Amon Düül

Amon Düül
Origin Munich, Germany
Genres Krautrock, experimental rock
Years active 1967–1971, 1980–1989
Associated acts Amon Düül II
Past members Eleonora Romana Bauer
Rainer Bauer
Klaus Esser
Angelika Filanda
Helge Filanda
Hansi Fischer
Wolfgang Krischke
Peter Leopold
Ulrich Leopold
Uschi Obermaier
Chris Thiele
John Weinzierl

Amon Düül was a German political art commune formed out of the student movement of the 1960s that became well known for its free-form musical improvisations. This spawned two rock groups, Amon Düül (sometimes referred to as Amon Düül I) and the more famous Amon Düül II. After both groups disbanded in the 1970s, some of the original members reunited in the 1980s under the name Amon Düül again, though this incarnation is commonly referred to as Amon Düül (UK) to avoid confusion with the original one.

Origins

Amon Düül began in 1967 as a radical political art commune of Munich-based artists calling themselves, in part, after the Egyptian Sun God Amon.[1] Düül, which is probably a fictive word, came from the album Tanyet[2] of the Los Angeles psychedelic rock band The Ceyleib People,[3] which was highly appreciated by band members. This album contained a song featuring a self-created mythology with an element called "Dyl",[4] but it was transformed into "Düül" by Amon Düül members, to create a more Germanic, and at the same unusual sounding word.[5] Led by Ulrich Leopold, Amon Düül included Ulrich's brother Peter Leopold (15 August 1945 - 8 November 2006), together with Austrian Rainer Bauer and Chris Karrer on guitars. Karrer has since claimed that, "the only original thing from that period which hasn't been released yet is a 1967 recording of the basic Amon Düül band." Later, the commune would add Bauer's sister Ella, Helge and Angelika Filanda, Uschi Obermeier, Wolfgang Krischke, Falk Rogner and Renate Knaup.[6] The commune attained underground popularity for its free-form musical improvisations, performed around the happenings and demonstrations of the youth movement at the time. The commune had a liberal attitude to artistic freedom, valuing enthusiasm and attitude over artistic ability, and as a result, band membership was fluid; anyone who was part of the commune could be part of the group. They issued a declaration: "We are eleven adults and two children which are gathered to make all kinds of expressions, also musical."[7] A faction within the commune was more ambitious, conventional and musically structured than the commune society overall. This led to a split within the collective, and in September 1968 they performed at the International Essen Song Days—Germany's first underground festival[8]—as two groups, "Amon Düül" and "Amon Düül II", at the suggestion of drummer Peter Leopold.[9]

Amon Düül engaged in exuberant open-ended experimentation that at times equalled their psychedelic rock equivalents in countries such as the USA or Brazil (e.g. Os Mutantes), with a focus on political activities. The members were close to Kommune 1 in Berlin and boasted, for a time, a prominent member in the model and activist Uschi Obermaier. Amon Düül signed a contract with the firm "Metronome Records", and continued for seven years with varying degrees of success and in various guises. They wound down in 1973 after releasing four official albums (and a posthumous fifth), though all except one were recorded at the 1968 sessions for their debut. Apparently, the man responsible was producer Peter Meisel, who released the albums without the band's approval in an attempt to capitalise on the success of Amon Düül II.[6] The LPs are these days regarded as unique, if unessential, records in the history of German rock.[10] In contrast, their Paradieswärts Düül album featured a pastoral, folk-influenced sound (produced by Julius Schittenhelm) which is highly regarded amongst krautrock fans.[11] The name 'Amon Düül' was trademarked by Chris Karrer and Peter Leopold of Amon Düül II, meaning that re-issues of Amon Düül's albums have been required to license the name from them.

Band members

Four of the bands five album releases consist of jamming sessions recorded in late 1968 or early 1969. The musicians credited on these sessions are:

Peter Leopold joined Amon Düül II in time for their 1969 debut album; Wolfgang Krischke died around 1969, freezing to death while under the influence of LSD;[12] and Uschi Obermaier moved on to Munich's "Highfisch-Kommune" (scene of Peter Green's notorious LSD experience) and Berlin's "Kommune 1". Guitarist Klaus Esser then joined the band line-up in time for the 'Eternal Flow' / 'Paramechanical World' single recorded in June 1970:

Rainer Bauer and Ulrich Leopold were guest musicians on one track on the Amon Düül II album Yeti released 1970, which also featured a photo of the deceased Wolfgang Krischke dressed as 'Der Schnitter' (The Harvester)[12] or 'Der Sensenmann' (The Grim Reaper)[6][13] on the album cover. On the band's final recording, Paradieswärts Düül (recorded in November and December 1970), the band were:

with guests:

Amon Düül II and Amon Düül UK

Main article: Amon Düül II

Amon Düül II were formed by the more professionally and technically inclined members of the original collective, with core members Chris Karrer, Falk Rogner, Renate Knaup-Kroetenschwanz, John Weinzierl, and Peter Leopold. They signed to the United Artists label and released a string of highly regarded albums with strong psychedelic and progressive flourishes. After 1975, the band changed labels and moved towards more accessible music, before finally disbanding in the late 1970s.

After a spell with Hawkwind, Amon Düül II's original bassist Dave Anderson formed a short-lived band called Amon Din with drummer John Lingwood, ex-Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton and John Butler in 1971-2.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Amon Düül II's John Weinzierl, with Dave Anderson and various others, began releasing albums as Amon Düül, though this band is commonly called Amon Düül (UK) to differentiate it from the original one. Between 1982 and 1989, they released five albums.

When the 1990s brought new exposure and audiences to the original krautrock groups, Chris, Renate, Falk and John reunited and continue to perform as Amon Düül II sporadically.

Legacy

Amon Düül and Amon Düül II influenced such bands in late 70's like Hungarian psychedelic hardcore, 'shaman punk' band Galloping Coroners.[14]

Discography

Amon Düül

Amon Düül II

Amon Düül II Discography

Amon Düül (UK)

Amon Düül (UK) Discography

Sources

References

  1. ↑ Amon Düül at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Amon Düül at AllMusic
  3. ↑ Amon Düül at AllMusic
  4. ↑ Amon Düül at AllMusic
  5. ↑ Charlie O'Mara: Interview with guitarist John Weinzierl (from Amon Düül 2). Silhobbit.com (prog. rock magazine). Link inserted 14-06-2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Communing With Chaos by Edwin Pouncey - 'The Wire' #144 (February 1996)
  7. ↑ Amon Düül – Germany’s Psychedelic Rockers
  8. ↑ Wagner, Christoph (2003). "Deutschlands Woodstock" (in German). Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  9. ↑ Amon Düül at 'All News In One'
  10. ↑ "Amon Düül at Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock".
  11. ↑ Krautrocksampler: One Head's Guide to the Great Kosmische Musik - 1968 Onwards by Julian Cope
  12. 1 2 Amon Duul - 'Mojo Magazine' #41 (April 1997)
  13. ↑ Gross, Jason (August 2008) "Amon Düül II: John Weinzierl interview" Perfect Sound Forever Retrieved 2010-10-23
  14. ↑ "Eurock.com - Music from around the World: Features and Reviews". www.eurock.com. Retrieved 2015-05-28.

External links

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