Monk Underground

Monk Underground

ASIN: B0000026BD

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Underground was recorded in 1967, about 20 years into the career of this wholly distinctive and unorthodox pianist-composer. Whenever the understated saxophone talents of Charlie Rouse accompany Thelonious Monk, one is assured of an invigorating set of music--and this collection is no exception. Supported by Larry Gales on bass and the inimitable Ben Riley on drums, Monk and Rouse elaborate on immortal compositions like "Ugly Beauty." On "In Walked Bud," the quartet is joined by vocalist Jon Hendricks. With jagged themes and unusual variations of meter and key, Underground showcases an aging Monk's still-brilliant eccentricity on the piano. A good bit looser than much of Monk's earlier work, he and Rouse infuse this date with their tag-team humor and unrelenting musical enthusiasm. --Mitch Myers

Tracks:

Thelonious (Take 1)
Ugly Beauty (Take 5)
Raise Four
Boo Boo's Birthday (Take 11)
Easy Street
Green Chimneys
In Walked Bud
Ugly Beauty (Take 4)
Boo Boo's Birthday (Take 2)
Thelonious (Take 3)

Amazon.com

Underground was recorded in 1967, about 20 years into the career of this wholly distinctive and unorthodox pianist-composer. Whenever the understated saxophone talents of Charlie Rouse accompany Thelonious Monk, one is assured of an invigorating set of music--and this collection is no exception. Supported by Larry Gales on bass and the inimitable Ben Riley on drums, Monk and Rouse elaborate on immortal compositions like "Ugly Beauty." On "In Walked Bud," the quartet is joined by vocalist Jon Hendricks. With jagged themes and unusual variations of meter and key, Underground showcases an aging Monk's still-brilliant eccentricity on the piano. A good bit looser than much of Monk's earlier work, he and Rouse infuse this date with their tag-team humor and unrelenting musical enthusiasm. --Mitch Myers

Customer Reviews:

Classic of classics in Jazz.......2006-10-11

Amazon lists this as # 24 in his catalog of albums. I think this is by far one of his best, at least a top 5, as for me this is my favorite of all my 20+ Monk albums. Green Chimneys, In Walked Bud and Boo Boo's birthday are among some of the best songs he has ever written. This era in Monks music had his best line up of musicians including Charlie Rouse and Ben Riley. If you know your Jazz you will know what a great album this is. If you are just starting a Jazz collection, this is a great addition. If you are new to Monk, try a Greatest Hits. The bonus tracks are a great bonus.

Viva La Monk!.......2006-01-23

Monk is in top form here. leading his band up and down a winding path full of prosperous improvisational detours and stopping at melodic landmarks all along the way. i love Underground because not only are the songs so well performed and such a great example of Monk's complicated-yet-catchy style of writing; but also because the controversial cover image is a reminder of Monk's great sense of humour. and i have to admit that i am not a big fan of vocal jazz, but Jon Hendricks performance on "In Walked Bud" is one of the highlights of this album! hard to believe that he came up with that lyric line on the spot, but...wow!

Underground Thelonious.......2005-12-21

The remastered sound of Underground's reissue is much cleaner and crisper. The songs were restored to the original recorded length and there are a few bonus tracks added. Oh yeah, the album cover is clearer and closer (which is very important).

I agree with the reviewers that say this is not Monk at his peak, but regardless of that, I think this is one of his best albums. The musicians sound like they are having fun performing and the relaxed approach to the recording takes away from some of the intensity sometimes expressed in some of the classic Monk albums.

There are some nifty liner notes including an explanation behind the album cover and the story surrounding the making of the album.

(about the editing)
I somewhat prefer the edited versions of these songs from the previous release because the songs feel concise to the compositions. That may upset some jazz purists, but frankly a decent solo can get lost in the translation of the recording and end up hurting the overall performance and composition. I think back in those days the musicians expected the solos to get edited (it was a natural part of the recording process). These "unedited" versions that we hear in these re-issues are not necessarily what the musicians intended as the final versions.

Overall, Thelonious Monk's Underground is a terrific album; one of his best and I highly recommend checking it out- edited or unedited.

Some great stuff, some so-so........2005-10-07

Thelonious Monk entered the studio in late 1967 and early 1968 for the last time with his long-standing quartet of Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Larry Gales (bass) and Ben Riley (drums) to record a new album, an album that would be new in more ways then one-- no less than four new Monk compositions were debuted on this record, and in retrospect, it appears to be a fine swan song for a man whose legacy on Columbia is enormous.

Due to a death in the family, Charlie Rouse missed on the sessions, leaving his performance on only three of the seven cuts on the album. Those cuts all turn out to be new pieces-- "Ugly Beauty", a waltz based on a seven note chord, finds the band is stunning form-- meditative and sensitive yet exciting at the same time-- the interaction between the band is stunning-- look no further than when Monk drops out, suspending Rouse above Gales and Riley, for an example of this. The trio plays fantastically together, but it still FEELS like Monk's music, no one else's, even without the leader's piano. "Boo Boo's Birthday", one of my personal favorite Monk pieces, features a theme that implies an echo, stated (as often Monk did) on piano then tenor, before bursting into a stunning improv that could only be described as a duel-- Monk and Rouse both freely associate around the theme, coming together and yet not throughout the piece. "Green Chimneys" falls a bit short though-- it had been attempted for "Straight, No Chaser" earlier in the year and Monk rejected it for that album, but I findt hsi performance not much better. The bouncey theme works out ok, particularly with Riley on opposite beats from Monk and Rouse, but Rouse's solo feels a bit too tentative (Monk however is brilliant).

The remaining four cuts find the band without their sax player-- Monk falls back a bit on his stride influences-- "Thelonious" and "Raise Four" (the latter new at this session) both have a heavy stride sound, and neither is completely satisfying. The former lacks the sense of urgency earlier recordings had, the latter feels a bit undeveloped. The last two pieces are both oddities. "Easy Street" finds Monk in an almost straight ballad mood, performing with a sensitivity and delicateness before turning to an arco solo by Gales (something we don't hear much of from him). "In Walked Bud" features vocalist Jon Hendricks, who happened into the studio and was invited by Monk to sing on a piece-- while his lyrics are a little rough in their delivery, the rendition is a lot of fun and a real highlight.

This reissue features superb sound courtesy of remastering and thre bonus tracks-- all alternate takes-- as well as restoring material edited for LP. The restoration is great, but the alternates, while entertaining, all clearly feel inferior to the issued master (mind you, all are acceptable, it's just that what was put out was better). This is not one of Monk's best, but certainly there are a couple essential cuts on here, and it's well worth the investment for fans.

One of the Best of the Best.......2005-10-01

I'm simply dumbstruck that as of Oct 2005, only two people have reviewed this album to date. Browsing through various Monk albums on Amazon, it seems most have relatively few reviews. I can't understand this.

If I were stranded on a desert island and could bring a single album with me, I wouldn't hesitate about the composer: Thelonious Monk. Perhaps one of the least appreciated and most misunderstood geniuses of our time (up there with Bela Bartok and Frank Zappa), Monk is simply the greatest of them all to my mind.

(...)

Average customer rating:

Mediocre is a bit harsh
Underappreciated offering by Monk
Underground Underrated
Not Monk's best period

Underground
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000026BD
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Thelonious
Ugly Beauty
Raise Four
Boo Boo's Birthday
Easy Street
Green Chimneys
In Walked Bud

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre is a bit harsh.......2006-03-27

Certainly this is not a classic must-have jazz album. But to call this album "mediocre" is a bit harsh. Monk has been more creative, as his somewhat dull playing "Raise Four" proves. He has been more energetic as well. This set fails to consistently raise the excitement bar a whole lot.

But it is a good disc for those wanting to hear Monk for the first time, because the melodies and solos on most of these tracks are worth hearing. In particular, the comical and cute "Boo's Birthday" and the gorgeous melody of "Ugly Beauty" (which sounds incredibly modern in its conception) really kick this disk up a notch.

Underappreciated offering by Monk.......2002-05-18

This is the second Monk album I ever heard (Monk's Music was the first) and the first I ever bought. I still listen to it quite often. The criticisms one may have read of it not being very worthwhile because it breaks no new ground strike me as...well, as snobbish. Yes, it has some older songs on it, but "Thelonious" (for example) still sounds good and Monk has rarely hammered a keyboard like he does on this rendition. These are Monk's own songs, for crying out loud, and he obviously felt he had more to explore. Thelonious was such an innovator and so far ahead of his time, I don't understand how someone can criticize his last few Columbia discs because he wasn't breaking new ground when he'd been doing that very thing for close to 20 years.

This CD still swings, and for my money, that's the highest praise possible. Monk was a tormented genius who gave us wonderful music. I for one appreciate his gift. Listen, swing with Monk and enjoy.

Underground Underrated.......2001-02-25

OK, so it's not a five star album, but this may be one of Monk's most accessible works. This was the first Monk album I bought (I'll admit, it was the album cover) and I probably listen to it more than "Brilliant Corners" or "Monk's Music" or any of the other favorites of the purists. This album is maligned only because it came late in his career, when he was no longer breaking new ground. But ther are some winners here, including the haunting "Ugly Beauty" the affectionate "Boo-Boo's Birthday", written for his daughter.

Not Monk's best period.......1999-11-12

A decent record, but with so many great Monk CDs available, for completists only. The Columbia years, by and large, where more ones of consolidation than exploration for Monk, and the music is often run-of-the-mill. "Underground" is a perfectly mediocre example.

Average customer rating:

Underground
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000W3RSK
Release Date: 2003-12-29

Tracks:

Thelonious (Take 1)
Ugly Beauty (Take 5)
Raise Four
Boo Boo`S Birthday (Take 11)
Easy Street
Green Chimneys
In Walked Bud
Ugly Beauty (Take 4)
Boo Boo`S Birthday (Take 2)
Thelonious (Take 3)

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring Three Bonus Tracks

Average customer rating:

A Good CD
Fantastic!!!
Finest Hip-Hop of the Decade!

Shaping the Invisible
General Monk
Manufacturer: Alpha-Omega Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00062L43Y
Release Date: 2004-09-13

Tracks:

Intro
General Monk
I Make Beats
Change
Ready or Not
Minneapolis MN
Center of My Universe
COPS
Die in Vienna
Everything Must Go
Both Sides (of Girls)
Tropic of Concern
Roan & Akeem

Customer Reviews:

A Good CD.......2005-06-26

I don't usually like rap music, but I was impressed by this CD. It has a good beat and interesting lyrics. Also, the artist is a homegrown Minnesotan - refreshing!

Fantastic!!!.......2004-09-22

Catchy, philosophical and compelling. This is what music should be. I loved this CD and can't wait for his next!

Finest Hip-Hop of the Decade!.......2004-09-21

This CD is by far the finest Hip-Hop recording I have encountered. General Monk is a highly skilled musical producer who expresses the heart and soul of the Hip-Hop generation by brilliantly weaving deep philosophical lyrics with complex and engaging musical arrangements. General Monk is definitely an up and coming artist who will inspire listeners for years to come--the CD is a great buy!

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music