Hey-Ho,
Let's Go- Uncle Monk
by
Peter Aaron
...“Sure,
it’s possible,” says Tommy, “It never really
occurs to me because I’m so into Uncle Monk right now,
but sure, it’s possible. I mean, who knows?”
So
Tommy Ramone, then, is a man who lives firmly in the now.
Despite any acclaim—overdue or in situ—for his
previous work, he’s no slave to his past and he’s
learned enough not to try to predict the future. But there’s
certainly a paradox here, in that the music of Uncle Monk
is inspired by recordings made 50 to 80 years ago [in addition
to the Carter Family, Tommy cites Gid Tanner and The Skillet-Lickers
and the Louvin, Stanley, and Monroe brothers as favorites].
For
many new listeners, though, the rawly recorded, often amateurish
howl of early rural American music is just far too weird.
“Well, yeah, it might be hard to get into at first,
it might seem strange,” offers Tommy. “But if
you stick with it and immerse yourself slowly in this music,
you’ll find it’s very rewarding.”
Kind
of like what a lot of people first said about punk rock.
Uncle
Monk will play at Muddy Cup in Kingston on October 13 and
Club Helsinki in Great Barrington on October 26.
www.unclemonk.com
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