The Monks

While the disc’s title suggests raw and unpolished recordings, this collection of songs shows the group’s garage tunes in well-crafted form. Many of the tracks appeared on the Monks’ debut, Black Monk Time, in 1966 but the demo versions here feature some slightly different takes on those songs. Formed by former American G.I.s who stayed in Germany after their discharge, the Monks discography was extremely limited but the handful of tunes the group released conveyed a vivid musical imagination. Demo Tapes 1965 shows how the group were well ahead of their time with songs that fused psychedelic church organ blasts, off-kilter rumbling rhythms and insistent, distorted guitar parts. The disc also features a couple of songs from the pre-Monks group the Five Torquays for good measure. Demo Tapes 1965 adds another collection of gems to the inventive musical treasure created by the Monks during their brief initial incarnation.