Popol Vuh ~ Germany

Seligpreisung (1974)

One of those albums I originally owned on vinyl on the Pop Import imprint and traded in for the CD. Seligpreisung is the odd album out sitting in between their groundbreaking New Age statement Hosianna Mantra and their more intense emotional workouts like Einsjager & Siebenjager, Das Hohelied Salomos, and Letzte Tage - Letzte Nacht. Florian Fricke handles the vocal duties here, to its detriment. Not that he's a bad singer like many of his compatriots, just doesn't seem to fit the mood. The weak link in a string of great albums. I was never sold on this title, and that remains the case on this revisit. Off you go.

Former ownership: 1983 Pop Import (LP); 2004 SPV (CD)

1989 (acquired); 12/15/24 (review)

Hosianna Mantra (1972)

---March 2005

Most know the story here as Fricke sold off his electronic equipment and went all acoustic (save some electric guitar). Piano, guitar, chanted vocals, and Indian stringed instruments are the focus. Gets a bit trippy towards the end. Must’ve been quite a shock to those who bought In Den Garten Pharaos just prior. Serene and beautiful.

---1/31/24 update

And that was my most recent listen until last night. Quite an about face for Florian Fricke. One could argue this is the beginning of New Age music. RYM has it as the second in chronology for "Neoclassical New Age". A very tranquil and peaceful album. They were to introduce far more percussion after this giving it more of a rock band feel, though they pretty much were "their own thing" back in the 70s.

Ownership: 1974 PDU (LP). Gatefold.

1989 (acquired); 3//05 (review); 1/30/24 (update)

Aguirre (1976)

An interesting album from Florian Fricke and company. Combines their recent foray into new age styled rock with guitar, percussion, and female wordless vocals - with their electronic oriented past. Somewhere between Das Hohelied Salomos (side 1) and Affenstunde (side 2). It's been suggested that this recording is a compilation of sorts, given that Fricke no longer owned his big Moog at this point. Maybe Schulze let him borrow it. All the same, most of this was unreleased prior, with some reworkings of earlier material.

The CD contains one bonus track that is essential. I've read that the long piece is slightly different here than on the LP. I listened to both, but you really have to pay attention I think. I didn't notice it. 

Ownership: 
1976 PDU (LP)
2004 SPV (CD). Digipak. Comes with the all-purpose Florian Fricke booklet, though mine has three different pages than the one shown on Discogs. Wondering if the submitter had the wrong one, or if the label "mixed and matched" the booklets with their other Popol Vuh releases at the time. 

1990 (acquired); 1996; 6//05; 7/10/23 (review)

Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (1974)

After a few albums of pure electronic music followed by tranquil acoustic forms, Popol Vuh changed directions again and decided to add a rock component mostly missing prior to this. It's just as much about former Amon Duul II (and Sameti) guitarist and drummer Daniel Fichelscher as it is about Florian Fricke at this point. Einsjager & Siebenjager is made up of long spacious and rambling instrumental pieces that feature electric guitar, piano, crashing drums, with sparse wordless female voice and flute. That voice belongs to Djong Yun, who would become more prominent on their next couple of albums. Popol Vuh have discovered a unique sound here, one that solely belongs to them, even to this day. Genre tags are difficult, and this is where the all encompassing Krautrock name comes in handy. It's proto new age, but no one would recognize the sound at such an early stage.

Ownership: 

1974 PDU (LP)

1982 Pop Import (LP). Both LP's come in a single sleeve with a striking day-glo yellow and orange cover. 

There's some debate on Discogs about the original pressings. The date stamper of the PDU version is mid December 1974. So it would be highly unlikely for it to be issued in 1974, but rather 1975. However the copyright date of 1974 is clear. The German original is dated 1975. It has been suggested that yes, the Italian version is in fact the original release in this case.

1987 (first acquired); 1/20/22 (review)

Letzte Tage, Letzte Nächte (1976)

Letzte Tage, Letzte Nächte is Popol Vuh's 7th album, and represents a powerful statement for Florian Fricke and company. Fichelscher's guitar strums loudly, while he bashes away triumphantly on whatever percussion is laying around. Djong Yun and Renate Knaup chant along in their feminine, transcendent manner. Popol Vuh would never sound so heavy again, preferring the atmospheric soundtrack music that colors their future work. Perhaps their finest 30 minutes on record.

Ownership: 

1976 United Artists (LP)
2006 Arcangelo (CD). Papersleeve

1988 (acquired); 1997; 8/4/17 (review)

Sei Still, Wisse Ich Bin (1981)

As others have stated, this is a departure from the normal uplifting Popol Vuh fare. It's a heavy, serious religious effort, and I would submit perhaps the beginning of what is now known as "Ritual Ambient". RYM describes the genre as thus "Ritual Ambient is a subgenre of Dark Ambient that focuses on dark, deep, disturbing, ritualistic and occult atmosphere. It often features some chanting voices, tribal rhythms and appropriate samples." OK, there are no samples, but otherwise that genre description would work as a review for this album. Popol Vuh was a pioneer in many fields, not surprising to find another one. The latter half of Side 2 is more positive like their mid 70s albums, but the overall effect is dark and mysterious.

Ownership: 1992 Spalax (CD)

10/25/16 (review)

Other albums I own and need to review: Affenstunde; In Den Garten Pharaos; Das Hohelied Salomos

Other albums I once owned: Yoga; Herz Aus Glas; Nosferatu; Spirit of Peace

1989 (first acquired); 10/25/16 (new entry)