Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Great Underappreciated J. Geils Album, July 31, 2000
I hesitate calling this one their best. That's probably because their first three (and especially the incendiary "Live - Full House") remain so damned explosive after all these years. But "Monkey Island" is certainly their most ambitious and probably their most provocative, in terms of their songwriting and the spread of their blues and soul aspirations. Heard on another level, "Monkey Island" did for the J. Geils Band what the Rolling Stones merely hoped most of their 1970s output would do for them - kick them onto another plane altogether. The difference was, a) the Geils band could outplay the 1970s Rolling Stones (and damn near anyone else, at their best) with their hands amputated; and, b) Geils and company never put themselves in position to become solipsistic caricatures of themselves, not even when they slicked up and popped out in the early 1980s. But the group's 1980s hitmaking was merely fun. "Monkey Island" is downright transcendent, even on the J. Geils Band's terms.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Overlook this J Geils!, March 17, 2002
I was a big J Geils fan, but I never went for the slick productions. This CD is very satifying, without falling into that trap. I had Monkey Island on tape years ago. Not all of it has aged well, it has the indellible stamp of the '70's guitar. The shining stars are the strong vocals and music on "Surrender!", the rollicking remakes of "I'm not Rough" and "I Do", and the very poignant "Wreckage", which was the track I remembered most. The ballads are well turned out and the title track is interesting, and if "I Do" doesn't get you dancing, I don't know what will. This album deserved a lot more attention than it got. One or two listens, and you will find yourself hooked. It's a mixed bag of styles, but it does not disappoint.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting album...uniquely J. Geils Band, December 23, 2004
I loved this album when it first came out and I still love it today. This is the kind of album I wish someone (anyone!) would produce today. This is an album with an attitude -- it's funky, it's groovy, it's tough, it's fun, it's sad and it's even sweet at times. There is truly something for everyone on this album -- from the hot, hot, hot Surrender featuring Cissy Houston to the unbelievable harmonica solo from Magic Dick and Seth Justman's stellar keyboards on the hauntingly jazzy and beautiful Monkey Island. Wreckage, the final track, closes the album on such as achingly satisfying note that you'll want to play the whole thing over again. Justman and Wolf really hit this one on the mark with a combination of rock and roll, blues, and jazz that shows off their great dimensionality, highlights their musical roots and gives a glimpse of what's to come on their later albums. I HIGHLY recommend this album!
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by The J. Geils Band 
