Faust IV

I get it now. Brilliant and confusing. No wonder Radiohead love these lot.

Nice discovery!

I love the My Bloody Valentine-esque first track, and was already thinking this could be a 5/5 for me if the album was 4 variations of that style. However, track 2 threw me for a loop, and it kept me guessing from there. There are some great tracks, but it's so wildly incoherent I struggle to give it more than a 3.

lol nope - imagine going to this concert and hearing the same tune over again for 10 mins a song? Bin

Okay, first track tells you what you're in for: Krautrock. I like the start. It's like Kraftwerk meets garage. It's a bit of shame, that driving energy is less present as we go on. Returns slightly in Just A Second Giggy Smile is jammy, with a sax solo Best track - Krautrock 3.5 stars - I wanted to like it more... call it 4

Never heard of this band! The title track is Krautrock, which is what this genre supposedly is? That makes sense... This is... odd. It's almost just noise at times? Some parts are catchy, then others drone on. A lot of tracks fade into the background but then get trippy real quick (here's looking at you, track 4, not even going to attempt to get your name right.) Of all the tracks I've ever heard, Giggy Smile is definitely one of them. What a weird five minutes of circus music to end it, then just abruptly stop.

First listen

Veoma zanimljivo, ovo je ono što fanovi Floyda misle da su oni izmislili i još tako neki bendovi koji su bez potrebe zasjenili neke ozbiljnije i kreativnije.

Was an unexpected good listen

Surprised at this. I expected it to be shite and as the first track was 11 mins of the sound of hearing a tumble dryer running in another room I thought I might be right. However, this had some surprisingly good moments. Mostly when they played more traditional 'songs' as we all know them. Won't get another listen but didn't hate it.

Previously unknown. Some of the jammy parts are ok, but mostly it was kinda goofy.

LOUD. NOISES. AGH.

There were a couple of good sounds and vibes going here and then they just end a song out of nowhere. I got a bit annoyed at them, but I think that's sort of the point. I'll be a good sport and reserve the 1 for a 2 instead. It is still the kind of record I'd never relisten in full, even if it was my jam.

Yes! I have another Faust album, but I think this one is probably better. This stuff is right up my street. Admittedly I’ve only had a single listen, but there is a wonderfully diverse selection of ideas and vibes across the album and I am here for them all. Naysayers and blinkered fools won’t make it past the epic opener, but I am a major supporter of the 3R’s (repetition, repetition and repetition) and if I have a reservation at all, it’s that we don’t get a little more of it on side 2. But as I say, there’s a wealth of other quality material throughout and it’s a lot of fun into the bargain. I will be on the lookout for a decent copy of this and if it doesn’t turn up soon enough, I might even have to give in to a reissue. I wonder what its average score is on here; it doesn’t strike me as the type of thing that would be tolerated by many. Great stuff that might end up a 5 for me.

That's a whole thing isn't it? Equal parts enjoyable and occasionally grating. High 2s.

So many ideas varying from longer, droning pieces (Krautrock) to more accessible song structures (Giggy Smile). It's all steeped in grimey guitar tones and analog synth noises. Jennifer stands tall as a particularly monumental achievement, sounding 20 years ahead of its time. Rating: strong 8/10

German, industrial psych rock aka krautrock. I didn't hate it. I wouldn't say it excited me but I was intrigued. A bit droney in parts (where it falls into the kind of album I would consider as background music) but not extremely unpleasant. A collage of electronic oddity's alongside an undertone of meandering guitars. Giggy Smile wasn't too shabby with a bit of sax, synth and a solid rock bassline.

This started well, but like my experience with The Faust Tapes, the vocals are annoying to me. If this was instrumental it would have ranked significantly higher.

Not for me. 1/5

Ich bin kein Fan von Krautrock. War an stellen ganz nett, ich würde es mir aber nicht gerne anhören.

When it was good, it was really good. Otherwise it was overblown songs too long.

This was a weird one, like a 70s rock band did LSD and hit record a jams for 10 mins and compiled them on to an album. Very modern sounds are on this, but it’s too weird to be liked in the traditional sense

This is what it sounds like when you just let people play around in the studio BEFORE they hone down on good ideas. You get bits and peices of good stuff and a lot of what sounds like kids writing their first songs. Heres is the crazy part, I can hear the bits that would go on to influence (probably) artists I enjoy today. I can also hear about 58 minutes of tinkering around that I didnt need to hear. Now the surprising part, this may be the best album this project has subjected me to this week. 2 stars.

Meh, not a fan of Krautrock. I found it uninspired and boring.

I have no specific recollection of ever hearing this band before. I have heard of them as being influences, but never hunted them up. "Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald....Läuft" isn't what I expected at all, but I really like that. "The Sad Skinhead" is also great.

Jesus does this album start incredibly bad, with this repetitive, boring 11-minutes-long track that goes fucking nowhere. It does get better, surprisingly. There are songs I almost like, one being "Picnic on a Frozen River", which at least has something going on in it, but even then, the good parts (that gorgeous sax) are drowned in an ocean of bullshit. "Giggy Smile" also opens beautifully, but then it remembers to be annoying. "I'm not afraid to waste my time anymore" says the song in French. I guess it tells you in what state of mind you must be to appreciate that kind of music. Fitting. Ultimately, I still can't hate it too much. The weirdness is bizarrely enticing. It's just that, to quote the album... "It's a bit of a pain".

Absolute shit

What the hell was this and why did I have to listen to it twice?? It had some moments, but was so weird and not good overall. It also was longer than it needed to be (because it had so much repeated content. Actual rating...1.5. Liked Songs: "Just A Second (Starts Like That!)/Picnic On A Frozen River/Deuxieme Tableaux" , "Giggy Smile" , "Lauft...Heisst Das Es Lauft Es Kommt Bald... Lauft" , and "Piano Piece"

Sehr gut! Very much enjoyed this one and won't be hesitating to throw it on once again. Probably not at a party, though.

*insufferably* this is actually the most accessible Faust album

No lo pude terminar.

Could not really get into this

11 minute opening track of aimless wandering did it for me and I like Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

This gives me hope that one day I, too, can make it on this list

A bit too much for me 2

The ambient stuff was neat but forgettable, and I even liked how it sounded like a robot was throwing up in the last track. But the singing really didn't do it for me.

I really didn’t mind / quite liked parts of it. Definitely had enough about it for a 3.

I didn't mind it

"Mesmerising opening track" I read on another review which is accurate. Giggy Smile is fun.

It's interesting, not my cup of tea though. It's a Pain was sort of nice.

Krautrock er helt fantastisk, men albumet klarer ikke helt å følge opp. The Sad Skinhead er dårlig, mens Gorillaz-aktige Jennifer løfter det opp igjen. Giggy Smile er lenge teit og kjedelig, men kicker til i andre halvdel med jazzsaksofon og bråk.

Was decent

2.3 out of 5 stars for this album. Well, I finally heard a Krautrock album that isn't complete garbage. This one has a couple of nice tracks on it, mainly The Sad Skinhead and It's a Bit of a Pain. But the rest is typical Krautrock trash. I hate that the generator gave me this album right after Bowie's Hunky Dory. But such is life.

Holy shit, Faust? Guilty Gear reference? God, I love Guilty Gear. I haven't mentioned it nearly enough in these reviews. You want to know something that I also like quite a bit, though not as much as Guilty Gear? This album. It's pretty cool! Krautrock isn't a genre that I've gotten to experience a ton of for this project, but whenever this website has given me the chance to hear some, I've always had a good time. There's something about the more atmospheric production combined with a certain style of quirky experimentation that, more often than not, makes for an album worth exploring. Faust IV is not an exception to that in any way. Everything that I said in relation to Krautrock at large is perfectly captured on this album. The fact that this was made in 1973 is astonishing to me. I don't know how these guys had the idea to make a song like "Jennifer" at this point in music history, but I'm really glad they did. Great song, by the way. It's probably my favorite on the album, though the 11-minute opener "Krautrock" comes close. The atmosphere of the album is really nice at times, though the album has plenty of weird moments. I think they're a good weird, but I can definitely see how this album could be hard for someone else to get into. The writing and singing aren't always present, but they're definitely not bad when they're there. Faust IV is an album that really isn't for everyone, but I see enough value in this to say that it was more than worth my time. There really isn't anything else I've heard that's quite like it. It's not my favorite Krautrock album, but it's a classic of the genre and a worthy pick for a list like this. Low 4/5.

faust ain't for me

Faust is kraut rock. I have not heard them before. However I have heard Kraftwerk which I didn’t mind. The vocals are not good. They sound monotone which is probably the point. The instruments used are drum machines, synthesizers and the occasional guitars. This is good music for insomniacs. None of them really stand songs stood out. Occasionally there was a nice synth riff even a guitar but overall listening to this was an exercise in monotony. Listening to this album was a very boring experience. The album is below average. Two stars.

Enjoyed this

Today I'm handed a band I've never heard of, and a genre of music I didn't know existed. It's absolutely fascinating. This absolute beautiful disaster mix of rock, jazz, avant-garde, electronica, and just random noise at points. At points, I can hear some proto-industrial rock/metal. This isn't something I'd necessarily seek out on my own, but it's a hell of a ride. "Giggy Smile" was by far my favorite track. We're also back to wondering how it made the list, but that's more on me needing to dig deeper into the history. I'd offer this as a weird recommendation to mess with people, or to people I already know are into the weird stuff. Overall decent.

Moments of brilliance stuck between some more meddling, nonsensical noodling. “Jennifer” sounded very Eno-esque, something Im coming to say more and more as this list comes to an end. “Giggy Smile” was a super fun track, galavanting from catchy phrases to crazy instrumental passages for minutes on end. Lastly, that “Lauft…Heisst” track had a synth at the end that sounded oddly like a deadmau5 song. Strange. It’s a low 3/5 for some bright moments I’ll remember

This was like eating blue crabs at the shore. Sure, there were a few pockets of tender tasty meat here and there, but having to crack through the hard shell of noise to get at them just felt like an awful lot of effort for the reward. Kraftwerk, on the other hand - now there's a deliciously accessible krautrock crabcake if there ever was one!

What a mess this was. After the first track I was hoping this album was going building to something. Nope. Just turned into a nonsensical whimper.

3.25 Hell yeah, Krautrock! Great way to tune out and focus. Favorite songs: Giggy Smile, Jennifer, Sad Skinhead

Nope

I tried to listen with an open mind, but this just is not music to me.

Bare lidt meh. Krat musik er heller ikke for mig.

Ret eksperimenterende. Men de rammer noget spændende ind i mellem

Krautrock was certainly an interesting wall of noise. Not my favorite type of wall of noise, stylistically speaking, but not bad. Sad Skinhead didn't really bring me into trying to understand it, for it was too annoying, like sandpaper. The texture is just ugh. Jennifer is like early 1970s Gorillaz. :0 Just A Second started in a very groovy and funky way, and for once I liked it. Naturally that meant they suddenly had to change it to something unusual and static-y. Trippy, by intent, but neat. Picnic On A Frozen River is again an all-in-one cavalcade of tones. The start was OK, the first transition was alright, but the last third is quite grating with some quite obnoxious melody, even as the wavy-spacey tones are heard in the background. Giggy Smile's mellowness and harmonica were appreciated, even if it wasn't a straightforward type of thing. The majority of the song is still kinda odd, I suppose structurally, more than stylistically, as it didn't quite go into uncharted territories. Lauft... ultimately feels like a transition more than a proper song. Gets way intense there for one moment, but then just fades out with a whimper? A bit of a shame. I was hoping after Lauft I'd be proven both correct and incorrect, and that the last track, It's A Bit Of A Pain, would be a roaring and mighty crescendo of sorts. Alas, it's a "what if we do a mellow country song, but add a bunch of weird noises? You know, that silly tube that kids play with that makes the weird OOUUOUOUOUUUU noise?". Perhaps I am missing some artistry here, or just trying to understand something that isn't meant to be understood. Maybe if I read some of the lyrics and listened again it would all have more weight, sense and purpose revealed - but the first listen does not motivate to do so. It doesn't fascinate or invite, neither directly nor indirectly. Not nearly as much as the cover art, hah. Whether that means I got filtered or there's no grand secret to behold here, I am not sure... I don't want to be too harsh or write it off, there's something unusual here, and it didn't annoy me as some other records, yet I am not sufficiently moved or inspired.

Look, I'm all for giving weirdos a shot - but this is just not my style of weird. Apart from a few moments here and there, this was incoherent, aimless, repetitive and unevocative. I won't even say everything I have to say on the near as makes no difference 12 minute droning opener that's about 10 minutes too long. I was hoping when the drums kicked in the song would conclude somewhere, but they were just mostly added for set dressing rather than to balance out the sounds. If you must listen to the record, at least skip the first track, but honestly the album failed as music as a form of entertainment considering how unsatisfied it left me.

Faust, Faust, Faust ... you crazy. Giggly Smile 4 ever

fausted 5 ive ever given

Rad album, really loved it, especially Jennifer. 9/10.

Nah.

I forgot this album as soon as I stop listening to it

Now I understand why Germany had to lose WW2

When I read the preview and saw that Faust were a German krautrock band, I was absolutely dreading this listen. Based on some of the more experimental albums I’ve encountered during this challenge, I was expecting something difficult, strange and probably not for me at all. How wrong I was! Faust IV might genuinely be one of the biggest surprises I’ve had during this entire challenge. I enjoyed it so much that I left it on repeat and must have listened to the whole album two or three times today. There’s obviously plenty of experimentation going on, but unlike a lot of experimental music, there are melodies and great songs underneath it all. There’s also far more variety than I expected. At times I even picked up a ska feel, particularly in the rhythm and bounce of some of the tracks. It’s weird in places, but it’s the good kind of weird and never feels like experimentation just for the sake of it. “Jennifer” is a brilliant track and probably my favourite, while “The Sad Skinhead” was another standout. Even more surprisingly for me, I really enjoyed the instrumental “Just a Second”. Instrumentals aren't normally what I gravitate towards, but this one really worked. There genuinely isn’t a bad track on the album. I went into Faust IV expecting a struggle and came away wanting to hear it again immediately. This is exactly why I love doing this challenge. Every now and then an album you expect to hate comes completely out of nowhere and surprises you. Favourite tracks: “Jennifer” and “The Sad Skinhead”. I also really enjoyed “Just a Second”. Least favourite tracks: Nothing. There isn’t a bad track on the album. Album artwork: I have absolutely no idea what it is supposed to be, but I really like it. Simple, unusual and very stylish.

Not for me

Jennifer is a great song

Estoy muy viejo y fuera de onda como para si quiera intentar entender esta música.

This one took a while. Not really my style but I can’t place why.

I truly didn’t understand this one. I’m all for something different, but there was nothing to grab on to. Just a lot of noise and distant vocals.

A strange little album with lots of white noise, kitschy ditties, and jazzy interludes. I found it pretty calming and coherent despite its oddness. Love the bassist.

Really fun and weird record.

Supa wicked beats ja, like supa nice

Any sherd of melody or pleasant sound, it got interruped with dissonances. Which is fine but it turned out to be noisy and ambient. It ended up sounding like a lot of opposing genre elements and tendencies. I wish I had kinder words but it wasn't great. The only redeeming quality was the "original" album, gave weird lou reed vibes. But, the 2006 remaster amped up the dissonance and ruined it for me.

Brilliant, diverse, well-sequenced, am annoyed I only could get through it once today. The volume jump near the end of “Lauft…” is like a raging god

Hugely enjoyable, unassuming collection of slightly weird tunes. Each track is quite different and individually great; highlights include "The Sad Skinhead" which you all know, as much of a banger as you could hope for in context; "Jennifer" hands a template to Galaxie 500; "Just A Second.." indulges some Crazy Horse-like guitar before drifting elsewhere. A tasty bag of pick'n'mix.

i had a really good time w this

очень странные ребята но смешные, прям много слушала

1,4/5

Interesting listen. Not sure something I would want to hear regularly but wouldn’t immediately change it if came on either. Sits squarely at 2.5 for me. I guess I’ll be generous today. 3/5

The Sad Skinhead stood out. Or maybe I was just glad the first track was over. Just a Second stood out. Starting to get in the groove of the album. I liked this album after the first song. It was really different than most. 3.5/5

Great Experimental album. Krautrock is so cool.

I mean... I like prog rock... But this is something else... No like.

It has some parts I really enjoyed, a lot more of it was just kind of repetitive noodling. But not fun noodling in an Angine du Poitrine way, more of a "waiting for the inspiration for the next part of the song" kind of way. I'm giving it 3 stars because there were moments that I did truly enjoy this.

Interesting album. Prog rock? Also contains some vocals in some songs. Long tracks

Silly. Not sure what I’m listening to.

Hey I've got a copy of this record, dating back to when I first heard the song “Krautrock” on the radio in the 70s. But somehow I never listened to it very often; I guess I wasn’t ready for it yet, because I’m really enjoying it now. I listened to it once this morning, but realized as I began writing this that I needed to pay closer attention to it, so now I’m listening to it a second time on headphones. I want to say that “Krautrock” is my favorite on here, partly because it exemplifies the mesmerizing, repetitive genre that ended up being named after it and is still a favorite genre for me, and partly because it’s just a great toe-tapping track (up until it starts sounding like threatening psych soundtrack music, which is also great). But the whole album is fantastic. Ha ha here comes “The Sad Skinhead,” with the screaming, the dancey strumming, and the - xylophone? Whatever is going on here, it’s disorienting enough to keep me happy. “Jennifer” is a relatively “normal” song, but still, there are symphonic noises shifting out of tune, raspberry electronic blurps happening in the percussion, and a fun excursion at the end that sounds like the cat has gotten onto the piano again. The rest of it is all marvelous as well. We’ve got a disturbing piano with something confusing and symphonic competing with it, a sound like a car full of wasps, a freewheeling jazz saxophone and a bass, a compelling shifting repeating rhythm that becomes more dizzying as a track approaches its close (and then just stops mid-note), some nice off-tone string stuff with clock noises, and - a church organ? And then it all closes with “A Bit of a Pain,” which would sound like a normal rock song except for the periodic blorts of electronic noise and woman speaking Finnish (?) that elevate it. This album is full of delightful surprises. I advise anyone who doesn’t quite get it the first time around to put their headphones on and listen to it again.

This one was a struggle from the opening track. “Krautrock” didn’t sound like rock to me at all. It sounded like I was standing in NYC listening to traffic, except at least in NYC you get some swearing and screaming to break things up. “The Sad Skinhead” was slightly better, although my immediate reaction was that it sounded like a mashup of reggae and “Monster Mash.” “Jennifer” finally resembled an actual song, but by then the bar was buried underground. I have nothing against experimental music when it takes me somewhere. I loved Kraftwerk’s Autobahn. This just didn’t connect with me at all, and the rest of the album was more of the same. This was a waste of my time.

Never heard of krautrock before. I wish I still hadn’t.

This could very easily be the soundtrack to a bad acid trip. Not for me.

Having no frame of reference, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was interested in the experimental nature of the music. I kind of grooved with it, though not really my taste.

This is ridiculous. I hate electro but I understand the market they are targeting, it's not for me and I hate it, but I understand it has a place. So I ask. Where does this fit? Who seeks this out? Other than the pretentious douche bag who described this album in pitchfork magazine as "a subtle dismantling of rock structure, where beauty and absurdity coexist without hierarchy." who would want to listen to this??? In what setting is this the go to choice in music??? Nonsense.

Yet another kraut rock band I didn’t know but now very much enjoy. “The Sad Skinhead” is such a punk by way of kraut rock and talking heads song.

I'm not sure I expected another Krautrock album after so recently being exposed to the genre via Kraftwerk's The Man Machine. On one hand, it's nice to see the difference between the two, and the progression the genre might have made through the 70s. Faust is pushing the boundaries, testing the genre in ways that were inarguably interesting, even if they didn't entirely land with me. Combine the experimental composition with the fact that the album drags on, repeating different versions of tracks from the first side, and I struggle to see a reason for me to ever come back to this album.

This was interesting and somewhat experimental, but inconsistent to me. Liked Songs Added: Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau Giggly Smile

Pa dosta dobar album, lajkam! Čudan mix krautrocka I nekoliko drugih stilova, baš zanimljivo. 3/5, 6/10

Solid German rock album. Jennifer is some song. Great stuff.

A diverse experimental journey across a variety of sounds and almost whimsical muse. I can see why record labels were challenged. How do you market this? It’s an artistic expression that isn’t very consistent but seems to consistently do what they intend - challenge the listener and explore their whimsy. It’s almost punk rock in its exploration. This is one "critic's choice" type record that I actually agree with exploring... the jazz fan in me really perked up listening to this. Except that final track, which IS a little painful...

Introen til pausemusikk

Didn't know what to expect from this. Interestingly experimental