FLAWLESS

I was tempted to give this album five stars because, if you're like me and you grew up with Amon Duul 2, this album is essential. It is a collection of new (at the time), unreleased and re-recorded material that translates into an album that's a joyful and energetic romp through their back catalogue plus what can be considered bonus music that's very much in keeping with the proceedings. The disc kicks in at just over 70 minutes and doesn't let up once.

If you're an Amon Duul 2 fan, it's impossible not to love it all. Yes, it will send you back to the original versions of the many reworkings, but not in search of the only good version, this music will send you back with renewed excitement, digging into those wonderful albums one more time.

But Flawless feels like an album in its own right too. It hangs together, and the lines blur between reworkings and the newer material. You find you just enjoy it all. And, bliss, many of our old Amon Duul mates are here to greet us. Renate K, Lothar Mead, John Wenzierl, Peter Leopold, Chris Karrer etc.

My wife brought the album back from France (I live down under) in 2002 when she enquired after some old prog or krautrock classics and the music store foisted this on her. (She knew, as she'd got to go to France and I hadn't, I was expecting a few presents.) And I love her for for it. Goddammit, I am giving it five stars. Because there are many of us old krautrock fans out there who will consider this essential. So there you go.