Amon Düül II
“WE lived together and experienced so much together,” says Renate Knaup. “If I had the money, I’d find a house where all of us could live again, with a huge rehearsal room. I would love that.” The Bavarian krautrock collective grew from the countercultural Amon Düül commune outside Munich, breaking away in 1968 when others became more interested in politics than mind-expanding psychedelic music. Still, the group lived together for the next five years – despite musical and personal tensions, police raids and even run-ins with the Baader-Meinh of Group – and the music they produced in that time was often phenomenal, from the improvisational grooves of 1970’s Yeti to the brighter, spaced-out songs of 1972’s Wolf City.
“We tried to be a bit different,” says John Weinzierl, guitarist and singer. “We didn’t want to be especially German, or especially whatever. It was psychedelic and underground music.” While 1973’s Live In London captured them in fine form, the band are hoping to return to the UK this March for gigs in Manchester and London. “The first gig we played in England was at the Marquee,” says Chris Karrer, guitar player, singer and violinist. “We went onstage and saw all these great rock artists – some of The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks – in the audience watching the Germans come here.”
PHALLUS DEI
LIBERTY, 1969
After breaking from the original Amon Düül commune and becoming a sensation in Munich clubs, the group quickly recorded their debut
The commune was founded in 1967 and split one year later, because one half wanted to be completely political
