bad or anything like that, because I did like the sound of some, it just wasn't me.
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.
Really enjoyed it, a couple oddities, but very good.
Had to listen on YT. Fits the era sound-wise. Pretty fun at times. Enjoyable.
"Black Monk Time" is the only studio album by German-based American garage rock band the Monks. The Monks were composed of five American GI's stationed in West Germany. The band members wore black habits with cinctures wrapped around their necks and hair worn in partially shaved tongues. Well, at the very least I learned two new words today. The album is considered a landmark recording in the development of punk with a subversive style and blunt lyrics. It had no commercial success and was not released in theUS until 1994 due its condemnation of the Vietnam War. It did receive wide-spread critical acclaim retrospectively. The album starts out fast with "Monk Time." A ringing guitar, a hypnotic marching band drumbeat and a pyschedelic organ. Lead singer Gary Burger howls "Hi, my name is Gary." It's hard time. It's monk time" being repeated in this anti-Vietnam War song. "I Hate You" proves grunge did exist in the 60's. Slow with the bass and drums. The guitar sounding like an engine. Burger chaotically screaming why he hates her. The next song, "Oh, How to Do Now," speeds things up. The organ has a grinding sound. The guitar is awash in feedback. The whole group singing while Burger is yodeling over the top. This is the first yodeling I've come across in 614 albums. Echoing guitar slashes open their single "Complication." A pounding drum and bass. A chaotic organ. Multiple vocals singing "People die, people cry for you." Burger singing "complications" simultaneously is his whacked-out voice. Another anti-war song. The rhythm section gets a Bo Diddly beat going in "Drunken Maria." An over-the-top organ. The band repeating "Sleepy Maria don't drink. Drunk Maria don't sleep." Sometimes, simplicity works. This album was great, in your face, minimalist and punk. Their style was a mix of Suicidal Tendencies, Frank Zappa and an even more whacked out Angus Young on vocals. But, it works. Most songs are rhythm driven by a pounding bass and drums. An eerie chaotic organ along with a guitar that slashes and uses feedback. They also add a banjo in at times buried in the rhythm. Most vocals are short sentences. Crazy does not do justice descrbing lead singer Gary Burger. He's somewhat beyond that. The lyrics are more serious when addressing anti-war and comical with everything else. I see their influence in punk and in the band Kraftwerk (minimalist vocals). This is an album that everyone needs to listen to.
Annoying old rock
Just that tiniest little bit of psychedelia to make the rockabilly stand out from the bunch.
Was going to be a 3 but Love Came Tumblin Down bumped it up
3 minute album?
Album not available on Spotify or Apple.
Some really good stuff, some really weird stuff. All enjoyable.
Love the thunderous sound of the toms. The vocal/lyrical choice is whimsical and fun.
Diet Stooges! Someone should make a doc.
Yes, you do need to hear this before you die. Not just because it’s extremely ahead of its time, but because it fucking rules. 4/5
Garage rock from one of the first truly proto-punk bands.
Black Monk Time sounds like so much average 60s rock really, apparently it was quite different and interesting at the time but I don't really feel that 60 years on, it's got some good stuff, I liked the singer's style and voice which is a good mix of playful and belligerent, and I liked We Do Wie Du quite a bit, but it's mostly quite samey the whole way through and is a high 2, we've had loads better.
This is much better than I expected. Feels a lot more engaging than almost all of the experimental stuff we've had from the 60s, and the story around the album is great. Is it something that I'm going to listen to loads? No (particularly because it's not on Spotify). But is it something that should be on this list? Absolutely - it sounds a bit different and a lot fresher than a lot of the stuff that was out there at the time, on the road to punk with a big old dose of psychedelia in there too. Definitely goes too weird at times (Cuckoo!), but there's some great moments in there. 3/5.
Brilliant but gets a bit tedious.
The things which exist that escape most people. What a find and a gem this one off record. Every punk band has this record in their DNA whether they know it or not!
This is not on spotify but the one song I found sounds like I would love them
oh geez this is a fine little curiosity but i’m not going to sit through it again
Very interesting. Strange to hear 60s music say stuff like shut up and i hate you. Pretty good
We Do Wie Du, we do we do we do Marc Riley on 6 Music.... Yes it's ridiculous this came out in 1966, and it's ridiculously good. You very rarely find garage rock bands where the whole album is good. Cool band story too. The 4 bonus tracks are mainly curios, although Cuckoo is great fun.
Fuzzzz everything. I like the jangly sound, problematic lyrics. Like one 2 min song?
Short and sweet
Müssen wir uns nochmal anhören
Ekki fyrir mig
Garage Rock pioneers—way ahead of the curve, and that’s why only music buffs know who they are. The Monks have a definite underground appeal without the depth or poetry of the Velvet Underground.
Wild for 1966, meh for today
Interesting, clear link between the 60s and punk, absolutely sounds like an early punk record. A bit mad at times but I could get on board with it. Interesting to see what feels like the start or punk.
I discovered that Spotify only had a couple of tracks available, so I found an alternative version that seemed to have the majority of the album tracks, just in a different order. I got halfway through and started to wonder what all the fuss was about, as it really, really sucked. Then I found the proper album on YouTube and found out what all the fuss was about! This is fantastic, shouty, weird garage rock with an entirely unfettered approach, probably due to the fact that the German record label had no idea what the lyrics were actually about. I enjoyed it enough for a relisten, so it gets four stars. It's not quite enough for five stars though. Also, the cuckoo song is horrible and I would advise avoiding it at all costs - it wasn't even on the original album anyway.
Strange and mesmerizing. Far ahead of ist time
A bop. Was it meant to be only two tracks' long?