OFF: More_on_Amon_Duul_II

[ANDREW GARIBALDI]

sadly Eternal Flashbacks has now gone - we sold quite a few of them in the
end, but no more - take a look at the Capt Trip website and yuo'll be
surprised at how many things are actually now deleted.
Andy G.
----- Original Message -----
From: "K Henderson" <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU>
To: <BOC-L at LISTSERV.SPC.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: OFF: More_on_Amon_Duul_II


> SF says sorrowfully (sorry I can't come up with new jokes every time)...
>
> >Oh nuts, I can't help it, I have to add just a bit more to this very
> >verbose thread...all previous quotes are from KeithH (>>) and DougP
(>)...
>
> At least it isn't a one-on-one discussion. :)
>
> >My copy of the PD reissue should be arriving soon and I'll hopefully be
> >able to partially answer this when it does...
>
> For PD fans, I saw that someone on Ebay was selling a Phallus Dei button,
> one of the weirder items I've seen there lately.  It was the blue forest
> cover.  I have that CD, but also the reissue LP with the all-purple band
> photo cover with the weird sunray pattern.  What's the original look like?
> I've heard it's cool...I suppose it might be printed in one of the
krautrock
> books (Cope, Freeman, Asbjornsen) but I can't remember seeing it.
>
> >Keith's description is quite accurate even if his reaction to it is about
> >180 degrees different from mine. I think it all falls together very
> >organically, so it sounds like a continuous piece of music, not at all
like
> >a collage (like The Faust Tapes). A 60+ minute heavy psychedelic tribal
jam
> >- hog heaven for me.
>
> My main problems are 1) hardly any real new music uncovered, but mainly 2)
> the goddamn clicking!  Otherwise it would be 'ok' at least.
>
> >>> the thing ends up with (about 90 seconds of) Master of the Universe
> >>> straight off of ISoS.
> >
> >Heh, that bit always gives me a kick, though I would have guessed it came
> >off Space Ritual Vol. II - I'd better go back and listen to it again.
>
> Um...yeah, I didn't really listen too closely either.  I know it's from a
> regular source - it didn't sound unusual.  But I just assumed they'd used
> the ISoS version, 'cause why would they put Lem on there?!
>
> >If Eternal Flashback is similar, I'd love to get my hands on a copy, but
> >Andy Gilham's AD website says it was a Captain Trip promotional-style
item,
> >and I don't think I've ever seen it for sale.
>
> Um, yeah, I don't know what the deal was - I did get it direct from Ken.
> But I thought it was for sale at some point.  (?)
>
> >>> But then there are some obvious pre-Phallus Dei demo recordings
> >>> in here also.  Including most obviously a slowed-down earlier
> >>> version of Kanaan, which then leads right into the P.D. version
> >>> of the same tune.  There's also a couple different folk/skiffle
> >
> >Now I REALLY would like to hear this, though if the pattern holds I'll
end
> >up liking it less than Kobe.
>
> :)
>
> Oh, come now!  Look at the big picture.  You and I both agree that Amon
Duul
> II 1969-1975 was vastly superior to Amon Duul II 1976-1982 (and beyond),
> right?  So I just think *their* particular talents were better suited to
> (strange and quirky) song composition than psych jamming, and you guys
think
> oppositely (in that sense only).  Well, sue me.  As I was saying with the
> Scorpions, different bands present different aspects of music to my ears
and
> I respond according to what my own senses are telling me.  I get my fill
of
> psychedelic jamming from other bands (I'll throw on Guru Guru's Hinten for
a
> better time), so I'm hardly starving there if I pass on some of my
> second-favorite band's material!  :)
>
> For lots of bands, I look at a (hypothetically) unfamiliar CD of theirs
and
> see several tracks over 10 minutes in length, and think Excellent!  And
> other bands (even proggy and psych bands) and see lots of four minute
tracks
> and think Fantastic!  Well, not that often, but you get my drift.  Of
> course, with Amon Duul II, some of their best songs (RST-Child and SSR)
are
> tremendously long things (sometimes with eight titles in between) so track
> times are kinda meaningless there.
>
> >When it comes to ranking the ADII releases, I'm going to second Doug
pretty
> >much line for line, right down to them losing me at Vive La Trance,
except
> >I'd like to say that while Live in London may not strictly speaking be
> >essential, it is far too good to pass up. Also, in comparing Carnival in
> >Babylon and Wolf City, my feeling is that all the material on CiB is at a
> >more or less even level of goodness, while WC is a bit more varied - the
> >tracks on there that I really like (mostly side 2) I like more than
> >anything on CiB, while some of the others (mostly side 1) I tend to like
a
> >little less than anything on CiB. So its kind of a tossup there.
>
> Has anyone heard the '18K Gold' album?  It seems it was around the time of
> Hijack and featured a similar cast with Lothar Meid playing a big role, so
I
> never thought to look for it.  Is it out on CD?  Now knowing my tastes in
> terms of AD2, might I like it?
>
> Kraan discussion...
> >I'd particularly like to mention Johannes Papperts (alto?) saxophone
>playing
>
> Yep, he plays an alto most of all I presume, given that his nickname is
> 'Alto' Pappert.  He's now in the reunited Agitation Free.  I don't
remember
> his sax sound from back then too much off-hand...suppose it's possible he
> could be on a soprano sax there, or else maybe just using some fX.
>
> >the Live release (with the toothy topless cartoon chicks on the cover)
>
> Cuties.
>
> >And just to prove to Keith that our tastes are not completely divergent,
I
> >will say that The Phoebe Cates arrived yesterday and first listen gives a
> >good impression...
>
> They of course have split, though some tracks from (presumably) a second
> intended release are up on their mp3.com site.  I guess doing a search on
> the name will get you there, unless the actress does her own recordings.
>
> Grakkl (FAA), who believes firmly that Phoebe Cates (the band) was better
at
> long instrumental space jams than shorter shoegazer-type songs.
>
> P.S. I lied about ending this discussion.