j o e

The second faction of the legendary Krautrock commune was the more musical (in the traditional sense) of the two. Nevertheless, ADII was still pretty out there, especially at this early phase of their existence. Yeti is pretty basic stuff fresh from the garage, with a good three-quarters of the material on the first two sides in the same exact key! But the double-album still has lots to recommend it and is very much prog in terms of the three Es: experimentation, expanded lengths, and eccentricity. The opening four-part suite "Soap Shop Rock" has the same disorienting effect as riding a quickly-spinning amusement park ride for a couple of hours, while the vocals of "Eye-Shaking King" erupt with an electric, demonic hiss designed specifically to make you feel like Dennis Hopper circa Apocalypse Now. There is a moody acoustic 12-string number named "Cerberus" and the commanding, doom-laden vocals of Renate Knaup on "Archangels Thunderbird," one of the album's finest tracks. The third and fourth sides of the album are all improvisations, asi-asi. Note "Sandoz in the Rain" is probably a reference to the Legend of the "Garden of Sandosa" theme that forms the basis of Amon Düül I's album Psychedelic Underground. Yeti's take on the drugged-out, hazy psychedelic albums of the heady late 60s-early 70s is definitely worth hearing, though won't be for those into prog-as-melody-and-virtuosity. Also, allow yourself several plays to substantially absorb this stuff. review by Joe McGlinchey — 6-27-00 —

m a t t

Phallus Dei was a very auspicious debut for ADII, but their "dark" sound matured on this, their second album. The band seems to pay more attention to structure and the orchestration of their sonic effects and although there is still a "garage" element to it, the results sound less amateur than on Phallus Dei, though no less inspired. On this album Amon Düül II fully developed a dark, swirling, thunderous psychedelic sound. I find this once-double album somewhat uneven, but still superlative overall. The first half of it (what was once the first LP) is, in my opinion, quite excellent. "Soap Shop Rock," a 13:42 multi-part suite that must rank among the best pieces this band has ever done, is a testament to the band's growing skills as writers and arrangers. Built around a solid riff and grounded by an insistent, churning drum pattern (I love how classic Krautrock drumming managed to sound simultaneously funky and mechanical) the "Burning Sister" part sets the tone for the album right away: heavy and demented. The piece veers off into some relatively quieter passages although a shrieking violin eventually takes over the lead from the guitar. The strangled vocals (which are mostly in English on this album) enhance the effect. The next six songs are much shorter. The heavy stuff continues to pack a manic punch, with acoustic pieces providing textural contrast. "Archangels Thunderbird" lays down some wickedly funky drumming and when the guitars all kick in it sounds like a twisted version of The Who covering "Summertime Blues." "Eye-Shaking King," in which the general chaos is abetted by eerie treated vocals, is truly scary. The second half of the album is made up of 33 minutes of improvisations. I think they're pretty decent, but not as interesting as music on the first half. "Sandoz in the Rain" is probably my favorite of these. Awash with acoustic guitars and highlighting the violin and flute, it conjures a great pastoral atmosphere and is evidence of the band's increased range. review by Matt P. — 2-26-05 —