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The band, in all their infrared glory.

Amon Düül II is a German rock band formed in 1968, considered part of the Krautrock movement. It emerged from a Munich commune. The band's early history is rather convoluted. Suffice it to say that there was a split at the commune, with one band called Amon Düül and another called Amon Düül II. Amon Düül consisted of commune members who didn’t have much musical ability. Amon Düül II’s members did, and ADII is the band recognized as one of the luminaries of the Krautrock crew, alongside Kraftwerk, Can, Neu!, and Faust.

ADII is notable for trippy improvisations, oddball but catchy shorter songs, and surreal album cover art. Best-known example: the cover of Yeti; this image also graces the cover of Julian Cope's book Krautrocksampler. The band still performs sporadically.

Amon Duul II’s discography:

  • Phallus Dei (1969)
  • Yeti (1970)
  • Tanz der Lemminge (Dance of the Lemmings) (1971)
  • Carnival in Babylon (1972)
  • Wolf City (1973)
  • Live in London (1973)
  • Vive La Trance (1973)
  • Hijack (1974)
  • Made in Germany (1975)
  • Pyragony X (1976)
  • Almost Alive (1977)
  • Only Human (1979)
  • Vortex (1981)
  • Nada Moonshine (1995)
  • Düülirium (2010)

Tropes:

  • Design Student's Orgasm: The album covers for Yeti, Tanz der Lemminge, and Carnival in Babylon. You can thank keyboardist Falk Rogner, who also did cover design.
  • Epic Rocking: On "Phallus Dei," "Mozambique," "Soap Shop Rock," "Yeti," and most of Tanz der Lemminge.
  • The Grim Reaper: The cover of Yeti depicts a photograph of a reaper-type figure wielding a scythe. In fact, the guy with the scythe was Wolfgang Krischke, ADII's sound man, who had died of hypothermia while tripping on acid. Keyboardist/album cover artist Falk Rogner included the photo of Krischke as a tribute.
  • One-Woman Wail: Courtesy of singer Renate Knaup on Phallus Dei.
  • Revolving Door Band: This is to be expected from a band that formed at a commune. They even teamed up with some members of Amon Düül I for Yeti.
  • Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: "Mozambique"
  • Word Salad Song Titles: "Eye Shaking King," "Soap Shop Rock," "Dehypnotized Toothpaste," "A Short Stop at the Transylvanian Brain Surgery," "Toxicological Whispering", "Green Bubble Raincoated Man"...

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