65. The Monks — Black Monk Time (1966)

one of the coolest covers yet

1. The first track on this album — “Monk Time” — is as close to a mission statement of a tune as I’ve heard in this series. It immediately blasts in with a driving beat, followed by a sharp guitar, and then a minute or so of fiery, anti-war, anti-commercialism free association lyrics, before giving way to the beat for the final minute and a half. “It’s beat time, it’s hop time, it’s monk time now” indeed.
2. The Monks were a group of American GI ex-pats living in Germany who, after serving their time, formed up for exactly one studio album of music that’s wildly before its time. They dressed like monks, including shaving the tops of their heads. Earlier I considered The Sonics’ debut to be the first punk album; meanwhile, halfway across the world, a different set of Americans were staking perhaps even a stronger claim. This has nothing in common with the Britpop we’ve been listening to; it’s intense, angry, guitar-and-beat driven, inventive. It’s a real damn shame The Monks only made the one album, but if you’re going to be one-and-done, this is a hell of a way to do it.
3. It’s inventive and unlike any of the rock music being produced around this time, but it’s eminently listenable and recognizable to any fan of rock from the Sex Pistols or Clash on. “Monk Time” is a complete jam. “Higgle-dy Piggle-dy” takes the silly and childish and makes it feral. Jack White wishes he’d written something as hard as “Complication.” This album is full of bangers.
4. Unfortunately, it was met mostly with confusion at the time, unsurprisingly. The Monks experimented with live guitar feedback in a way nobody else was doing. Their lyrics about the perils of war and dehumanized society were less poetic but at times more insistent than Dylan, and unlike any of their more hard rocking brethren. I don’t believe Black Monk Time was even printed outside Germany until the late 1990’s. It’s a damn miracle this album found an audience.
5. The band did reunite in the late 90’s. Footage exists! And they sound remarkably sharp and incisive. Some music is just forever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV5Gzbze7QI

One Essential Song:

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