Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Faust
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 1973
Rating: 4/5
Faust have always been one of the most important krautrock bands, so it’s no surprise that “Faust IV” is one of the best examples of the genre. The album is experimental and intense in equal measure, yet still accessible enough to pull in any musically curious listener with ease, even when it’s out on its farthest edges. It was the band’s last album of their early era, right before they split, and by then their label was demanding that they suddenly get a little more commercial. This record is undoubtedly far more accessible, and easier for most listeners to wrap their heads around, than its in many ways controversial predecessor “Faust Tapes” (1973). Still, the band keeps blowing you away with their intensity. In interviews, Faust have often disowned most of the material on the album, branding it an “unrepresentative picture of their musical style”. Most of their compilations also leave out anything from this record. Despite all the negative comments from the band themselves, this is a great album. “Faust IV” boldly pushes at the boundaries of composition and creativity, leaning very obviously on psychedelia.
The hypnotic “Krautrock” is one of the finest examples of the genre and pretty much the definition of this kind of music, just like the title says. That pounding, monotonous beat might put off, or even drive away, anyone who doesn’t know the band after a first listen, but over time it nestles nicely into your head and works as a hypnotic overture to everything that follows. At its core, it’s a brilliantly composed piece of undulating electronic music. When the drums finally kick in, somewhere around the seven-minute mark, it’s a truly monumental moment. With this track Faust confirm their originality and incredible musical range. “The Sad Skinhead”, with its reggae rhythm, shows off the band’s knack for deadpan, at times offbeat humor with a German flavor. The irony of the message is that skinheads, despite their racist leanings, were supposedly listening to reggae and ska. The song is well ahead of its time and foreshadows musical directions that were still to come. Without a doubt, “Jennifer” is the best track on the album, with its simple, repetitive lyrics, a throbbing bass line, cacophonous electronics over most of the piece and a closing acoustic piano solo that sounds like it was lifted from some salon. “Just a Second (Starts Like That)/Picnic On a Frozen River/Deuxeme Tableux” starts out as a standard hard rocker and, as we’ve come to expect from the band, soon morphs into a more synthesizer-heavy section where the synth imitates the sound of a raging river, before swinging back into rock territory. The part called “Picnic On a Frozen River”, which already appeared in its original version on the album “So Far (1972), opens with an almost annoying and unsettling, yet insanely catchy, bluesy rock melody before tipping over into an improvisation with a great saxophone solo. The band sounds truly in sync here, but the whole piece still leaves the listener with a feeling of being unfinished. “Giggy Smile” shows the huge influence folk had on the band. It’s one of their most accessible pieces. “Läuft…Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald…Läuft” sounds like next to nothing else. It’s just a few synthesizers that gain in tonality and keep sinking back down again. It serves merely as a kind of intermezzo before the next piece. The psychedelic “It’s a Bit Of Pain” is a totally unexpected way to end the album, since stylistically it borders on country. Electronic rustling on the synths and a female narration in French add even more charm to the piece. The song wins you over above all with its dreamy rhythm and a nicely tuned guitar solo at the end. A bizarre finish for an utterly bizarre album, which is surely one more compliment for any krautrock band.
The 2006 reissue comes with a bonus disc packed with goodies for fans of the band. The first three tracks were recorded live for John Peel’s BBC show. The excellent “The Lurcher” is full of jazzy improvisations, “Krautrock” is a genre classic, while the psychedelic “Do So” is yet another goofy creation full of their trademark traits. Then there are the previously unreleased alternate versions of “Jennifer”, “The Sad Skinhead”, “Läuft…Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald…Läuft”, “Giggy Smile” and “Just a Second (Starts Like That)”. The never-before-heard ”Piano Piece”, as its title suggests, is built mainly on piano improvisations with plenty of electronic extras.
Most krautrock fans surely have the original album in their collection already. Still, with its improved sound and plenty of extra bonus goodies, upgrading to the reissue is highly recommended. Even though “Faust IV” isn’t as revolutionary as their early work, it’s much more accessible and, for most people, a lot easier listening. That’s exactly why “Faust IV” makes an excellent entry ticket for anyone just getting to know the world of krautrock, before diving into the more complex work of some other krautrock names like early Can or early Tangerine Dream. Just like Can, Tangerine Dream and Neu!, Faust have taken on near-mythical proportions in the history of progressive rock over the years. “Faust IV” was undoubtedly the album that cemented that status for good.
Lineup
Rudolf Sosna – guitar, keyboards
Jean-Herve Peron – bass guitar
Gunter Wusthoff – synthesizer, saxophone
Hans-Joachim Irmler – organ
Werner Diermeier – drums
Production
Uwe Nettelbeck
Tracklist
1. Krautrock (11:47)
2. The Sad Skinhead (2:43)
3. Jennifer (7:11)
4. Just A Second (Starts Like That!) (3:35)
5. Picnic on a Frozen River (Deuxieme Tableux) (7:45)
6. Giggy Smile (4:28)
7. Laüft… Heißt Das es Laüft Oder es Kommt Bald… Laüft (3:40)
8. It’s a Bit of a Pain (3:08)
Album length: 44:17
Faust IV – Bonus Disc (2006)
1. The Lurcher
2. Kraut Rock
3. Do So
4. Jennifer (alt)
5. The Sad Skinhead (Alt)
6. Just a Second (Extended)
7. Piano Piece
8. Lauft (Alt)
9. Giggy Smile (Alt)
