Amon Düül II
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Munich , Germany |
| Products | Music albums, live performances, film scores |
Amon Düül II (also known as Amon Düül 2, Pronunciation: Amon Düül) is a German rock ensemble established in 1968. The band is widely acknowledged as a trailblazer within the West German krautrock genre. Their 1970 release, Yeti, was hailed by the British publication The Wire as "one of the cornerstones of ... the entire Krautrock movement."
Originating from the radical West German Amon Düül art commune located in Munich, Amon Düül II debuted with the album Phallus Dei in 1969. The group also ventured into composing film scores, earning the prestigious German film accolade Deutscher Filmpreis for their contribution to the 1970 movie San Domingo.
History
Formed amid the late 1960s West German communal movement, Amon Düül II's original lineup featured Chris Karrer, Dieter Serfas, Falk Rogner, John Weinzierl, and Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz—the only female member of the band. The collective emerged from the Munich-based Amon Düül art commune, which was initially designed to generate funds by involving all inhabitants in musical activities regardless of their proficiency. When a recording contract was offered, the commune divided: those with greater musical expertise founded Amon Düül II, while others produced lower-quality records under the name Amon Düül to benefit from ADII's growing success. Despite these changes in membership, ADII continued to embrace a communal way of living.
Their debut album, Phallus Dei (1969), comprised pieces performed live and featured a core ensemble including Karrer (violin, guitar), Weinzierl (guitar, bass, piano), Rogner (keyboards), bassist Dave Anderson, along with drummers Peter Leopold and Dieter Serfas. At this stage, Renate Knaup's vocal contributions were limited. The band toured extensively across universities, academies, clubs, and venues equipped with electrical power and audiences, broadening their presence both nationally and internationally alongside acts such as Tangerine Dream. Their travels also included stays at other communes like Berlin's influential Kommune 1.
The follow-up album Yeti (1970) showcased structured compositions paired with blues-inspired violin and guitar improvisations exemplified by the lengthy title track. In 1971, Tanz der Lemminge presented four expansive progressive rock suites. By this period, Anderson had returned to England to join Hawkwind, making way for Lothar Meid on bass; additionally, synth player Karl-Heinz Hausmann became part of the lineup. Earlier collaborations had seen Karrer working with Meid and drummer Christian Burchard in a short-lived project called 'Amon Düül O'.
Maintaining an active touring schedule, they recorded Live in London toward the end of 1972. In 1975, they secured contracts with Atlantic Records for US distribution and United Artists Records for Germany before initially dissolving in 1981.
Besides their albums and live performances, ADII undertook film score commissions, notably receiving the Deutscher Filmpreis for their work on San Domingo. Drummer Peter Leopold died on 8 November 2006; he was succeeded by multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fichelscher, formerly associated with Krautrock band Popol Vuh, who had collaborated with ADII since 1972’s Carnival in Babylon. Bassist Lothar Meid passed away on 3 November 2015.
Band members
- Chris Karrer – vocals, violin, guitars, saxophone (1969–1981; deceased 2024)
- John Weinzierl – vocals, guitar, bass (1969–1977)
- Falk Rogner – organ, synthesizer, electronics (1969–1971, 1972–1975, 1981)
- Renate Knaup – vocals, tambourine (1969–1970, 1972–1975, 1981)
- Dieter Serfas – drums (1969)
- Peter Leopold – percussion, drums (1969–1972, 1973–1979; passed away 2006)
- Christian "Shrat" Thiele – vocals, bongos, violin (1969–1970)
- Dave Anderson – bass (1969–1970)
- Lothar Meid – bass, vocals, synthesizer (1971–1973, 1974; died 2015)
- Karl-Heinz Hausmann – keyboards, organ, electronics (1971–1972)
- Danny Fichelscher – drums, percussion, guitar, vocals (1972, 1981)
- Robby Heibl – guitar, bass, violin, vocals (1973, 1975)
- Nando Tischer – guitar, vocals (1975)
- Klaus Ebert – bass, guitar, vocals (1976–1979)
- Stefan Zauner – keyboards, synthesizer, vocals (1976–1979)
- Jörg Evers – guitar, bass, synthesizer (1981)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Phallus Dei | |
| 1970 | Yeti | Double LP edition |
| 1971 | Tanz der Lemminge | Double LP; also titled Dance of the Lemmings and known in Italy as Journey into a Dream (Viaggio In Un Sogno) |
| 1972 | Carnival in Babylon | |
| 1972 | Wolf City | |
| 1973 | Utopia | Side project by producer Olaf Kübler; reissues attribute Amon Düül II. Band members featured on some tracks. |
| 1973 | Vive La Trance | |
| 1974 | Hijack | Also stylized as Hi-Jack |
| 1975 | Made in Germany | Released as a double LP in Germany; single LP internationally |
| 1976 | Pyragony X | |
| 1977 | Almost Alive ... | |
| 1979 | Only Human | |
| 1981 | Vortex | |
| 1995 | Nada Moonshine # | |
| 2010 – 2014 | Bee as Such – Düülirium | Initially issued online in 2010 as Bee as Such; first CD and vinyl releases appeared in 2014 under the title Düülirium |
Live albums
| Year | Album | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Live in London | Recorded December 16, 1972 at The Greyhound in Croydon; remixed January 1973 in Munich. |
| 1992 | Live in Concert | BBC recording from the year 1973 |
| 1996 | Live in Tokyo |
Compilations
| Year | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Lemmingmania | |
| 1978 | Rock in Deutschland Vol. 1 | |
| 1989 | Milestones | |
| 1993 | Surrounded by the Bars | |
| 1994 | The Greatest Hits | |
| 1996 | Kobe (Reconstructions) | |
| 1996 | Eternal Flashback | |
| 1997 | Flawless | |
| 1997 | The Best of 1969–1974 | |
| 1997 | Drei Jahrzehnte (1968–1998) | |
| 1999 | The UA Years: 1969–1974 | |
| 2000 | Manana | |
| 2001 | Once Upon a Time – Best of 1969–1999 | |
| 2005 | Anthology | Comprehensive retrospective of Amon Düül II's career |
Singles
| Year | Title | Additional info | Associated album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Archangels Thunderbird" | "Soap Shop Rock" on B-side |
Yeti ' |
|-
| 1970 |"Rattlesnakeplumcake" |B-side: "Between the Eyes" |Non-album single |- | 1971 |"Light" |B-side: "Lemmingmania" |Non-album single |- | 1972 |"All the Years Round" |B-side: "The Tables Are Turned" |Carnival in Babylon |- | 1974 |"Pigman" |B-side: "Mozambique" |Vive La Trance |- | 1974 |"Mirror" |B-side: "Liquid Whisper" |Hijack |- | 1979 |"Don't Turn Too Stone" |B-side: "Spaniards & Spacemen" |Only Human
|}
Legacy
The impact of Amon Düül II extended to late-1970s acts, notably including the Hungarian psychedelic hardcore 'shaman punk' ensemble Galloping Coroners.