AMON DÜÜL II – Yeti (Liberty Records – LBS 83 359/60 X / 2LP-1970)

Label: Liberty – LBS 83 359/60 X

Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: Germany / Released: 1970

Style: Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock, Free Improvisation

Printed By – Carl v. d. Linnepe, Lüdenscheid / April 1970 on Liberty Rec.

Design [Cover Design] – Amon Düül II

Engineer – Willy Schmidt

Producer – Amon Düül II, Olaf Kübler

Co-producer – Siegfried E. Loch

Composed By, Lyrics By, Arranged By – Amon Düül II

Matrix / Runout (A-side, stamped): C 83359 A-1 Made in Germany

Matrix / Runout (B-side, stamped): C 83359 B-1 Made in Germany

Matrix / Runout (C-side, stamped): C 83360 A-2 Made in Germany

Matrix / Runout (D-side, stamped): C 83360 B-1 Made in Germany

Side A

A1 - Soap Shop Rock ........................................................................................ 13:47

        a) Burning Sister .......................................................... 3:41

        b)  Halluzination Guillotine ........................................... 3:05

        c)  Gulp a Sonata ......................................................... 0:45

        d)  Flesh-Coloured Anti-Aircraft Alarm ......................... 5:53

A2 - She Came Through the Chimney ................................................................. 3:01

Side B

B1 - Archangels Thunderbird ............................................................................... 3:33

B2 - Cerberus ....................................................................................................... 4:21

B3 - The Return of Rübezahl ............................................................................... 1:41

B4 - Eye-Shaking King ........................................................................................ 5:40

B5 - Pale Gallery .................................................................................................. 2:16

Side C

 C1 - Yeti (Improvisation) ................................................................................... 18:12

Side D

D1 - Yeti Talks to Yogi (Improvisation) ................................................................. 6:18

D2 - Sandoz in the Rain (Improvisation) ............................................................. 9:00

Personnel:

Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz – vocals, tambourine

John Weinzierl – guitar, twelve-string guitar, vocals

Chris Karrer – violin, guitar, twelve-string guitar, vocals

Falk Rogner – organ

Dave Anderson – bass

Peter Leopold – drums, percussion

Christian "Shrat" Thierfeld – bongos, vocals

Guests on "Sandoz in the Rain":

Rainer Bauer – guitar

Ulrich Leopold – bass

Thomas Keyserling – flute

Yeti is the second studio album by German rock band Amon Düül II, first released in April 1970 on Liberty (Germany: LBS 83359/60 X; United Kingdom: LSP 101) as a double LP. The album was produced by Olaf Kübler and Amon Düül II, and engineered by Willy Schmidt, "with a little help of Siegfried E. Loch". Including both short songs and longer, improvisational tracks, British avant-garde music magazine The Wire describes Yeti as "one of the cornerstones of both Amon Düül's career and the entire Krautrock movement.

Note:

The cover was designed by the band's organist, Falk Rogner, and features a collage depicting the Grim Reaper (German: Der Sensenmann), made from a photograph of Wolfgang Krischke. Krischke, who had worked with the band as a sound man, had died of hypothermia while under the effects of LSD. Rogner said: "When he died I thought that the photo would be a perfect tribute to his memory. He never managed to find his way into Amon Düül properly when he was alive, so maybe his image as Der Sensenmann will work as a strange cover image and he could be remembered as a magical person."

Although "Tanz der Lemminge" is largely considered as the best classic Amon Duul II album, I prefer "Yeti". It is also a double LP, but the musical journey produced on this album by this crazy bunch of hippie experimentators surpass even the toughest and the most daring listeners' expectations! It is almost one long, trippy, psychedelic acid rock improvisation streched across four sides of an LP set. Pumping and intoxicating rhythm section accompanied by the screaming solos of jangly guitars and occasional violin makes its peak here on "Yeti". Crumbs of VELVET UNDERGROUND "dirty" sound and of San Fransico acid scene are heard here and there but they are ever more expanded into a dangerous, unknown experimental territories, at least up to this point of time (remember, the year is 1970!).

Unlike their later, more refined efforts, this embryonic recording showcases the more urgent sound of a band with strong ties to the European counterculture barricades of 1968. The music is almost raw in spots, but not without a certain primitive beauty, moving from the dreamy psychedelia of "She Came Through the Chimney" (complete with bongo drums and more than a whiff of cannabis) to the feedback-soaked power of "Archangel Thunderbird", on which the strident upper-octave singing anticipates Johnny Rotten's angry vulpine growl by more than half a decade.

Spaced-out one-chord guitar jams with pounding drums and thrashing cymbals, ghostly violins in Middle Eastern echo chambers, and the amps all cranked to maximum distortion. For lack of a better comparison (always the cheapest form of criticism, to be sure) think of a shotgun marriage between "Space Ritual" HAWKWIND and the more cosmic digressions of early PINK FLOYD, circa "Ummagumma".

Centerpiece is the 24 minute jam session Yeti which was devided in 2 parts. A magical mystery tour from the beginning to the end. Absolutely fascinating and I'm quite sure this could only played in that way under well dosed drug influence. Psychedelic guitars, often very sentimental and melancholic, various bass playing, hypnotic repetitive but also detached as a solo instrument and a very interesting drum timing. By all means a unique Krautrock gem. Sandoz in the rain afterwards is for relaxing after the Yeti was around - a nice flower power piece with acoustic guitar, flute and percussion.

I am aware that listening of this album can be a painful and rather devastating experience for novices or the people who prefer melody, arrangement and nice production. But for those others, go ahead and try this potion - you may well experience rather different realities without chemical abuses. This is one of the most powerful and uncompromising records I ever listened and definitely among the top 10 Krautrock albums!

(Review by Neu!mann–Seyo–Rivertree / Prog Reviewers)

If you find it, buy this album!