HIJACK

Just like the preceding album, Hi-Jack is an art-rock oriented Amon Düül II album that is most disappointing if you look for the psychedelic and creative qualities that were explored on their early albums. As a collection of "rock songs with a hook", this still works for a couple of listens.

The band had succumbed under commercial pressure and saw their own sound and personality buried under studio effects, string arrangements, gimmicks and session musicians. Just as on the preceding and ensuing albums, this is a diluted Amon Düül II doing art-pop, folk, tango and whatever else that sounded cool to do at the time. As said, some of these songs are not without merit and I certainly enjoy I can't Wait and Lonely Woman. But the bulk of the material is too faceless and mainstream.

Not a bad album as such, but held against their first three albums it is quite poor. Might appeal a bit more to dedicated fans of 70s art-rock such as Bowie, Cale and Eno.