Artist: The Monks
Album: Black Monk Time
Year: 1966
The Monks are probably one of the weirdest bands in the history of rock-and-roll. It's difficult to determine whether they were a serious band or just trying to make the most ridiculous over-the-top music possible, but either way, Black Monk Time is a masterpiece that doesn't sound quite like anything else then or since.
The aesthetic is martial drumbeats, manic organ riffs, amplified banjos, and tunefully shouted vocals. I think it sounds like kind of a hybrid of The Velvet Underground, Gang of Four, and Ween. Songs like "I Hate You" and "Drunken Maria" have such a demented genius to them, they are ridiculously, insidiously melodic and yet more than a little menacing. "Love Came Tumbling Down" provides the same basic beat as the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" but puts some weird R&B over the top.
This is really one of those sorts of albums you have to hear to believe. When I first heard this a few years ago I had a really hard time believing it was made in 1966. Now I have a hard time believing this is the only album this group would make. No doubt there was an audience for this stuff. I'm gonna stop short of calling this one indispensable (the schtick gets a little old once you get to the 15th song or so), but Black Monk Time is a minor miracle of an album that I have to believe was tremendously influential upon bands like Pixies and Ween, both of whom had a similar warped pop genius flowing through their music.
Rating: Worth repeated listens
No comments:
Post a Comment