Local CD roundup: Monks
It's a good time again to hear Black Monk Time
Monks
Monks, Black Monk Time and The Early Years 1964-1965
(Light in the Attic Records)
The Monks were the ultimate cult band—not just for their joyfully bonkers music, but for the way their cult revived them. In the mid-'60s, five discharged American soldiers in Germany recorded Black Monk Time, the greatest banjo-rock record in history. Polydor refused to release it in the U.S.—it was catchy stuff, but practically anti-war-Dada for 1965. So, Black Monk Time remained in the annals of collector cool until fans tracked down semi-retired band members in Minnesota and elsewhere, spurring a book, reunions, a 1997 reissue on Henry Rollins' Infinite Zero label, and a recent documentary.
(Light in the Attic Records)
The Monks were the ultimate cult band—not just for their joyfully bonkers music, but for the way their cult revived them. In the mid-'60s, five discharged American soldiers in Germany recorded Black Monk Time, the greatest banjo-rock record in history. Polydor refused to release it in the U.S.—it was catchy stuff, but practically anti-war-Dada for 1965. So, Black Monk Time remained in the annals of collector cool until fans tracked down semi-retired band members in Minnesota and elsewhere, spurring a book, reunions, a 1997 reissue on Henry Rollins' Infinite Zero label, and a recent documentary.
Together, these lovingly packaged and liner-noted new CDs collect everything (including bonus tracks) from the out-of-print edition of Black Monk Time, with an additional eight demos from '65, an earlier single as The Torquays, and a previously unreleased studio track, "Pretty Suzanne." Well-recorded enough to stand as their own organ-powered object of mysterious fascination, the demos on Early Years reveal inspiration in progress, including the percussive sociability of the harmonies, toms, and guitar before lyrics were added.Grade: Black Monk Time, A+; The Early Years 1964-1965, B+
