The Monks
One of the strangest stories in rock history, the Monks were formed in the early '60s by American G.I.s stationed in Germany. After their discharge, the group stayed on in Germany as the Torquays, a fairly standard beat band. After changing their name to the Monks in the mid-'60s, they also changed their music, attitude, and appearance radically. Gone were standard oldie covers, replaced by furious, minimalist original material that anticipated the blunt, harsh commentary of the punk era. Their insistent rhythms recalled martial beats and polkas as much as garage rock, and the weirdness quotient was heightened by electric banjo, berserk organ runs, and occasional bursts of feedback guitar. To prove that they meant business, the Monks shaved the top of their heads and performed their songs -- crude diatribes about the Vietnam war, dehumanized society, and love/hate affairs with girls -- in actual monks' clothing.
This was pretty strong stuff for 1966 Germany, and their shocking repertoire and attire were received with more confusion than hostility or warm praise. Well known in Germany as a live act, their sole album and several singles didn't take off in a big way and were never released in the U.S., it was rumored, because the lyrical content was deemed too shocking. They disbanded in confusion around 1967, but their album -- one of the most oddball constructions in all of rock -- gained a cult following among collectors, and has ironically made them much more popular and influential on an international level than they were during their lifetime. Bassist Eddie Shaw's 1994 autobiography, Black Monk Time, is a fascinating narrative of the Monks' stranger-than-fiction story.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
Discografía
11 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
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The Early Years 1964 - 1965
Rock - Editado por Light In The Attic Records el 13 abr. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nice Legs Shame About Her Face
Rock - Editado por Planet Blue Records USA el 1 ene. 1979
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Monks, Vol. 2 (Mono Version)
Pop - Editado por BNF Collection el 1 ene. 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Suspended Animation (Expanded Edition)
Punk - New Wave - Editado por Cherry Red Records el 24 ago. 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nice Legs Shame About Her Face
Rock - Editado por Latin Central Records el 1 ene. 1979
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Medisons / Je Suis fou De Toi
Rock - Editado por Apache el 26 jun. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blockhead
Afrobeat - Editado por The Gallo Record Company Vault el 12 may. 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Monks Opinion
Afrobeat - Editado por The Gallo Record Company Vault el 24 nov. 1975
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sleep Walk
Jazz - Editado por Black & Partner Licenses LLC el 10 may. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo