Fossilium Catalogus ii Plantae 69

Circle II Circle features the voice of Atlantic Records recording artists Savatage from 1992-2000, Zak Stevens. CIIC was formed in 2002 and has five world-wide releases to it's credit over the last eight years; "Watching in Silence" (2003), "Middle of Nowhere (2005), "Burden of Truth" (2006), "Delusions of Grandeur" (2008), "Consequence of Power" (2010), plus four additional EP releases…

Several years after the original art rock supergroup Colosseum disbanded, drummer Jon Hiseman formed Colosseum II, a more jazz fusion-oriented outfit featuring guitarist Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy) and keyboardist Don Airey. Their eclectic debut, Strange New Flesh, shows some impressive chops from all involved, with an emphasis on Moore's soulful guitar leads. Vocalist Mike Starr, while not an immensely engaging singer, does a nice job keeping up with Hiseman and bass player Neil Murray. Highlights include the technically showy but blissfully irreverent ode to Pink Floyd, "Dark Side of the Moog," a nice version of Joni Mitchell's "Down to You," and the funky "Gemini and Leo."

Out of the future ashes of the Munich-based hippy commune of Amon Düül, came this unit that seemed more serious about making music, other than as a social and political statement, Amon Duul II rose like a phoenix and built around Karrer (guitar), Rogner (bass) and Serfas (drums) and reputation growing, signed a deal with Liberty records and recrding their debut album in early 69, with two more members: drummer Leopold (from the other AD group) and bassist Anderson (pushing Rogner onto the keyboard stool). With two star guests, Burchard (Embryo, crosstown rivals) Trutzsch (Popol Vuh, also from the city), produced by Passport's Kübler, and graced with an astonishing psyched-out tree-and-sky artwork (courtesy of KB man Rogner), Phallus Dei is a landmark in Krautrock, also sung in a sort of medieval Upper German…

Sündenfall II from the Kevelaer area at the Lower Rhine played a mixture of folk and jazz, influenced by Jethro Tull. While their predecessors, Sündenfall, exclusively dedicated themselves to jazz, the group included folk after a change in line-up and band name (following the example of Amon Düül II). In 1972, Hubert Schmitz invited the band into his Trepitia film and sound studio in Alpen-Drüpt for free recordings, as he wanted to test the newly installed equipment after a recent move into the new location. Thus the recordings were made for the album "Sündenfall II" (Trefiton HS 1017), which was released in a small edition of 200 copies at the end of 1972.