Amon Duul 1: geniuses or charlatans?

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i came across a self-titled Amon Duul 1 record on a german label - i believe this is sessions from their first "monster" recording jam. i have never listened to the first of the two AD's; though i am familiar (and fond of) the "seminal" AD2 releases.

anyway, this record blows my mind. it's nothing like i thought it would be - i imagined long, spacey jammy ash ra temple sorta stuff, but instead it's something like the half japanese of krautrock. it's primitive, plodding, sort of stupid, drugged out, and they don't exhibit a single shread of "conventional" musical aptitude. it's either brilliant or awful, i haven't decided - probably a little of both.

― john fail (cenotaph), Thursday, 6 March 2003 21:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Love 'em.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 March 2003 21:34 (twenty-three years ago)

No charlatans there; as far as I can tell, they really were hippies.

― dleone (dleone), Thursday, 6 March 2003 21:37 (twenty-three years ago)

It's nice, but I prefer Ash Ra Tempel's self titled over any Amon Duul anyday, or even Guru Guru's "UFO" for that matter (which is good, but me thinks a little overrated).

Then again, I prefer the first three Amon Duul II records over any of the above, so beware me the mathprog dirthippie.

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 6 March 2003 21:54 (twenty-three years ago)

hippie genius charlatans, i say. _psychedelic underground_ = part of a grand tradition of stumbling, guitar-whomping genius.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 6 March 2003 21:58 (twenty-three years ago)

If you like the monster jams of Amon Duul I, then check out Parson Sound (with an umlaut over the a). Talk about a monster!

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Thursday, 6 March 2003 21:59 (twenty-three years ago)

and hell, check out hapshash and the coloured coat _featuring the human host and the heavy metal kids_ - they may have been english but somehow they straddle the duul 1/duul II fence perfectly.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 6 March 2003 22:35 (twenty-three years ago)

My favorite Amon Duul 1 lyric:

"Waaaooaahwhwhwaoaaaaaaahhhh mwwwaaohahahhhhwww"

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 6 March 2003 22:57 (twenty-three years ago)

i second the hapshash and the coloured coat recommendation. And amon duul 1 - Paradiswartz Duul -= classic classic classic

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 6 March 2003 23:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to have "disaster", which was apparently from the same "monster jam" session. I didn't like it too much, i'm afraid. The whole sound was like, "hey guys, let's tape our next jam session on this cheap cassette recorder"
"where will we put it so it won't get stood on?"
"under the drumkit!!"
I couldn't get into it. I like the early duul 2 albums, and guru guru as well. I'd like to hear Paradiswartz Duul, but i've never found a copy.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 6 March 2003 23:44 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, i definitely hear some similarity to the parson sound (maybe in terms of repetition). i guess i was just most surprised by amon duul 1's ineptitude - i expected more space and electronics. plus the fidelity is remarkable - i couldn't tell if my record was just played to death, or if my stylus was shot, but my friend heard it and said that's the way his CD sounded.

― john fail (cenotaph), Thursday, 6 March 2003 23:50 (twenty-three years ago)

the amon duul I records from that session, unsurprisingly, decline in quality in order of release. it must've been one hell of a session, though.

paradieswarts duul is another thing entirely, and as i've probably said about 6 billion times on ILM, it is genius.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Friday, 7 March 2003 00:29 (twenty-three years ago)

it's all great, be a believer. utopia is a great LP as well

steve k

-----------
go.to/stevek

― steve k (stevek10), Friday, 7 March 2003 00:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Paradiswartz was definitely my favorite record for a long time - i still listen to it a few times a year - it's perfect

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 7 March 2003 01:39 (twenty-three years ago)

The Jandek of Hippie Communies with much less recordings. Love is Peace Freedom is Harmony...

― brg30 (brg30), Friday, 7 March 2003 04:18 (twenty-three years ago)

my old band Golden Calves, in one of our many cleverly placed nerd-o references, titled the last song on our first LP "Calves Heavenward".

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 7 March 2003 04:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Charlatans or Emperor's New Clothes - whatever you prefer. The "session" albums are like an extended musical tantrum by people with no actual talent. In contrast, I quite like "Paradieswarts Duul" - tho like most the more obscure Krautrock artefacts it's nowhere near as good as better known Krautrock. It's perfectly simple, the most famous Krautrock bands and albums are famous for one reason - they're the best Krautrock you're ever going to hear.

― Dadaismus, Friday, 7 March 2003 14:03 (twenty-three years ago)

One unexpected thing about Amon Duul is how good-looking the band was. Check out the photo on the inside sleeve of Psychedelic Underground -- both the men and women are beautiful, and if the photo was taken yesterday they would be described as having a sharp fashion sense.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 7 March 2003 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I concur with the last statement - the guys in the band have the best haircuts of the late 60s.

― Dadaismus, Friday, 7 March 2003 15:52 (twenty-three years ago)

the most famous Krautrock bands and albums are famous for one reason - they're the best Krautrock you're ever going to hear.

but silberbart! SILBERBART!!!

― your null fame (yournullfame), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Does anyone know anything about the German band Improved Sound Limited? They did part of the soundtrack for Wenders's Kings of the Road.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought they were more in a pop/classic rock direction than most krautrock. Not that I've heard them, mind you.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, they definitely are. "My Rig," which is featured at the end of the film, sounds like a German Flying Burrito Brothers. But I like it, so I'm curious.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Some music from the film is available here.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh actually it's called "9 Feet Over the Tarmac" (beautiful title) and it's like the FBB on quaaludes.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 7 March 2003 21:46 (twenty-three years ago)

but silberbart! SILBERBART!!!

Oh yeah, Half-Razing or whatever that album is called is madness. Yeah, I think a ton of the 70's German rock underground is DEFINITELY worthwhile. I kind of had an obsessive period with this stuff, trying to collect everything, etc. I mean, Agitation Free are probably not considered one of the "famous" groups but At the Cliffs of the River Rhine is fucking touched.

Siloah's two records are pretty great if you're in the right frame of mind. Definitely more peaked than the AD1 stuff as far as I'm concerned. The first Gila record is great. The first track on the Electric Sandwich lp is an awesome Krautrock jammer. Actually, it sounds maybe a little like Faust. The rest of the album is kind of naff though. Emtidi's two records are charming, stoned gems. Goofy as hell but fun. "don't sit on the grass / it's too cold for your ass" - classic line.

The Necronomicon record is just bizarre, like if people in 18th century germany had access to electricity and wanted to form a band that sounded like Black Sabbath. All the Witthuser and Westrupp stuff is alternately hilarious and spooky, and largely great. And I don't know a lick of german! The My Solid Ground record has some good drifting burbling music, alternating w/ a couple tight rockers; worth exploring if you're into this scene.

Xhol Caravan were spotty. I definitely didn't get much out of United Dairies thing. But the first and third records are intriguing. Mostly the third one, some great stoned moments on that. Hau-Ruck was just ineffective canterbury worship. For more of that, check the two Brainstorm recs. Krokodil really hit a peak w/ invisible world revealed; everything else they did is pretty forgettable.

Hell I even like the Rufus Zuphall records.

I guess the point is, um, there was some pretty worthwhile and entertaining music to come out of this group, beyond the obvious names...

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 8 March 2003 10:34 (twenty-three years ago)

siloah, i forgot about them - the first album fits in with that "stoned communal jam" sound...

i love that necronomicon album, it's right up there with flower travelling band's _satori_ in my favorite pre-metal releases.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Saturday, 8 March 2003 10:45 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Bosko Balaban Stats For Season

Name Bosko Balaban
Team Aston Villa
Total Appearances 0
Starts 0
Substituted 0
Total Minutes Played 0
Avg Minutes Played Per Start 0
Goals 0
Avg Goal Mins When Starting 0.0
Avg Mins Played/Goal Scored 0
Goals Scored As Sub 0
Number of Bookings 0
Total Booking Minutes 0
Avg Bookings Per Start 0
Number of Red Cards 0
Total Red Card Minutes 0
Avg Red Cards Per Start 0

― bosko, Monday, 14 June 2004 03:36 (twenty-one years ago)

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