Amon Düül II
Hi Jack

It's an "old story" by now, because, as usual, when I need to get an album by a band I'm not familiar with, the first thing I do is look at the cover that attracts me the most.

Amon Düül II were among the pioneers of German Rock and for a certain period were associated with Amon Düül I. Interestingly, both formations emerged almost simultaneously in 1969. The technical skill of the musicians is not high, but despite this, the songs offered are pleasant and original. It should be noted that their music initially emerged as an artistic outlet for an anarchist-freak commune of about a dozen people. The CD consists of eight tracks lasting about forty-five minutes in total (2008-Revisited). The group is composed of: Renate Knaup (vocals), Chris Karrer (guitars, violin, vocals, tenor-sax), John Weinzierl (guitars), Peter Leopold (drum, percussion, acc, guitar), Lothar Meid (bass guitar, vocals, string-arr), Falk-Ulrich Rogner (synthesizer).

The first track, "I Can't Wait (part 1+2)," is the longest (11 min) and features a good and original vocal performance with some hints of "space" sounds. However, in my opinion, it's not the best episode, maybe because it becomes a bit boring after a few listens. "Traveller" is probably the piece I prefer, thanks to Renate's beautiful voice, at times delicate and at times decisive, with some thrilling flute passages. "You're Not Alone" is a slow song that didn't particularly excite me, although it does have its musical value. "Explode Like a Star" is a typical Kraut-Rock track, fast and with convincing guitar solos. The instrumental "Da Guadeloop" is excellent, with percussion and drums in the foreground, over which a predominantly Blues-oriented guitar comes in. At a certain point in this track, you hear screams and even the trumpeting of an elephant! Simply stunning is the track sung by Renate in "Lonely Woman" on a refined percussive and piano base, as brief as it is wonderful, including the saxophone solo. These last two pieces are connected with curly brackets on the notes of the packaging and should be understood as a single piece. "Liquid Whisper" is excellent, thanks also to Renate's vocal performance and, even at first listen, could remind you of certain typical passages of English Progressive Rock. The record concludes with "Archy The Robot," a song that definitely refers to the album cover. However, apart from the good lyrics, it is a simple song like many others.

Excellent packaging (for once) which contains a satisfying booklet with comprehensive notes on the group (both in English and German) and also a series of photos of the records of Amon Düül II and other Kraut-Rock groups. The CD printing is also great, echoing the tracks of the much-loved LPs. Ultimately, it's a valid product, despite its compositional and creative simplicity, but it possesses a remarkable inner strength. And the cover? The cover by Patrick V Spreckelsen is notable and depicts a curious alien, with a prehensile tail, just stepped out of a shuttle and immediately captured by a robot with some kind of adhesive filaments. In the distance, you can observe a kind of winged alien, all in white, illuminating the shuttle. Album rating 4 out of 5 (aliens).