Faust IV

Faust IV is the fourth studio album by the German krautrock group Faust, released in 1973. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, where it is referred to as a "krautrock classic".[4] This was the last album by the first incarnation of the band, they returned in 1994 with the release of Rien featuring a different line-up.[5]

Faust IV
Studio album by
Faust
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1973
RecordedThe Manor, Oxfordshire,
England, June 1973
GenreKrautrock
Length43:37
LabelVirgin
ProducerUwe Nettelbeck
Faust chronology
Outside the Dream Syndicate
(1973)		 Faust IV
(1973)		 Rien
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Pitchfork(9.4/10)[2]
Spin[3]

Recording

The album was recorded at the Manor Studio in England. As the sessions took too long to complete, producer Uwe Nettelbeck opted to complete the album with material that was recorded at previous sessions in Wümme in Bremen, Germany. These additions include "Krautrock" (previously aired on the John Peel show) and "It's a Bit of a Pain" (previously released as the b-side of the "So Far" single in Germany).[2]

Music

The opener, "Krautrock", is a drone-based instrumental with drums appearing after seven minutes, while later tracks such as "The Sad Skinhead" and "Jennifer" employ more conventional songwriting techniques.[2] The closing track, "It's a Bit of a Pain", combines both styles, utilising noise during its chorus. At a point late in the song, following the chorus a woman's voice speaking in Swedish is heard. The track "Just A Second" had the notation "starts like that!" added to the title on the CD reissues. The track numbering on the original CD was incorrect and misleading.[6] The liner notes on the 2CD remaster contain many inaccuracies.

Track listing

1973 release:

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Krautrock"11:47
2."The Sad Skinhead"2:43
3."Jennifer"7:11
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Just a Second"3:35
2."Giggy Smile / Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau"7:45
3."Läuft...Heißt Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft"4:28
4."Run"3:40
5."It's a Bit of a Pain"3:08

The published track listing contains a number of errors. Track 5, "Giggy Smile / Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau" is incorrectly listed as "Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau". Track 6, "Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft", is incorrectly listed as "Giggy Smile".[6] "Run" is incorrectly listed as "Läuft...Heißt Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald…Läuft".[7]

Personnel

Sound and art work

Reception

Some fans of Faust's earlier work felt that it was a "sell-out" album, for suggested reasons including more "palatable" songs such as The Sad Skinhead and Jennifer which are today praised as some of the band's best lyrical work.[2]

Re-release

Faust IV was re-released on two CDs in February 2006 by EMI.[8]

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Krautrock"11:48
2."The Sad Skinhead"2:36
3."Jennifer"7:13
4."Just a Second (Starts Like That!)/Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux"3:35
5."Giggy Smile"7:46
6."Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald....Läuft"8:07
7."It's a Bit of a Pain"3:08
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."The Lurcher"7:51
2."Krautrock"11:44
3."Do So"2:33
4."Jennifer"4:49
5."The Sad Skinhead"3:21
6."Just a Second (Starts Like That!)"10:32
7."Piano Piece"5:58
8."Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft"4:14
9."Giggy Smile"5:55

References
  1. Huey, Steve. "Faust IV". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-11-05.
  2. Leone, Dominique (2007-10-03). "Faust IV". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2015-11-05.
  3. Hermes, Will (December 2007). "Reviews". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. 23 (12): 117. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  4. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  5. "AllMusic Review by Ted Mills". allmusic.com. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  6. "Faust - Faust IV". Discogs. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  7. Wilson, Andy. "1974: Faust: Faust IV". Faust Pages. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  8. "Faust IV [UK Bonus CD]". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
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