Flippy neck!
This "Made in Germany" album is one of the best pieces of music I have heard for years.
There are elements of so much in here. It has its own roots in Motown somehow, and that might explain why I can here the New York Dolls in here, fighting with Blondie and the Stooges for centre stage.
And representing the UK is Mr David Bowie, from his clever experimental early albums most definitely, which explains why there is more than a hint of Eno in here. But how do the Faces fit in?
And now with this song "Wilhelm Wilhelm" we have strong elements of that fantastic 'cabaret' period and the Berlin cafe sound that gave birth too the whole Vaudeville thing.
Absolutely wonderful.
These are someone else words on the same:-
The album's opening tango, "DREAMS," written and sung by Nando, is
an abrupt beginning, a cabaret tune of frustrated love sung by Eva and
Adolph: "Dreams are our connection, dreams for satisfaction. " The trilogy
that follows, "LUDWIG/THE KING'S CHOCOLATE WALTZ./ BLUE GROTTO" concerns
the mad fairy tale King Ludwig of Bavaria, whose ironic detachment from
reality poses the perfect prelude for "5.5.55," the heavy metallized rage
of Germany's post-war economic ascent and its effects on a numbed, scarred
generation.
"EMIGRANT SONG," sung by Hobby, is jarring in its folk-style
recount of the heavy German immigration to the U.S. after World War I. The
side closes with an outrageous parody, "LA KRAUTOMA," an otherwise bizarre
instrumental treatment of the familiar folk tune, "La Paloma" done 'kraut
rock' style, featuring Chris Karrer's guitar.
The cutting edge vocal of Renate Knaup on "METROPOLIS" begins side
2, a deliberately retrospective lyric of the burgeoning German culture of
the 1920-30's that gave rise to the Third Reich eventually; the era
epitomized by Fritz Lang's ageless film of the same name. Nando's "LOOSEY
GIRLS," among the most simple and unforgettable melodies on the album
(featuring evocative saxophone work from guest Bobby Jones), is another
post-war lament, focusing on the pitiable Fraulein-wunder ingenues bred by
Germany.
Nando's stage rocker "TOP OF THE MUD" follows, hinting back at the
essential plot of "MADE IN GERMANY," clarified in Chris Karrer's velvety
climax: The dream of "MR. KRAUT'S JINX," a subtly hypnotizing space-tale
of the events that bring the album's characters together as an
extraterrestrial Teutonic rock 'n roll band out to conquer (and eventually
destroy) the world in an apocalyptic closing, the explosion of the
dream-"... 'cause future ain 't tomorrow future is today."'
With "MADE IN GERMANY" and "HI-JACK," Amon Duul II re-establish
their hold on the creative future of rock coming out of Germany-all of
Europe, for that matter.
