Reviews (page 7 of 8)
The garage-rock sound is slightly dated now, but this album was inoffensive to the ears, if slightly dull
I get why this record is influential to punk. Super clear about that. But this isn't good. Every track is a staccato mess with a brow beating message. So even though I agree with the message, this record still just sort of sucks. Another 60s artist held up too high.
PREFS : Monk Time, Shut Up, Higgle-Dy - Piggle-Dy, I Hate You, Complication, Drunken Maria, Love Came Tumblin' Down, Blast Off!, That's My Girl MOINS PREF : We Do Wie Du
Weird, wild, and frantic. This feels like a predecessor to punk. A bit cheesy in 2023.
It was very unique. Definitely have to be in the mood for this one. I did like a few songs and will probably revisit this.
Yeah this was pretty bad. I was optimistic going into it. Thinking it would probably be average. It was well below average. Barely listenable. And that guy's voice... 🤮. 2/10
This one was just not for me. Sounds very similar to other bands I've heard. The melodies themselves weren't terrible, but I really, really dislike the singer. Not really a fan of any 60s music similar to this. 1.5/10
Never heard of these guys until now. Their back story is quite interesting. This very much inspired The Stooges and I’m all for it.
munkit...heh...hauska gimmikki...hidden gem no joo aikaansa nähden aika progressiivinen, nostetaan kakkoseen heh. 19min albumi..snao spotfy...uskon..heh yellow grass
Well this is...........ahead of it's time. To give some background to my 5 star rating I'd just spent the morning listening to artsy twaddle from the 50's in another chart so when I put this on it blew the cobwebs away. 5 stars for impact alone. These guys just don't give a damn and it's great.
Someone was smoking something when they made this.
This is why this list exists. What the hell was this. I agree with all the other comments about how this was completely ahead of its time. This would have been wild to listen to at the time. What a find.
I refuse to believe people enjoy/enjoyed this
last song was okay, the other songs sucked
Rating: 6/10
I don't think these guys are real monks
Eigenaardige muziek. Niet alle nummers zijn even leuk, maar over het algemeen wel een tof album
Started off strong with some angular guitar work that reminded me of some modern-day Dwyer projects a la Damaged Bug, but quickly sloughed off into annoying 60s tropes. Repetitive surf guitar, one-hook structures, and cloying vocals made this a journey I increasingly wanted to end.
I was filled with dread when I saw that it was influential to punk but I came to really really admire this album. I would say I enjoyed reading up on its wiki and on the background of the monks more than the album itself but it still had good tracks like monk time complication and we do. This is the first experimental avant- grade album I’ve gotten that I’ve fully respected because it really was just 5 guys that didn’t like rock and decided to just fuck around while deployed in Germany with no moderation trying to make a new sound. No bullshit with clanging together found objects and recording industrial sounds. Even the cover is just black with default text on it.
Ok but really odd. Feels like the evil twin of a different 60s band… like the evil version of The Monkees… See what I did there… Monks. Monkees.
Really interesting album and back story
One knows one should like this more for reasons of being on right side of politics ... er, history, but musically it's a struggle, close to a dental appointment at times. Definitely has that '60s consciousness-raising-hootenanny feel, but it's just too droney-bangy to inspire much outrage or admiration, and the zany-wacky factor doesn't land nearly 60 years on. One finds it mostly tiresome, honestly, though recognizing it might be energizing to some.
100% trash throw it away
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
Meh
Off-the-beaten-path and hokey and spastic in places, but these guys took a risk. Though they fizzled, easy to find the influences in other music that I enjoy.
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…
I can see how this album was pioneering at its time, but in this time it sounds almost comical. I liken it to the late 70s/early 80s adopters of electronic synthesizers. It was other worldly at the time and nearly a parody now that the approach has been fully fleshed out. Kudos to The Monks, but the sound belongs in a museum.
Like a carnival ride that just keeps on spinning around and around and around and around and around and all you want to do is get off and so you try and make eye contact with the carnie but he's not looking and it just keeps going around and around and all the people around you look like they're having fun and you can't understand why and it keeps on going arou-
Higgle-dy - Piggle-dy, mfers
Interesting as an influence for punk rock, but not a particularly good set of tracks.
Cool album, reading about its history and the story of the band makes it all the more interesting! Saved songs: Shut Up, I Hate You, Oh How To Do Now, Pretty Suzanne
This was a nice little gem. Really unique but also reminiscent of a bunch of things it probably influenced. I heard Zappa in here, I heard Faith No More in here, I heard a lot of grunge precursors in here...
would have been more fun then, still cool
3 if im generous but probably a 2. really dreary. It's like if a word could rhyme they would try to rhyme it.
Evidently a song from this album is featured in The Big Lebowski. I've seen that movie at least 27 times, and all I recall is the Credence, a funky Kenny Rogers song about checking his condition, a Bob Dylan album cut, a nice Nina Simone song, and a cab driver who liked "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" by the Eagles. Oh, and ZZ Top's cover of Viva Las Vegas. And John Turturo's character bowling to a Spanish language version of Hotel California (maybe I've seen the movie more than 27 times). But I don't recall hearing "I Hate You" by The Monks at all. Which tells you how forgettable it is. Just like most of this album.
Never heard of the Monks. I was ok with that.
Voih, nyt on pakko myöntää, että en kyennyt. Yritin, monta kertaa. Skippailin biisejäkin siinä toivossa, että seuraava olis ollut parempi. Mutta ei. Tää levy kuulosti musiikilta, jota isäni kuunteli 60-luvulla kun yritti olla cool eikä Kreikan radiossa peruskreikkamusan lisäksi soitettu kuin Wolfman Jackiä- toi laulutyyli on äärimmäisen amerikkalaisen kuuloista, en kykene.
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
Olipas vaikuttava "punk"-levy. Iski kovempaa kuin suuri osa tunnetuimmista punk-klassikoista. Bändin taustatarinalla ja levyn julkaisuajankohdalla on tietenkin tähän jonkinlainen vaikutus.
Anakirstista ja aikaansa edellä olevaa menoa! 4/5 helposti
Never heard of them, let alone heard them. Let's find out. I can see why this could be influential - rather psychodelic and heavy for its year. Pleasant enough to listen to but without anything that particularly jumped out as interesting.
I really wasn’t receptive to this due to circumstances whilst listening so it’s going to be an unfair judgement 2*
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.
Some of the earliest precursors to punk music can be linked to garage rock bands of the 60's. While The Sonics had an explosive debut in 1965 with their distorted guitars and wailing vocals, The Monks would follow closely a year later with Black Monk Time, their only album. Unlike The Sonics, The Monks had an organ and banjo backing up the songs, giving them a unique dimension to their music. Additionally, the lyrics are notably more aggressive and angry with an anti-war message. This sort of radical approach to music would certainly give punk rockers the blueprint for the sound nearly a decade later. Given that this is still rock from the mid-60's, quite a bit of the songwriting is still dated. The standard chord progressions, primitive drum patterns, and goofy organ embellishments. But for every dated moment, the Monks do something completely revolutionary for the time. It's a ripper and a half, and it's exciting stuff from the 60's. Praise be to the Monks and their forward-thinking fuzz.
A shambolic classic.
A bit bat shit crazy but it’s short and fun 4/5.
Not bad
I was initially worried this would be a bit too groovy, but then I heard the killer line: "I hate you baby with a passion, you know I do." And all was OK with the world. Nice to have a streak of cynicism and surging electric guitars among the bop.
Psychedelic proto punk gold. The velvet underground, Stooges and the Doors with a pinch of Captain Beefheart thrown in for good measure. This is what I love about 1001 albums!
I signed up to this for such albums. Never heard of this before - fascinating back story, and I enjoyed the tight but primitive sound. I own a couple of the Nuggets garage rock compilations on vinyl, and the Monks would definitely fit on those. And you can definitely hear them as precursors to lots of great bands like VU, Stooges, Pixies etc
I swear to God I'm going to pistol whip the next guy who says complication
Obnoxious and impossible to enjoy.
Sounded like a 90s band playing 60s songs, so definitely some pioneering work done here, but ultimately the album is just a decent one
One of my last few albums to be drawn was “The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators”. I thought they were the most “overrated underrated” band I’ve heard in a while, getting a lot of acclaim from hipsters who called them “proto-psychedelia” even when their songs weren’t particularly great. In the same year, The Monks were out making much more intriguing music with their only album, “Black Monk Time”. It might not become an all-time favourite any time soon, but I have to appreciate how radically different this must have been from the prevailing tastes of the day. It starts with a bang. A searing, stuttering one-note organ refrain, like a frantic morse code. Thrashing, crashing snares and percussion from a garage junkyard. The rhythm is beaten out on an electric banjo, cutting through the mix like barbed wire. And then a jagged, fuzzy guitar bares its teeth, as if to send Keith Richards and Dave Davies skittering into a corner. “Shut Up”, “Boys are Boys and Girls are Choice” and then the remainder of the album progresses in much the same way: repetitive one-two rhythms, barked out vocals and a chaotic lead guitar and organ vying for position. Every now and then a glimmer of a pop chorus breaks through, with some harmonies or a more easy going melody, but it’s quickly subverted by discordant organ, an abrupt cut or change, or a exorcism-style shriek from the vocalists. Take “Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy”- absolutely out of this world. Drums are kept to rumbling toms, the organ goes wherever it wants to, the vocals scratch and yelp above the mix. It’s new-wave thirteen years early. Elsewhere, we have bold compositional decisions to thrill any listener. “Oh How to Do Now” sticks stubbornly to one chord for the first minute and 24 seconds. “Complication” has an interlude summoning the Beach Boys from a demented alternate dimension. The vocals in “Love Came Tumblin’ Down” don’t start until halfway through. “We Do Wie Du” is perhaps the most conventional, and there’s still something slightly sinister about its repeated playground chant with insistent, staccato backing. Psychedelia? Punk? Garage rock? New- wave? Basement indie? The Monks casually flick through genre after nascent genre like time travellers from the future. They might not all be stellar songs, but it’s an absolutely fascinating listen.
Oh good, 1966. This can only be good... NOT! There was only one song available on Spotify and I'm just not fucking looking for anything elsewhere anymore. I used to think I owed it to bands to track the full album down at all costs. At album 801 I'm just fucking glad I don't have to sit through more than 4min of utter shit this morning. It was boring nonsense 60s shlock regardless, from the song I heard. 2/5.
This album (1966) feels so ahead of its time. I cant describe it but it feels so modern but timeless at the same time. I was surprised to read the release date. almost a punky vibe at points - I could see the clash doing some of it? very much enjoyed
Interesting stuff - I'd never heard of these guys but they were doing some very cool things.
Monk time rad
Crap time
Knowing the backstory to this album affects my view of it. Trying to put that aside however, it’s a delightfully odd album that’s both entertaining and intriguing. It’s place on this list is well deserved.
Coolt och aldrig hört om detta band...
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.
1.5
Amazing find. Loved every second of this. The shrill voice, the punk aspects.
Not on Spotify. Didn't wanna bother
As with the other punk albums, I wasn't feeling this one. I enjoyed it a bit more the others, but overall still doesn't seem to be my jam. Favorite song: Pretty Suzanne Worst song: That's My Girl
Superb. Love The Monks.
Not too bad, not the biggest fan
These songs were hard to listen to.
quirky, but I didn't hate it.
This is a tough listen...
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
Garage rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Garage rockproto-pun. Del 66.
Not that good. Just weird/bad instrumentals and vocals.
Strange
Not sure why this is an album I needed to hear before I die. Sounds like a group of kids messing around. Not saying it's terrible, but it just kind of reminded me of my own high school garage band. I'm left wondering what the musical significance of this is.
Music 3.5/5, Lyrics/Singing 1.5/5 => 2/5
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.
jajajajajajajajaj no 2
Un disco bastante interesante pero que me hubiera gustado poder haberlo escuchado con más atención, seguramente le dare mas escuchadas en un futuro pero fue bueno conocerlo gracias a esta página.
Kovin epätasainen kokonaisuus ja hetkittäisiä väläytyksiä laskematta ei toiminut.
Alkupuoli oli viihdyttävän menevää, mut loppua kohden hiipu fiilis
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Love Came Tumblin' Down (10) 2 - We Do Wie Du (8) 3 - Oh, How To Do Now (6)
Over a decade ago I listened to this because it was on a Pitchfork list, and unlike a lot of the stuff on there, it blew me away. It sounds like pre punk punk, except with bizarre instrumentation (Hammond and banjo feature as a standard part, but played as part of a punky set up). It is slightly angry and slightly silly (Higgle-dy, piggle dy?) And all bloody brilliant.
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.
Interesante sonido black sesentero
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.
The album that apparently invented punk rock AND krautrock. This sounds a bit like Booker T and the MCs trying to play the Sex Pistols. Undoubtedly musically and lyrically innovative and influential; it's incredible that this was released in 1966. However, to my modern ear it's pretty much unlistenable. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: We Do We Do Date listened: 25/08/22
Started off real high energy then slowed down towards the end of the album. I got RKS vibes which was cool
Oh no. Terrible
Up until now only knew a couple of Monks songs (from Nuggets, Fall covers, soundtracks etc) but had never listened to the album. This album is much, much better than your average 60s garage rock album. Together with "Elephant Mountain" the two best albums that I found out about through the 1001 Album Generator. (Unfortunately I listened to the version with bonus tracks - skip these tracks!)
Some good guitar work here and there, but otherwise I found this to be too jarring and crude, and not offering anything interesting musically.
What's this? I'm immediately reminded of Dead Kennedys or something like that except isn't this from 1966? Then we get an organ, which is about the only thing 60's about this weird, energetic ride. A ton of fun. Higgle-dy-Piggle-dy, Monk Time, Complication were particular stand outs.
1996 uh? did they just stumble with the sound or did they knew what had they invented? nice one
First time I've heard this album. Good!
I’m a sucker for Garage Rock, and the fact this album was created in the ‘60’s, and the band members dressed up at shows, those are also pluses for me. My spidey-senses did tingle with possible misogynistic lyrics, but again, it was the ‘60’s and most lyrics were all about “boys & girls”.
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.
Definitely early punk rock. Super cool slice of history.
Early Floyd vibe...but even weirder.
What a pleasant surprise this is! Early garage rock and/or proto-punk. A band with an image: the monk haircut. Consisting of American soldiers based in Germany. The songs are great, the lyrics funny and lots of energy!
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.
Never heard this one before. The track that stands out the most is "Compilation". 2.5/5
A little funky a little crazy
Different in a good way. Ahead of its time
Quirky
Something about the guitar on this album....
"Pretty Suzanne" is a banger.
Wild that GIs made this pop-punk weirdness.
This is a very interesting album. I remember hearing about it a long time ago as one of the earliest examples of proto-punk music. I can certainly see how it's that, as well as how it fits in with a lot of the garage band music of the time. Overall it's a good album, far more pleasant and well-produced than I would have expected. There are even some songs that I think could have been released as singles. 4/5
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
maybe one good song on the album - understand the are influential, but why?
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
Couple of bops but overall pretty forgettable
Didn’t know they had stuff like this in the 60s
It was annoying
Repetitive and uninteresting
This started off very standard psychedelic punk rock… but got a lot more interesting as the album. Defo one to revisit!
Some definite misses, but there were some good songs on here.
Ahead of it’s time? sure, but god damn is it unpleasant to listen to. I reckon I spent half the time physically grimacing. 😣
I back milkmen to deliver, unlike this album.
Loved it
Good album. Liked the sounds
What is this? It isn't good
Didn’t like
Wasn't a fan
Man, I've become really jaded with these '60s rock albums. There are so many great ones out there, most of which are on this list, but there are so many on here that feel like scraping the bottom of the barrel. Maybe not fair to the Monks, they do have a bit of a unique edge to them but damn if I haven't heard four or five albums that sound just like this by now. Very little on here to distinguish it from the pack. Sorry gang. Apparently this is proto-punk rock? I didn't quite hear it. I'll trust the word of others that it's influential, but it's doing nothing for me. Favorite tracks: Shut Up. Album art: Adding insult to injury here. Nothing good to look at while I struggle to enjoy the music. 2/5
I had never heard of this one before, very interesting protopunk.
This grooves and has an edge, seemingly upbeat, but quite nihilist. Made in Germany it doesn't have the psychedelic noodling of Jefferson Airplane, Doors, Iron Butterfly etc. Just mid 60s tight rhythmic beat groove and lots of fun.
I've recently gotten into Viagra Boys, and finding this Monks album is like stumbling across the base formula for VB. It's raw, tounge-in-cheek, and fuckin' nasty. Can't believe this came out in the 60's!
Interesting! Never heard of before, I think i would have loved this a decade or two ago
I thought this was some brit-pop type Oasis shit but it turned out to be some sick 60's Psych music. Better than I expected but a lot of the songs sounded like one another
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.
This album is a mix of obnoxious and repetitive.
Rolling Stones C-side rarities, but I suppose that's still a compliment.
A few weeks ago I got some forgettable album from some forgettable band that played forgettable music around the same year this came out. I said something like: "there was so much going on that was revolutionary or excellent around this time that this being included in this list is just asinine" Black Monk Time is one of those albums. This is just phenomenal when you consider what was going on in music at the time. This is on par with the likes of The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. Just amazing music made the way they wanted to make it. I will admit that my total enjoyment of the music itself is probably a 3, but it gets extra points for how and when it was made. This was at the beginning of my favorite movement in music. I'm glad this project got me to listen to this. I needed this.
fascinating stuff, really interesting.
This is a punk album before punk even knew what it was. Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy is a perfect example. Complication is a sound straight out of the 80s almost 15 years before its time. Drunken Maria is another one.
Interesting enough album. Not exactly what I want to hear though. Odd psychey... something music.
A standout garage rock piece from the time. The closest 60s album to resemble punk. Vocals are harsh and direct, using offensive language and touching on sensitive or nonsensical subject matter. It shocked me seeing tracks called "Shut Up" and "I Hate You" on a 60s album. Melody is fast and minimalistic, with short tunes that fly by (much like The Ramones or Wire) and slight variations to a repetitive rhythm that go out of control. Instruments are raw and often abrasive, but I really like the use of the organ. Very typical of the time in garage rock, just look at "96 Tears" by ? And the Mysterions or The Electric Prunes. Every track starts off with a hook that draws my attention, which is great considering many of the tracks have little to no vocals. No bad tracks, although the momentum dies by the last few. The bonus tracks are kinda boring, even their long titles are a bore to stare at. I really enjoyed listening to this album. Probably the most consistent garage rock (outside VU and Stooges) effort out there.
There were some instrumental aspects of this album that I quite liked. In particular the erratic organ sound of the keyboard was pretty interesting and I enjoyed the heavy bass lines too. But that's no compensation for how much I loathed the vocal delivery. It's not the sound of the guy's voice itself that get to me, but the godawful songwriting of the vocal lines. I guess it's supposed to be so jarring on purpose, but I absolutely hate it.
I like it and it is deffinitely an interesting style.
I really wanted to like this at first. It started off feeling like some kind of proto-punk rock. But generally devolved into... something else. Meh
Black Monk Time seems VERY unique and ahead of its time in a way, but I didn't get much enjoyment out of it in the long run. It is very punk (possibly one of the earliest forms of it), but is is also still clearly from the 1960's through its psychedelic feelings and overall recording style. It felt like it had an anti-war tone to it all, but the lyrics didn't really fit with this outside of a couple of moments. It might have just been the overwhelming sense of rebellion present that made me feel this way as The Monks were definitely trying to do their own thing. In a way, this feels like a "hidden gem" of sorts in that it comes from a band that only created one album and comes from an era where this music really didn't fit in with the norms. I can see why someone might think this makes it worthy of including on the list, but I just didn't get as much out of it as someone else might. The idea of it being creative/innovative was more interesting than the album itself IMO. I didn't hate it, but I'll probably forget it by the end of the day. 2.5/5.
ehhh pretty boring
Songs from albums released in 1966 that the App has sent us include Scarborough Fair, God Only Knows and California Dreamin' and we add to the 1966 class list I Hate You from The Monks. As they used to sing on Sesame Street: "One of these things just doesn't belong." I can't believe The Monks made music like this in 1966.The only thing harder to believe is that Polydor signed them. How could anyone think that shit kicking music like this was going to sell back then? I Hate You was on The Big Lebowski soundtrack. If The Dude likes this it is no surprise he hates the fuckin Eagles.
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?)
I was expecting to hear Drugs in my pocket when I saw that today’s album was by the Monks. But alas this is the 1966 Monks (US soldiers stationed in Germany) not the 1979 Monks (The Brit group Strawbs). This proto punk band must have been pretty rad in the 60’s as their sound is pretty unique and they feature a Hammond organ no less! I’ll give them credit for being groundbreaking.
Weird, but in a good way! Really odd to hear songs in English, but intended for a German/non-anglophone audience. Lots of influence on lots of bands I like, even though I had never heard of them before
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
The animals, scrappy rock n roll sprinkled with the doors.
Not bad actually, a band I had never heard of, but that's really good!
Meh Monk Time
While this album was likely culturally relevant back in the 60's, it aged terribly. There's hints of Beatles influence but feels like it's just noise created to stand out in a crowd of other anti-war Vietnam songs.
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!
Weird but interesting
Lyrically pretty interesting, not sure I'd listen to again
Anticipates Devo and other herky-jerk rockers by a decade or so. Their descedants were an improvement.
Weirdly relevant.
Goil. Kannte ich gar nicht.
I hate it
It's weird but I like it.
I'm unsure about this one. I don't think I'll remember it
Bad. Ass. Dudes. While the Beatles were singing "la-la yeah-yeah", the Monks (self-proclaimed "anti-Beatles") scared crowds of well-behaved kids with this album. (7/10) FT: I Hate You
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.
I saw the band name and was expecting UK Punk rock before realising this was, in fact, a different band called The Monks. For the first few tracks I thought I was going to quite enjoy this one, even though it was absolutely not what I thought I was going to be listening to but oh boy does this one take a dive off a cliff about 1/3 through and the bonus tracks at the end are, frankly, dreadful.
I glanced at the band, saw they'd released one album, and was confused how it was a must listen to before you die... Then I read the history of the band, okay... Beginning to make more sense... This stuff was ahead of it's time, feels more like a modern post punk album made in the 60s. 4/5.
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!
This would be a TRIP live. It's like I'm listening to a band who's just dropped a tonne of acid. I enjoyed it a fair bit though it did make me a bit nervous listening to it, but it did go off the rails with the bonus tracks (especially Cuckoo. That's actually... Well.... Cuckoo.) I can imagine this being one of 18 yo Soipe's favourite albums and therefor I must give it a generous 4 stars. I feel The Monsters/Reverend Beatman listened to this when they were growing up
Couldn't get into this one.
Punk got better
why block music in NZ?
First Listen. I don't get it. 2/5
Scrappy, rough, and energetic
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 stuff for 1966. Not every song was great, but really dug their sound, esp. the distortion. Progressive stuff
Pretty cool, not totally my kind of music though
Genre de rock punk. Pas mauvais, mais pas si bon. Ca demenage en tout cas. 2.75
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.
Proto-punk, very good
6/10
👍 Enjoyed this a lot, beat, rhythm that probably ended up with the B52's
Ecléctico. Muy de la época. No me ha llamado la atención
Jam band shouting
Interesting 3+
Wild ride! Crazy to think this album came out in '66. Very early punk elements, quite avant-garde for it's time. Loved it.
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.
This album was really cool and so before it’s time. One of the gems this site has given me. This record is just very fun in general
Love this - had it for years, ever since the Fall covered a few of their songs.
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.
Just great stuff
In short, sounded like a less musically talented version of the Doors. Started with a war time political message followed by okay music.
What a weird and wonderful album. Can definitely feel the roots of punk rock and psychedelic in this album. Some songs sound like they could directly be the queens of the stone age
Cant give it move than a 2.5. I like the experimental nature of it but there isn't anything to come back to.
Garage rock greatness
I respect Black Monk Time for it being one of the first albums in the Punk Rock genre, but if you are looking for in-depth criticisms that go further than: "We don't like the atomic bomb"... you will not find it here. What you will find on here sounds like the first Beatles records, with way worse lyrics: "Boys are boys and girls are joys. To you and me they're more than toys". Really? Because everyone that came after the Monks did it better in almost every way, a 2/5 should suffice.
A bit samey but really good
Confusing entry but not the worst
never heard of them and enjoyed it.
Not too bad... interesting, but might not be something that I'd listen to a lot.
holy crap. the only thing i can say is that it really is amazing that there is essentially something different to hate about every single song on this album. they are way too much up their own butt with psychedelic clown music.
Bit Psychedelic for my tastes.
Very cool album...I will listen to it again and probably again and again. I can't believe this has not been discovered by me to date, Right up my alley 4 stars
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's very interesting to discover these "hidden" things from music history. This is not the best punk that I listened to, but thinking about the age of this album it sounds so much fresh that it definitely worths it
I don't think it will ever be black monk time in my house again.
Reading how the band was formed helps with making sense of the introductory “Monk Time”. Nowadays this album doesn’t have a shocking/revolutionary effect, so that’s hard to judge. I appreciate the Hammond organ. With some more repetition I’ll probably value this album just as much as the Beatles b-sides from this time. The bonus tracks (not included in the rating) are alright, they are intentionally more tame.
It was a fun listen, but kinda got old about halfway through.
Can't deny the influence but not really all that enjoyable to me. Pretty repetitive.
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
my favorite phase in a lot of rock bands is that phase where their ambition exceeds their abilities and usually that's the part that gets swept away and hidden when the band makes it big. but that phase was it for the monks- weird skronky ideas that sound like rough drafts, stabs at early proto-prog, and a lot of quirks that would show up later in punk. except the compositions are almost childlike in nature, delivered unenthusiastically and clumsily. shitpost by band that knew what they were doing or amateurs with ideas exceeding their talents? this thing's kinda great.
Jeden z tych nietypowych pickow, do ktorych trzeba przysiasc wiecej niz raz, zeby przesluchac plyte w calosci, podczas pierwszego odsluchu sie odbilem, ale jednak nie zrazilem, jak mogl powstac twor tak niespojny, a jednak sluchalny i unikalny w swoim brzmieniu, trzeba zaczac od tego, ze jest to pierwszy i ostatni album jaki wypuscily monki to material nagrany przez 4 hamerykanskich wojakow w zachodnich niemcach z dodatkowym cywilnym drumerem, niemcy lat 60, to oczywiscie musi sie pojawic krautrock, ktorego mozna sie tu takze doszukac, ale w odroznieniu od wczesniejszych krautowych pickow, tym razem kompozycje trakow sa bardziej rokowe dwu minutowe songi, wiec nie ma tu 15 minutowych kawalkow jak u kraftwerka, choc zdarzaja sie traki z minimalna iloscia wokalu, jak na blast off, co do samego wokalu, to jego kontent jest iscie punkowy, a raczej proto punkowy, bo to jednak lata 60, wiec scena punkowa jest dopiero w powijakach, jak przystalo na wojakow liryka jest mocno zwiazana z bezsensem wojny, miejscem czleka w wyobcowanym swiecie bez domu czy swego miejsca, obok tego duzo trakow nawiazujacych do romantyzmu zaserwowanego po punkowemu, ale co najlepsze w tych trakach jest to, ze jako muzyka grana dla niemca, daje to wolne rece jesli chodzi o kontent i jego przekaz, wiec o ile zdecydowanie nie sa to dobre wokale pod wzgledem muzycznym, to czuje sie z nich walaszkowata energie, zwlaszcza taki takie jak drunek maria, niby pierdzielenie trzy po trzy, ale jednak cos w tym jest, najbardziej niemieckim akcentem plyty sa wlasnie wokale na oh, how to do now, ktore jak dla mnie staraja sie nasladowac jodlowanie, jesli chodzi o instrumentale, to banda 5 osobowa, wiec calkiem standardowy rokowy sklad, zamiast klasycznych klawiszy zostaly wykorzystany elektroniczne organy philcorda, z cudow technicznych lat 60 dochodzi jeszcze elektryczne banjo, jesli dodac do tego mocne wykorzystanie overdriva dostajemy szorstki i surowy dzwiek, ktory wcale nie komplementuje samego wokalu, a raczej idzie z nim razem w parze, te dwie strony laczy chorkowanie ktore w jednych momentach brzmi jak beach boysowe harmonie, a w innych jak ich parodia, jestem w stanie zrozumiec dlaczego monki sie nie sprzedaly, a jednoczesnie staly sie kult klasikiem muzycznych nerdow, bo mnie rowniez kupil ten material, choc to tylko 30 minut na 12 trakach w wersji z 66, spotifajowa wersja zawiera 6 dodatkowych trakow, co daje laczny czas krazka 47 minut, z plejlistowych pickow musi sie znalezc otwierajacy monk time, potem kawalek wydany jako promo singiel czyli complication, oraz boys are the boys and girls are the choice, a caly album leci do biblioteczki spotifajowej, w ciagu dwoch dni prawie setka skrobli wpadla, co nie zdarzylo sie mi chyba jeszcze przy sluchaniu tej listy
sure
Ok
A hidden gem. I had never heard of this band but after listening to this album, I can hear tinges of punk within an experimental framework. It's interesting to think about what was coming out in 1966, the Beatles' Revolver, the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds etc., and Black Monk Time sounds completely different. Truly incredible
gusau
It was ok
I fucking hate hippies
I liked the heavy, simple rhythms, and the use of organ. But most of the songs were ultimately kind of boring
This one was out there. I liked it.
No thank you.
Definetly new to me very proto punk like the kinks liked it
Only the one song on Spotify, 1/10
A bit more substance than a lot of modern rock...and started out strong with a throwback to the times during Vietnam war...but it became repetitive. Still I’ll give it 4 stars but won’t listen again.
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.
Can’t actually listen to this album
Interesting protopunk album
I loved it. Fun sound, funny band photos.
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."
Didn't like this one. 1/5 stars.
I do not know this band or any of their music. A couple of times the music tempted me to like a track, and then the lyrics would kick in. The subject matter and the delivery of the lyrics keeps this album in the "dis-like" category.
Seminal album way before it’s time however gets marked down due to repetitiveness and annoying quirkiness
kinda cool and fun!
This is quite a unique thing
I really like the sound, old school and still very contemporary sound.
mostly very horrible, but a little fun. bonus tracks are better?
Nothing for me here
It was okay. Not really anything interesting
Fantastic! This is a good example of 1001 albums revealing a hidden gem. I took a guess this was made in the 90s and was shocked to see it was 1965! This beats freakout by zappa, which is the closest album I can compare it to. As for a review, these guys were way ahead of their time. Super talented band. Completely uninhibited and a feat for the ears. Favorite song - Shut up / complication. Least favorite: cuckoo. I did not include the bonus songs in my review. Lower to 4 stars with the bonus songs.
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.
Interesting early garage album I hadn’t heard before, you can see how it had influenced many other acts up til now
Great story, will try the album more fully when I'm in the mood as its quite noisy
Found the music quite irritating, actually
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.
Really not my style.
Best vaag, ik denk dat ik deze nog eens moet gaan luisteren
How many times have I told you guys it's black monk time? Now, finally, here we are. It was the most fun I've ever had.
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.
Leuk voor 1x,
Ik raad vooral iedereen aan het verhaal van deze van deze band te lezen. Mooi verhaal over 5 GI's die in Duitsland een band beginnen en daar nooit buiten gekomen zijn. Muzikaal is mijn standpunt over punk bekend. Na een paar nummers exit ;)
Zenuwslopend! De enige regel tekst die ik onthouden heb is 'Complication? Constipation!'. En dat is wel een goede samenvatting van waar de heren Monks mij mee opgezadeld hebben.
Een mix van ellende en grappige stukjes, maar al met al best leuk.
Olipa todella sekavaa menoa. Asiaa ei varmaan auttanut se, että kuuntelin levyn telkkarin kaiuttimista, mutta enpä usko että olisi paljon paremmaksi muuttunut muutenkaan. Rämistelyä, renkutusta ja huutamista. Olihan tämä tietysti originellia ja rohkeasti erilaista ja ajalleen edistyksellistä, mutta ei tuota kyllä mielellään kuunnellut.
Its okay but the repetitive sections very quickly become grating and knocks off most of the bright spots about the album
The story of the Monks is one of those rock & roll tales that seems too good to be true -- five Americans soldiers stationed in Germany form a rock band to blow off steam, and after starting out playing solid but ordinary R&B-influenced beat music, their songs evolve into something that bear practically no relation to anything happening in pop in 1966. If anything, the Monks were far wilder than their story would suggest; they may have looked bizarre in their matching black outfits, rope ties, and tonsures, but it was their music that was truly radical, with the sharp fuzz and feedback of Gary Burger's guitar faced off against the bludgeoning clang of Dave Day's amplified banjo (taking the place of rhythm guitar), as Roger Johnston pounded out minimalist patterns on the drums, Eddie Shaw's electric bass gave forth with a monstrous throb, and Larry Clark's keyboard bounced off the surfaces of the aural melee. This would have been heady stuff even without Burger's wild-eyed vocals, in which he howls "I hate you with a passion, baby," "Why do you kill all those kids over there in Vietnam?" and "Believing you're wise, being so dumb" over the band's dissonant fury. The closest thing the Monks had to a musical counterpart in 1966 were the Velvet Underground, but existing on separate continents they never heard one another at the time, and while Lou Reed and John Cale were schooled in free jazz and contemporary classical that influenced their work, the Monks were creating a new species of rock & roll pretty much out of their heads. Given all this, it's all the more remarkable that they landed a record deal with a major German label, and while Black Monk Time, their first and only studio album, doesn't boast a fancy production, the simple, clean recording of the group's crazed sounds captures their mad genius to striking effect, and the mingled rage and lunatic joy that rises from these songs is still striking decades after they were recorded. Within a year of the release of Black Monk Time, the band would break up (reportedly over disagreements about a possible tour of Vietnam), and the two singles that followed the LP were more pop-oriented efforts that suggested the Monks couldn't keep up this level of intensity forever. But in late 1965, the Monks were rock & roll's most savage visionaries, and Black Monk Time preserves their cleansing rage in simple but grand style.
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
2/10. The music wasn't very interesting, the songwriting was boring, and the lead singer sounded like a Muppet on the verge of a psychotic break. Not for me.
Never heard of them
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!
started listening to it but it was a work day where I needed modern day pop
Chatinho, esquisito demais
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
Meh, not really a fan.
Definitely unique. Definitely kinda weird. Experimental. I liked it ok.
weird 60's music
New one for me!
When I read pitchfork rated this 'the 127th greatest album of the 60's' I knew I was in for some bullshit.
This record is fucking bananas and I kind of love it. Also, I can’t believe it came out in 1966 - in Germany. Holy shit.
Звучит прикольно, но добавить что то не смог
Cuckooooo.
this was an interesting listen, but this band (having looked it up) has a pretty interesting story to go along with their music. That being said, this....wasnt good. I can see where their sound for 1964 was different, and i'm sure inspired some bands out there, but yeah, definitely not my thing.
Nothing impressed
Want to give another listen. Interesting how few lyrics there were with a strong emphasis on instrumentals. Strong 60s.
Great
Mayor of Turtle River!!