Reviews (page 4 of 8)
This is easily the most psychedelic krautrock I have ever heard. In fact, that was my immediate thought on hearing the opening track, "Krautrock", which just locks you into this massive, twelve-minute drone. The song gives off a super floaty, early Pink Floyd-y feel that completely warps your sense of time. "The Sad Skinhead" was certainly a wild title to juxtapose against the music itself. You expect something aggressive, but instead, it is this incredibly bouncy, almost reggae-infused pop tune that caught me totally off guard. Musically, the whole album is a crazy experiment. One minute they are playing ambient noise, and the next they shift into acoustic folk or heavy garage rock loops.
Eclectic sounds
Throw it on and have a weirdo time. Jennifer stands out as a stark example of the beauty you can make with machines.
another instrumental electronic album first track doesn't really seem to go anywhere nevermind not instrumental its alright
This is #day652 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to another krautrock classic, or so they say. I'm kind of fine with the whole thing, but I find Can to be more fun, so to speak. The sax on the fifth track is great, though. Otherwise, as the last track title suggests, it's a bit of a pain. Let it be a 3 out of 5 eventually. Looking forward to #day653.
The more I listen to krautrock, the more I notice how their experimental sounds come across as indie movie soundtrack to modern ears. The driving beat resembles disco but is more mechanic and robot-like. It's more daring than something like "En-Tact" and I love it for that (3.5).
Genuinetly worst guitar tone on the solo on a bit of pain. Otherwise it's a German prog album where they did whatever they wanted to. A for creativity.
Interesting
Actually kind of fun
a strong 3
3.5 fire up that bong
I’m too sleep deprived for this
This was a low 3 from me
Saw the pick and assumed it would be terrible. Thankfully it wasn’t, but it also wasn’t anything I felt I needed to hear before I die.
Genuinely don't know what to think about this one. Not sure it belongs on a list of 1001 essential albums. It doesn't really sound like anything else I've ever listened to and has a pleasingly spacey vibe. Some of the tracks, such as the nearly 12-minute opener "Krautrock" have a fantastic and propulsive muscularity about them that get me hype, but others, such as "Just A Second (Starts Like That)" were physically painful to listen to. That isn't hyperbole, something about the resonance frequencies caused a weird stabbing sensation in my eardrums. I can't quite figure out what to make of this, its tracks are very much either love it or hate it for me, with nothing in between, so it oddly averages out to mid. - 3
Several songs on this album sound like they'd be really good as a part of a larger song I would like more.
Well, I think I've overloaded a bit on the whole Krautrock vein in this collection, or perhaps this just isn't as good as some of the other entries (but I suspect the former is more the case). It seems like it's well-produced, and there's a decent amount of variety on the album, from the hypnotic and impressively lengthy "Krautrock" (aspects of which made me think of of the interesting credits music to the long-running show "Babylon Berlin") to "Jennifer" and "Run". "The sad skinhead" and "It's a bit of a pain", seem a bit out of place in different ways (perhaps in part because they almost seemed like "normal"(-ish) songs), and overall this doesn't really have as much cohesion or even experimentation as I'd kind of hoped for. But not at all surprising to read that it was recorded in the same studio and at about the same time as Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells".
Actually quite nice as background music
Yup
I know not what I am about to dive into here...Faust makes me think of a classical composer. A couple of these track names make me think punk...and the year too...hmm Krautrock is expiremental rock and this first 9 minute track definitely sounds like it. hehe okay I couldn't get through that first track all the way. Skipped it after like 5 min. I don't know man, not really my style. ido like some of what i'm hearing. 3 stars only because I had chat gpt explain to my why this album was selected.
It's ok, well executed, it doesn't leave me a feeling tho, it's alienating but nothing more
Wow!! This was way better then I was expecting! I have heard and read about krautrock for years because of all my music research I do, but never listened to it. I actually enjoyed it.
I always knew I would get a certain amount of Krautrock when hearing all 1001+ of these albums. It's just a part of the deal. A Faustian Bargain one may even say. I swear I had heard this album already, as I vividly recall getting a Faust album of some sort and I thought it was Faust IV. Clearly, I am mistaken. The first song is called "Krautrock," so Faust is clearly not trying to hide what their sound is. The first song and the second song could not be more different. Krautrock (the song) is an 11 minute prog-krautrock tune, while The Sad Skinhead was a 3 minute ditty that gave me German Beatles vibes. I did enjoy both of them. In fact, Faust IV bounces around from what appear to be poppy songs and more moody instrumental songs that take space to fully explore. My favorite songs: Krautrock The Sad Skinhead Giggy Smile It's a Bit of a Pain
Faustalvista baby
This is the 2nd outing for me with this album, it’s funny but I do really like a couple of tracks on here, “Giggy smile” and “It’s a bit of a pain” these 2 could slot into 2026 easily.
Just by looking at the artwork I knew this was going to be interesting, as it screams experimental, or at least from my point of view, and experimental is what this album is. It starts with its biggest track, "Krautrock", which is a direct reference to what the genre of this album without it being the real origin of the term. This massive piece of 12 minutes is a krautrock tune with some grand and warm noise playing in the background. The bass and rhythms are super hypnotic and groovy, making it immersive and even forcing my body to move to the beat. I love this song, I think the texture is exquisite and very satisfying to hear. There is also some type of progression, as the song slowly evolves as it plays, making changes, like the drums adding more elements or adding more layers of sounds. The second track is "The Sad Skinhead", which scraps a lot of the interesting aspects of the previous track, as it is a psychedelic rock song with some extra noises added on top to keep the experimental attribute of the project. Fortunately, "Jennifer" brings back what I liked about the opening piece, as its first half is a super relaxing moment that uses the warm and hypnotic sounds of the referenced track. By the end of it, it loses a bit of appeal by getting a bit incoherent and more experimental with a lot of cacophony and a strange keyboard solo, or at least I think it is a keyboard or piano of some sort. The next song, "Just a Second (Starts Like That!)" carries on the very weird and noisy elements of the previous one. The first half is quite groovy and normal, but in the second one they start playing a lot of weird sounds and it is super chaotic and confusing, but not in an interesting way. Then comes "Giggy Smile / Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau", which is mislabeled in streaming platforms. It starts very groovy with a great bass line, but then the vocals enter and the song changes to psychedelic rock, which is decent, but not what I'm looking for in this album, even thought it has a great saxophone solo and a nice keyboard melodies playing throughout the whole second half. Another mislabeled song is the following one, "Läuft...Heißt Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft", a very calm and relaxing piece with hypnotic melodies coming from the guitar and... I guess keyboards. While very soothing, the song lacks the big and very textured sounds I liked so much from the start. Second to last is "Run", which is very minimalist and atmospheric synth piece. It is quite beautiful and calming despite of having a little moment were the instrument becomes very loud and noisy. Finally, the album finishes with "It's a Bit of Pain", an acoustic song with some common rock melodies with the addition of a very loud synth. What I think it is interesting about this song is that the lyrics and the loud noise adds a heavy contrast, as the lyrics try to transmit peace with the line "Yes It's all right with" while the synth literally tries to induce anxiety. Apart from that, I didn't really find this song to be very interesting. So overall, this album was very intriguing. I can't say that I loved it in general, as I think almost every track is incredibly weak in comparison with the first one, but still a great and very experimental record.
Mixed bag, like all Faust really, sometimes genius, sometimes too esoteric to enjoy
I highly recommend reading the Wikipedia article before you listen because all of what it says is Exactly What You’re Gonna Get. Very strange 3/5
Their worst album. Typical as I usually like this sort of thing. Bring me motorik beats and stop pissing around trying to annoy people
Cool.
Hm. Not for me.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
A couple of the songs were kinda fun, but a lot of them felt listless. I guess I don't have much of an opinion about it at all really. It was fine.
Interesting, but a few songs droned a bit for me
Glad I stuck this one out a bit, ended up being kinda interesting
3 out of 5. Some interesting parts here and there.
Muy alucinante.
Faust
Didn’t hate it, but wouldn’t say it was actively enjoyed. It was nice to listen to while working.
Strange but compelling- started off as Velvet Underground Lite and ended as the progenitors of sad rock à la Joy Division. Pleasantly surprised by this one.
I liked this more than a 3, but not quite ready to get to a 4. Strange and deadpan, it would take a few listens to determine where this really sits with me. I doubt we'll ever form that relationship, though, so we may be stuck as casual acquaintances.
There's so much great stuff on here, but pretty much every time they started singing I found myself losing interest. but the music was incredible. i can see their influence on groups like Spacemen 3 and others. Glad I got to check this out.
Very experimental sounds a bit like Can but I enjoyed it on a sunny day walking
sure ok
I hadn’t listened to this before. And, well, yeah! I wish it had been a little more experimental, tbh. Synth-y and weird.
I was surprised by this one. In a good way.
I listened to Faust IV {Deluxe Edition on Spotify (the only version available there), and I have to say, the extra tracks really boosted my overall enjoyment of the album. When I think of 1970s German bands, Kraftwerk usually comes to mind first. But Faust sounds completely different, far more experimental and raw. In fact, certain moments and quirky elements in some songs reminded me strongly of The Residents, and it wouldn't surprise me if The Residents were fans of Faust. Their influence seems to echo in places, especially in that weird, avant-garde vibe. The deluxe edition added some nice depth that made the whole experience even more rewarding.
Enjoyed the sound of this album but it didn’t move me.
More my husband's thing than mine
Meh
70s German krautrock. Meandering experimental rock.
230/1001 Faust - Faust IV Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I enjoyed this on the whole, but obe of those that I don't think I'll revisit. Whereas some of the industrial music on here has been inaccessible to me, this at least was doable. The addition of the psych added interest to the record.
Must admit that I wasn't looking forward to this when it came up but I was pleasantly surprised, particularly by the more experimental parts, including the opener which really grabbed my attention as I could hear the influence on some of the more psychedelic indie bands are the late 80s and early 90s. I was less keen when they went more straight-ahead psychedelic rock but not enough to detract from the album as a whole and they did act as a bit of a palette cleanser between the 3 longer songs.
I legitimately put this album on and didn't even notice it was playing. That's how much it just blended into the background.
This is a very high 3 for me. It was just weird enough to not be boring, but it also didn't hold my interest all the way through.
I enjoyed every other song on this lol
Blind album and artist. This album was hit and miss all over the place. Great nuggets of sound and then snooze in other places. I also thought it was cool how the songs themselves have such a variety within itself, quiet parts and cool rhythmic parts.
Didn’t give this a very close listen but it was fine. Some cool instrumental stuff.
Very strange album. Begins as one thing before turning into something very different. Don't know why you would hide the better material behind an 11 minute terrible opening song. Some of the rest is actually not bad.
Wow that was a brutal introduction. Just absolute noise. “Giggy Smile” did sounds like 60s Dead towards the end and that was unsurprisingly my favorite part of listening to tho album. No thanks.
Good
нормалек, вайбово, напомнило animal collective.
Interesting and all over the place
Less insane than can but I feel pretty similar about the two. Some moments I really do like but too much repetitive weirdness for me to really get into it
Interesting
I kinda wanted this to be a 4 but I think it’s a 3. Some cool tracks and some just odd. I can hear king Gizzard taking a bit of inspiration. Interesting and worth a listen but not really going back for.
This is really different. Not at all what I was expecting given song titles like “Krautrock” and “The Sad Skinhead”. There’s no coherency with the songs on this album - some of it sounds like the Doors, and some of it sounds like someone messing around with the sound effect buttons on their keyboard. And even within the same song it doesn’t seem coherent. Weird, experimental, artsy stuff. A lot of it dragged on for way too long. Torn between a 2 & 3 rating - not my cup of tea, but I can kind of appreciate it for what it is. (3)
Ändå bra, en låt hamnade på gillade låtar men generellt hade de rätt stressanda musik, framförallt andra halvan hade de mycket instrument som gjorde mig stressig, så det hade dem kunnat chilla med.
so many things are going on I dont get the point. Trying to be weird just to be weird. 3.19
104/1001 First listen. Not at all what I thought krautrock was. This was alright. Experimental is always interesting to me. Definitely not something you can fully appreciate in a couple of listens. It does make me want to explore further into this krautrock thing now that I know it’s not Scorpions and Rammstein. 5/10
3/5 + I wish there would be more vocals, i really liked them + Great tone of the instrumentals - My attention span is unfortunatly not ready for this Fav: Giggy Smile, The Sad Skinhead Least Fav: Krautrock
Very different from what I usually hear but it was exciting to try something new
Enjoyable but jumbled. That’s probably intentional
I’ve heard Jennifer before and it’s still such a great dark groove so this gets 3 stars just for it, but the rest of the album is all over the place with sound experiments and sing songy verses, I couldn’t really get into it.
Ok, that was a journey! Yes, it's weird. It's interesting, though. It starts out kind of proto-ambient/proto-industrial, lulling you into a sense of comfort, and then it gets really weird. Never boring. The lyrics are very sparse and repetitive. "The Sad Skinhead" is kind of silly. "It's a Bit of a Pain" is more than a bit of a pain. If you listen on Spotify, you can stop at Disc 1, because Disc 2 is just remixes and other additions from the Deluxe set. My Rating: 3/5
Plenty of good tracks, but also some really annoying ones.
Disforia, loucura e confusão: são as primeiras emoçãos que o album consegue transmitir para mim. Qualquer album de rock sugerido por aqui é uma imersão sonora muito distinta das que estou acostumado a ouvir. As faixas parecme transitar entre a ordem e o caos, dando a entender ser totalmente proposital. A canção que mais me chamou atenção foi Jeniffer. Os sons iniciais parecem espaciais, viagem sideral, mas encerra com uma melodia mais terrestre com um piano. (Just a second me deu vontade de beber água depois -- e de assistir Star Wars)
Seus excessos são, ao mesmo tempo, seu maior pecado e triunfo Faixas favoritas: * 1 Krautrock * 5 Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableux * 6 Giggy Smile * 7 Läuft... Heisst das es lauft oder es kommt bald... Läuft * 8 It's a Bit of a Pain Menos favoritas: 2 The Sad Skinhead 4 Just a Second (Starts Like That!)
So this is where the term Krautrock comes from . Trying to think of other band/songs that define a genre As the review aptly puts it “not-always-related experiments” sums this up . If you’re still actually listening after the 11 minute opening song, or should that be song opening ( it never actually goes anywhere) , then this album is for you .
Not terrible, but certainly a bit odd, and kind of all over the place. I can see how it could have been influential to many a style.
Experimental and weird. 2.5/5. Raising to a 3.
Never listened to it before. Want to consider it prog, maybe avant-garde, maybe techno with American influence? Don't know why I have to label it or pigeonhole it, bit we all do it to help us process something new I guess. Listenable, but not terribly memorable. Will I go back to it? Maybe as background music but not as in "Hey you've GOT to listen to THESE guys!" Not great, not bad. 3 stars.
i'm such a sucker for krautrock as a german major while this album is pretty bare, this and other songs in the genre were monumental for the alt scene during the postwar era. that's it. favorite(s): krautrock
There were highs and then there were lows
It was fun but maybe a little bit too much weird for the sake of being weird for me to rate higher.
Krautrock is a really interesting genre, and one that is a really strange experience for me for some reason. I've never outright hated a krautrock album, but I've never really loved one either. And this album is only continuing that streak, I like this and I appreciate it for what it is, but for some reason even though it has all the elements I would normally look for in a textbook good album, I just can't quite bring myself to that that I love it.
I know this is a trailblazing record. I can hear how it was ahead of its time and influenced many bands. Yet I felt like that Waka Flocka Flame gif where he says, "...okay..." while listening to it. I'm glad I listened to this once, but it's not something I plan to revisit.
Wikipedia tells us that 'Faust IV' is the fourth studio album by the German krautrock group Faust, released in 1973'. Nobody knows what krautrock sounds like, giving the sense that some dork made the name up to sound smart. Lets figure this out by listening rather than dropping into the Wikipedia entry for krautrock. Listening to the opening tracks of any album gives the listener a sense of the musical style. In the case of Faust IV, the first song titled 'krautrock' feels like a sort of easy going, electronic back beat with some jazzy, synth ramblings in multiple directions then 7 minutes in you get a drumbeat. This song is 11+ minutes long. Great. But this is one song, an instrumental, serving as prologue rather than a complete picture. Prepare yourself listener for entry into the unknown and confusing. Digging into the tracks of the complete album teaches the listener that krautrock is a melding of psychedelic industrial rock. I don't think I learned anything else. No great lyrical philosophy....Maynard spoiled us all. Checking the timeline, this album landed in the music scene in the early 70s when psychedelic and hard rock raged into its screaming toddler years. Faust IV fits in there, but electronic mostly. Trent Reznor was eight when it came out so its not his, though the first tune could be. The remastered version presents clean, psychedelic songs the likes of which you might find on a Henry Rollins radio show or maybe something played on KXLU. The songs all present a clean, driving baseline with a variety of instruments pursuing their interrelated musical lines. No doubt music theorists gush over the mixodyxolidophonic scales....whatever. Lyrically, and vocally, you wont find much. Its sparse. As something called krautrock, I expect something more of a call to arms, a socialist or well ordered, tight and clean lyrics. Instead, the listener doesn't get much. The songs have minimal lyrics, mostly repeated lines. Walt Whitman doesn't play krautrock. As I end my first listen, it occurs to me that all of the songs on the album could be one long tune. Though song to song the 'melodies' and temperaments change, including 'Giggly Smile' which could fit on a Zappa album, especially due to its lyrical homage to blowjobs. This album drops a lot of elements on the listener...maybe this is jazz structure with rock instruments? This unique sound clearly lives in its own world. Its flaw maybe its strength: its uncategorizable. Its provides a base of music for some of the greatest artists to come: Reznor, Zappa and their ilk. If you like weird music, off the mainstream, you may like this. If you like to know what you are getting, you will hate this. 3 of 5 stars
ive read some reviews on this site that posture that if you dont like a certain album its because youre a simple minded pencil pusher and if you arent out there living life the album will fall flat. this album is for boring people. i was doing some mind numbingly menial work listening to this and the album paired perfectly. i felt like i was in a shitty david fincher film smacking away at the keyboard
This was an interesting sort of post-punk, hard metallic electronic kind of industrial mix. I would say I liked it. I did. I think it did not ... well, one must know I like the genre. So there are lots of bands in there that I am way into so it is not a fault of this band, it is more a saturation of genre that makes me completely LIKE this stuff while at the same time placing it in the pack. It is not a fault of the band or the sound or the music, just my own edges.
Solid. I don't think I'll ever listen to it again, but I enjoyed it.
two parts artsy jam band rock n roll and one part quirky playful eurojank. the album really *hangs out* sometimes, really stays its welcome. favorite song is maybe Giggy Smile. 3 glizzards out of 5 wizards
Vibey and kinda cool, Jennifer was so sick for no reason but otherwise Experimental Rock to Chill and Space Out To 5/10
Pre-Giz Giz-Mizzard. 6 Giz Miz Oiz 10 Liz Wiz
That was weird. Giggy Smile is quite cheerful though. Sometimes the volume dynamics are a bit much.
Wow. I hate it, but what a fascinating history......with a special guest appearance of Richard Branson.....so weird. Actually it's not so bad. Faust is included as a representative of Krautrock, which was Germany's post-WWII (1960's) counter culture attempt to create a unique "German" music identity while separating themselves from both their Nazi history as well as the soft power of the UK and US. With the US and UK dominating the music industry, Germany wanted their own German culture and sound. The result being Krautrock. Makes total sense. I feel like Kraftwerk is probably the most famous Krautrock band, but maybe Faust was chosen because they had a brief moment outside of Germany thanks to......Richard Branson of Virgin Records. Briefly listen to Kraftwerk - The Model and it is 100% what I think of with German music outside of Rammstein. You really hear the electronic, synth weird style that Krautrock is going for and it's totally unique in the 70's....before Synthpop popped up in the 80's in the US/UK. Really cool. Back to Faust, there is less synth reliance in this album, and it's a lot more "rock" but there are still those weird elements in there like the xylophone and laser sounds in The Sad Skinhead. There are also psychedelic, droning elements that identify the genre like in Jennifer or Krautrock, the first track. The first track for me......is just horrible. It's like a 12 minute intro to something that never happens. Jennifer and some of the other tracks are more tolerable though. I know this is kind of a characteristic of the genre, but holy moly some of the tracks drone on and on for way too long. Krautrock and Giggy Smile could just cut off by 75%. It's A Bit Of Pain.........includes a bit of pain, which is incredibly obvious when listening to it, so I guess it's aptly titled. What a troll song. It's a weird album, but I love being able to learn about some of these sub-genres and the history behind them. Again, Faust probably isn't the best representative of this genre, but probably one that is most agreeable to "the West" (meaning the Cold War West). Glad this is included rather than another Elvis Costello album.
weird as shit
Sort of an odd one. It was... fine. Didn't hate it, but unlikely to listen to again.
I don't really have much to say about this. it was...fine? in a historical way? I don't know.
A masterpiece of disciplined restraint; and boring af with it
Went into this with very low expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. Still didn’t love it, but it was listenable.
Great to properly listen to some Krautrock, having been generally aware of the genre vand a bit familiar with Kraftwerk. Very interesting how this switches, often within the same song, between electronic noises that feel decades ahead of their time and much more conventional seventies psychedelic rock.
I’d listen again, but pretty random, psychedelic rock is fun to listen to
Ok, so not my vibe, but certainly interesting to hear. I won't seek this out, though I respect the independent nature of the recording.
To pull off long one-chord jams like the ones that appear on *Faust IV*, it's essential to keep the elements within moving and shifting throughout, and on tracks like the opening number "Krautrock", the band successfully pulls that off. Droning and pulsing guitars set the direction in the foreground, but behind that synthesizers, bass and drums weave hypnotic melodies and rhythms. The album also has a few songs (like "Jennifer") that successfully merge pop/rock elements with the avant-garde leanings while still maintaining a coherent whole. It's not all successful though - closing track "It's A Bit Of A Pain" is an uneasy mix of the two, especially with its at-times abrasive sonics. Also, the jokey pop songs on this record like "The Sad Skinhead" (!) try to inject some humor into the proceedings but instead break up the mood of the album.
Surprised at this one, I really quite liked it -
Not bad! I think I was expecting something more experimental, but it hit the spot of weird and familiar. Favourite Track(s): Jennifer, Giggly Smile Least Favourite Track(s): Just A Second (Starts Like That)
I can hear how this influenced later work and indeed, continuing to listen to the algorithmic radio station generated for this album I heard a lot that came from this work. Not my favourite work of theirs but formative.
Although I like a lot of stuff similar to it, krautrock is something I couldn’t fully get into. I don’t mind repetitive music, but the problem with krautrock for me is that it usually doesn’t build up to anything while also not layering or progressing the repetitions as much as I like. Look at something like Swans. Their songs have a lot of repetition, but the reason why they feel so good for me is because there is a lot of subtle detail and progressions that keep them exciting. Their repetitions also either build up to something big or slowly grow in intensity on their own. I feel that post-rock is a logical evolution of krautrock and it feels a lot more exciting because of that. I just think it’s a genre that I should like, and I’m kind of annoyed I don’t enjoy it that much. I did like this album, though. It is repetitive but not really monotonous, and it had a lot of cool experimental stuff. Not something particularly exciting for me, because it’s krautrock, but still enjoyable. 7/10
Heavy krautrock? Oh yeah! Not my favorite krautrock album, love the noise and repetitiveness, enjoy when they get in a grove.
Always know I’m in for a time™ when an album is described as a bands “most approachable” or “straightforward”
High highs; low lows
My really intense roommate in Prague was obsessed with this album and got me hooked on it too. Oddly nostalgic. Krautrock is great.
Very artistic.
Very early 1970s sound. Had never heard of them before. German prog rock.
It's such a weird mix of britpop and long jazzy instrumentals. Every time I enjoyed something it would either end too soon or outstay its welcome by several minutes. I think a creative editing pass to fix the pacing would go a long way but then they'd have to write more than 20 minutes of music (padded out to 45 or whatever with the long jammy tracks) Ultimately I did like listening to it enough to give it a decent score but it could have been a lot better.
Pretty, catchy, and disturbing. A real mix of styles here - flashes of brilliance and absurdity in equal measure. Songs shift right where you're standing and everytime you think you have an idea of where a song is going it changes. However, they never forget the hooks. Best Tracks: Krautrock; Jennifer; Giggy Smile
Woof, this was an interesting one. Not my kind of music, I listen to Zappa sometimes and some Iron Butterfly, but outside of that, this was just experimental noise. Won’t revisit.
So 2.5 but I'd really need to dig into this album more for a better sense of it. Don't hate it, but let's call it, "incomplete" for now.
Bloopy - definitely one I think will grow on me if I revisit
It was better than some of the others in this genre. Decent background music.
I don’t have any thoughts
Fine. I mean they were at least kinda interesting unlike most of the other krautrock we've had (looking at you Kraftwerk). Didn't really love but could appreciate the innovation.
such a weird album-kind of all over the place style & sound wise. case in point-Piano Piece. really enjoyed it & will bump it up from 2.5 to a 3
interesting...
Yeah, I’m weird but not this weird. I prefer the CAN kind of Krautrock
Enjoyably quirky, krautrock has been a neat genre so far
Overall, a bit meh because this whole thing was just sounds, but not in a bad way, for sure.
Thoughts before listening: This one will be new to me. Being from 1973 I'm going to guess this is some sort of European prog rock. Based on the minimalist album cover I will also guess that it leans toward a krautrock or maybe early electronic style....but I really have no idea. Review: Well, the first song is called "Krautrock" so it seems my guess was correct 😂. This is album is actually all over the place with some definite krautrock influences, but this is more eclectic than just being Kratwerk wannabes. They definitely feel more lighthearted and less mechanical than their krautrock contemporaries, almost reminding me of a jamband who just gets into the studio and throws a bunch of ideas out to see what sticks. "Giggy Smile" and its sax/keys jam is probably my favorite part of this album. Overall I'd give this 3-stars.
Liking this makes me a certified RYM user. Right?
Interesting album, hypnotic though not as frenetic as other krautrock records I had listened to before.
Interesting?
Would be ok as a some background music
Unavailable on YouTube music
It see the merit in it, but it's not my taste.
The name sounded familiar, maybe just because of the word “Faustian,” but none of the tracks rang a bell. Listening through, it feels like a precursor to bands like The Beta Band, and I can hear shades of other prog rock influences that came later. It’s not bad by any means, though some of the songs tend to drone and stretch on a bit. The opening track runs nearly twelve minutes, but it almost justifies its length when the drums finally kick in around the seven-minute mark. Overall, Faust IV has a laid-back, hypnotic quality - an album you could easily throw on in the background and let it carry you somewhere strange and mellow.
Would be much more interesting under the influence of some hard hallucinogenics. Especially the 12-minute opener (aptly named Krautrock) that, fully sober, you can feel dragging on for its entire length. It's very repetitive on account of the 1-5-1-5 synth notes (which are boosted way up in the mix). I have to imagine the synth player wasn't having the most interesting day. Maybe he put paperweights on those two notes and then snuck out the back of the studio to go watch The Godfather, and the other band members were too wasted to notice. There's a reason why long, uninteresting tracks tend to be put at the end of an album – at least, if the album's good. (Think Endless Nameless, Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, Revolution 9.) In contrast, The Sad Skinhead is great. The addition of vocals lets the album pace really pick up after the endless slog of the opening song. There's some great guitarwork between the verses, and we actually hear a chord progression (rather than a drone) for the first time. Sounds intensely punkish (or proto-punkish). Unlike punk, though, there are lots of little details to keep your interest here, including some fluttery xylophone lines, sound effects in the left ear, and a simple, fun bassline. Jennifer is reminiscent of some early Black Sabbath (maybe Planet Caravan?) with its repetitive, echoey guitar tunes and spaced out lines. The throbbing bassline is cool but I would've liked to hear some more complexity. The outro is very weird but oddly enjoyable. The rest of the tracks continue in much the same way, and I'm left wondering what exactly happened in track 1. Did they forget how to write good, engaging music? Are they stupid? 3/5 Key tracks: The Sad Skinhead, It's A Bit Of A Pain
Another band I never heard of. I liked it , but I found their first album and liked that much more.
When it hits, it hits. (3.5)
Pretty cool
It was a nice chill vibe
another meh album for me. still pretty cool though!
Experimental, yes. There's cool synth on here and nice ambience. I think a lot of stuff that would have seemed new and edgy in the early 70s. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this was inspiration for excellent and influential albums that came afterwards. I mean, I didn't hate it. But I wasn't particularly whelmed in any form. Not what I want from music necessarily. 3 stars.
Interesting sounds! With enough listens it would probably click
Classic Krautrock that, while it doesn't have the driving motorik and funk energy of Can, has the loose jammy sprawling feel, emphasis on drones and repetitions and shifting textures, and psych exploratory energy to it. More of a proto-shoegaze than a house music precedent. Favorites: Krautrock, Jennifer, Giggy Smile
This one was strangely captivating. It pulled me in so many directions that follow up listens will happen. I gave it 3 because some of it is strange, but like another review said, I can see why the cat got freaked out by it
The first track was long and boring. I thought I was in for a long, annoying slog through some uninspired shit. But, it turned around soon after and began to get interesting. I won't be putting this into my regular listening rotation, but it is an early example of forward looking musicians trying to move on from the mostly boring standard fare of rock and roll at the time. Surprisingly good.
Not something I'd listen to often but kinda interesting. The second track is pretty good! Reminds me of Blur's more eclectic moments.
I actually like this kind of style of music. Experimental and long rock songs. I do kind of wish that they just didn't have any singing on the album, though. It takes away from the experience, I think. Their sound is really good. It also feels really well-crafted and intentional. Favorite Song(s): Krautrock
This is a hard album to rate accurately. It's experimental for the time, but there are proper songs in there, albeit interspersed with an aural panic attack.
More an experience and education that actual listening to music... I liked "Jennifer" though
This was an interesting German krautrock album, it wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst thing I've heard!
Before even looking at the reviews I can tell people will hate this. But for me I actually love some of these sounds. The opening track is Krautrock noise rock, and when the drums kick in it really goes to another level, and the other Krautrock style tracks I also really like. But then the second track Sad Skinhead is weird reggae? And Jennifer is pretty dull. A mixed bag of enjoyment here for me, probably as intended but the band, given how the pretty standard It's a Bit of a Pain has harsh feedback, Swedish (?) and electronic bleeps inserted into a simple melody, but all this makes it a much more interesting album than most.
Elektronische Musik aus Deutschland
I preferred the instrumental heavy tracks to the vocal forward tracks. Overall it was an interesting album, good grooves, lots of synth.
I don’t hate this but I also didn’t *love* it. Some good jams for sure.
This sounded like a krautrock band and a prog band simultaneously recorded an album. It seemed to be walking the line between sounding actually interesting and just random in the hope of being interesting, there were some good songs and some that didn't do it for me. Picnic was great, krautrock was pretty good, most of the others were okay. For 1973 it's pretty impressive but I don't think I would be compelled to hear it again.
I presumed krautrock was the same sound as Kraftwerk, and so it took me ages to realise that it is trippy, experimental, funky rock. Not really my bag, a lot of it went nowhere and ended abruptly. I feel like the riff to Just A Second gets sampled a lot.
This started brilliantly. I loved Krautrock. I could listen to a whole album of that sadly much of the rest of t album was somewhat as I feared this record would be. A bit weird (but not aa weird as I expected). I liked some of the weird but it wasn't nearly as listenable as the first track. Giggy Smile probably the other highlight. A Bit of a Pain was aptly named.
Well this is pretty mad. I quite enjoyed the first track although it dragged on a bit, following that every track was totally different and largely unpredictable. It was fun. I don't know that I love any of it, but it was interesting. From reading it sounds like this is their least crazy release, so I'm somewhat intrigued to look into more of their stuff. Perhaps on further listens it would become a 4.
Freaky soundscapes that I definitely preferred to the quirky circus songs
I had a negative reaction to Krautrock but there was some other interesting things on here. I probably wouldn't have chosen to listen to this but I didn't hate it.
interesting album. I can see where some ambient music was certainly influenced by this. will need another listen
It really feels ahead of it's time in terms of the production. Some drone/ambient/electronic stuff, mixed with a whole bunch of other genres. Outside of the experimental songs, it seems the band does have a knack for writing something catchy and even poppy. 6/10
The opener, aptly titled Krautrock, is a textbook composition that brings the template of the genre Krautrock into play: driving motor-esque rhythms mixed with a bag of psychedelic and drony passages. Sad Skinhead is a fun take on pop by avant-garde, and Jennifer is a cool pulsating number. Other than the closer, which is similar to Sad Skinhead in that it's a shorter pop oriented song, Side B is more of the same, with a slight twist and addition of a folky twang to its suite like feel. My krautrock knowledge is limited, but Faust IV is to me, the perfect blend of accessible and the autobahn-driven motorik that adorns the genre. Faust IV is one of the albums you seek when you look into Krautrock, no doubt.
It's definitely interesting. I do like it, but I don't love it. 3/5
Ehhhh bit all over the shop, is it an album or just "Here's some really long tracks and some other ideas".
generally enjoyable. feels like I'm not always getting it, kind of weird sometimes. Reminds me at times of film soundtracks, creating scenes and moods. opening track is pretty atmospheric. sad skinhead is groovy. giggy smile's pretty groovy and gets better as it goes on. Lauft is fun. Jennifer is really nice. I don't exactly know what to make of this, it's generally enjoyable but very hard to parse.
Really conflicted with this one. Not an easy listen (perhaps 2/5 stars for that?), but that's part of the point. It's compelling and envelope-pushing, especially when considering its time (5/5 stars). There's plenty of intentional rock convention upending, which I appreciate.
Svår och svårbedömd skiva. Rytmiskt orytmisk. Kantig sång. Det gör lite ont. Påträngande. Är det ljudkonst eller är det musik? Troligen före sin tid 1973 och till inspiration för efterföljande artister. Sammantaget ändå mer intressant än bra att lyssna på.
This is... Interesting. I don't know exactly how I feel about it. I like it and don't get much from it at the same time. It's decent music with some very strange choices. One song lulled me into a false sense of security with light guitar and vocals, then suddenly blared an Amber Alert-sounding alarm in my ear. It's bizarre. I can't say I dislike it. I also can't say I would listen to this again.
2.9 // weird space-y sounds a lot of the time, some songs drag out a while, weird but not too much where it's hurting the music
More ambient than anything else, I wasn’t sure about it at first but better with a second listen. Still ended up getting pushed to the background but I was decently busy and was pretty shallow in my attention. 3/5
I liked it. Great background music! I'm trying to come up with a ranking system. I think: 1) did not enjoy/finish the album 2) finished did not enjoy 3) finished might seek out more/listen again 4) finished and listened to more 5) can play on repeat
I have no idea what they are up to. It is interesting to me that punk rock which often told its audience to go fuck itself is more inviting than experimental music.
This is such a mix of styles that I don't know where to begin. I really liked the first track, all 11 minutes of it, and then the skinhead novelty song kicked in, and it all kinda went off the rails. Shame really.
Man, I don't know. The ambient/prog-y/shoegaze-y stuff in the first few tracks I enjoyed, and I imagine it was pretty groundbreaking. Almost anything with lyrics didn't hit for me, with some of it being actively off-putting (esp., "Giggy Smile"). There are pieces of intentionally irksome music I've enjoyed and found interesting (see, in particular, the early work of IDLES), but this ain't it.
Strange album, but somehow was kind of into it. It wasn't groundbreaking or life changing, but a solid, fun album that was completely new to me. 3.5/5 Might listen again
1st time every hearing this band
Not really sure what this was.
Not for me
This is kinda like "what if we did Jazz with random stuff I found in the elementary school music room" and also one guy is goin crazy on the synth. If this is your thing I can see the appeal but I feel like I'm starting a twelve book series at book 7.
a bit disappointed, kinda boring tbh I expected more
this sounds like prog rock for people on lithium and/or lexapro But it's not bad, just a bit of a snooze fest. Lucky I was in the mood for something boring, so this gets a solid pass.
My expectations were definitely played with going into this. From initially seeing a fairly low global rating, to being taken back and enjoying the 11 minute opening track, to back to being a bit disappointed that a remainder of the album did not maintain this same energy. If the change in direction on the tracks following Krautrock is what people were upset by back in the day, I can understand. It does find shades of that opener on side B but not enough to entirely win me back.
Front and back loaded without much in the middle. Final track is really really cool. Jennifer is also great. 7/10
To było takie dziwne! Dziwne, oryginalne, zdeformowane, czasem naprawdę wdzięczne i dźwięczne a czasem odpychające, jakby przypadkowe, taplające się z dumą w swojej ohydzie. Ale przede wszystkim było to JAKIEŚ! Nie sprawiało przyjemności, ale fascynowało, pociągało i odrzucało, ale robiło to wszystko trzymając Cię za fraki. Nie mam pojęcia jak to ocenić, ten dziwny twór, ten eksperyment szalonego naukowca. Dam 6/10, ale ta płyta wymyka się gwiazdkom i ucieka wprost na swoją, zupełnie obcą, zamieszkaną przez kosmitów planetę.
Impressive experimentation for the time. Didn't do much to grab me but great in the background.
Now this is a really interesting pick! I've heard of Faust before, but never really listened to them, so I was happy to see them here and give them a chance. What I liked about this album is how forward-thinking it is, while still offering moments of simple and nice songwriting, sometimes paired with playful musical ideas and sarcastic lyrics. Some ideas here would appear in music much later - like the opener, "Krautrock", which is an almost 12-minute-long drone piece that slowly evolves and grows over time. It adds subtle layers, with the track fully developing when drums come in, very late in the song's runtime, around the 7-minute mark. Here, you can hear the influence on post-rock bands such as Swans and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but maybe a bit of Sonic Youth and Stereolab, too. Hard to believe this came out in '73. On "The Sad Skinhead", we get a complete 180 - a track featuring playful, sarcastic and absurd lyrics I previously mentioned, combined with psychedelic guitar sounds and a xylophone solo that reminds me of Zappa’s 70s fusion work. A really cool and fun track. "Just a Second" starts with a funky groove, but halfway through breaks down into an unpredictable ambient/drone mix of synths, piano, and guitar. The way these two parts are joined strangely reminded me of some of The Mars Volta’s sudden changes. This track feels a bit under-developed - like the band wasn't sure where the opening idea should go. For me, another highlight is "Giggy Smile" - an energetic mix of jazz, prog, and blues with unusual rhythms and creative instrumentation. It has a restless energy that brings to mind the adventurous Canterbury scene. However, not every track works this well. Some experiments feel more like sketches than finished songs, and the album’s flow can be a bit uneven. The last two tracks explore some folky ideas, which is another complete left turn in this album, providing even more musical diversity. Still, Faust IV balances humor, surprise, and real musical ambition and inovativeness, while still providing enough . At its best, it's fascinating and bold. At its weakest, it feels a little self-indulgent. I’d give it a solid 3.5 out of 5 - definitely worth listening for its highlights and historical importance, even if I wouldn’t listen to it all the way through very often. 3.5/5
Some kinda wild stuff -- good enough as a background listen, but gets a little drony after awhile.
3.4 1x flagged for another listen... pretty cool
Singulier; grandiloquent dans son minimalisme
I went into this with great trepidation, but it wasn’t that bad. It certainly seemed ahead of its time as moments reminded me of Beta Band and later experiments with sound and spoken word. I mean, I’m not adding it to my collection or listening ever again on purpose, but it was not nearly as bad as I feared.
First track was a drag and I thought this was going to be a hard one to sit through, but there were some interesting bits and pieces here. The album as a whole didn’t feel cohesive at all, but I like what they were trying to do.
12/1001 :: Faust - Faust IV Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 5 Fav Tracks: Just A Second/Picnic on a Frozen River File this under bizarre industrial album that would be cool to play if you owned a coffee shop and didn’t want to offend anyone with your music taste but also wanted to come off as avant garde. Lots of interesting parts here but the structure of these songs are so loose. A couple of them have no words too and would have been good contenders for our Discogs Instrumentals run. While I can appreciate this and thought some of it was pretty rad I’m not sure I would go back. That is of course unless I open up a avant garde coffee shop, which if I’m being honest I would love to do… So I guess there’s still hope, but the chances are slim.
It's a mood. Reminds me of my parents, and aunts/uncles with the lanterns around the pond. White noise, with a bit of hypnosis.
Krautrock and Jennifer (the latter of which I had heard before) rock, the rest not so much.
Sprawling, experimental, sometimes catchy, a little strange, often a bit repetitive. Bends riffs until they break. The kind of listening experience I’m appreciative of but don’t need to have again.
***An ok mostly instrumental album
There were parts that hit so hard but they were overshadowed by the general incongruity of the songs, even internally.
Not that great
Not my style. Some songs were decent
Ok I suppose. Doesn't particularly stand out.
Weird German electronic rock, nice :)
It was quite dense
I love me some krautrock, but I prefer that of Can, Neu! or say Amon Düül, with emphasis on rock and minimum amounts of gimmicky artsy fartsy bollocks. Faust leans too much on the art side for my taste.
kind of a crazy album! enjoyed the instrumental songs a bit more, krautrock and laust. a real challenge to listen to but not entirely unpleasant. by my scale i should probably give it a two but i see the merit in it.
Fav: Jennifer Least Fav: The Sad Skinhead The best parts were when they were not singing, loved the atmosphere they were able to create
Best Song: The Sad Skinhead Til there is a thing called "krautrock" and if this is it, then it's not for me. It's not terrible, just not for me. I'll stick with sauerkraut, that's German enough.
I see the influence they had on ambient and industrial music.
great experimentation and groove 3.5/5
This one was weird and repetitive and I kinda liked it. A series of sonic landscapes. Favorites were Krautrock, Just A Second, and Giggy Smile.
Interesting
Nice aber sehr experimentell
Preferred instrumental songs but enjoyable album overall.
I was being bouncing between this is great and this is weird I think I settled on “at least it’s interesting”
Was really hot when I listened to this one, so it tested my patience a little and didn't enjoy as much as I'd hoped. Got better towards the end, bit more jammy and rhythm section came to the fore, but a bit disappointing.
Doidinho. Curto paradas diferentes assim, mas admito, literalmente dormi por um momento escutando esse aqui. Poderia ter gostado mais. 3/5
Not awful, but Faust was never my cup of tea.
Whats cool about this is that it’s on the brink of something. It’s not just elements that will influence other artist. It’s not something that steals the spotlight from artists, it feels like a building block for a lot of things. Very cool.
I like my beep boops with a little more melody, but there were some interesting bits here. I liked The Sad Skinhead and Just A Second, although I thought something was horribly wrong with my car when the weird sounds started in on the latter. 2.5 rounded up, what the hell.
There's a lot to unwrap with this album. Some of it was shit but some of it was crazy and cool.
Guess I have another 3 to sift through (3.5/5)
If I won tickets to a Faust show, I guess I'd go.
I've never really listened to krautrock so I didn't really know what to expect (bleeps and bloops, I guess), but this was a very pleasant listening experience--very prog-rock in some places. Also, that is some beautiful manuscript paper on the cover of this album.
Faust IV is certainly a very bizarre album. Krautrock is a genre which i have never heard of before listening to this album but after listening to it, it makes me think of some of the stuff Frank Zappa made. However, this album is better than anything he has ever made. You get the best of both worlds with this one, it's quirky, just like his Mothers of Invention albums and it's coherent like his solo album Hot Rats. Even some of the stuff some people would find annoying, i found tolerable. This album isn't amazing as it can get quite a bit repetitive due to the length of some of the songs but in all honesty, i was expecting a lot worse. Best Song: Giggy Smile Worst Song: It's A Bit Of A Pain
All Kraut. No Saur.
This is cool. It’s another case of a band that I respect for their influence on my favourite artists. I liked listening to this while I worked. I enjoy the repetitive rhythms and there are some cool sounds on this record. But I prefer how subsequent artists incorporated krautrock into other/new subgenres. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to put this on but I like hearing the origins behind the music I love.
I was hoping this would be a telling of the Germanic Legend. It was not.
Not sure about the improv solo over a vamp instrumental tracks. First track was quite weak, but maybe that’s intentional to lure in folks. Second track had big Ween vibes which I liked. I liked it enough overall but it didn’t click enough that I’m itching to listen to it again. Perhaps if they went weirder with it.
Interesting
Interesting album. Couple cool tunes but a few of the songs are too long. I’ll definitely listen again.
Odd, electic, but after reading up on them, understood the direction a bit more..
For german krautrock this was actually unironically good. Would listen again. Stand-out: Giggy Smile
This is definitely a weird one. Like every neurodivergent music nerd I love krautrock a lot. This album is definitely not my favourite in the genre but I do like this album. The droney opener "Krautrock", "Jennifer" & "Giggy Smile" (or whatever it's actually called on the official release) are all staples of the genre imo. The rest of this album leans into Faust's experimental side a lot more, which I don't love but still appreciate. 7/10 Favourite: Giggy Smile Least Favourite: The Sad Skinhead
No my thing but interesting
KRAUTWERK
First-time listen. Liked the long, droning, instrumental Krautrock tracks. Not a big fan of anything including vocals.
Complicated
Y'know, there's something pretty charming about when a band just doesn't give a twig and makes the crazy experimental music that they want to withouth worrying about listenability. Unfortunately, it also means that the album is lacking in listenability. Favorite Track: The Sad Skinhead
I really liked the first song. The rest was alright. Didn't really stick with me though.
Better as I got used to it. Enjoyed it overall. Very interesting Standout songs: Jennifer Giggy Smile
M,eh, not good or bad,
After slogging through 11mins long track 1, I was dreading the rest of the album, but I found I quite enjoyed the rest! It was weird, but inventive.
Album 719 of 1001 Faust - Faust IV (1973) Rating : 3 / 5 Krautrock. Not something I'm terribly familiar with. Parts of this were just terrible while others were passable. There was the track "Sad Skinhead" which I had saved to my favorites when listening through the whole playlist. It was slightly redeemable for the album. Certainly interesting.
A wonderfully weird album. Definite high moments, but very strange and didn't always connect with me. Still I appreciate the ingenuity and almost whimsy, and there are definitely some fun and engaging songs, but I don't think I liked the album on the whole as much. Top tracks: Jennifer, Giggy Smile, It's A Bit Of A Pain
Meget mærkeligere end jeg forventede. Stor 3
This was really nice - very shoegazy at times
It’s good. Lots of cool ideas but also lots that I find a bit grating.
Definitely strange and original. Mostly, but not always, good. This sits well above most of the 70s music that is so heavily represented on this list.
Interesting but repetitive
I quite liked this - shades of Stone Roses, much different to what I imagined.
Meh. It didn't really do much for me.
cute
I remember buying the predecessor to this album, "The Faust Tapes" which was a bit too experimental for my taste at the time, but this album, while still experimental, is much better. My favourite track is the hypnotic opening track, "Krautrock", which is just under 12 minutes long.
3/5
Interesante. Ha lo escuché. Cumplí el objetivo.
A chill album. It was ok.
I came into contact with a lot of Krautrock in my youth. Much of what was being produced and tried out in Germany at the time was groundbreaking and revolutionary. However, I've always had problems with some forms of experimentation. This album by Faust is one of those works that I find too exhausting. It was interesting to listen to, but I couldn't really make friends with the work. 3/5
Interesting, but not that unique.
It’s different and it’s the sort of thing that should be on this list. It’s not particularly inspiring, but different enough to get three stars here.
A surprising new-to-me band. I really liked a lot of this. Some progressive rock jams like a jam band. Overall close to or right on the 3/4 line for me.
2/11/25. First time listening to Faust, really interesting instrumentals and sounds. It’s almost like if a jam band originated in Europe, but more electronic.
jennifer wow what an amazing song
I'm not sure what to think. It was at least interesting.
I feel like I've rated almost everything a 3 lately but truly, a lot of music to me is: Fine! I like it well enough. I'd listen to it again but might not put it on. You know?
Not for me
I don't get it, but I guess it isn't terrible
I used this as background music and it is good but not at all memorable
„Faust IV“ ist ein Album, das nichts für schwache Nerven oder die Freunde von einfacher Popmusik ist. Es verlangt von seinen Hörern Offenheit und Neugier, belohnt sie aber mit einer der innovativsten Klanglandschaften der 70er-Jahre. Das Album beweist, dass Faust mehr als nur Pioniere des Krautrocks waren – sie waren wahre Klangabenteurer. Wer Lust auf einen musikalischen Trip ins Unerwartete hat, der sollte sich „Faust IV“ unbedingt gönnen. Ein Album, das auch 50 Jahre später noch frisch und frech klingt!
I appreciate the experimentation and the fact that it's doing something a bit different at least, but I wouldn't say it's a great listen. It's quite repetitive throughout, as a bunch of the songs slowly, slowly build into something, although without much pay-off. There's not huge amounts of form here. It's not bad... it's ok. The last track is nice and ambly and I like that more.
Mixed feelings about this album. The intro track is definitely the highlight. Also, the unsettling sounds present all over the album are such a plus to me. However, I find the vocals subpar at times, and I do not really understand the cohesion in the whole project. Reminded me of LCD Soundsystem, if I may, but it could be a stretch of mine.
Melodic, maybe background music for me. But decent such.
Experimental noise - if that's what you're in the mood for then it's good, otherwise it tends to blend in to the background.
I like Krautrock but I'm not a big prog fan, so those two things were at odds with each other here for me. Ultimately I liked it, but probably wouldn't listen to it again. More of a 3.5.
#460. Weird, but good. 3/5: decent
Sprawl and vast and difficult but valuable
Ended up liking it a lot more as the album went on. Prefered the instrumentals over the ones with lyrics though. Some stuff was too "artsy" for me though 3-3.5
hellllllla weird but I welcome it
Wasn't sure if Faust 1 thru 3 was necessary to fully appreciate this. Too tired to give this a valid score. It gets a 3
Pretty interesting
A fun but ultimately sort of plain mishmash of genres
1973: A great year for music. Yes this counts. Though I wouldn't drop this in the same bucket as Kraftwerk, I can see how the timing and the contentious situation really group them together as rebellious forms of experimentation. What a diverse unfolding of Kraut
Rating: 7/10 What an intriguing album. Impressive this came out in the early 70s, very experimental while still being musically enjoyable.
It's a pretty short album with not a ton of substance. In the album's defense, it is pretty inoffensive. I've heard much worse on the list and obviously much better. It's also funny how the song "It's A Bit of A Pain" is a bit of a pain to listen to.
Har alltid vært interessert i Krautrock, men aldri kommet helt inn i det. Har hørt på litt CAN her og der. Første sagen, GTA heist music anyone? Just A Second blir sånn asmr futuristic shit. Meget ambient eller drone blir kanskje mer riktig, og minimalistisk. Mange kule og unike ideer man ikke møte på i annen musikk som jeg setter pris på. Men det var ikke helt for meg. Blir kanskje litt for "out there", men kult å utvide horisonten litt.
Lowkey fakka mer med enn jeg trodde. Noen av sangene funka faktisk ganske bra til å jobbe med skole til. Mange av sangene som jeg likte godt på starten, men så måtte jeg egt ta av headsettet eller dempe lyden på noen av de fordi lydene ble litt for ubehagelige/rare. Likte den siste sangen best tror jeg, men la også til "Picnic On A Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableux" på likte sanger så må ha likt vinen på den også. Har brukt 2 dager på å høre på dette albumet så husker egt ikke mange av sangene.
Not an unpleasant sound - just long!
I once looked up the Krautrock genre and thought it wasn't for me. But I quite enjoyed this.
It’s a 3, but a strangely compelling & oddly entrancing 3. This feels like I’m listening to music itself go through a midlife crisis. I know that’s incredibly weird to say, but hear me out. The album starts off with the big wall of noise that drones on and overwhelms in “Krautrock” for an excruciating 7 minutes before the drums finally pop in to give some semblance of a crutch, before also blending into the soundscape like everything else. I’m stretching, but it feels like a journey through a brain going through a total mental breakdown. The Sad Skinhead feels almost like a slight bargaining stage of grief, what with the xylophone solo of all the things and the more comedic tone. Based on the lyrics in Jennifer (“your red hair’s burning, yellow jokes come out your mind”), it kind of reads to me like her death (or some other traumatic event involving her) is the reason why “Krautrock” feels so empty, hence the reprise of the wall of noise at the end of the track. Hell, maybe the traumatic event is that “Picnic on a Frozen River” that makes up part of Track 4. The last 3 tracks, mostly instrumental with lyrics thrown in every now & then, feel like his attempt to finally rebound from whatever happened, exploring a wide variety of styles that sort of jump around a lot of the late 60s and early 70s, and hell, it feels the album jumps ahead to a Moby track by Track 6, with a sort of electronica/dance structure reminiscent of the 90s. The last track kinda sells my theory; every time he says “yes, it’s all right” on “It’s a Bit of a Pain”, his vocals get covered up by an incredibly harsh sound, and once this other person he’s talking to presumably leaves, that harsh sound takes over as the primary lead instrumental, scattered and kinda riffing awkwardly like an electric guitar, all while a nice bubbly happy acoustic plays behind it. He’s not over Jennifer, he’s not happy, and with how abruptly the album ends, it feels like he’s doomed to fall back into that emptiness again. I’d say there’s honestly a semblance of a narrative close to my interpretation here – I’m probably stretching by calling it “music going through a midlife crisis”, but it feels like there’s something to it. With all of that said, you can have a compelling and entrancing narrative, but I don’t think the execution of it is that strong here – it’s not a bad album, but this does suffer from settling for way too long on some of its least compelling melodies or rhythms without properly evolving or changing (or taking too long to do so, killing the vibe a bit). The tracks themselves have no reason to go for 7 or 8 or even 11 minutes – at times, it feels like the album is trying to justify its own existence, and that’s never really a vibe you want to get out of an album. When it all clicks, and it finds its entertaining melodies, this album does work for me. It doesn’t work that often, but it worked just enough that I felt compelled to pay attention, even in its flatter moments. It’s not an album I think I can go back to, but I like it enough to give it a 3. If nothing else, it’s interesting, and being interesting is way better than being boring.
It's a tough album to judge. It's uneven. It creates new things. Mixes things that shouldn't be mixed. It goes one way, in the next moment in completely other direction. But it certainly is not in the middle. 3.5/5.
I do love me some krautrock but yesterday I was not in the mood. Saving it for another day. But liked the little I heard
Y'a des albums joyeux, y'a des albums tristes, pis y'a Faust IV. Je ne savais pas comment me sentir en écoutant l'album, I guess je me sentais stressé par la cacophonie ambiante de synthés distordu, mais par moment je me surprenais à viber sur les lignes de bass qui se détachait du chaos. Bref, si t'aime pas Autobahn, je ne te recommande pas
That's a lot of prog.
A couple of the songs were okay. A couple were really not good. Started off stronger than it ended for me. I guess it averages out to a fine album.
No private session used for Spotify. I got in to kraut rock some through CAN, there was one track on this album I liked a lot, some not so much.
Weird, but agréable
My younger self would have loved the extremely experimental nature of this. Why this is one of the 1001 albums I must listen to, I have no idea, but generally enjoyed it, mainly because I used to seek stuff like this out.
I really liked "The Sad Skinhead", and "Jennifer". The rest was a wandering, dissonant mess. I'm actually giving it an extra star for at least being interesting and each track going in a different direction.
It least they weren’t French