Amon Duul II Tanz Der Lemminge CD

German art-hippie communards Amon Duul II were among the Krautrock genre's most unusual propositions. Less doggedly motorik in their approach than contemporaries Neu! and Harmonia, less self-consciously arty than groups like Faust and Can, their acid-drenched brand of psych-rock combined a wildly primitive streak with sophisticated prog-like arrangements. TANZ DER LEMMINGE, a brain-melting, epic double album set from 1971, stands as a definite statement of the group's early sound. Toning down the doom-laden guitar freakouts of their previous effort, YETI (1970), for a gentler, more acoustic palette, the follow up stretches out across four LP sides consisting of extended jamming, folksy vignettes, and freeform improvisations. TANZ. opens with an extended suite of acoustic jams cryptically titled "Syntelman's March of the Roaring Seventies." Building upon a thematically introduced melody through various connected movements, the song moves deliberately from gentle folksiness to fragmented, abstract weirdness. Meanwhile, "The Marilyn Monroe Memorial Church," a long form-free improvisation, bears almost no traces of the band's rock roots, recalling instead the proto-industrial soundscapes of groups like Kluster. While TANZ DER LEMMINGE marked the last album of Amon Duul II's most experimental phase, the sheer variety of approaches and sensibilities on display also makes it a recommended entry point for neophytes.

Digitally remastered edition. Fans predisposed to the sprawling psychedelic explorations of ADII's first three albums will often cite this one as their best. When you really need to blast off into space, you cannot beat "Tanz der Lemminge". This album is literally an explosion of music, all over the map, all completely mind warping: you have guitar jams that seem to emanate from the eternal ("Toxicological Whispering"); extended, otherworldy sonic explorations ("Chamsin Soundtrack"); structured suites full of strong dynamic shifts and haunting timbres ("Syntelman's March of the Roaring Seventies"); completely off the wall riff-based numbers with wacky vocals and brain-bending sound effects (all throughout "Restless Skylight-Transistor-Child").Uncut (p.74) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A]n incredible odyssey of sonic inventiveness."