Search - Amon Duul II :: Phallus Dei

New music for a new era, almost forty years ago !!!!!

PortugueseMusicFan | Porto, Portugal | 12/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This remastered edition of "Phallus Dei" is outstanding!! The terrific cover itself is now with fine colours, with the ladies getting more expression in the back of the naked tree full of birds... At the first seconds of "Kanaan", the first track, we can delight with a full-bodied sound, as listening the panic male voice at the entrance, telling us that something really creepy is gone happen...the "four" tribal minutes of "Kanaan" are a dazzling musical experience and the summoning of all powers of this innovative german group...this is really the new music of a new era, still fresh today!!! Almost forty years ago, how bold this was!!!

Second and third tracks, "Dem Guten, Schönen, Wahren" and "Luzifers Ghilom" are that kind of Amon Düül II status, something between humor and terror, a kind of new ethnic chanting with hypnotic rhythms...there's a gloomy waltz at the end of "Dem Guten..." introducing the next track, and here Current 93 had plenty of sounds to sampler for their frightening records...a cry in despair (Luzifer?), menacing drums and almost-hindu chants, again a lot of nasty chorus, a desperate violin...

"Henriette Krötenschwanz", the fourth track, is a little lighter tune, in fact is a disturbing and pointless march, here Renate Knaup trying to emulate some kind of witch...

"Phallus dei", the last track of this psychedelic masterpiece, is a extended magnific jam-session, divided into various movements, always getting the trance way...it's quite extraordinary the middle-section, a madness of bongos and turkish drums side-by-side with savage screams...

Anyway, a must-buy for any psychedelic/krautrock/progressive lover...and with this superb remastered edition, a must-must!!

(The bonus tracks are unreleased versions of later recordings of the band, a nice addition!!)

"

Not a bad start

B. E Jackson | Pennsylvania | 09/03/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Updated review- July 8, 2010



WOW! I totally didn't get Phallus Dei when I first heard it a couple years ago. Apparently I somehow completely missed all the amazing psychedelic instrumental sections cleverly (and secretly) put in all the spots. Okay, maybe not ALL the right spots, but most of them.



The title song is amazing for a variety of reasons. The 4-minutes atmospheric build-up in the beginning not only reminds me of late 60's Pink Floyd, but it actually really works. It does a splendid job leading into the guitar jam.



When the guitar jam arrives, it's most fantastic for being incredibly pleasing to the ears. Maybe a comparison to Jerry Garcia's guitar style is appropriate, or maybe not. It's up to you to decide on that one.



Hey, I love the Grateful Dead, but most of the guitar playing goes by completely unnoticed to my ears. Most of the guitar work taking place throughout the jam isn't necessarily melodic, but it *works*. I can't exactly explain how it works and how I can enjoy it despite not being terribly melodic- it just does.



Then the song takes a serious 180 degree turn and reminds me of some small town festival somewhere in the midwest (such as in Kansas or Nebraska) with the brilliant violin jam that dominates a majority of the second half (about 10 minutes worth of playtime, I totally kid you not!)



The violin alone (or is it a fiddle? Who knows!) shifts through all kinds of tempo changes and just takes flat out bizarre directions, but since I love that darn instrument so much, I can't help but believe the entire jam is just mind-boggling terrific.



I can actually see why I didn't get this album at first- this is like extremely challenging psychedelic music (if such a thing is possible!)



Some people may think the psychedelic movement is all about the sounds and weirdness factor, and that you're not really supposed to care about the majority of actual notes taking place, but an album like Phallus Dei proves such a theory wrong. There *is* quality and memorable instrumental chops scattered all over the 20-minute title song. It just takes time and patience to begin to hear some of them.



I'm not quite sure what to think about a song like "Luzifers Ghilom". The distinct German vocals are somewhat of a distraction and take away from the music taking place in the background, but hey! This could very well be another example of a song that has yet to really dazzle me. One day I might totally fall in love with it, who knows? Anyway, the guitar playing is quite heavy. That's about all I can really hear besides the occasional slabs of bass and heavy emphasis on those German vocals.



I really underestimated this album. It's fantastic. Just expect a challenging album.



Anyway, here's my old review-



The first Amon Duul II album sounds like the early stages of heavy punk rock combined with ghostly howls, lengthy melodic bass lines, and the occasional sound effects to give the album an overall dark and twisted vibe. I dig what the band is trying to do here, however, Amon Duul II would soon move on to bigger and more creative musical ideas.



This is just the beginning stages of a band featuring an extremely raw and heavy style without much in the way of direction. I would give this album a higher rating if it wasn't for the fact that albums like Yeti and Wolf City are totally sweet."