Customer Reviews

Faust IV [Vinyl]

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For anyone curious about the Krautrock phenomenon of the 70's, Faust IV is one of the most satisfyingly listenable albums of them all, yet it still contains the defining avant-garde and rock experimentalism of the genre. Songs like "Jennifer" and "Picnic on a Frozen River..." (which should have been titled "Giggy Smile" instead of the track that follows) are genuine "should-be" classics. Surprisingly, like many other Krautrock acts of the 70's, Faust never take themselves too seriously. Lines like "Going places, smashing faces...what else could we do?") on the humourous ska sketch, "The Sad Skinhead", are living proof. I had a harder time warming up to the earlier Faust releases, but I always come back to this one for a great listening experience.

Bless their subversive hearts! Faust had said that their preceding album, "Tapes" (That budget-priced wonder that broke them into the UK charts and proved that even in music price will at least get you sales, if not an audience) should not be considered their third album. So, In typical Faust fashion, what better name for the next release than IV?

Some years later, after very fine CD reissues that reproduced the iconic clear cover of their first, and the black art portfolio of "So Far" followed by several iterations of "Tapes" we have a definitive edition of "IV". And while this release demonstrates that you can improve on sound it also demonstrates that there's simply no improving music that is already perfect. The sound here is more clinical than the LP or earlier CD versions. In many ways the clarity of the re-mastering work is interesting. But you have to remember how big a role accident and imperfection -- as well as recognizing the recording process -- played in Faust's approach to music. Like the sometimes similar and equally brilliant This Heat, if it was worthwhile material it didn't seem to matter that it was captured on a little cassette deck or through a busted microphone: the imperfections created by marginal gear and equipment as well as the very character of the recording devices themselves became as integral an element of each piece as any instrument: "Leci n'est pas une pipe".

So "better" here must be viewed as a relative term. I'd settle for "different" and pretty much leave it at that. The additional tracks are all worth inclusion -- no real dross, though you may find the differences between some alternatives and their "official" versions to be sometimes rather slight. Still, why argue when those previously unheard pieces can now be heard? Add informative and intelligent liner notes to restored cover art and it's clearly an essential release to any collection already embracing Faust.

As for the music, this recording is very nearly the epitome of an era in which popular forms were stretched to past the breaking point by ideas about process and the elevation of the music studio as a participant -- rather than mere witness -- in the compositional process. Not just Sergeant Pepper's speed and direction tricks, but actual instrument-like levels of sound creation. No pun intended, but Faust very nearly single-handedly defined an aesthetic that even in retrospect remains profoundly individual and even iconoclastic within much of its contemporary milieu. Yet it still offers a sense of accessibility that much art rock remains incapable of to this day. From withholding the drums until you think "Krautrock" simply must not, can not be rock, until the "Sad Skinhead" wipes his tears and blows his nose and the drill finally gives you your very own bit of eardrum buzz pain, Faust closed their Virgin years with a brilliant, at moments tongue-in-cheek, at moments deliriously serious and amazing record. Re-master it all you want, it will never sound old.

I'm sure this album has had a big influence on many other bands, either directly or indirectly. Still, even today, Faust remains among the boldest and most eccentric recording artists I've ever heard. This record came out in '73 and, while it's too unique to sound dated, the way it was recorded is telling. We're not likely to hear another album quite like this. These days, it's too tempting to avail oneself of modern technological trickery than to bang it out yourself. On the other hand, Faust were all about pushing technological limits. It only takes one good listen to hear how technologically impressive this is (but probably several listens to fully digest it).

The breakdown:
"Krautrock" sounds like an exquisite extended drone session with its thick wall of synths punctuated by short bursts from other musical sources. This one in particular may take time to fully appreciate. A precursor to Industrial. Caution: trance inducing.

I think "The Sad Skinhead" and "Jennifer" in particular had an influence on New Wave and other bands like Bauhaus and Radiohead. "Skinhead" is like a rather wierd and very European take on raggae (think the Clash but stranger) with vibes and other Faustian touches. "Jennifer" sounds like bouncing on clouds, walking through a lightning field and winding up in an empty saloon with a noodling honky-tonk piano player.

"Just a Second (Starts Like That!)" goes off the experimental deep end featuring what sounds like a mutant breed of electric water dragons mating.

"Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableux" starts off with different music from the original version (including great sax) that appeared on SO FAR, but that irritatingly catchy keyboard riff soon creeps in. The whole thing turns into a juicy excuse to add some crazy guitar work over the proceedings.

"Giggy Smile" is a great song built on acoustic guitar, a strident violin and unusual percussion.

"Lauft . . Heisst das es Lauft Oder es Kommt Bald . . Lauft" is a nice ambient piece, somewhat disrupted toward the end by the inclusion of a few more ominous synth tones.

"It's a Bit of a Pain" is another nice song with acoustic guitar, piano and a blast of white noise to accentuate the "pain." Finally, one of the most corrosive guitar solos ever recorded tops off the song and completes this amazing and highly enjoyable album.

wow. i got this album for christmas not expecting much, and the result has been one of the most amazing albums i've ever heard. all the songs fit together into a sonic masterpiece.

the songs are incredibly diverse, and no two sound the same. the album opens with, 'krautrock,' an 11-minute instrumental composed of bizarre, beautiful atmospheres with spare percussion. it's indeed the song that named the whole movement, other bands being can and neu!(also brilliant to a lesser extent). the next song, 'the sad skinhead,' starts off as dub-reggae, but goes into a bouncy, fun pop song. it's the next song though, 'jennifer,' that is the best song on the album. it's so beautiful! the guitar part is small and subtle, but really complements the drone drumming and the monotone lyrics about a girl whose hair is on fire. great stuff!! my other favorite songs are the funky 'just a second (starts like that),' and the stark, folk-y, 'it's a bit of pain,' although the album is best heard as a whole. it's all very overwhelming. at one moment there is tuneful bliss and at the next theres screaming feedback and samples. but in some amazing, impossible way, it's one of the most accesible album's i've ever heard.

Originally released in 1973 and despite of it's title,I think it might've actually been the band's third album.Not sure about that.'Faust IV' is without a doubt a brilliantly assembled piece of recorded work.Top rate kraut,it just doesn't get much better than this.Should be stored right next to your copies of their other early releases,'Faust/So Far','71 Minutes Of' and 'Faust Tapes'(see my reviews of all three).Opens with the nearly twelve-minute gem of ALL gems "Krautrock" that's worth the admission price alone.Other great cuts include their somewhat reggae-like "The Sad Skinhead",their Donovan-ish "Jennifer","Picnic On A Frozen River" and "It's A Bit Of A Pain".The line-up is:Hans Joachim Irmler-organ,Werner Diermaier-drums,Jean Herve Peron-vocals&trumpet,Rudolf Sossna-guitar and Gunther Wusthoff-bass.This title is easy to find and so affordable.I don't think I've ever seen it priced over $12,new used OR even in those 'upscale' music shops where they often try to disguise domestic CD's as imports.Don't you just hate that?Essential to all fans of kraut,space and progressive.

As a well-seasoned fan of Faust's music, my mania dating back to the early 80s, the question was - "Why buy Faust IV again?" Owning both the Virgin LP and the original Blue Plate CD reissue, did I really need this double CD edition? The answer of course is yes, as the original album has been given the exquisite digital remastering it deserved the first time around, as well as being issued for the first time with a correct track sequence and track times. The second disc includes the band's 1973 BBC session (available previously only as limited edition vinyl or in the Wümme Years boxed set), as well as some not-terribly-different alternate takes of album material. This release is an absolute must for fans, and a treat for those who've never owned these recordings before.

Unlike their other european progressive brethren from England, France or Italy the German progressive bands seem to be interested not so much in flash musicianship or symphonic pretensions but in texture, repetition and rhythm. Their brand of progressive rock, dubbed Krautrock, so named after the first song on this album, really explores what rock does best. It grooves, its gotta beat and can be damn hypnotic. Rather than graft symphonic or jazz musicianship over a rock beat or instrumentation, Krautrock uses a more minimalist, but no less interesting approach to rock experimentation. Faust are perhaps the most overtly experimental of the German bands that appeared during the progressive '70s and this album is arguably their finest work (So Far is a close contender) Faust use drones, texture, fun and absurdist lyrics to make a very original and compelling sound. Sometimes they sound like a psychedelic My Bloody Valentine such as in the droning opening song Krautrock. At other times they use wry humor such as in the goofy song The Sad Skinhead... "going places, smashing faces." It sounds as innocent as Capt. Kangaroo, but its not, these guys are clever and not afraid of humor. What makes Faust and this album in particular so interesting is that they mix avant garde elements in with the most compelling features of rock music, ie the beat and simple yet engaging melodies. Actually you can see how Faust influenced modern bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Stereolab and others throughout this recording. Faust IV is a very forward looking album that still sounds fresh today. Its a delight.

Despite 15 years of listening to Can, another German Krautrock group from the 1970s, I hadn't heard of Faust until recently. This effort goes back to 1973, but like the best of Can, you'd be hard-pressed to put a date on it by simple listening. As a Can point of reference, this Faust offering reminds me of an amalgam of "Soon Over Babalooma" and "Tago Mago". There are differences: extensive vocalizing in the vein to Can's Damo Suziki is notably absent here, and when Faust does turn to voice, it is more like the breathy rhythmic style of Can's Michael Karoli on 'Dizzy Dizzy'.

Faust's signature piece "Krautrock" features a driving, mesmerizing guitar riff with occasional grunts and groans from other sources. It reminds me of Can's Holger Czukay's best tape loop experiments, but branches out into saxophone (an instrument that Can never approched, as far as I know).

This is a beefy two-disk set that combines a studio effort (disk 1) and outakes, along with some Peel tapes, from the same period. My only regret is that it took me 36 years to discover this, but it's a case of better late than never.

Faust IV is most likely the most easily accessed Kraut-Rock available. The quality of the work both musically and in technical engineering is outstanding. A must for any collection!

Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production and all-over-the-map stylism, but with a distinctly German art-damaged perspective. In "It's a Bit of a Pain," an overbearing synthesizer barges in on a nylon-string for no apparent reason. A dubby pulse propels "Jennifer." In "Sad Skinhead," it's interesting to hear lyrics about skinheads--the pre-racist yet rowdy reggae-loving ones, I assume--in a reggae-ish tune from 1973.
The opening track, "Krautrock," is a long droner (in a good way) that ranks up there with Krautrock brethren, Neu!, in foreshadowing Stereolab.