I'm glad this has been made available through Amazon. I was going to the Play Loud! website regularly to find out when it was coming out.
It's the documentary we've all been waiting for, and a real revelation. So little is known about the Monks, especially in the US -- just that they had a seminal sound and dark, weird presentation. And they were slightly funny, too. Most of all,they influenced all kinds of other bands and have been called the precursor to punk.
My only regret is that the producers were unable to interview the managers of the Monks who set them into motion and were such an influence on their sound and presentation. However, on the plus side, I'm glad they were able to interview all the Monks as two of them have passed away since this documentary was in production.
It's about time that someone made this film.
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There was a time when Monks had sadly, for the most part, slipped into musical obscurity. Were it not for the genius that is Mark E. Smith.
Mr. Smith used some Monks songs as a stepping stone, not quite 100% faithful covers, to create some of the great tracks on The Fall's splendid 1990 'Extricate' album. Without 'Extricate,' attention to this band and the subsequent trickle down of new found interest may never had happened with a worldwide audience. Primarily because of The Fall's large cult following, it in turn raised awareness, spawned a reissue of their sole long player 'Black Monk Time' and motivated bass player / vocalist Eddie Shaw to author his recollections about the band in his book also entitled 'Black Monk Time.'
In 1996 I spoke to Eddie Shaw in S.F. when he was signing and selling his book at a music fest. The Fall had been playing over the loudspeakers and I asked him about some of the newer music he liked. Eddie's eyes sparkled and he readily informed me how The Fall was his #1 favorite band. While there are many reasons while anyone would pick The Fall as a favorite, it was also clear how much he appreciated Mark E. Smith's use of Monks material and namedropping to help bring the Monks story to a new audience.
This film is the next wonderful step in bringing even more attention to a well deserving band. Not only well crafted and a visual delight that years of hard work went towards creating, it places Monks into a setting of great contextual/historical interest: The 60's Cold War, Vietnam, and pop art explosion.
The dvd not only contains a large amount of some well thought of extras, but all of the artwork and package make this a must purchase for fans of documentaries, history, art and culture. Not too mention fans of a wide variety of music from '60s to experimental and beyond.
I also have an extended piece written on the Monks and this dvd release, along with trailers and photographs here at this webzine: Enjoy!
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I was working at a hip, cool record store in Evanston, IL in the late 80s. (You know the type of store: the kind that has MONKS records.) The BLACK MONK TIME LP had just been reissued for what I think was the first time. The owner of the store knew about the band, naturally, and played the record for me. Of course, I instantly bought the record and have been a fan ever since.
Just when you think "Well, I love that band, but I guess I'm alone here," along comes someone else who loves the MONKS. And next thing you know, you're part of a cult. Not the kind who thinks aliens are coming to Earth to save the human race and we must buy track suits and await their arrival, but the kind of cult that Robert Altman once described thusly: "Saying a movie [or band] has a cult following just means there's not enough people for a minority." I agree, but who cares? Enough MONKS fans exist that they even reunited on more than one occasion to sell-out crowds.
And after you hear about that, you think the cult's dying down. Then, along comes a documentary about the band.
And what a documentary it is. It's just like the MINUTEMEN documentary a few years back; it tells you everything you want to know about a band, then continues to tell you even more. Then even more. But, like a terrific meal that fills you completely, you find there's room for dessert.
The MONKS documentary, THE TRANSATLANTIC FEEDBACK, is just such a documentary.
And the real tasty part of the film is the live concert footage of the MONKS back in the 60s in Germany. Unbelievable quality. Unbelievable sound. And saying it's a "clip" is misleading. This is not merely a 30 second, bad quality clip. It's the entire show, as originally broadcast back in the 60s. There are 4 entire MONKS songs, shown live from the tiny club in Hamburg.(Oh, those lucky, cool, smart, hip people.) This is what the DVD format was made for. Clips from their first reunion show in New York are present,too, complete with Genesis P-Orridge, the founder of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, espousing the importance of "knowing your roots" as he enters the club to watch the concert as well. Right on, sir. Or ma'am. Back then? Sir. (If you don't understand that, it's for the Industrial Music fans)
The packaging is fantastic, too. This was unquestionably a labor of love for Play Loud, and it's apparent in the quality of the product itself. A slim, DVD-size digi-pak holds the DVD and a great little booklet, as well as a welcome advert for other Play Loud MONKS merch.
This is a film for all types of people: those who love a good documentary; those who love music, all types; but mainly it's for those of us who love THE MONKS. It's such a lovely treat. And now it's there, for all the "cult" to put on a shelf, worship, and watch again and again.
Thank you Play Loud, and thank you Amazon for making it so easily available.
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I like to drive people batty with my Monk CD at work. Folks, you either "get it", or you just don't. Music can be an expression or for financial gain. The Monks were definitely an expression. This documentary may help you "get" what it was all about.
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The fact that a documentary like this exists in the first place is a testament to the influence of the subject and the temerity of the film-makers. The influence of these five GI's pioneering work in deconstructing sound has been recognised and reverberates constantly throughout the oeuvre of much of today's music.
There's no disputing that seeing those Beat Club clips in such great shape indicated just what a force of nature that the monks were.
The way the story is told is a departure from how these things often play out. The guys tell their own story and the talking heads are kept to a minimum. There are many cool extras on this DVD release including the full German TV clips and a great interview with Dave Day.
I think Roger passed away before the film was finished and of course, Dave Day passed since it came out. monk music (note that lower case) has been enjoying something of a roll in the metaphorical hay of late. With many publications lauding their work and it's all as a result of this fine, lovingly-made documentary getting the ball rolling.
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