Amon Düül (1) - Krautrock Noise-Mongers Quiz

Answer: Munich, Germany, 1967

Amon Düül (eventually Amon Düül 1) begat Amon Düül 2. Normally there would be umlauts over the Us in both their names, but this site does not love umlauts etc.

They were one of the very first Krautrock bands in Germany and one of the very first to issue a record. The initial band formed in Munich, Germany in 1967. Originally they were all members of the same commune. Most of the band members had few, if any, musical skills, so what you had at first were a ton of drums, one or two semi tuned 12 string electric guitars, a ton of acid and moaned vocals. According to legend everybody participated regardless of competence level. Women, men, children. Even the dogs! Enthusiasm and attitude, not musical ability, were the keys that turned over this band's engine.

Answer: Prophesy Records

This is how I first purchased the LP: as a $1.00 cut out white label promo (has anybody actually ever personally seen a US pressing of this that was not a white label promo?) purchased at Roger's Records in Woodland Hills, California in 1970. Now I had originally heard the original German version on my yearly German vacation the year before, at Schellenberg in Trier, where they had private listening booths with big comfy couches and where they were so used to me they let me put whatever I wanted to on and spend all day listening.

In 1969 I wore out their copy of that album and spent hours looking at the stunning cover it was packaged in. While the US issue uses the back cover of the German album as its front cover the US version is nowhere near as luscious as the original German gatefold issue.

The US version uses the rear cover of the German front cover (the rear cover of the US issue has the info and a black and white band photo) and it has a matte single sleeve, not the original glossy gatefold cover.

The German copy was the nicer issue but in no way was I going to pay DM22- (about $10 at the time) for a beat up and worn out copy. But one dollar for a sealed US copy? Heck yeah!

Answer: Peter Meisel

All of the options given are actual German record producers: you can thank Uwe Nettelbeck for the amazing Faust and you can thank Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser for a whole ton of stuff (would somebody here PLEASE do an Ohr Records quiz so I don't have to?). Dieter Bohlen is about as far removed from just about anything I would ever listen to as is humanly possible (Modern Talking anyone?).

Peter Meisel was the man responsible for most of the band's releases regardless if the band sanctioned them or not. As I love this band thank god for Peter Meisel! Collectors note: a few years back there was a (bootleg) release that was widely available in most record stores that carry import vinyl. It purported to be a live concert recording of the band. In actuality it was a straight counterfeit of the band's second release 'Collapsing'. Do not waste your money as you will be sorely disappointed. The ONLY live recording of the band known to exist was a two CDR Japanese bootleg release limited to 50 copies. It shows up every now and again on download sites if you are into that sort of thing.

Answer: Blow Up Club, Munich

All of these clubs exist in these cities. But it was the shows the band did at the Blow Up in Munich that people who saw them rate as absolutely legendary and which got the band the attention they received from record companies and the press originally.

Answer: Paradieswärts Düül

It is the polar opposite of their other records: beautiful druggy folk psych. (Decades before the term existed). And it is one of the easiest albums by them to find due to post 2005 reissues (the original pressings were atrocious. Full of snaps, crackles and pops throughout. Trust me: buy the Spalax label cd or find a vinyl reissue. Avoid original issues like the plague unless you are seriously into surface noise). A single was even issued (included as bonus tracks on the CD reissue). Everything the average listener might hate about this band is nowhere to be found on this record.

'Mitten Ins Ohr' was a great two LP Ohr sampler. 'Duel Düül' and 'Ansonsten' are made up titles. 'Paradieswärts Düül' was issued in 1970. The closest I can describe it is if early Wishbone Ash were a psychedelic folk rock band and had a male and female singer. This album is the safe way to get your feet wet with this band, especially if you do not like noisy repetitive music or drum circles.

Answer: Uschi Obermaier

Claudia is a model. But she was born after the band's final (legit) album was released. Inga Rumpf was the lead singer for the great Frumpy, but never a member of Amon Düül (1). Renate was/is not in Amon Düül 1. She is in Amon Düül 2. Plus she was not a professional model.

Uschi Obermaier was Amon Düül (1)'s resident goddess. In MY opinion she was (and remains) one of the most beautiful women ever. Between her, the band's links with German terrorists and making one unholy racket, how could my 10/11/12 year old tweener Zappa and Velvet Underground loving self not be head over heels in love with this band. Last I heard she had a small boutique in Topanga Canyon, California. About thirty miles away from me. Too bad I am such a shy boy...

Answer: Sandoz Pharmaceuticals

Acendis Pharma, who are involved with prodrug therapies, would be incorrect. As would be Bayer, despite them having, a LOOOONG time ago tries to market heroin as a sort-of cure all. Albert Schweizer GmbH which I made up.

Did you click Sandoz? They were the first company to synthesize LSD (Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann) in 1938. They are euphemistically paid tribute to as 'Sandosa'.

Answer: "Eternal Flow / Paramechanical World"

"Eternal Flow / Paramechanical World", released on the Ohr Records label (OS 57 000) and packaged in a typical (for Amon Düül) stunning picture sleeve in 1970. Both tracks are included as bonus tracks on the CD reissue of their beautiful 1970 Ohr Records LP 'Paradieswärts Düül'. If'n anybody out there happens to have a spare copy of the single with the cover they no longer want please contact me (same if you have a spare US pressing of 'Psychedelic Underground' on the Prophesy label. I used to buy spares of that to give to people who I thought might like it. I've given around 30 copies of it away over the decades. Stupidly including my own personal copy. And now it's a pricey album).

Answer: At the end of the track "Im Garten Sandosa" there is a fake 'needle stuck' effect that is sadly missing on every post 1990 reissue

At the end of the track "Im Garten Sandosa" the record stylus appears to be stuck and after the bit repeats a few times the volume starts to get louder and by the time the listener jumps up to fix the problem the next song starts. I totally stole the 'volume increasing' effect for the very end of side one of my old band's album (God help you if your record player did not have an automatic return or stop feature...)

Answer: Kommune 1

Kommune 1, one of the most famous communes ever. It was started in January of 1967 and remained active until November 1969. Kommune 1 (also known as K1) was the first politically motivated commune in Germany and came into existence in large part from the student movement's opposition to the German parliament in the sixties.

The other three are all made up commune names (at least as far as I know they are).