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Primitive genius from the mighty Monks – their early demos for tracks that would eventually be ignited and explode on record for the uber-essential Black Monk Time LP and others – including the pre-Monks single by The 5 Torquays – issued properly in full for the first time ever by Light In The Attic! The thing that knocked us out about the Early Years compilation almost immediately is how sharp and clear the sound is – you never know the recording quality you'll get with the word "demo" in the title, but this stuff sounds great – secondly, the tracks demonstrate just how fierce these dudes were early on! The eerie organ, tribal thump of the drums, fuzzed out guitar and sneering vocals are in full glory here. This is a necessary set for longtime fans and would even serve a solid into to the uninitiated – and Light In The Attic has done an impeccable job with the booklet, photos and overall presentation. Pure greatness! Titles include "Monk Time", "Love Came Tumblin Down", "Boys Are Boys", "Space Age", "We Do Wie Du", "I Hate You", "Pretty Suzanne", "Higgle-Dy-Piggle-Dy", "Hushie Pushie", "Oh, How To Do Now" and more from the '65 demos, plus 2 tracks from the a single recorded by the pre-Monks moniker "The 5 Torquays" in '64: the earlier version "Boys Are Boys" plus "There She Walks". CD

The last slice of work to be released from the incredible Monks – a group of American servicemen who rocked the German scene in the mid 60s – and have gone onto become the stuff of legend over the years! The group's Polydor recordings have been issued and reissued many times – but this shorter batch of tracks features five tunes recorded at the Top Ten Club in the summer of 1967 – evidently the last work that the group did together before breaking up – with a sound that's every bit as amazing as their famous album, if not more adventurous overall! The Monks' approach is very hard to peg – certainly elements of garage and psych, but with a madness that really makes these guys completely unique – maybe even more so here, as they weren't trying to please any execs at a record company. Titles include "I Need U Shatzi", "Yellow Grass", "Julia", "PO Box 3291", and "I'm Watching You" CD

A legendary live set by The Monks – that offbeat group of American servicemen who recorded famously in Germany during the 60s, then dropped out of sight for decades until a big wave of interest in their sound during the 90s! This set is maybe the culmination of that interest – as it features the group's first concert performance in decades, and one that has them sounding really amazing – not dusted-off old rockers, but these fantastically sharp instrumentalists who are maybe adding in even more weird bits than before – fronted by singer Gary Burger, who has tremendous energy in driving on both the band and the crowd. Titles include "That's My Girl", "Shut Up", "Monk Time", "Hushie Pushie", "Oh How To Do Now", "We Do Wie Du", "Boys Are Boys", "Monk Jam", and "I Hate You". CD

An incredible batch of prime garage rock era nuggets from the Peruvian scene – fuzzy gems by the Saicos! The Saicos bring a sense of menace to these tunes – with a guitar tone touched with an eerie vibe, and lead vocals that are really piercing and gravelly in that instills this primordial edge that needs to be heard to be believed – but that balance it off with some moddish, British invasion grooves, too. The overall sound manages to blend both the heavy menace of cult acts like the Monks and the Seeds with the tunefulness of the Animals – and clear precursor the garage punk for decades to come! Titles include "Come On (Ven Aqui)", "Ana", "Demolicion", "Lonely Star (Estrella Solitaria)", "Cememterio", "Te Amo", "Fugitivo De Alcatraz", "Salvaje", "El Entierro De Los Gatos", "Besando A Otra" and "Intensamente". Comes with a great booklet, too! CD

An excellent set from John Tchicai – one that really gets at the unique tone of his work on alto! The setting is spare – with Pierre Dorge on guitar and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and Tchicai's doing the bulk of the work on the session, cutting these sharp yet soulful lines on the alto, matching them with Dorge's guitar, but also running free in some beautiful lines. Titles include "Moksha Point", "One Way Ticket", "Monks Mood", "Graceful Visitor", "Nothing Doing In Krakow", and "Blue Barrier". LP, Vinyl record album