Shindig! #167 – The Monks

In the mid-60s, five American ex-GIs traded their long hair for tonsures, their clothes for robes, and ’50s rock ’n’ roll for an explosive mix of guitar feedback, primal beats and anti-war sentiment that anticipated punk and krautrock.

JONATHAN THORNTON goes back to Cold War Germany to tell the story of THE MONKS and their sole masterpiece Black Monk Time

‘I Hate You’ is perhaps The Monks’ best-known song after ‘Monk Time’. Over a lurching beat with a menacing bassline, Gary rants and raves about hating the object of his affections “with a passion”. The sheer vitriol of Gary’s performance is subverted by the rest of the band’s dolefully intoning, “…but call me!” at the end of every line. With one track, The Monks created an ode to negation that would have done The Ramones proud, whilst puncturing the song’s glorious snottiness by highlighting the desperation hidden beneath the bravado. It’s perhaps the ultimate garage-punk anti-love song, a dissection of dysfunctional attraction miles away from the innocence of The Beatles’ ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’. It gained a wider audience when, in ’98, the Cohen Brothers used it in the soundtrack to their cult slacker masterpiece The Big Lebowski.

Following the release of the album, The Monks embarked on an exhausting six-month schedule of press events, photo shoots and gigs across West Germany. However, with the album and single commercially stalling, it was becoming clear to the band that Karl and Walther’s promises of instant wealth and fame were somewhat off the mark. Some of The Monks also found the confrontational aspect of their new sound challenging. Dave recalls, “It was still tough playing that kind of music when the people didn’t like it. That was so hard. You felt like, what are we doing to these poor people?”

Take out a 60-day trial with Qobuz today only through Shindig! to enjoy their vast catalogue, our monthly bespoke playlists, and this very album.

To read the full article you can order Shindig! #167 here