Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.rock.progressive
Titolo: Popol Vuh 1970-1976

POPOL VUH
Personnel:
"	FLORIAN FRICKE pno, moog (A) 
"	(FRANK FIEDLER synth) A 
"	(HOLGER TRULZSCH perc) A 
"	(ROBERT ELISCU oboe) B 
"	(CONNY VEIT g) B 
"	(KLAUS WIESE tamboura) B 
"	(DJONG YUN v) B,D 
"	DANIEL FICHELSCHER d, g C-E 
ALBUMS (up to '76): 
1.	(A)"Affenstunde" (Liberty LBS 83460) 1970 
2.	(A)"In den Garten Pharaohs" (Pilz 20212 769) 1972 
3.	(B)"Hosianna Mantra" (Pilz 20291 431) 1973 
4.	(C)"Seligpreisung" (Kosmische Musik KM 58 009) 1974 
5.	(-)"Aguirre" (Ohr Barclay 840.103) (Fr) 1974 
6.	(D)"Einsjager und Siebensjager" (Kosmische Musik KM 58 017)
1975 
7.	(E)"Das Hohelied Salomos" (United Artists UAS 29781) 1975 
8.	(E)"Letzte Tage Letzte Nachte" (United Artists UAS 29916) 1976
NB: Re-issue of 1 in 1980 on IC 58.159 
Re-issue of 2, 3 & 6 in 1982 with identical catalogue numbers, but
with a "Pop Import" stamp on the backside. 
Re-issue of 7 on WEA 58423. 
All has been re-issued on CD by French label Spalax.
Few German groups were as inventive as Florian Frieke's musical
vehicle Popol Vuh, named after the holy book of the North American
Maya Indians. Fricke was born on 23 February 1944 in Lindau. During
the sixties he studied grand piano and composition at the Freiburg
university. After this, he worked sporadically as a music and film
reviewer, and befriended someone who was to be a huge influence on his
musical career: Eberhard Schoener, then the leader of the Munich
Kammeroper. Schoener taught Fricke about the potential of a moog
synthesizer. 
In the Spring of 1969 Fricke formed the first Popol Vuh crew of the
initiative of Liberty records. The record label wanted Fricke to make
an experimental moog synthesizer album. It seemed likely that Liberty
planned to cash in on something like the Walter Carlos-album Switched
On Bach, which had recently been a surprising commercial success for
CBS. The resulting album Affenstunde (1970) was really something
totally different from this! A mystical journey through spooky tonal
landscapes of gargling moogs and ethnic percussion. This music
attracted attention in the growing underground rock scene, and Popol
Vuh recorded the five subsequent albums for Pilz/Kosmische Musik. In
Den Garten Pharaohs (1972) was the follow-up, a development on their
first album with the same musical ingredients. To create a more
meditative effect Frieke also played organ and electric piano. The
album contained just two extended tracks: "In Den Garten Pharaohs" and
"Vuh". 
In 1972 Fricke also experienced a religious revival. When he converted
to both Christianity and Hindu, he discounted electronics for a more
acoustic style and re-organised Popol Vuh totally. This team made
Hosianna Mantra (1973), an album with titles like "Kyrie", "Segnung"
and "Andacht" The angelic soprano voice of Yun matched the aesthetic
and meditative music. The only similarity with the two previous albums
was the slight ethnic touch. This album was the point of departure for
Fricke's further career. One of the most significant decisions in that
career was when he participated on Conny Veit's second Gila album and
as a consequence met Daniel Fichelscher, previously the drummer in
Amon Duul II. 
Fricke and Fichelscher became the nucleus of Popol Vuh for future
albums. The first of these, Seligpeisung (1973) improved the
meditative style of the previous album. Fricke decided to sing the
lyrics from Song of Solomon himself, adding an amateurish touch to the
music (like Incredible String Band when their girl-friends were
involved). It benefited from Fichelscher's twin instrumental talents -
both as a guitarist and percussionist. Eliscu, Veit and Wiese also
contributed to this album, recorded by Dierks in Stommeln and
Baumburg. Aguirre (1975) featured some of the music from Werner
Herzog's film of the same name. Herzog and Fricke were long term
friends from Fricke's days as a film reviewer. This was a strange
release, as it compiled recent alternative studio takes with the
original music for the film. The long piece "Vergegenwaertigung" was a
solo Fricke electronic number, a throw-back to the first two Popol Vuh
albums, probably recorded in late 1972. Also "Aguirre I" was recorded
before Fricke discarded the moogs and mellotrons. This was a majestic
and floating large scale track. "Morgengruss II", "Agnus Dei" and the
guitar part of "Aguirre II" were probably recorded in May 1974 at the
sessions for the forthcoming album Einsjager Und Siebenjager and were
fine examples of Fichelscher's brilliant guitar work. The album was
originally only released in France and Italy. To add even more to the
confusion, the German re-release on Pop-Import 1982 had three later
Popol Vuh tracks, "Wo Bist Du, Der Du Uberwunden Hast" and "Auf Dem
Weg" from Die Nacht Der Seele: Tantric Songs (1979) and "Die Umkehr"
from Bruder Des Schattens - Sohne Des Lichts (1978), replacing
"Vergegen-waertigung". This is not mentioned on the cover nor the
label. Either it was a mistake or an illegal replacement due to the
loss of master tapes. Einsjager Und Siebenjager (1975) was recorded by
Fricke, Fichelscher and Yun in Bavaria in May 1974. By this time
Fichelscher also had begun to compose music. On this occasion, some of
Popol Vuh's best music ever was recorded. A typical track of this
period had a drum (Fichelscher had a particular passion for the use of
cymbals) and piano backing with two guitar overdubs playing the melody
lines and Djong Yun's magnificent voice added on the top. "King
Minos", "Morgengruss" and "Wurfenspiel" were good examples, "Gutes
Land" was a re-titled version of "Agnus Dei", already recorded twice
on the two previous albums. Tile title track was a major work of 19
minutes, a recital of different musical themes. All lyrics were
adapted from the Song of Salomon. Das Hohelied Salomos (1975) included
more of such adaptations. The music was as beautiful as before, now
with added help from Al Gromer (sitar) and Shana Kumar (tablas). Al
Gromer also contributed to the next five Popol Vuh albums. Letzte
Tage, Letzte Nachte (1976) was arguably their most pompous and
grandiose album. The music was much more powerful and energetic than
usual. Fichelscher's guitars built walk of sound backed by massive
cymbals and drumming. Fricke's piano almost drowned in this Amon
Duul-like inferno of sound. 
Popol Vuh have been true pioneers of meditative music and "world
music", guided by the unique musical vision of Florian Fricke. Every
album is excellent in its own right, but for beginners I will
particularly recommend Einsjager Und Siebenjager and Das Hohelied
Salomos.
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L'avevo già vista questa scheda. Da che sito l'hai presa? In ogni caso "Das
Hohelied Salomos" è uno di quelli che mi piace di meno.

Hohelied Salomos" è uno di quelli che mi piace di meno.
Controlla la posta fra qualche minuto che ti sto mandando un regalino
di Natale.
M.
http://www.fromgenesis.net
http://gnosis2000.net/ratermatthias.htm