Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Love the thunderous sound of the toms. The vocal/lyrical choice is whimsical and fun.
Diet Stooges! Someone should make a doc.
Garage rock from one of the first truly proto-punk bands.
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.
Very interesting. Strange to hear 60s music say stuff like shut up and i hate you. Pretty good
Fuzzzz everything. I like the jangly sound, problematic lyrics. Like one 2 min song?
Short and sweet
Müssen wir uns nochmal anhören
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.
Strange and mesmerizing. Far ahead of ist time
A bop. Was it meant to be only two tracks' long?
It’s like I always say, “Ou yeah, it’s black monk time.” More interesting for its place in music history than for the songs themselves, nonetheless its stomping rhythms, distorted organ and manic vocals provide a decent listen. I listened to some of the bonus tracks, and they sound a lot closer to psych-pop of the era, particularly the brass-infused “He Went Down to the Sea”. They’re definitely not the reason this is on the list, but they’re closer to my own personal taste. HL: “Shut Up”, “Complication”, “Love Came Tumblin’ Down”, “Blast Off!”, “He Went Down to the Sea” (bonus) May 17, 2024
Монахи громко ругаются
Not heard of the monks before. Pretty cool
Dated, but pretty good
Weird but interesting
Y’know, I was ready to give this 3+ stars - it has an original sound, which almost always warrants a more charitable score in my book - but by the time “Cuckoo” rolled around, I felt like I was descending into insanity. I will note that I had a headache while listening, which made me less forgiving. Favorite track: We Do Wie Du (Actually, I found out that Cuckoo is a bonus track, so I’ll spare it from a 2.)
ok garage rock
Throwaway
Interesting but a bit rough for me
Enjoyed the album. Like some of the early psychedelic stuff and the messaging that came along with it. 3/5 Probably will listen again
The second-hardest album to find that I don't own. A 45-minute Youtube rip was the only thing I could find. This is pretty fine in a Seeds/Electric Prunes/Moby Grape/13thfloor Elevators beat going to psychedelia moment. But it also has many low points (Cuckoo) and thus can not be more than 3 stars. Great story behind the band.
Interesting 3/5
An interesting proto-punk album of Americans out in Germany. A very unique album that shows the movements towards the Stooges taking off. The banjo and vocal melodies keep this one foot in the present while stepping towards the future with the its' unrefined energy and sounds.
Meh
This reminded me a lot of The Dictators both in terms of the shrill, at times cartoony vocals and the irreverent and/or goofy lyrics (Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice, Drunken Maria, That's My Girl). But these guys predated The Dictators by at least a decade. I will say wow, in that I can't believe this kind of punk music (or whatever it was) existed in 1966, although there are times where they go for a more psychedelic sound of the times (Shut Up). I think it was also bold for a bunch of guys in the US army to sing about the stupidity of the Vietnam War (Monk Time, Complication). It's raw and unpolished but it's completely unique and trail-blazing. The bad is balanced out by the good.
had to listen on youtube. listened 2x. 2.6/5
Hard to find streaming. YouTube was the only place and unsure of the quality. Interesting album that I enjoyed. The description sounds worse than it is.
Kinda fun
Best Song: Blast Off. The rising crescendo gimmick was fun. Worst Song: Shut Up. It's got a "pump up the crowd at a sports game rhythm", and the vocals aren't doing it any favours. Overall: It's got that spastic, unfiltered 60s rock energy, which is fine, but all these bands from this era sound altogether too similar. Nevertheless, I appreciate the silliness and that the band doesn't seem to be taking themselves too seriously.
unfortunately i think the story behind this album is a lot more interesting than the music itself, but kudos to them for accidentally inventing punk music way back in the mid-sixties?? some of these tracks could've used a bit more time in the incubator but at least they were short and more interesting than most of the 60s stuff on here. favorites: monk time, shut up, boys are boys girls are choice, cuckoo
I didn’t particularly get into the music, but I thought it had good novelty value, considering it’s one of the first ever examples of punk music. For that, it elevates the rating from a 2 to a 3.
I heard elements that sound like the doors. Overall quite a fun album, liked the blues influence too, apparently one of the first “punk” albums.. but unfortunately not the last (especially on this list) 3.5
Better than I expected. Shame the album isn’t available on Apple Music. I had a little sad about how easy it seemed to be to create music in those days. Too many cooks now.
Cinco soldados estadounidenses destinados en Alemania forman un grupo de rock como válvula de escape, comienzan a tocar buena música beat pero sin nada especial, con influencias de R&B, y de pronto evolucionan hacia algo diferente a todo lo que se hacía en el pop en 1966. En su letras sobresalen gritos de rebeldía, con asuntos que van desde el desamor ("Te odio con pasión, nena") a otros más políticos y sociales ("¿Por qué matas a todos esos niños en Vietnam?"). "Black Monk Time", su primer y único álbum de estudio, no tiene una gran producción, su grabación es sencilla y carece de sus sonidos más enloquecidos, pero consigue concentrar su espíritu, esa mezcla de rabia y alegría lunática que surge de canciones como "Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Choice", "Oh, How To Do Now" o "We Do Wie Du". Fue su único álbum, un año después se disolvieron y dejaron esta colección de canciones sencillamente históricas.
I can appreciate it for getting things started. Will I listen to again: 20%
That's some good energy. A bit messy sometimes. I'm not a fan of the spoken word vocals. The yodeling was fun though.
Only one song on spotify
Another weird one that wasn't available on Apple Music. I was able to find a Youtube playlist uploaded by a random user with all of the songs on the album, but this is a frustrating situation for an "essential" listen. Interesting for the time period, and apparently influential. There are some weird sounds but catchy moments as well.
All good fun here. Fuzzy garage sound with anti-war vibes and rockin jilted boy sulkness. Coulda been a star, but damn that ego thing again.
You can't stream this anywhere so that makes it default kind of cool. An interesting album to have come out in the era it came out in for sure. Definitely feels almost proto punk to some level. Definitely a lot more fast/lose with the tones/style then some of the generic 60's rock that gets played (or even suggested on this very website).
Very ahead of its time, thats for sure, but doesn’t necessarily translate to a sound i particularly love listening to.
It's okay, but I'm not crazy about it.
Decent. Sometimes fell prey to 60s experimental issues.
A bit funky and unique. Seems really experimental. Very different sound for the time.
At times amateurish, rambling and odd, but with a certain charm. Hard to believe it was recorded in 1965/1966
Such a different 60s sound that I can trace influence to experimental rock, Zappa, punk, and likely prog rock as well. Enjoyable? Not sure, interesting and cool though for sure.
This isn't the first time I've been Monked, though I couldn't find them on my hard drive. My opinion’s unchanged: they're a crucial band with this monumental record that is not, song by song, satisfying to listen to, sitting in a hinterland between tune and headcase rock. Some of my favourite records are decisively tuneless - 'Clear to Higher Time' by the Blue Humans, Fushitsusha's double live - and are completely satisfying. This doesn't hook me, doesn't melt my brain, but it is fascinating: tremendous chug, characterful sound. I feel the same about the Silver Apples.
Couldn’t stream
More fun from a Garage Band than I was expecting!
Nothing too exciting
Talk about an album far ahead of its time. And what a shame that it seems all but forgotten in the history of early punk/garage music. This is easily one of the more fascinating records we've had on the list so far, just for the band's history alone. But after listening, I'm not too hip on this one. It gets pretty grating a few tracks in, and likely would've worked better as an EP. But because it's clear to see the influence this had on artists who would blow up in the next few years, I'm giving it a higher rating.
Not my vibe but liked a couple songs.
pretty good
3.5
Never heard of. Old school garage rock. Silly.
Okay
Favorite Songs: Monk Time Boys Are Boys and Girls are Choice
Mediocre.
All new to me, and I'm glad this project introduced me to them and this album. It's not so much that I find the album pleasurable and plan to listen to it again -- I doubt I will (nothing against the album; just a bit jarring for me) -- but when I place this album in the context of its time and place, I get why it's included here, and it makes sense it's described as having a major influence on punk.
Black Monk Time is the only studio album by German-based American rock band The Monks. Failing to make a splash at release, this album has since been recognized as an important piece in the puzzle of the development of punk rock. It is an early form of punk rock, coined as a lost classic. The lyrics, raw style of rock, and nightmarish themes, all contributed to this amazing album. Listening to this album wasn't easy. There's a lot of nuances in the music and lyrics that you have to listen out for. And the proto-punk style can make this difficult because the genre was still primitive. However, I still think this is a great album of early punk rock that should be given a listen if you like this music.
Couldn't get the original somlisten to Spotify playlist. Not bad
3.75
The Monks story is far more interesting than their music to me
Cool album
Hard to find, but listened once. You can definitely feel the beginnings of punk in the album. Probably wouldn’t listen again, but a solid 3/5.
Couldn't find this specific album on Spotify but the songs I could find were good
Pretty innovative garage-rock for a time period that is unknowingly on its way out the door. To add some context, The Beatles were working on Revolver and Sgt Peppers when this came out. 3/5
Just about rates 3, pretty ordinary teally
not available on itunes
I'm giving this 3 stars because there are moments of real talent and possibility. Overall, though, it's mostly basic oompa loompa music.
Not great, but not bad.
For an album from the 60s but barely sounds like 60s music, let's be fair.
3+
What an interesting album. I probably won't go out of my way to listen to it again, but after listening through even a single time, there's no denying the Monks influence on every artist from the Dead Kennedys to the Doors to Jack White, to maybe even Nirvana ("I hate you" sounds like it could've been a track on "Bleach"), among countless others. Considering the landscape of music in the late sixties, this was probably novel, punk (literally) and super fucking cool. Favorite track - "Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy"
This was very interesting, almost a kind of proto-punk.
I can see why this made the list as it has a proto punk, rockabilly vibe about it that belies the date it was made.
almost doesn't sound like a 60s album, and for that alone it can be considered impressive. there's some serious highlights like "complication" and "monk time" as well, but it overall kinda washes over me.
Rock. Original aunque un poco aburrido.
I could not find the full record on any of the streaking sites so I listened to what I could. Raw, garage pink before it was a thing. I can see for historical context why this record was on the list. Good listen but not one I would come back to often.
Good
This was pretty interesting for the time it was made.
Whack
Bon rock qui brasse mais je sais pas, jcommence à être tanné de me faire toujours proposer du rock proto punk à longueur de semaine
Another one not on Spotify. I listened to a best of and I'm not that disappointed I couldn't listen to the suggested album. Some proto rock with Hammond organ.
This was so 1966 but also so ahead of its time. I liked it but it was too garage for me, I like a slicker bit of 60s production.
this is literally Velvet Underground before Velvet Underground! somewhere between 3 and 4...
This sounds like Van Halen inspiration
Interesting that this is not on Spotify! Hard to rate when you are not able to listen to the album in full but enjoyed the funk/prog/rock sound as beats. Would have been interesting to see how they evolved as a band 5/10
It’s alright.The history and aesthetic of the band is honestly more interesting than the music itself.It’s quirky rock but it doesn’t have a lot of hooks.I enjoyed it but not a lot.
An interesting and weird little album. Bold and experimental but very playful too. The music is loose and the production is rough. I find that charming to an extent. Always fun to hear a band not give a f— and just mess around in the studio. But I think that looseness holds the album back a bit too. A cool curiosity from the era that was ahead of its time but I’m not sure I’ll want to revisit it.
This seems like a live band, where seeing them in person is the whole point of the sound. Very repetitive and actually sort of droney rock music that constantly has some rhythmic intricacy that makes the tracks fun to dance to. I like the singer(s) and find the overall sound pretty funny and enjoyable. I love the album cover. Very sleek and cool. Pretty solid record! 3/5 for me. Nothing that really blew me away but I think that is the point of the band- consistent music that sounds good. Unfortunately not a lot of memorability outside of me having to forcefully remind myself "oh The Monks are that fun dancey rock band with the short stabby riffs".
I would never expect that this was released in 1966.
60s. Psychedelic. I didn't notice the punk.
3.5 Jukebox Rebel picks: “I Hate You” (10) • “Blast Off!” (9.6) • “Monk Time” (9.5).
Great for when its created, but not particularly special 3/5 great to see a german band succeed
Sixties R&B, a sort of American version of Manfred Mann.
The album The Doors would have made if they did (even more) mountains of cocaine instead of acid
It's fine.
Highlights: "Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy," "I Hate You," "Oh How to Do Now," "Shut Up" What a great surprise! This is indistinguishable from what West Coast noise garage was trying to do over the '00s-'10s. It was always already there. Most punk of the next twenty years sounds tame by comparison. It would be hard to recommend people the album because it opens with its weakest material, but it was so far ahead of the curve for what popular audiences would grow to enjoy. Barely registers now as 'experimental' or 'provocateur'. It just rips.
12th May 2023 Listened in the morning before leaving for camping with Joe and Adna and Jenny in Wycombe. Alternative punk with edges of 60s Brit blues rock. Liked it!
This album ranged from songs I enjoyed, to songs that annoyed the hell out of me. I liked Monk time, thought it was a good start to the album. Shut Up was a bit of both - annoying but also catchy. Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice is a great song. It's a classic. Higgle-Dy - Piggle-Dy - catchy instrumental. I hate you - annoying. Oh, How To Do Now - super annoying. Complications and We Do Wie Du - Annoying Drunken Maria - kinda catchy. Love Came Tumblin Down - I liked it. Blast off and That's my Girl - Very annoying. I would have given it a 2.5 if I could have. I'll round up to 3 I guess.
There's some fun tracks on this album and instrumentally this is decent. I like the drumming on a lot of tracks - it's definitely that early stage punk-like sound. Harmonizing vocals are fun and I enjoy the keys whenever they're present. The lead vocals is kinda just yelling/shrilling and it's not great. I would not return to this album but glad I gave it a spin.
People are saying some significant things about this album - first punk album, beginning of krautrock, pioneering avant garde music - wow! I guess I can hear that if I stretch but as a listening experience the first thing that sticks out is the lead vocalist's shrill voice that goes the same for me as hearing someone rub their fingers on a balloon - it gives me the chills. I do enjoy their unhinged style and there are lots more interesting "facts" about this band - that they were American GI's stationed in Germany, that they were critical of the Vietnam war, that one of their instruments was a six string banjo. I wish I could hear the music at it was recieved then, because it comes off to these contemporary ears - almost 60 years later - as a goofy novelty act rather than the hard hitting innovator that the critical acclaim suggests.
Quirky, edgy and unexpected. Like a precursor to the Velvet Underground, with a foreshadowing of The Modern Lovers in there too.
Definitely on the forefront of some genres that I enjoy, like garage rock and protopunk. So I can appreciate it, but at the same time it sounds pretty dated and not that enjoyable to listen to. Almost too raw and simplistic. 3 stars.
The garage-rock sound is slightly dated now, but this album was inoffensive to the ears, if slightly dull
Someone was smoking something when they made this.
Rating: 6/10
Eigenaardige muziek. Niet alle nummers zijn even leuk, maar over het algemeen wel een tof album
Really interesting album and back story
I didn't really enjoy this album, but it is pretty wild for an album that came out in 66. Clearly an early start to punk rock and an important influence to music that came a decade later. Bonus star for that
Okay background songs I guess
Proto-punk and apparently proto-krautrock at the same time, The Monks were no doubt pushing the envelope in 1966. I like the feedback, distortion, and focus on rhythm, enough that some of the vocal indulgences can be overlooked. I had never heard of these 5 American GIs in Germany with monk tonsure haircuts, but from the sound of it they were on the leading edge of a quickly evolving musical climate in the mid-60s.
This album made me laugh, not sure that was what they were going for…
Interesting as an influence for punk rock, but not a particularly good set of tracks.
would have been more fun then, still cool
Jopas jotakin! Täysin uusi tuttavuus koko bändi ja levy, mutta tykkäsin tosi paljon! Kunnon raakaa garagea sillai Kinks-hengessä! Jos levyn loppupuolisko ei olis ollut niin instruhammond-painotteinen olis tää kohonnut neloseen. Nyt kuitenkin annan vahvan kolmosen. Vähän hankala oli youtubesta kuunnella ku ei muualta löytynyt levyy. Täytynee ostaa vinyyli jos tulee vastaan, 3/5
Odd one. Quite liked it but not massively...
Kinda meta
pretty solid i think
Mjög áhugaverð plata. Ég fór fljótlega að spá hvort það væri eitthvað sem kallaðist pre-punk, því þetta myndi pottþétt falla undir það. Komst svo að því með gúgli að það kallast víst proto-punk. Mæli alveg með áhlustun.
A shambolic classic.
Not bad
I swear to God I'm going to pistol whip the next guy who says complication
Sounded like a 90s band playing 60s songs, so definitely some pioneering work done here, but ultimately the album is just a decent one
Interesting stuff - I'd never heard of these guys but they were doing some very cool things.
I can see how this album fits here, both as an historical footnote as well as a ‘lost legend’. The entire album is a fun endeavour, especially if you consider, as said by Julian Cope, that it was done by an American rock band in a foreign country not constrained by censorial forces of the day.
Decent proto-punk, but unremarkable other than how early it appeared? Sometimes it's hard to hear the significance of a thing on first listen when the gulf of time is so wide between then and now. For me, this record is one of those times.
Not on Spotify. Didn't wanna bother
This album sounded pretty ordinary for the time period. I don't get why it is on the list other than some protest lyrics.
Interesting music
Better then expected. Not amazing, but for the time was pretty interesting.
Listened to this in the car . Very much a jam session kinda vibe. Favourite songs: shut up, higgle-higgle-dy-piggedly,complication, drunken Maria,blast off! 3/5
Some fun early punk
Bizarre but a cool story. Didn’t hate the sound but not going to return to it.
Alguna vez, muchos años atrás, conocí un blog llamado Discos Ocultos. Había muchas joyitas en ese blog, pero no recuerdo si este disco estaba ahí. A lo que quiero ir es que este disco podría haber estado ahí.
Cet album est un foutoir sans nom mais ce qui me choque encore davantage, c'est la critique désastreuse qu'en a fait eltrapeze. J'ai eu l'occasion de le rappeler à l'ordre à ce sujet et une amélioration devrait être visible assez rapidement.
Je n'ai étrangement pas detesté cet album complétement desordonné. Le moment où le frère Pierre renverse la bibliothéque commune m'a même decroché un sourire.
Super great discovering this album for myself - it’s Interesting - very fun but as a record it’s not well balanced or paced - were it not such a portent band - the record would be average.
Started off real high energy then slowed down towards the end of the album. I got RKS vibes which was cool
1996 uh? did they just stumble with the sound or did they knew what had they invented? nice one
Actually quite enjoyed this, even if it is considered something of a curiosity. Certainly more listenable than other 60's curiosities that have been included on this list so far.
An average album, lots to take from it thoughsee it as a stepping stone album leading to different styles of rock and eventually punk rock.
Early Floyd vibe...but even weirder.
If you ignore the bonus tracks this is an amazing album for it's time. Mid 60s isn't a place I want to visit musically but got a kick out of this. Great attitude on display.
A little funky a little crazy
Different in a good way. Ahead of its time
Quirky
"Pretty Suzanne" is a banger.
Wild that GIs made this pop-punk weirdness.
Really interesting stuff. I had never heard of them but enjoyed reading about them. Can definitely see the groundwork of punk being laid with this music. 3/5
Sometimes influential music doesn't equal good music But hey I enjoyed the frenzy that was this album enough to give a 3. Don't plan to ever come back to this one though
Didn’t know they had stuff like this in the 60s
I had never heard of this one before, very interesting protopunk.
Interesting! Never heard of before, I think i would have loved this a decade or two ago
I had a lot of fun listening to this one! Good variety and definitely quirky, but I was digging it!
Pretty good album. Not something I'd come back to every day but it was cool to hear it and learn a bit about this band.
I like it and it is deffinitely an interesting style.
Quite an interesting story, these GIs from the US recording an album in Germany, where they could more or less do whatever they wanted. I hope the record company wasn't expecting the Beach Boys! The vocals at times remind me of our buddy Dave Thomas of Pere Ubu. This certainly links early rock n' roll with punk and Avant Garde. I could see it being an influence for The Cramps or even Deja Voodoo (remember them?)
Ouvir este álbum fez me lembrar muito os Dead Kennedys, associei estes jovens logo a uma sonoridade mais punk, sonoridade da qual foram precursores pelos vistos. Algumas músicas pareciam mais do que uma simples música de punk, apresentaram uma certa profundidade instrumental, contudo as cantigas sempre soaram a punk, simples e zangadas. No geral, creio que tenha sido um álbum importante e revolucionário para a época, contudo não me impressionou. Nota: 5/10
Not bad actually, a band I had never heard of, but that's really good!
Meh Monk Time
This is some dark, weird, noisy business, It's wild, weird, irreverent, deliberately obnoxious stuff, and I am here for it. Such a fun listen. Fave Songs: I Hate You, Shut Up, Complication, Oh How to Do Now, Blast Off!
Lyrically pretty interesting, not sure I'd listen to again
Weirdly relevant.
3.8 - As an early punk rock record, this one's got more of the "fuck you" attitude and less of the self-righteous punk posing compared to a lot of its contemporaries. I appreciate the minimal instrumentation - organ, guitar and bass, all anchored by what sounds like a tiny drum kit. It sounds urgent in a slapdash kind of way. I also appreciate the anti-war lyrics that are made that much more confrontational because you can actually hear what they're saying - another reason I like this record better than most other “true” punk records made by the pretentious gatekeepers of that silly genre.
A really enjoyable listen with some very upbeat tracks that put me in a much better mood than I was when I started - sadly no standout songs for me (I can't get over you comes close, but is listed as a bonus track) puts it solidly mid tier. Musically, I was surprised by how modern this album sounded to me - I had a number of albums released in the 00's that drew a lot of inspiration from this kind of sound and I never realised quite how far back it went!
Not entirely sure what to make of this, decent 60s stomper. There's a treat about 3/4 of the way through, if you happen to listen to Marc Riley's show on 6 Music.
Pretty cool, not totally my kind of music though
No? Me neither. Turns out they were a 60's American band living in Germany for the freedom of escaping the restrictions of finely tuned pop. And they succeeded. Albeit at the cost of producing anything you can listen to more than once.
6/10
Interesting 3+
I was thinking "protopunk" was an apt descriptor of this sound, and then I looked at Wikipedia and saw that it's a real genre. I thought I was being clever. Oh well. Anyway, this was a fun album, but it would be nice if some of the band members (especially the organ player) would master their instruments before recording. Best track: I Hate You
probably ahead of its time, i did not think it was a 60s album and was a bit shocked when noticed the real of release. some decent stuff on it, though not really to my taste
Definitely merits a place on this list but more as a curiosity than a classic; an ahead of its time, proto-punk, unpolished, rule-book-tearing blast of noise.
I was not familiar with any of the songs and I was not familiar with the band. It is an alright album. Really no need to listen to it again.
Cant give it move than a 2.5. I like the experimental nature of it but there isn't anything to come back to.
never heard of them and enjoyed it.
Very cool. Seems like pre-punk punk to me.
There are absolutely previews of krautrock here. Raw material for some other rock genres, too, but the space in these songs is not as pregnant as that in post-punk. The instrumentation is somewhat novel, but the forms are rather conventional. Best as a read text, but elevated a good notch in the listening department by Complication.
It was a fun listen, but kinda got old about halfway through.
I kind of want to give this port-punk, rockabilly, organ and yodeling, surf rock music a 4 just for being so weird, but it’s not quite there.
I enjoyed this more as a history lesson than an album. It really feels like the moment in time where cavemen discover fire, but instead it's realizing that conventional love songs with the same old guitars and backing vocals are starting to get played out so we should get weird with it a little—and also get tonsures and seemingly-ironic stage names. There's a couple of fun songs, and I'm into Gary Burger's strange "Don Rickles x Bobcat Goldthwait" energy, but its value to me is more as an artifact. Key Songs: Monk Time, Blast Off!, That's My Girl
Ok
I liked the heavy, simple rhythms, and the use of organ. But most of the songs were ultimately kind of boring
Not very captivating to me. Not enough melody for my liking at the moment.
Very cool psychedelic album. I enjoy it, its got some nice songs. Not amazing but would listen to again. I certainly appreciate it for what it is.
Interesting protopunk album
Not really my thing but I'll stick with it. Kinda 60s early psychedelia. This would be in a low-budget Austin Powers maybe. Whoa I think their song was in Hairspray! "We Do Wie Du."
kinda cool and fun!
This is quite a unique thing
imagine my disappointment when i discovered this is not Monk the day time tv detective and his brother. that utter smashing of my hopes and dreams was rectified when i listened to it. this is some rad shit. this is where mooney suzuki got their vibe from. i'm sure there is some sort of righteousness attached to the name black monk time but it went straight over my head with all these mad jamz.
Great story, will try the album more fully when I'm in the mood as its quite noisy
3/5 yes but no
It's actually all right for something from the 60's. Might grow on me. I guess this is considered a "garage band" and I can hear sort of pre-punk-type sounds in this music. Some of the songs suck, but some are all right. 3/5.
If I was a Monk, I'd be pretty pissed with all the hype Velvet Underground get. This pre-dates VU's album output and is equally as out there for the time period.
Een mix van ellende en grappige stukjes, maar al met al best leuk.
6/10. There was some cool stuff on here but the beats were so incredibly square
Liked it less than the Beastie boys, bit weird. 6
weird but nice i liked the heaviness of the guitar but i dont think i would listen to them routinely
Really enjoyed that.
Weird and cool Vietnam era stuff
Un dels discos i bandes descobertes a partir d'aquest "repte". Bon disc de garage rock, que pot recordar a estones a The Sonics, però també a The Troggs o The Yardbirds; tocs d'avantguarda i de proto-punk; força original, sobretot si tenim en compte que està editat en un any que ni els Beatles havien començat a evolucionar cap a nous sons!
Just kinda boring and obnoxious. Since it’s old it didn’t have enough musical experimentation to be really bad but it also didn’t have any interesting flair. 5
Definitely unique. Definitely kinda weird. Experimental. I liked it ok.
New one for me!
Звучит прикольно, но добавить что то не смог
Want to give another listen. Interesting how few lyrics there were with a strong emphasis on instrumentals. Strong 60s.
Gaaf album waar je goed van kan horen dat andere bands erdoor beinvloed zijn
Good
5
Sounds like the Doors. 60s precursor to grunge
Only 1 in spotify :((
börjar riktigt bra tycker jag men tappar lite efter som. borde också kortas ner några låtar
3.5 one of the more interesting albums ive heard so far. i can see how some people would really enjoy this. i cant say i loved it but i did enjoy listening to it and thought it was pretty different, . every song was better than the last. i might actually return to it one day 'cause there's some real earworms
meh
I hated this. Drums were excellent though.
In my context of it being 60 years later, I just don't get this album. Maybe this is on the list because of some fundamental new thing it was doing, but it doesn't strike me as unique or cool. The voices bugged me, and the instrumentals felt relatively generic.
The album got old really fast. Every song was the same minuscule motif repeated for 2-3 minutes. The lead singers voice scraped over the top of it. Garage rock never did anything for me. The Monks haven't changed that.
raro, no me hizo formar una opinión sólida y aparte el álbum en spotify está mal subido
No idea what this was
That was interesting. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood for it, otherwise I would have given it a three
Don't like it
Only 4 of the original 12 tracks are actually available on Spotify. This happens reasonably often with 1001Albums, and the reason is usually that the corresponding artist isn't popular enough for the album to have any substantial commercial demand. And I can see why. These guys' most popular song is called "Nice Legs Shame About the Face". Damn. Negging at its finest. I can only imagine this song got any traction because of its bizarre, objectifying title. Regarding the music on Black Monk Time: Yeah, pretty much what you'd expect if you forced punk musicians to try their hand at creating 60s psychedelia. The best part of the music, easily, is the organ. We first hear it at full-blast in Shut Up, then in a scrambling, hurried manner in Boys Are boys and Girls Are Choice. (Quite the punk title there.) The sophomore track, Shut Up... yeah, I know, it's terrible. But something about it is oddly catchy. One of the better songs for sure. Higgle-Dy - Piggle-Dy is not only pronounced incorrectly, but involves a positively terrible performance by every instrument involved. I Hate You is a little better, though that vocal needs some work. "Untrained" does not equate to "good" (at least not until the mid-to-late 70s, when everyone changed their minds about that for whatever reason). The title of Oh, How To Do Now is nonsensical, as is that insane falsetto vocal delivery and unhinged skiffle-esque guitar. The lyric "Complication! ...Constipation!" is pretty hilarious. I'll let that track slide. The little keyboard solo works wonders here too; I wouldn't be surprised if this sort of playing inspired Ray Manzarek's material in the Doors' output. Drunken Maria is even better. (Dang, that intro.) The last few tracks of the main album release are pretty bad and extremely forgettable. Listeners will inevitably have a headache after about 30 seconds of That's My Girl, and (understandably) switch off the album before the bonus tracks. Myself included. Pretty funny that this made it onto a Sunday Herald list called "The 103 Best Albums Ever, Honest". Almost as if the author knows how terrible those 103 entries really are. 2/5 Key tracks: Shut Up, Complication, Drunken Maria
Monk Time Oh, How to Do Now
Groupe inconnu. L'album me laisse perplexe : il propose un rock certainement très original pour l'époque, mais qui ne m'a pas vraiment touché. La batterie répète le même type de jeu tout au long de l'album, la basse est parfois saturée (plutôt sympa), le son du clavier me parait typique des années 60 (ce n'est pas forcément une bonne chose ...), le chant m'irrite beaucoup, et le banjo+guitare n'apportent pas grand chose. Le groupe a dû bien s'amuser lors de l'enregistrement. Mais ... je n'ai pas du tout envie de l'écouter une seconde fois =>2/5
Psykadelisk konceptuell garagerock. Man har lite svårt hur man ska förhålla sig till det. Ska man se det som garagerock eller ska mer se till det konceptuella? Jag väljer nog det senare. Tror det ger mer rättvisa. Soundet är gôtt om än möjligen lite väl snällt och för mycket hammond, man vill ju ha ännu mer skräp och fuzz. Sångaren är rätt hemsk. Låtmaterialet är ojämnt, högt och lågt mest lågt kanske och det är här man får vända sig åt konceptet mer. Det finns nåt i det konceptuella som påminner mig om Devo, arty och tramsigt fast ändå bra och underhållande på nåt sätt. Tvåa i övre skicktet trots allt
Spännande skiva. Men mer intressant att lyssna igenom en gång än bra.
Garagerock gillar vi ju. Men här är det inte Sonic-nivå precis. Soundet är relativt okej, men låtarna är inget vidare. Mer än en tvåa blir det inte.
Well. I'm glad to participate in this album challenge because I never would have been exposed to The Monks before. Proto-psychedelic which is my jam for sure but this was so-so at a 2 star.
what one night in berlin does to a man
Could only find on YouTube.
Interesting album. It has one foot in the 1960's - some parts remind me of early Beach Boys or The Doors (e.g. organ sounds). But it has another foot way out in the 1970's or even later, sounding very much like later punk music. The singer reminds me a little of AC/DC's Bon Scott.
Kind of punk rockabilly ... with way too much organ. Veered between kind of timeless sounding and also pure, unenjoyable noise. Not an album you need to hear before you die.
Won’t lie. Was confused with this one…/ But, hold on there a minute. Complication is a banger.
i was kinda bored
Monkmonkey
album #63 i can see how this eventually influenced some of punk rock, to be fair! it holds up well as an album, and i appreciate its weirdness. that being said, lots of the songs were too similar or just plain not my thing. ꩜ average track rating: 2.2/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): monk time, blast off ꩜ least favourite track(s): we do wie du, higgle-dy-piggle-dy ꩜ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,026 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 31 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 12 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 51
Half the album was not working but not great, 4/10
In den 60s war das sicher cool und bisschen radical. Heute find ich's ok
What a fuck ass album.
This album is rough, and really feels like unpolished and unfinished early rock. Say what you want about its legacy, this is not a pleasant listen at all.
Looked good the few ones
Righteous anger at the Vietnam war is a reasonable way to start your album. Unfortunately I don't much gel with what they're doing musically. Some of their bass playing is ok, but it's drowned by a lot of noise "Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy" is probably my favourite song, but I think that Hammond organist needs to pipe down a little I can unfortunately see why this one is relegated only to Youtube: it's a bad sign that the comments on the copy I found talk about this book Apparently this didn't get released in the US until the 1980s, which is insane
I dont care I didnt like it Such a bunch of WHATEVER
Weirdly abrupt transitions between stanzas. Nice to hear an organ though!
music is great but it's just too silly. Not my bag.
3 short songs good classical for 1966 but not special very simple songs maybe if we consider its time its a okay classic but nothing special at all about this album 3/10
Cijeli dan pokušavam skontati šta mislim o ovome i ne ide mi.
Very annoying that not all of songs where on Spotify. Not sure if I like this, but too experimental for my taste. Stand-outs - Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice
Not terrible, but not my style.
Enjoyed reading about their origins more than I enjoyed listening to them. It was a pulsating listen, and although their style would have been innovative and influential at the time, it doesn't stand out so much now. Enjoyable but forgettable
Highlights: Shut Up, Oh How to Do Now, Drunken Maria
It’s the La Croix of 60’s music. It almost has flavor. It plays more like the backing track to a summertime pool scene set in the 60’s than actual music by an actual band.
staat niet op spotify womp womp, maar te experimenteel. 1 nummer is beatle achtig en wel leuk
I don't think I had ever heard of the band or album. I like the drums. "Blast Off" is very space-age! There's some very silly mid-sixties stuff here, entertaining.
Feels like a whole lot of trial and error. Results in a couple cool moments, but it's only a couple. Genre is somewhere between The Doors, The Beach Boys, and The Velvet Underground - which sounds like it could be cool except it comes across as pretty amateur here. Like... you get to a song like Blastoff and it has this awesome start like it's gonna explode into something epic and then it's just this cacophony of elementary button presses that does nothing for me emotionally. Just doesn't feel like it was intelligently composed. Bonus points for the handful of cool moments that I genuinely enjoyed but I can't give it much. 2.1/5
metade tá banida do spotify parece meio cômico, rock meio descontraído mas ruim de qualquer forma i hate you tem outra música completamente diferente virou copyright music kkkkkkk caralho nunca tinha visto isso n dá nem pra avaliar essa bosta
An attempt was made to be quirky and different from other 60's bands, but they forgot to actually make their sound unique or distinguishable in any way
Couldn't find album on Spotify, but having heard a couple of tracks it sounds just like 60s Garage
Couldn't access all the songs, but what I heard sounded a bit dated.
It’s ahead of its time for sure…but that doesn’t mean it wears well as an album outside of its time
I'm not really sure what I listened to here, only that it probably wasn't the album as it was released. It wasn't terrible, but hald little of real interest for me I'm afraid.
- so, let's get something out right from the jump: This album is NOT that inventive and it's certainly not that influential. No one heard of it until it was dug up and reissued DECADES later. That's cool and thanks for getting it out there so we can hear it BUT, don't try to claim that it carries more weight than it really does. Another reviewer on here writes that there was a ton of this stuff happening in Garage Rock which is exactly what I thought while listening to this. That review is spot-on so I wont say more on the subject other than do your self a favor and find a garage rock streaming channel somewhere and you'll get it. Now, is there some interesting stuff happening here? Sometimes; it's okay and I actually found the later things on the reissued extended versions a bit more exciting but even that went only so far. These guys are closer to maybe the Fugs who were, admittedly, later but more interesting, even more troll like with a much more biting wit. I really can only go 2 ...... -
Never heard of them. It is not the type of music I usually listen to. An OK album.
Not my cup of tea.
Not for me
This was a fun little album. It went by pretty quickly for some reason. This did not sound like a 1966 album to me, so I definitely think it's ahead of its time. I'm noticing myself saying that a lot about a lot of the albums from this time, which only reaffirms what I already know about the music technology and creativity. Some of these songs sound corny, like an early 2000s pop song, but that is impressive given the context. The last track was my favorite, the mallet instrument reminded me of Sufjan Stevens or something. I can't decide between two or three.
not mad I listened to it once. wouldn't listen again I judge based on sound above all else so I don't care that much about their context or how unique they were "for their time" They sound like horny GIs, but otherwise not that different from any garage band I did enjoy the simplicity and focus on rhythm though
4/10
I love garage rock. Apparently I love garage rock with good songs.
A bunch of American GIs in Germany shaved monk haircuts, picked up an electric banjo, and apparently decided repetition was a personality.
It didn't suck, it's just exactly what I'd expect from 5 white guys in the 60s. They were so up they had nothing to actually talk about so they just made whatever the fuck this is. I bet if this shit goes hard at a bingo night in a wisconsin retirement community tho Highlights: Higgle-dy Piggle-dy
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh. Unnecessary
The first time I listened to this and was enjoying it, thinking that the organ stuff distinguished it nicely from all the other guitar man bands on this list. Second time I was just very bored. Sad.
I went to YouTube to listen to the full album. I see why they didn’t bother putting most of it on Spotify.
4.0/10
Mittwoch 04.03.2026 In der TU Bib Fasanenstraße beim Adorno Text lesend, auf Arbeit in der Ecke sitzend beim essen meiner REWE Salatbowl
"Monk Time" was a bit of a trip. We're all monks! or supposedly so. There is a bit of that Synth garbage that the Doors made heavy use of back in that era on this album, that I've described that as "noise for noises sake". I can't tell if this album is good or trash. I kinda like "Oh, How to Do Now". But not enough to make a dent in my opinion My opinion; No I don't really like it. Any of it. But it's just strange enough to be interesting.
Cool tunes but nothing incredible or worrhy of 4-5 stars. Jist good music from a soecific era early 70 late 60 and sound like a lot of those bands from then
Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🪙🔤⬛ Production: 🕰️😑👍 Music: 😎🔄🤨 Rating: ☯☯(☯)/5
didn't quite get, not memorable
This is what Velvet Underground would sound like if they tried to make dance music. And, much like the Velvets, The Monks are much better as a concept than an actual music band.
eh, punk is very difficult to master between ear-rape and peak. This is the former
Day750 - if you could get into sixties garage rock with organs and hand clapping more power to you
The album "Black Monk Time" doesn't exist on Spotify, YTM, or Apple Music, so I have no idea if what I'm listening to is correct. I picked the "The Early Years" album and tried to listen to the tracks as stated on the Wikipedia page for the album. Wasn't that impressed by any of the tracks I heard.
It must have come as a huge shock to hear this in the mid 60s. The birth of punk rock. I get how influential this album was but for me it became a bit samey in the 2nd half. Loved the Doors-inspired organ and the dirty distorted guitar though.
aight
Une bande d’ados qui jouent dans le sous-sol de leurs parents ? Plutôt primal… et primaire! Un début de rébellion. 2,5/5
Difficult album to find, but I found some of the songs on it. It's a strange mix of "yeah, I see where this influenced some stuff" and "wtf is this?" Overall, probably about a 2, maybe 2.5.
I could only listen to like half of it???
I feel like the A- and B-sides of this album are two completely separate ideas. I wasn't a huge fan of either.
They may very well have been pioneers of late-60s psychedelic rock and/or punk. But I feel like if I have to do that much research into the context of the album, I’m just looking for a reason to like it rather than just rating it on its “stand alone” merits. In that sense, it’s an ok representation of the genres, but not that much fun to listen to.
If everything here had the same energy and attitude as the opener, this would be the lost classic that it's hailed as. The opening lyrics are great. "My name's Gary!" "It's monk time!" "Why do you kill all those kids over there in Vietnam!" It's a skeletal, blunt force protest song years before the summer of love and "Fortunate Son." The bare bones, repetitive instrumental hits hard. But after that the lyrics instantly get let interesting, and some of the tracks just have nonsense lyrics. It's only thirty minutes long, so the one-note assault of organ, guitar, and electric banjo doesn't get old. But there's very little substance, and not enough interesting hooks or riffs. The Modern Lovers stand out as a band that took this framework - complete with organ - and churned out some great songs with it. Ahead of its time and worth hearing the opener, but only kind of interesting as a full album.
It's just not very good... there's much better 60's garage and proto-punk out there.
it was fine
An interesting piece of history, but not something I would seek out. Seeing the performances on YouTube, I can imagine it was a jarring band in the 60s