Albums

Phallus Dei 1969
Yeti 1970
Tanz Der Lemminge 1971
Carnival In Babylon 1972
Wolf City 1973
Live In London 1973
Viva La Trance 1974
Hijack 1975
Lemmingmania (Comp) 1975
Made In Germany 1975
Pyragony X 1976
Almost Alive 1977
Only Human 1978
Vortex 1981
Nada Moonshine 1995


Phallus Dei (Liberty 1969)

Album Legnth: 41.41

Genre: Rock

Best Song: 'Kannan'

Release Info: 1993 CD Reissue REP 4274-WY

Tracks:

1. Kannan 4.03
2. Dem Guten, Schonen, Wahren 6.13
3. Luzifers Ghilom 8.34
4. Henriette Krotenschwanz 2.04
5. Phallus Dei 20.48
Rate This Album Online

Average Rating based on 13 votes: 3.9



Overview:

Literally translated as 'God's Penis', 'Phallus Dei' is an important album which helped to define the genre. The groups unique blend of rock, Eastern influence, and improvisation led to a powerfully energetic sound that is distinctly German in every way. The band, eight members in total, consisted of two drummers, Dieter Serfas and Peter Leopold, who together, provide one of the most prominent percussion sections in rock history. The vocals are dark and full of angst; especially those performed by Shrat which come off as operatic in nature. The album kicks off with 'Kanaan', a powerful percussion-driven track with romantic overtones. 'Kanaan' explores Eastern musical motifs with a flair of German romanticism and showcases guest musicians Holger Trulzsch (Popol Vuh) on Turkish drums and Christian Burchard (Embryo) on vibraphone. Following this is 'Dem Guten, Schonen, Wahren' a track which was first released in its embryonic form as 'Kaskados Minnelied' on Amon Duul's (the sister group) debut-LP 'Psychedelic Underground'. The musical growth of this track is astounding as Amon Duul II rocks out in gloomy fashion while Shrat delivers some of the most crazed vocals ever put onto record. 'Lucifers Ghilom' is noteworthy for its innovative and bizarre musical structure. As with later works, most notably 'Tanz Der Lemminge', the musical direction shifts constantly as the track builds. Predating Embryo, 'Ghilom' introduces a wonderfully-obnoxious screeching electric violin into the mix. 'Henriette Krotenschwanz', a short track with a marching drumbeat and pulsing bass riff, showcases Renate Knaup performing lead vocals. Finally, the album is brought to a close by the twenty-minute psychedelic opus 'Phallus Dei'. 'Phallus Dei' is a large scale improvisation that introduces elements that would later dominate the bands sound. The album has been reissued by Repertoire in a remastered digipak edition with five bonus tracks 'Freak Out Requiem I-IV' and 'Cymbals In The End'. [5/5 Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar, Vocals, Violin
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Falk Rogner - Keyboards
Dieter Serfas - Drums
Peter Leopold - Drums
Dave Anderson - Bass
Christain 'Shrat' Thierfeld - Vocals, Percussion, Violin


Yeti (Liberty 1970)

Album Legnth: 67.54

Genre: Rock

Best Song: 'Archangels Thunderbird'

Release Info: 1997 CD Reissue REP 4748

Tracks:

1. Soap Shop Rock 13.47
2. She Came Through The Chimney 3.02
3. Archangels Thunderbird 3.34
4. Cerberus 4.21
5. Return Of Ruebezahl 1.41
6. Eye-Shaking King 5.41
7. Pale Gallery 2.17
8. Yeti (Improvisation) 18.12
9. Yeti Talks To Yogi (Improvisation) 6.19
10. Sandoz In The Rain (Improvisation) 9.00


Overview:



Album Rating: 4 out of 5 [Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Falk Rogner - Keyboards
Peter Leopold - Drums
Dave Anderson - Bass
Christain 'Shrat' Thierfeld - Vocals, Percussion


Tanz Der Lemminge (Liberty 1971)

Album Legnth: 68.46

Genre: Rock

Best Song: Syntelman's March Of The Roaring Seventies

Release Info: 1997 CD Reissue REP 4749

Tracks:

1. Syntelman's March Of The Roaring Seventies 15.50
2. Restless Skylight-Transistor-Child 19.33
3. Chamsin Soundtrack 18.10
4. Chewinggum Telegram 2.45
5. Stumbling Over Melted Moonlight 4.39
6. Toxocolagical Whispering 7.45


Overview:



Album Rating: 5 out of 5 [Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Falk Rogner - Keyboards
Lothar Meid - Bass
Peter Leopold - Drums


Carnival In Babylon (United Artists 1972)

Album Legnth: 36:59

Recorded: 1971 Bavaria Studio

Genre: Rock

Best Song: "Hawknose Harlequin"

Release Info: 1997 CD Reissue REP 4751

Tracks:

1. C.I.D. In Uruk 5.36
2. All The Years Round 7.24
3. Shimmering Sand 6.36
4. Kronwinkl 12 3.55
5. Tables Are Turned 3.37
6. Hawknose Harlequin 9.50
7. Light 3.51*
8. Between The Eyes 2.29*
9. All The Years Round (Single Version) 4.12*

*=Bonus Track
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Average Rating based on 20 votes: 3.4


Overview:

Much calmer than their preceding work, 'Carnival In Babylon', the group's fourth album, is a movement towards a more accessible and melodic sound. The album is dominated by shorter tracks which mix together folk, progressive, jazz, and ethnic influences. The only links between this and their prior work are the 10-minute 'Hawknose Harlequin' and 'Kronwinkel 12'. Edited down from a 40-minute jam, 'Hawknose Harlequin' is a mix of 'Tanz' styled space rock and 'Yeti' styled free-form jam. Likewise, the short acid-pop tune 'Kronwinkel 12' is similar in feeling with earlier acid rockers 'Soap Shop Rock' and 'Archangels Thunderbird'. The remaining tracks feature a laid-back, mature rock sound complete with acoustic guitar, psychedelic electric guitar, spaced-out organ, as well as rock and ethnic percussion. Renate Knaup returns to the fold and performs lead and backing vocals on five tracks. 'All The Years Round' and 'Hawknose Harlequin' feature some truly toe-tapping guitar riffs while 'C.I.D In Uruk', 'Shimmering Sand', and 'Tables Are Turned' offer up some ethnically-tainted folk grooves. The Repertoire release contains three bonus tracks, of which 'Light' stands out as an oddball rocker reminding me of the Velvet Underground sound. [4/5 Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar, Violin, Sax, Vocals
John Weinzierl - Guitar, Vocals
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Karl-Heinz Hausmann - Keyboard
Lothar Meid - Bass, Vocals
Peter Leopold - Drums
Danny Fichelscher - Percussion


Wolf City (United Artists 1973)

Album Legnth: 34:39

Genre: Krautrock

Best Song: 'Sleepwalkers Timless Bridge'

Release Info: 1997 CD Reissue REP 4678-WY

Tracks:

1. Surrounded By The Stars 7.46
2. Green-Bubble-Raincoated-Man 5.04
3. Jail-House-Frog 4.52
4. Wolf City 3.20
5. Wie Der Wind Am Ende Einer Strasse 5.44
6. Deutsch Nepal 2.59
7. Sleepwalkers Timeless Bridge 4.54
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Average Rating based on 17 votes: 3.8


Overview:

'Wolf City' is perhaps the most popular Amon Duul II recording. The sound is a continuation of the style which dominated "Carnival In Babylon". The tracks are shorter and made more accessible by a more mainstream rock approach and Renate Knaup's dominance on lead vocals. In addition to her vocals, Lothar Meid sings on the title track while Danny Fichelcher is responsible for the vocals on 'Sleepwalkers Timeless Bridge'. Despite losing touch with their underground ways the songs are fresh and range from the psychedelic "Wolf City' to the ethnic-rock-fusion 'Wie Der Wind Am Ende Einer Strasse' to the heavy gothic rocker 'Deutsch Nepal'. Some songs are so fresh that there are a few musical passages which could be deemed as 'proto-punk' or even 'proto-new wave' (check out the rocking middle section of Green-Bubble-Raincoated-Man). The obvious standout are tracks 1,4,5,6. It should be noted that allegedly, 'Wie Der Wind Am Ende Einer Strasse' was the result of an LSD trip in which according to legend, the entire band dropped acid and decided to record while tripping... This is a must-have for fans of Amon Duul II and Krautrock fans in general. Most ADII fans view this as their last great album while viewing later material as sadly lacking. [5/5 Doug]
Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Falk Rogner - Keyboard
Lothar Meid - Bass
Danny Fichelcher - Drums


Live In London (United Artists 1973)

Album Legnth:

Genre: Rock

Best Song:

Release Info:

Tracks:

1. Archangels Thunderbird
2. Eye-Shaking King
3. Soap Shop Rock
4. Improvisation
5. Syntelman's March of the Roaring Seventies
6. Restless Skylight-Transistor-Child
7. Race from Here to Your Ears/Little Tornados/Riding on a Cloud/
8. Bavarian Soap Shop Rock*
9. Improvisation on Gulp a Sonata*

*=Bonus Track


Overview:



Album Rating: out of 5 [Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Falk Rogner - Keyboards
Lothar Meid - Bass
Peter Leopold - Drums


Viva La Trance (United Artists 1974)

Album Legnth: 44.51

Genre: Rock

Best Song: 'Mozambique'

Release Info: 1996 CD Reissue CTCD-036

Tracks:

1. A Morning Excuse 3.19
2. Fly United 3.31
3. Jalousie 3.29
4. Im Harte Bluhm Wieder Die Baume 3.08
5. Mozambique 7.45
6. Apocalyptic Bore 6.40
7. Dr. Jeckyll 2.59
8. Trap 3.37
9. Pig Man 2.39
10. Manana 3.20
11. Ladies Mimikry 4.15


Overview:



Album Rating: 2 out of 5 [Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Robby Heibl - Bass
Lothar Meid - Drums
Keith Forsey - Drums
Peter Kramper - Piano


Hijack (NOVA 1975)

Album Legnth:

Genre: Rock

Best Song:

Release Info:

Tracks:

1. I Cant Wait
2. Mirror
3. Traveller
4. Youre Not Alone
5. Explode Like A Star
6. Da Guadeloop
7. Lonely Woman
8. Liquid Whisper
9. Archy The Robot


Overview:



Album Rating: out of 5 [Doug]

Musicians:

- Guitar
- Guitar
- Vocals
- Keyboards
- Bass
- Drums


Made In Germany (Nova 1975)

Album Legnth: 69.51

Genre: Rock

Best Song: Metropolis

Release Info: 1996 CD Reissue REP 4631-WP

Tracks:

1. Overture 5.12
2. Wir Wollen 1.33
3. Willhelm Willhelm 3.11
4. SM II Peng 2.17
5. Elevators Meet Whispering 1.26
6. Metropolis 3.37
7. Ludwig 2.33
8. King's Chocolate-Waltz 2.28
9. Blue Grotto 3.34
10. Mr. Kraut's Jinx 8.44
11. Wide-Angle 4.07
12. Three-Eyed Overdrive 1.17
13. Emigrant Song 3.22
14. Loosey Girls 5.13
15. Top Of The Mud 3.46
16. Dreams 4.09
17. Gala Gnome 3.52
18. 5.5.55 1.39
19. Krautoma 6.09
20. Excessive Spray 1.41


Overview:



Album Rating: 2 out of 5 [Doug]

Musicians:

Chris Karrer - Guitar
Johannes Weinzierl - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Robby Heibl - Bass
Nando Tischer - Guitar
Peter Leopold - Drums
Thor Baldrusson - Keyboard


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