A Little Faust "IV" Tonight

[chalkpie]

It's been a while since I last dusted off this wacky morsel, but I was enjoying some German Lagers (Paulaner) and other nice green-ish treats, so Faust makes an appearance in my headphones.

Killer guitar playing - I love the playing and the tones and the placement of the parts in the soundstage. Great mixing job whomever did it.....and who is the guitar player BTW?

This thing is so good and crazed up, its a certified Gold German Booger Nugget. Super nifty keyboard patches and synths, groovy ass traps, Bass solid and slank-aye slink-aye. Man just brilliant rock captured with an unreal production, and the recordings/et al are perfectly integrated.

No words suffice. A must-own by everybody on this list. Ach tongue.

faustiv.jpg

[JAMOOL]

"Lauft..." is one of my favorite short tunes ever (the tracklisting on side 2 is messed up - I believe most have it as "Giggy Smile" - it's the tune Cardiacs ripped off for "Wireless"). I agree that this is a must own!

[GuitarGeek]

Yeah, good album. This was actually the first Faust album I owned, simply because it was the first one that turned up in my local CD shop, circa 93-94 (I believe the first three albums were at the time only available as extremely expensive imports). I always loved those crazy electronic noises on It's A Bit Of A Pain.

Did they ever issue a CD with the tracks indexed correctly? I believe it's been said that the version I have (which as I said, was a 90's era reissue) had the second half of the album indexed incorrectly.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I think it's the overall weakest of their first four, but I like it nonetheless. "Jennifer" is an absolute classic, of course - and there are some great things on side 2 as well.

[flytomars]

I think it's the overall weakest of their first four, but I like it nonetheless. "Jennifer" is an absolute classic, of course - and there are some great things on side 2 as well.

My sentiments exactly, I thought i was alone with this feeling.

[Mister Triscuits]

Did they ever issue a CD with the tracks indexed correctly? I believe it's been said that the version I have (which as I said, was a 90's era reissue) had the second half of the album indexed incorrectly.

The 2006 double-CD issue has the tracks indexed correctly.

[Phlakaton]

Was my first venture into Faust too... as it was also the only thing I could find back in the early 90s. 71 Minutes came next and damn... all great. Jennifer is indeed a classic. Sad Skinhead is hot too.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I think it's the overall weakest of their first four, but I like it nonetheless. "Jennifer" is an absolute classic, of course - and there are some great things on side 2 as well.

I agree with this.

Still enjoying it every time I play it.

[strawberrybrick]

Funny, I find it the most listenable of all the Faust albums. Loved it then, still love it now.

[TonyW]

Agree with those who think it's the weakest overall of their first 4, and that Jennifer is the stand-out - in fact, the last few times I've dug that album out, Jennifer is the one track I've played every time - beautiful.

[at least 100 dead]

Among the first four, where would you rank The Faust Tapes (1973)?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Among the first four, where would you rank The Faust Tapes (1973)?

While not their musically or "objectively" best (that would probably be one of the first two), Tapes was the first one of theirs I got and therefor holds a VERY special place in my heart. This was essentially different from any other rock music I'd ever heard back then - the sound of it, the way it was organized or "deconstructed", the immense feeling of an overplaying theory in everything that happens there - and I was already into stuff like The Residents and '66-69 era Mothers. I still think it has an almost otherworldly artistic atmosphere to it, despite those obtuse shifts and schisms going on - or perhaps BECAUSE of them.

[Kavus Torabi]

Absolutely. Yes, Tapes was my way in too. I love the first four albums, and while 4 doesn't actually break any new ground that they hadn't covered previously, it's a lovely collection of unique tunes.

[JAMOOL]

I think Tapes is probably the worst of the four, but all four are really really good and basically essential

[olivetti]

The Faust tapes = a true classic! Groundbreaking for sure! whats not to like?
I've listening to it since its release and never get tired of it.
The new one is also very good!

[Udi Koomran]

I love they way these albums sound Kurt Graupner is one of my heros
here is some info
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul1...cles/faust.htm

[olivetti]

I love they way these albums sound Kurt Graupner is one of my heros
here is some info
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul1...cles/faust.htm

It's interesting to read how they play around with the truth (regarding the article above)

"Which brings us back to Faust Is Last, the band's first new studio album in over a decade."

Well, as there is, or was, two versions of Faust in action, thats not true at all.

We have the studio albums

Faust (1971)
Faust So Far (1972)
The Faust Tapes (1973)
Faust IV (1973)
Rien (1994)
You Know FaUSt (1997)
Faust Wakes Nosferatu (1997)
Ravvivando (1999)
C'est Com...Com...Complique (2009)
Faust Is Last (2010) – Hans Joachim Irmler's Faust
Something Dirty (2011)
j US t (2014)

The year before "Faust Is Las" by the Irmler's version of Faust, they released
"C'est Com...Com...Complique", Peron and "Zappi" Diermaier version of Faust

Confusing? Yes! But it is Faust!