NICHT HOCH IM HIMMEL CD 1998 Mystic Records MYS CD 121, UK Im Garten Der Gemeinschaft (Fricke) 4:12 Engel Der Gegenwart (Fricke) 8:21 Mantra Of The Touching Heart (Fricke) 2:14 Wehe Khorazin (Fricke) 5:42 Engel Der Luft (Fricke) 2:16 Nicht Hoch Im Himmel (Fricke) 6:19 Wo Bist Du? (Fricke) 5:43 Aguirre (Fricke/Lucas) 2:26 Brüder des Schattens - Söhne des Lichts (Popol Vuh) 9:21 Kyrie Djong Yun (Popol Vuh) 5:25 Open Your Heart (Fichelscher-Fricke) 4:18 Du Schönste Der Weiber (Fichelscher-Fricke) 4:32 King Minos (Fricke) 4:30 Calling You (Fichelscher-Fricke) 2:10 For You And Me (Fricke) 5:47 Personnel: Florian Fricke (Vocals, Keyboards), Djong Yun (Vocals), Conny Veit (Guitar), Daniel Secundus Fichelscher (Guitar, Drums & Percussion), Bob Eliscu (Oboe), Bayerisches Staatsorchester conducted by Fritz Sonnleitner. Composed and Arranged by POPOL VUH: Florian Fricke, Frank Fiedler and Guido Hieronymus Produced by GERHARD AUGUSTIN for GAMMAROCK MUSIC All titles published by GAMMAROCK MUSIC GmbH except track 4 by WEWERKA MUSIC Label co-ordination: Robert Barrs-James and Don McKay "Mantra Of The Touching Heart" in fact is "Mantra Of The Touching Earth". "Open Your Heart" and "Calling You" are tracks from "Herz aus Glas" (see album FLORIAN FRICKE). "Brüder des Schattens" and "Aguirre" are remixed and shortened; "Ich mache einen Spiegel" (Affenstunde) can be heard in background of "Aguirre". A coda taken from "Mantra 1" (Nosferatu) closes this compilation. [MGr]

 

Booklet essay

We learn to understand our own fantasies, we grab them, we live them.
Our music and our constant changing will show this way.
The traumatic life - the unconscious rooms that have developed. That is why
our music has a close relationship to the music of the original Maya culture the
POPOL VUH
The Popol Vuh - is the sacred blood of the ancient Quiché Maya Indians and presents the
complete picture of the popular traditions, religious beliefs, migrations and the development of the
Indian tribes which populated the old Maya Empire.
  POPOL VUH - that is Florian Fricke, Holger Trülzsch, Frank Fiedler,
Bettina Fricke, Gerhard Augustin, and all from the start
- Affenstunde -
the first try.
1970
MOOG III Synthesizer - for the first time anywhere in such a way, that Carlos and Robert Moog
himself were very impressed to find such a technical electronical humanized synthi-sound,
after being switched on Bach.
I am making mirror - I am breaking it - I am molding it and I am forming
it
Florian Fricke had come up with sounds never heard before and nobody had dreamed of. New Worlds were coming into our lives. New feelings and images
music - sound - feeling -
all expressed and created electronically in the garden of common grounds.
Angel Of Presence - Mantra of the touching of the heart - Watch out
Khorazin - The Angels Of The Air are not high in heaven. We are you
Aguirre - Brother of shadow and light.
When Djong Yun - You - the most beautiful of all women - is calling you
King Minos -
you must open your heart.
These are the songs and titles contained in this album
produced over a period of 15 short years composed mostly by Florian Fricke - the main man -
the leader, the singer, arranger, piano player
POPOL VUH
Yes there were many others walking in and out of the group over the years
Daniel Secundus Fichelscher, Conny Veit from Gila, Renate Knaup-
Krötenschwanz - from AMON DÜÜL II
Bob Eliscu - Robert Eliscu - Klaus Wiese - Fritz Sonnleitner - Al Gromer
Khan - Guido Hieronymus - Hans Keller - Rudolf Wohlschläger - Peter Kramper
Wolfgang Löper - Hans Endurlat - Herbert Lemler
The studios were in Bavaria - mostly the BAVARIA Studios in the
Schronstrasse
in München-Germany
Not High in Heaven
not unaware were you high in heaven
that you say who will climb up for us and find it
Don't look across the ocean it's not far that you say
you'll sail across the ocean and find it for us
No - the word is so close to you
in your breath and in your heart
to realize it
Not High In Heaven
POPOL VUH have scored many of German Filmmaker Werner Herzog's films
especially those that had the late Klaus Kinsky in the lead role.
AGUIRRE - HERZ AUS GLAS - HEART OF GLASS - NOSFERATU -
FITZCARRALDO - COBRA VERDE
Some incredibly beautiful scores which prove Florian Fricke's ability once again to call up the
sounds and vivid imaginary of any given time or place because they are free of any given concept and
have mastered both acoustic and electronic instrumentation.
POPOL VUH's music is the least structured and most unpredictable of the
NEW AGE GROUPS
Who FLORIAN FRICKE is and where he comes from remains a mystery.

Gerhard Augustin, Bremen, July 1998

Reviews

With a strong following all over the world, this album will be a must for all fans of Popol Vuh and progressive rock. This is the first collection of the most popular tracks recorded by the band and spans a period of 15 years. The line-up is Florian Fricke on vocals and keyboards, Djong Yun on vocals, Conny Veit on guitar, Daniel Secundus Fichelscher on drums, percussion and guitar, Bob Eliscu on oboe, Bayerisches Staatsorchester.

Mystic Records catalogue

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A greatest hits-esque compilation of material, covering the years 1971-86, with an obvious emphasis on the early 70s mystical epics. Many newcomers approach the Popol Vuh discography with trepidation due to its sheer size and this should serve as an ideal entry point for an overload of PV quality. A fabulous sounding selection of material illustrating their psychedelic higher mind. It's not the first PV compilation (as mentioned below) and I really can't comment on the implication of "new versions" (my research hat fell of the truck this week, sorry), but this is a very functional record for those in line. "Popol Vuh are a German progressive band that were formed in 1970 by founding member Florian Fricke and who are still active today. This album is a collection of the most popular recorded tracks dating back to 1970 and covering a 15 year period and runs for around 75 minutes. Included are some versions of songs which have not previously appeared. This is the first ever compilation album from Popol Vuh."

Forced Exposure catalogue

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The music of Florian Fricke and his group Popol Vuh is meandering, soulful, touching on the spiritual. It paints a world of mystery and unison - most tracks would fit on practically any of the group's albums. Nicht Hoch Im Himmel is a best of collection, although not in so many words. It consists of tracks from several of Vuh's seminal albums, concentrating on material from the late 70s. even though some tracks obviously have been (lovingly) re-edited and remixed. The dreamlike combination of slow, meandering guitar riffs and tentative percussion (played by Daniel Fichelscher), oriental/Asian instrumentation and Djong Yun's angel like vocals, make the perfect soundtrack (which the eccentric German film director Werner Herzog soon discovered). Nicht Hoch Im Himmel is a very good place to get acquainted with Popol Vuh. (...)

Lars Fahlin

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[...] Popol Vuh existiert als Band mal ja, mal nein, dazu mit stetiger Personalfluktuation. Ähnlich abwechslungsreich sind die diversen Label, auf denen Popol-Tonträger veröffentlicht werden. Heute ist mal Efa dran: Nicht hoch im Himmel ist eine Auswahl aus dem eigentümlichen, sphärischen Schaffen der Band. Die Aufnahmezeiten liegen zwischen 1971 und 1988. Im eigenen Studio arbeiteten Florian Fricke und seine Gesellen überwiegend im gedämpft elektronischen Bereich, dazu kamen hier und da Conny Veit und Danny Fiechelscher an den Gitarren. Als Sänger hört man auf einigen Tracks Djong Yun, der ganz eigene Farbe ins Spiel bringt. Die Kopplung der Titel ist gelungen, zeigt die Entwicklung der Formation recht präzise auf. Nochmal: Dies ist keine Best Of-Zusammenstellung, es ist wirklich bislang unerhörtes Material.

Wolfgang Pokall für German Rock e.V. News 7, 1999