Amon Düül II explained

Amon Düül II
Landscape:yes
Origin:Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Years Active:1968–1981, 1995, 2010–present[1]
Label:Liberty, Repertoire, United Artists, Atlantic
Spinoff Of:Amon Düül

Amon Düül II (or Amon Düül 2, Pronunciation: Amon Düül) are a German rock band formed in 1968.[2] The group is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of the West German krautrock scene. Their 1970 album Yeti was described by British magazine The Wire as "one of the cornerstones of ... the entire Krautrock movement".[3]

Amon Düül II emerged from the radical West German Amon Düül art commune in Munich. The band's first album, Phallus Dei, was released in 1969. Amon Düül II received offers to write music for films and won a German film award, the Deutscher Filmpreis, for their contribution to the 1970 film San Domingo.

History

The band emerged from the radical West German commune scene of the late 1960s, with others in the same commune including some of the future founders of the Red Army Faction.[4] [5] Founding members are Chris Karrer, Dieter Serfas, Falk Rogner (born 14 September 1943), John Weinzierl (born 4 April 1949), and Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz (born Renate Aschauer-Knaup, 1 July 1948) who, thus far, is the only woman in the band.

The band was founded after Weinzierl and the others met at the Amon Düül 'art commune' in Munich. The commune consisted mainly of university students, who formed a music group initially to fund the commune, with everyone who lived there joining in to play music whether or not they had any experience or ability. The commune split when they were offered an opportunity to record, which was boycotted by the more musically proficient members of the commune (who went on to form Amon Düül II). Recordings were made by the other members but were of very poor quality and were only released later (under the name Amon Düül) to capitalise on the success of Amon Düül II's albums. As Amon Düül II grew and personnel changed, they still remained a commune, living together as a band.[6]

Their first album Phallus Dei ('God's Phallus'), released in 1969, consisted of pieces drawn from the group's live set at the time. By this time the line-up was built around a core of Karrer (mainly violin and guitar), Weinzierl (guitar, bass, piano), Rogner on keyboards, bass player Dave Anderson, and two drummers (Peter Leopold (born 15 August 1945) who had joined the group from Berlin, and Dieter Serfas. Renate Knaup at this point was only contributing minimal vocals but was very much part of the group. According to Weinzierl by this time "The band played almost every day. We played universities, academies, underground clubs, and every hall with a power socket and an audience".[6] Releasing an album brought the group greater prominence and they began to tour more widely in Germany and abroad, playing alongside groups such as Tangerine Dream, and in Germany staying in other communes including the pioneering Kommune 1 in Berlin.

Their second album Yeti (1970) saw them introducing arranged compositions along with the bluesy violin and guitar jams such as the long improvised title track. The next album Tanz der Lemminge (1971) was based on four extended progressive rock suites. By this time bassist Anderson had returned to England and joined Hawkwind, to be replaced by Lothar Meid (born 28 August 1942), and the group was augmented by synthman Karl-Heinz Hausmann (Karrer had formed a short-lived group in 1966 – supposedly named 'Amon Düül O' – with future Embryo founders Lothar Meid and drummer Christian Burchard).[7]

Still touring widely, they recorded their Live in London album in late 1972 and in 1975 signed with Atlantic Records in the US, and United Artists Records Germany and initially disbanded in 1981.[8]

As well as their albums and live shows ADII received offers to write music for films, winning a German film award, the Deutscher Filmpreis, for their contribution to the film San Domingo.[9]

Amon Düül II's drummer, Peter Leopold, died on 8 November 2006. A memorial service was held for Leopold in Munich, where the remaining members of Amon Düül II sang a song for him. Leopold was replaced by multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fichelscher, for many years guitarist and drummer of Krautrock group Popol Vuh.[10] Fichelscher is not new to the group, and in fact has had a long affiliation with Amon Düül II, having played with them as early as 1972 on Carnival in Babylon.[8]

Bass player Lothar Meid died on 3 November 2015.[11]

Band members

Discography

Artist:Amon Düül II
Studio:15
Live:3
Compilation:14
Singles:7

Studio albums

Release yearTitleNotes
1969Phallus Dei
1970YetiDouble LP
1971Tanz der LemmingeDouble LP
Also known as Dance of the Lemmings and in Italy as Journey into a Dream (Viaggio In Un Sogno)
1972Carnival in Babylon
1972Wolf City
1973UtopiaOriginally released as a Utopia album; being a side project by Amon Düül II producer Olaf Kübler; only re-releases credit the band as Amon Düül II. Renate Knaup, Falk-U. Rogner and Chris Karrer are featured in one song of the album each, John Weinzierl in two songs and Danny Fichelscher on four songs. Only Lothar Meid is featured on all eight songs of the album.
1973Vive La Trance
1974HijackAlso written Hi-Jack
1975Made in GermanyReleased as a double LP in Germany and a single LP outside Germany
1976Pyragony X
1977Almost Alive ...
1979Only Human
1981Vortex
1995Nada Moonshine #
2010DüüliriumOriginally released online as Bee as Such
First released on CD and vinyl in 2014

Live albums

Release yearTitleNotes
1973Live in London
1992Live in ConcertBBC recording from 1973
1996Live in Tokyo

Compilations

Release yearTitleNotes
1974Lemmingmania
1978Rock in Deutschland Vol. 1
1989Milestones
1993Surrounded by the Bars
1994The Greatest Hits
1996Kobe (Reconstructions)
1996Eternal Flashback
1997Flawless
1997The Best of 1969–1974
1997Drei Jahrzehnte (1968–1998)
1999The UA Years: 1969–1974
2000Manana
2001Once Upon a Time – Best of 1969–1999
2005AnthologyA complete Amon Düül II career retrospective

Singles

Release yearTitleNotesAlbum
1970"Archangels Thunderbird"b/w "Soap Shop Rock"Yeti
1970"Rattlesnakeplumcake"b/w "Between the Eyes"Non-album single
1971"Light"b/w "Lemmingmania"Non-album single
1972"All the Years Round"b/w "The Tables Are Turned"Carnival in Babylon
1974"Pigman"b/w "Mozambique"Vive La Trance
1974"Mirror"b/w "Liquid Whisper"Hijack
1979"Don't Turn Too Stone"b/w "Spaniards & Spacemen"Only Human

Legacy

Amon Düül II influenced such bands in late 70s like Hungarian psychedelic hardcore 'shaman punk' band Galloping Coroners.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Amon Düül II . May 2023 . discogs.com . 5 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Biography & History . AllMusic . 30 April 2023.
  3. [Savage Pencil|Pouncey, Edwin]
  4. Web site: Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany . . October 2009.
  5. Web site: Germanic street preachers: The psychology of Krautrock . Mark . Griffiths . 30 December 2014 . drmarkgriffiths . 22 May 2017.
  6. Web site: Interview with John Weinzierl . Jason . Gross . August 2008 . . 13 May 2009.
  7. Communing With Chaos . Edwin . Pouncey . Edwin Pouncey . . 144 . February 1996 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120529071222/http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/60/ . 29 May 2012.
  8. Book: Strong, Martin C. . 2000 . The Great Rock Discography . 5th . Mojo Books . Edinburgh . 20–21 . 1-84195-017-3.
  9. Web site: Amon Düül II . Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock . 12 February 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120205122628/http://www.gepr.net/amfram.html . 5 February 2012 . dead .
  10. Web site: Band History . Amon Duul II . 14 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090321124736/http://www.amonduul.de/main.html . 21 March 2009 . dead .
  11. Web site: Lothar Meid, Amon Düül II bassist, RIP . Jon . Davis . 10 November 2015 . expose.org.
  12. Web site: Atilla Grandpierre Interview . Archie . Patterson . eurock.com . 9 June 2015.