The Monks

Despite the brevity of their existence in the mid-'60s, the Monks crafted a sound that would be aped and acknowledged over subsequent years. The Early Years 1964 — 1965 offers up a number of demo recordings made prior to the recording of the band's debut record. The versions here play a bit looser, with the organ cranked up, as the band rumble their way through songs that anticipate a variety of garage groups that would follow. Early Years conveys a keen sense of the group's antics on tracks such as "Boys Are Boys" and "Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy." Many of the songs, recorded in September 1965, previously saw the light of day on another compilation entitled Demo Tapes 1965, but the Early Years adds in a couple different tracks, along with in-depth liner notes from Canadian DJ Kevin "Sipreano" Howes, adding to the mystique of the Monks.