Carnival in Babylon

Amon Duul II | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Revisited Records
• ASIN: B000O78BEG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,780 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amon Düül II recorded Carnival In Babylon, their fourth album, in the autumn of 1971. Their penchant for experimentation, which had marked their predecessor albums, mixing numerous European and Far-Eastern influences, made way on Carnival In Babylon for a tighter, more contemporary heavy guitar based approach. Vocalist Renate Knaup benefited most from this change of direction and proved on Carnival in Babylon to be more of a presence than ever before. While tracks such as Shimmering Sand or Hawknose Harlequin still allowed the group's earlier love of experimentation to shine through, Amon Düül II relied on shorter and clearly tighter arrangements on the tracks, C.I.D. In Uruk, Kronwinkl 12 and Tables Are Turned.

Amon Düül II, the second formation of this now legendary band, are one of the earliest and best known of the German experimental (Krautrock) bands. For the complete re-issue series of the Amon Düül II catalogue, the CDs will be released as remastered deluxe editions, with enhanced booklets, featuring new liner notes and photos.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At an elevation of 35,000 feet and descending slowly, April 4, 2006

By 

Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carnival in Babylon (Audio CD)

Amon Duul II always had a good grasp on melodic and harmonic development - even on albums that featured lengthy freak-outs like Tanz der Lemminge (1971) and Phallus Dei (1969). On this 1972 release the melodies are still present, although the songs are shorter and generally range from 3-5 minutes in length, with a single track at 7'19" and the closing track Hawknose Harlequin is the longest at 9'45" (and is simply incredible). Stylistically, this is very psychedelic stuff with subtle shades of prog here and there - a perfect combination in my book. The instrumentation consists mainly of acoustic and electric guitar (sometimes heavily distorted), energetic electric bass (it is way up in the mix), and drums, with some soft Hammond organ work a la Rick Wright (Pink Floyd), acoustic piano, Farfisa organ, and various electronic effects. I really like the unusual vocal style of Renate Knaup and the vocal harmonies with the other musicians are fantastic, although I can't imagine that every listener would agree (they all have an odd vocal style). Hands down, my favorite tracks on the album include Shimmering Sand, with its gloomy soundscapes and minor keys, and the closing track, which features the freak-out qualities of their earlier albums in the form of a KILLER spacey jam with some great electric guitar playing. With respect to the remastering effort by Repertoire, the sound quality is pretty good, there are photos of the band, and the liner notes are informative (and in English). In addition, four bonus tracks in the 2-4 minute range have been included that were released as singles between 1970 - 1972 and are all pretty good. All in all, this is a great album that was put together with a tremendous amount of imagination. Highly recommended along with Phallus Dei (1969), Yeti (1970), Tanz der Lemminge (1971), and Wolf City (1972) - which was released shortly after Carnival in Babylon and is very similar, although not as psychedelic.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This One Deserves Better, July 6, 2004

By 

Floyd M. Orr "Nonfiction in a Fictional Style" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Carnival in Babylon (Audio CD)

Carnival in Babylon was one of the first German rock albums I came to love back in 1972. Ninety percent of my listening has been to the same wonderful German rockers ever since. Yes, I do like Can and Ashra a bit more than ADII, but I still have practically all of their work and I still think this is some of the world's best rock. This release would get five stars if it were not for so many that are even better. I would give five stars to Almost Alive (an ADII album that is almost impossible to find), Wolf City, and Dance of the Lemmings. If you already own these, I think Carnival in Babylon should be next on your list.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential and Beautiful Masterpiece!!! NOT Amon Duul II's "folk" album!, September 12, 2008

By 

T. Kasuboski (Winneconne, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carnival in Babylon (Audio CD)

I was quite shocked when I stumbled upon the reviews for AMON DUUL II's classic "Carnival In Babylon" (1972). This is an album which for years lived in the masterpiece category of my mind and to read how misunderstood the album was by many of the reviewers was quite a surprise. First off, certainly it must be admitted that "Carnival In Babylon" (1972) is quite different from "Phallus Dei" (1969), "Yeti" (1970), or "Tanz der Lemminge" (1971). "Carnival In Babylon" certainly does have elements of folk, but they are utilized in the same ways as Os Mutantes (Brazil) or the Velvet Underground. It is a mellow album, but one with highly emotional songs sung with passion and angst. It is amazing that the follow up to "Carnival In Babylon" was "Wolf City", also released in 1972. "Wolf City" is as savage as Krautrock gets, which leads me to my main point concerning why "Carnival In Babylon" (and Amon Duul II in general) is so awesome. It is totally unique in the Amon Duul II catalog. While it certainly could be argued that EACH Amon Duul II album is unique, none for me stands so tall in stature as a single piece of art quite like "Carnival In Babylon". It's all in the song arrangement and the brilliant female vocals of Renate Knaup, one of Krautrock's most alluring and on "Carnival In Babylon", sensual voices. Bottom line, it would be a tragedy to skip over this amazing album because it is more song oriented than the exploratory and chaotic days of "Phallus Dei" (an album released almost four years before "Carnival In Babylon"). "Carnival In Babylon" is an essential moment in Amon Duul II history and one which MUST NEVER be overlooked! Another Krautrock masterpiece from Amon Duul II and an essential purchase!