Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Weird and noisy. Not really my jam, sadly, because it felt like there was probably some gold in here that I couldn't quite mine out.
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
yes A+ Grooby Kraut
All Kraut. No Saur.
this is a long long album with the first song being 11 minutes but i view it as the establishment of the vibe of the album. WHICH i do appreciate! i think that this was excellent- very interesting and i have never heard of this band before- faust?! ummm but i did really dislike several of the weird sound effects that they included it is a little too weird for me.
Es ist nicht sehr gut. Take one idea and run it repeatedly into a wall for 2 to 12 minutes: the album. Sometimes it made me sad that I have ears. Krautrock: If deep sea bioluminescence emitted sound, it might sound like this? Amorphous. The Sad Skinhead: Marimbas were a choice. Jennifer: She took a wrong turn somewhere. What were the last few minutes? Just a Second (Starts Like That!): More undersea space noise. What’s with the weird bubble/bird distortion? Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux: Some lovely melody at the beginning before it melts into madness. At least the instrumentation was nice-ish? Giggy Smile: At least this one was a bit more mellow, but it didn’t really go anywhere. Lauft…Heisst Das Es Lauft Oder Es Kommt Bald..Lauft: Church bees: The Musical. It’s a Bit of a Pain: Nice-ish song gets interrupted by someone unsuccessfully doing home repairs, a phone call and a teenage boy screaming into a fan.
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.
This album is my shit. Weird and experimental, but still catchy. I finally get krautrock now... especially the song Krautrock. I've tried many times to get into Kraftwerk, but their music never clicks with me. This hit immediately. I want to put more time into this album and their discography for sure. I love the track variety. i love the bleeps and bloops. I love the noise they throw on top of the more standard rock tracks. I love how it takes psychedelic rock and breaks it in strange ways. I love the driving rhythms. I love how huge and epic the tracks are. It just works for me. Highlights: Krautrock - epic, driving, noisy, hypnotic The Sad Skinhead - 90s slacker rock/Velvet underground vibe with, cool groove, catchy xylophone bit on top Jennifer - another velvet underground vibe track that really melts into wild static joy... almost shoegaze-y Just a Second - it's half moody prog rock, half avant-garde synth soundscape It's a bit of pain - feels like Nick Drake put through a blender, love that ending solo
I enjoyed this more than i expected based on description. Still some sections that were too experimental noise for me
This list has taught me that I do not like kraut rock. Especially since this album was 12 minutes of dial up before any actual music. A couple of those tracks were tolerable, but that’s about the best I can say.
Ok 2/5
I have no idea why I mess with this but I do
i don't know what krautrock is but hell yeah
kraut-kraut-kraut-kraut-kraut like krautrock
I was going to give this a generous 3, but that last song can fuck right off
This was quite a difficult listen; parts were ok, but most of it was subpar. Also, you don't need an 11-minute opening song
I was hoping this would be a telling of the Germanic Legend. It was not.
Rastaraaaaaaaaaaaa
certains son interessant d'autre completement inaudible, C'est de l'industrial, ca demande une oreille aguerie. plus les sons sont cours, meilleurs ils sont.
I love it. very psychedelic and a bit jazzy. love the constant drone sound. overall very enjoyable. 5/5.
The negative reviews for this one are so dramatic. They say they are in it for the weird and new, but I bet they mean they listened to "Revolution 9" and decided, while it wasn't for them it wasn't the worst Beatles song. This really isn't all that weird, the diarrhea noises in "just a second" notwithstanding. Influential, big yes. Interesting, big yes. Some of you haven't been in a sketchy basement show and it shows.
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.
I don’t really have any context for this album but I enjoyed listening to it.
Potentísimo rock experimental con momentos algo incomprensibles pero que sí se sienten geniales. Muy bueno.
Psychedelic road trip music. Enjoyed it
Interesting
If Roger Waters and Lou Reed banged = Faust def good driving music on way back from Vegas, but never need to hear it again. Unless I put it in a movie..
Interesting album. Couple cool tunes but a few of the songs are too long. I’ll definitely listen again.
Mir hat dieses Album nicht gefallen.
Odd, electic, but after reading up on them, understood the direction a bit more..
Really enjoyed listening to something completely new. I have never heard of before. But this was just a little bit too experimental for me. It did sound way more modern than 1973 however. Glad I got to experience the Faust.
weirdo music (non-derogatory)
12 minuten durende openingstrack. Nee ok, prima joh! Ik had verder toch niets meer gepland... Het is heel moody, alleen instrumentaal? Sowieso; hoe komt de auteur op deze band in godsnaam? Nauwelijks afgespeeld en het enige wat erover staat op Wikipedia is "dit album staat in de 1001 lijst" Duitse band? Wel blij hoor, dat er tenminste eens buiten de Amerikaans/Britse grenzen gekeken word en ook fijn dat ik 2 keer Duits ga na gisteren Kraftwerk. Het is best wel geinig? Je hoort dat het geen native speakers zijn en qua instrumenten klinkt het ook best wel goed. Ik irriteer me in elk geval niet aan de muziek! Jennifer begint ook heel vet, met een soort wobbly bass ofzo? Gisteren ook al een futuristisch klinked album uit de jaren 70 uit Duitsland. Ik weet niet man, ze waren daar echt lekker innovatief bezig! Giggy Smile is echt een topplaat trouwens, word ik echt vrolijk van. Zeker niet alles werkt trouwens, grootste gedeelte is gewoon wel prima, met wat uitschieters naar beneden en boven. Fuck, het album krijgt toch 4 sterren. Het is super experimenteel, maar net lang genoeg dat het wel werkt. Je merkt aan alles dat ze er heel veel aan doen om je op het verkeerde been te zetten. Het abrupte einde van Giggly Smile, de lange ingerekte intro's en outro's, de ontzettende herrie die er opeens opklapt. Het werkt voor mij gewoon, ik hou niet van rock, maar Krautrock? Sign me the fuck up. FAVO: Giggy Smile - Dit is legit 1 van de meest fun songs die ik in lange lange lange lange tijd heb gehoord. GEWELDIG
Really interesting album, like this early 70's Krautrock sound a lot, 3.5 rounding up to ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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
Come on now, nobody HAD to experience this.
There’s experimental, and then there’s whatever this is. Faust IV has some moments of intrigue, but "Jennifer" might honestly be one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. It’s like they were actively trying to test your patience. If you’re into avant-garde noise with no real structure, maybe this is for you, but for most listeners, this one’s a tough sell.
No my thing but interesting
KRAUTWERK
Man, I don't know what the right headspace is to enjoy this, but I was bored out of my mind the whole time.
High quality Krautrock record. Very talented musicians playing Freeform rock has always been the best.
very creative for its time. Enjoyed the surprising songs
I think I lost some brain cells
Aika tiukka krauttilevy! Ja hieno kansi myös! 4/5
En ole kauheasti krauttirockia kuunnellut, mutta miellyttävä kokemus. Ainoa minus on vitosraidan lopussa huudettu yllättävä MOI! säikähdin. 4/5
2.0
Per ongeluk naar deluxe versie geluisterd die was wel wat langer, ik vind het een beetje een geschift/gek album.
First-time listen. Liked the long, droning, instrumental Krautrock tracks. Not a big fan of anything including vocals.
This was a really good listen, I like creative music with a bit of weirdness going on. I don't think I have ever listened to his krautrock band before, but I'm looking forward to discover some other albums by them.
Meh
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
How did this make the list?
Didn’t care for this
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
Some cool ideas but so much shit I hated.
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.
Too much for me
Reminds me of the machines at the dentist office
Not my bag - it was fine as background music but nothing stands out and I'd never realistically revisit it
Just now learning that this genre is called Krautrock after having already listened to Neu! and Kraftwerk. This definitely lands in the middle, where I loved Kraftwerk while Neu! was less interesting to me. The Sad Skinhead amd Giddy Smile are awesome, while Jennifer and Just a Second drag on way too long. They still sound pretty nice however, remind me of something that would be in Twin Peaks. Really enjoyed this an learning about a new genre.
1 noisy
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.
The first song, Krautrock lasts 11 and a half minutes. And it starts for all 11 and a half minutes. And you wait for it to start, but it just starts. A whole 11 and a half minutes. And you say to yourself - is this still going on? Because there is no dynamics, the same sound is literally a whole 11 and a half minutes. And it never starts. And finally, not yet started, it ends. I didn't even notice the second one, I don't know what it was. The third one was OK to listen to, but just OK, nothing more. And after the fourth one, some experiments begin, strange sounds, some incomprehensible things that can be called a combination of sounds rather than music. So the whole album, from beginning to end, is a form without content. They played with everything and anything they could find, and the result is a big nothing. But I didn't die of it, so if I could, I would've given it 1,5 stars. But the system does not allow, so, let it stay 2/5.
Some good soundscapes, can hear a little influence on the Prodigy on the first track, but this album is all over the place some of which I like but not enough to want to go back and listen to it much again.
I appreciate things like this being in the list but didn't find much that was interesting to me in it.
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
Groovy, underligt, futuristisk, lyder stadig mærkeligt et halvt årti senere
This was really nice - very shoegazy at times
It’s good. Lots of cool ideas but also lots that I find a bit grating.
Wow. Kind of like a rock album but with overlong songs and a bunch of noise. Not a fan.
A really great krautrock/shoegaze album. Not as many interesting hooks as a CAN album, but was engaging throughout and I'll listen in the future. 4.2/5 -> 4/5
Truly awful
Utter garbage. This isn't music. If I could give it zero I would.
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
Was auch immer das war, es war seltsames und nerviges Geklimper. Habe auf das Ende gewartet, nachdem der erste Song nach 11 Minuten zu ende war.
Had to listen twice over because it was confusing at first but I actually kind of enjoyed it, left like a mix of late 70s guitar with 90s grunge and modern sounds
I quite liked this - shades of Stone Roses, much different to what I imagined.
Giggy Smile as def my favorite Song. Definitely an interesting First few listens but after that the magic fades away to me. Good to have some more challenging and not mainstream albums.
Meh. It didn't really do much for me.
This was pretty great, I was fully onboard for a lot of this. In true krautrock fashion there were so many echoes of music to come in the 90s and on, really enjoyed that component. Rating: 4.0
cute
Avant garde krautrock that will thrust your music listening experience well beyond the boundaries of conventional sounds and song structures, however dedicated patience will reward your ears! This one gave me classic Residents vibes, a band that purposefully would make it difficult to endure their inharmonious songs, similarly found here beneath the uncomfortable surface textures is wondrous cerebral discovery. This will not be for everyone, as the songs can run long with unpredictable time signatures and random mixes of disparate instrumentation, which remarkably can work together in most songs resulting in a creatively unique and profoundly influential style. Progressive, atmospheric, psychedelic, punky and at times folk like, in arrangements that are made all their own. 🎧 Classic Track- Krautrock 🎧 Hidden Gem- The Sad Skinhead 🎧 Personal Favorite- Jennifer The opening track itself apparently coined the entire krautrock genre, to which I am now much more open to delving into after having listened to this surprising offering. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Mysteriously intriguing 💿 Add to your vinyl collection! Click the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)
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
02/03/25 This was just a lot of noise.
It’s a bit uneven, the more jam-rock cuts are better. It opens with the sprawling Krautrock which gives great promise. The next couple of tracks are a little less even and then we flip back and forth between solid jam-type tracks and some much more weak songs.
Not my thing. We could probably burry this and that would be fine with me.
Never heard this before and it was a pleasant surprise, not an easy listening experience but a very experimental journey, very recommended if you like being surprised.
I liked this! Didn’t know anything about Faust (and really still don’t). I guess I like krautrock? Anyway - I can see the connection to Gang of Four (who I occasionally thought I was listening to), T. Rex, NEU!, and Kraftwerk. This was cool.
Interesante. Ha lo escuché. Cumplí el objetivo.
38/1001 - First song is 11 minutes long where nothing happens for 7 minutes, drums come in, then nothing happens for 5 minutes. Panning is super hard left and right. There are some cool things here and there but there's also way too much vamping/repetition of the same idea without any meaningful variation and it gets stale.
A chill album. It was ok.
I just couldn't get my head around it. Listened to it 3 times. 2.5
Overall: 8/10 Wow, that first track is hypnotizing and almost ambient, then all hell breaks loose. Is all Krautrock like this? I think I like it! Just when you think you've heard everything, some other strange sound invades your eardrums. So unique and cool. I will admit I didnt love the end of the album but the rest was really great! Fav Song: Jennifer Least Fav Song: Just a Second (Starts Like That!)
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.
Pretty repetitive and might just be because I'm sick, but it sounds fairly muddy. Never been one for long, repeating instrumentals anyway. Vocals are meh too. Pretty experimental for the 70s, but there's not much that does it justice.
Not my jam
Day408 - more experimental german rock and i don’t think i can take anymore
This is one of those records that was so broadly influential that it’s impact is impossible to measure. Literally, entire genres of music would not exist, if it were not for this. It sounds like the inside of my brain.
I could listen to this all day. Pretty much anything with a motorik beat can pull me in. I realized this about 20 years ago when I saw Turing Machine (with the amazing and sincerely missed drummer Jerry Fuchs in NYC). Motorik and noise is an approach to music making that appeals to my ear. My journey back to the source material was ignited then. Given my long-standing appreciation for all the elements found in this classic album — you’d think my love for Faust IV would be mythical and boundless. And yet, it never quite reached that level. Maybe it’s a historical detachment, a lack of direct connection to them originally, or maybe I’ve just enjoyed Krautrock as a source of inspiration and been drawn into other bands by virtue of starting elsewhere. Listening to this record on repeat today didn’t change my feelings, it only affirmed them. Sometimes, that’s enough. And, four stars seems awfully fitting anyway.
4 I guess
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.
I've done this thing for 40 days and this is like the fifth "krautrock" album I've had to listen to. It starts of well with an instrumental, some early drone metal almost. Then there are a bunch of germans with heavy accents playing bad psychedelic rock five years after the rest of the world did it. Fucking terrible.
jennifer wow what an amazing song
I'm not sure what to think. It was at least interesting.
Krautrock, oh krautrock... To be honest, this wasn't as "odd" as I was expecting it to be. Most of it consists of droning instrumental sections (although the presence of the sax on track 5 could qualify as "odd" given the context here). This isn't really stuff that I dig, nor will I ever dig to be honest. Kraftwerk's the closest I'll get to enjoying this genre, but even they encompass a broader range of sound. I can certainly acknowledge that this type of music was unique given the time period, but that's all the flowers I'll give here.
Beep boop beep I can make weird synth sounds
Fell sonically into the "kinda mostly really liked" category. In fact I listened to all the bonus tracks on the deluxe version of the album they had on my streaming platform. The phone call picking up literally jump-scared me.
Weird and atmospheric and unsettling but not in a wholly bad way
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
No.
I don't get it, but I guess it isn't terrible
Fantastyczny album. Pink Floyd w zderzeniu z wczesną elektroniką. To musiało być niesamowicie eksperymentalne jak na swoje czasy. Sprawiło to, że bardzo mam ochotę zagłębić się bardziej w krautrock. "The Sad Skinhead" mnie bardzo rozbawiło, brzmi bardzo brytyjsko dla mnie. Brzmi jak album, który został stworzony do tego, żeby puszczać go z winyla.
Nie wiem co można więcej dodać po komentarzach innych, cieszę się, że tego przesłuchałem. Na pewno coś co bardziej trafia w gusta pretensjonalnych ludzi, którzy używają określeń jak "audialny labirynt" niż przeciętnego słuchacza. Ale siłą tego albumu chyba nie jest nawet jakość muzyki, ale niezwykle ciekawy i niepowtarzalny (dla mnie?) styl, który powoduje, że przesłuchanie tej płyty było przeżyciem. Odpaliłem płytę jeszcze raz po przesłuchaniu, co rzadko mi się zdarza i ciągle odnajdywałem coś innego.
Mityczny album, audialny labirynt – momentami transowy i przestrzenny, momentami hałaśliwy i nieprzewidywalny. Peak płytka, dla takich albumów warto bawić się w tą listę. 5
So weird but great zone out music. “Touch me before you go down, kill me but don’t kill me baby, naked lunch was fun.” 👀
Goofy shit. Some of the instrumentals are great and then they just slap obnoxious noise on top of it.
I liked a couple of tracks but most just went on too long without getting anywhere.
I used this as background music and it is good but not at all memorable
Faust is not a band I was familiar with, and found I quite liked them. Some of it sounds very 70s prog rock, though some of it sounds more innovative with that harsher industrial metal synth sound. 4/5
The first track is amazing but unfortunately it falls short thereafter. Record feels messy
„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!
Too weird. Some songs were good but it was impossible to listen to the whole thing.
4/5. Cool concept and enjoyed the instrumental parts
I had no idea what to expect here but I actually kinda loved this. It felt really modern, every song was different. Totally listenable, cheeky, fun. Good for working. Would listen again 3.8/5
A literal snoozefest. I'm sure some rock nerds like it, but I thought it was slow and sleepy music. 2s.
The whole album wasn't on Spotify, but i listened to what was there. Interesting, kind of cool. Overall I liked it
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.
Però què és aquesta putíssima merda? M'ha donat mal de cap només començar i ha seguit durant tot l'àlbum. Li poso un 2 perquè té el seu mèrit, però no ho aguanto.
Perhaps not a pleasant listen, but a creative endeavour that bends and pushes the shape of rock music into mutant forms. Songs fall apart, or abruptly swerve into new territory, or blot out the 'prettiness' of traditional arrangements through overlays of discordant noise. It's not without an impish sense of humour either - certainly naming a track 'Krautrock' demonstrates an a sly self-awareness. I saw an iteration of Faust back in 2019. At one point, a member of the band began drilling into a slab on concrete in the middle of the dance floor. It was great, I got a whole load of doubtless carcinogenic dust in my lungs that evening.
Melodic, maybe background music for me. But decent such.
This was one of those albums where I recognized a lot of songs but finally put a name to them. Fun album
myyttinen bändi. ehkä myyttisin koskaan? saksalaiset ne osaa. rehtiä kansaa rehtiä.. nyt pitää kyllä yksi asia kertoa teille kaikille: Hapankaali on kaalista maitohappokäymisen avulla valmistettava elintarvike, jota voi syödä sellaisenaan tai käyttää ruoanvalmistuksessa. Hapankaali sisältää vain vähän energiaa mutta paljon C-vitamiinia, entsyymejä, koliinia ja asetyylikoliinia. Maitohappokäymisen ja runsaskuituisuutensa vuoksi se on vatsaystävällistä. Joidenkin lähteiden mukaan hapankaali sisältää myös B12-vitamiinia, mutta tämä tieto on nykyään kiistanalainen. JA MITEN EI VOI TIETÄÄ??????? tiede taas epäonnistuu? krautrock
Eh, not as good as I had hoped. Can is better at krautrock.
Oooof. This was not very good at all.
A proper example of Krautrock which is somehow akin to prog rock but different. Not so grand but more intimate, swampy but mysterious. I love it.
Nothing special
An almost 12 minute song to start things? Ok, let’s see what you’ve got then…. So the first track is called Krautrock which makes me think of Kraftwerk. The next song sounds like Kraftwerk and Devo and I’m not sure if I’m going to think that through this whole album or not. I’m hearing hints of Syd Barrett Pink Floyd as well. If I played this for my grandma she would just call it “awful noise”, I beg to differ grandma. Although I can’t pull a specific track from this album as a stand out, I will say that it is good background noise and I did enjoy it for what it offers.
Not for me
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 Song added to playlist: Jennifer I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
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
Weird shit
Þessi plata var mjög furðuleg. Annaðhvort voru lögin á plötunni eins og töff upphaf á lagi sem kom svo aldrei eða eins og lokin á einhverju dúndurlagi á tónleikum. Ég eyddi sem sagt tímanum í að bíða eftir lagi eða spá í hvort ég hafi misst af aðallaginu. Undarleg tilfinning
I A/B'ed this one with Emerson Lake and Palmer, and this was more my speed. Still weird and proggy but I liked the way it locks into grooves and becomes a bit funky.
It’s just … noise, really, a lot of this. It’s not dreadful, but I didn’t really enjoy it.
German clowns' alarm clock sounds
hellllllla weird but I welcome it
This is one of those records that was so broadly influential that it’s impact is impossible to measure. Literally, entire genres of music would not exist, if it were not for this. It sounds like the inside of my brain.
"What's that noise?" the 11yo asked, and that is a review as good as any.
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
This is the first one that has really impressed me. Ive been craving that noise aspect after listening to things like the pristine Joan Baez. Jennifer is stunning. I hear moments that clearly inspired bands like Ariel Pink, and others that inspired King Gizzard. If it was a little more tighter and focused this could have been my first 5, but it's a 4 because it wanders a little too much. But I'm taking note of this album, it feels so fresh despite it's age. Exceptional. 4/5
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
Weird German Shit > Weirdo German Shit Porn
This was a rare treat. I loved the longer, instrumental, drone-adjacent tracks. The simpler tracks were okay, but not anywhere near as awe inspiring. There's a lot of bands I like that have obviously borrowed heavily from Faust, like Spacemen 3 for example. I also felt like some of the more space rock tracks sounded a little bit like early Hawkwind, who released in Search of Space a couple of years before this came out. Overall, it felt like four stars wasn't quite enough, so this album gets the full five stars.
For as cool and grand as the opener is (also for I guess kickstarting/naming the genre of "krautrock") the album itself is a little more varied. Jennifer and Just a second have some cooler older classic rock/prog vibes. Sad skinhead is kind of a weird almost ska experiment. Giggy smile has a great post rock style groove to it. It's a bit of a pain is a cool velvet underground esque acoustic rocker. Definitely a cool rock record to check out.
Rating: 7/10 What an intriguing album. Impressive this came out in the early 70s, very experimental while still being musically enjoyable.
Highlights: Krautrock, Läuft... In a nutshell: surreal psych prog. I dunno about this album. The track order didn't have a natural flow to it, like when you play a CD from an artist you don't know well and forget to deselect shuffle mode. Not as hypnotic as Kraftwerk's Autobahn, which was released the following year. I suspect Devo (maybe Talking Heads) and Stereolab listened to Faust. It's considered a krautrock classic, which I don't get as it sounds more psych prog, experimental and avant garde. And this is an album from the band who adopted the term krautrock with pride. Overall: 4/10
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!
For some reason I always thought The Sad Skinhead was a Ween song. I'm sure this album's inclusion on the list is because it's innovative or ground breaking or something like that but it just really isn't for me.
I think this is my first time listening to Faust--which is surprising. I understand that this is likely their most accessible record. It's good for sure, but I'd be more interested in listening to some of their records that are less accessible. Cool band it seems like.
I knew some parts of this album due to Apple Music suggesting me Krautrock due to other albums from this list like Can. I always skipped them, but this time I took the time to listen to the full album. Well, what should I say? Not a totally horrible experience, but still nothing I would listen to.
Absolute klassieker. Wat een album. Tijdens mijn ‘muzikale ontdekkingstocht’ een aantal jaar geleden kwam deze ook voorbij, en heeft toen wel veranderd wat ik van muziek dacht. Ieder nummer is een parel erop, en sindsdien verliefd op krautrock.
I read that this is considered "Krautrock" a term I haven't heard before and one I probably wont see again for a long while. It was a fun time listening to the album even though a lot of the songs have really weird vibes. Strange sounds in the background, rhythm changes, and new instruments are introduced throughout. Not something I will listen to again but a fun experience anyway.
Nein!! Not for me. I found it noisy and distracting. The vocals, when there were any, were ludicrous.
Didn't do it for me. Just noise imo
Strange German techno? Some of these songs made me uncomfortable.
I once looked up the Krautrock genre and thought it wasn't for me. But I quite enjoyed this.
Y'know, I can't remember why I thought this would be worse. I suppose between the fact that I'm still not 100% on what "krautrock" is and that I read "noise rock" and "sound collage" on Faust's Wikipedia page... Maybe I was just worried I'd get that kind of experimental music that's loud and noisy just for the sake of it. And while there **are** moments that lean into that... It's not as bad as that would imply? Like, there's two kinds of songs on this album: cosmic, ambient instrumental music, and The Mothers Of Invention. And I don't think I'm as into either kind of song as I am elsewhere (that Tangerine Dream album my group got and, y'know, any MOI album), I don't think it's nearly as bad or as boring as that average 2.77 score would imply. Frankly, I'd give this thing a 4. I'm not gonna act like I'm **that** crazy about it, or that I'd revisit any time soon, but for surpassing my expectations... Yeah, it's got me feeling pretty generous about this whole thing. "Für mich war das ein unterhaltsames Album" or something.
Krautrock, while being admittedly a bit repetitive in some regards, laid down the groundwork for all sorts of genres that people listen to today, with this album being no exception. 3.5 bumped up to 4.
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.
Hadn’t heard this one before but I was really into it! It reminded me of Ween in a lot of ways
This is correct
i always loved this album ... it kicks ass
Hey. A legit interesting and new album this book has brought me. So rare these days. A solid 3.5/5. Love the new areas they were exploring at the time. Album seemed to get better as it went on.
You can't make music like this if yoy don't believe in it. Suuuper experimental and they explore a lot of different sounds too. Not just looping! (Though there is ppenty of that too) The ending is genius, the really soft stuff after the batshit explorations of the rest of the album was so effective. Only downside is that weird sound in Just a Second which made my brain want to turn inside out
interesting record i would not hace lisrened to on my own
This again is one of those albums I just don't quite understand
Wow I’ve never heard of this before but this album is weird, groovy, lo-fi, jammy, and just plain awesome.
This rocked. Inventive and weird with grooves throughout. Only occasionally do they devolve into sounding like their 1973 peers, but they mainly created something that holds up. “Sad Skinhead” was a fun ride and “Jennifer” is so nice. Surprisingly good stuff here.
I really did not get this at all, did not click in any way.
Apart from all the bad times you gave me (bad times) I always felt good with you (with you)
Blues isn’t my thing. Sounds like a typical blues album to me.
Bursting through the surface with a raw, frenzied energy, Faust IV sets out to obliterate any preconceived notions as to what German music could be. Their most accessible outing after plenty of gimmicky gags and bewildered confusion, almost every song on here can be considered a Krautrock (hehe) staple from the motorik rumble of Krautrock itself to the serene Jennifer, the time-passing Giggy Smile and the rather funny Sad Skinhead. Overall, Faust IV is a great introduction to the madness that was the first incarnation of Faust.
I enjoyed the opening track but after that I was less enthusiastic. Nothing I really disliked but I just couldn't get into it. And lyrics were a bit stupid sometimes. This is not always something that bothers me, but in this case it annoyed me a bit.
One of the more "artsy" krautrock records on the list. Faust IV is, as expected, their fourth album (barring a collaborative album with minimalist Tony Conrad). Faust had experimented with different approaches to krautrock in the past, but this was their most straight-forward, if a bit droney. Uniquely fun in that you can tell the band had fun when making it, with occasional goofs sneaking onto the album.
Complete shit
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.
Tämä vain nukutti… en ota sitä positiivisena asiana, vaikka sinänsä se kertoo myös siitä, ettei mikään hiertänyt
Osaavat laittaa vahvarit päälle. Ja ääntäkin tulee.
Läuft
Krautrock legends never shy to be true to their sound. I gave serious consideration to put the song Jennifer on my wedding playlist but I talked myself out of it.
musiken är rätt cool alltså, finns en hel del att gilla även om det är lite oljud emellanåt. Ett pluspoäng för att vara tidig med genren och vad den tydligen innebar med sina antiauktoritära drag. man hör tydligt att les big byrd är inspirerade av faust. också coolt att dom klippt in lite snack om kroppsbehåring av en svensk tjej i sista låten.
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
Disco raro, como una música de fondo ruidosa, con buenos arreglos pero sin convencer.
Well done for being different but this really isn't for me. I was actively looking forward to it ending from the first track which means it's gotta be 1*
At some points fine and at other points unpleasant. Also way too long. This was a struggle for us.
Did not like it one bit.
Couldn't get into this one.
Awesome. So weird and buzzy; songs are long and sprawling. Feels like a beehive in a wind tunnel.
I’m not really sure what makes something “krautrock” other than originating in Germany. That is what this album apparently is, and is confirmed by it being the title of the opening track too. To me, this sounded like a really fun mashup of genres. It wasn’t afraid to get real weird with it, but not so weird that it becomes unlistenable. The vocals are pretty minimal, which does tend to appeal to my tastes now and then. Overall, I found this to be a fun album.
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
Way ahead of their time and perhaps still ahead of ours, this music weaves together countless threads, many of which other bands have since unraveled and simplified to create more accessible songs. It's a 3.5 but feeling a round a up today.
Wide range of sounds going on from almost shoe gaze to kind of psychedelic. Having very different expectations for this record I was happy to find I enjoyed it very much. Highlight: Jennifer
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.
Had to save this into my library something funky about the tubes.
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.
Did not enjoy.
a really cool record. never have ever heard of faust before this but i was blown away by how creative i found this record. very noisey, but not offputtingly so. but it ebbs and flows, sometimes there is a lot of noise, and sometimes it subsides so that you can hear a really great 70s rock record. very neat. sounds great. i'm so glad i got to hear this one!
Weird, but agréable
High variability for me. 2.
Weird and kinda boring but not that bad
A wee bit too weird for me
An appropriate amount of weird.
Nein.
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.
Nope just didn’t enjoy this, too weird.
This isn't about the 1001 most listener friendly albums of all time. It's an anthology of music - how we got to where we are. Some things in the history of music sent it in different directions, influenced people that used sounds and bought them into the mainstream. On that basis, this is absolutely the sort of thing that should be here. It's worth listening to.
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 ain’t that good
Decent enough sounds, but I got bored halfway through. Not for me.
Das war Scheiße, ich ärgere mich jetzt.
Weird but a lil funky. A bit zappaish, a little floydy, Aphrodite's child-esque
It least they weren’t French
Pleasantly surprised by this one.
I dig this album. Gets too weird in places like they tended to do in the 70's though.
I walked into Faust IV expecting the worst, especially since I tend to be very anti-experimental psychedelic ‘70s rock, and Faust had that stink all over it. And I’ll be honest, the 11 minute droning of “Krautrock” was not initially selling me. But then, “The Sad Skinhead” was such a pivot, a left turn into a clearing. Sure, it’s a goof, but it was the exact amount of levity I needed after the weight of the opening track. To then follow that up with one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve ever heard in “Jennifer,” though? That’s when it all started to click. Faust IV continues on like this, pump faking its next move and shadow boxing with a new genre before it’s even finished its fight with the last genre. At times, it is pioneering electronic synths to be as obnoxious as possible, and at other times it has the sincerity of a hippy-era acoustic love song, and sometimes, those things happen in the same song. Normally, this sort of eclecticism is not for me, especially not in such a chaotic soup. But there’s such a playful and sincere charm to Faust! I think it helps that they’re clearly playing *below* their skill level, which inherently means it’s a little more accessible and a little less progressive. It’s also clear that the band is just having fun, which adds to the goofs, sure, but also makes the serious parts feel more potent. While I still know I need to give Faust IV a while to grow on me, I already know I enjoy it top-to-bottom, and would be happy to listen to it both actively and passively. I wouldn’t be surprised if it rises to the top of my 5-stars after more time with it. Influential, sure, but more importantly, fun, and that’s what I want most out of the music I enjoy.
Not really my thing probs won't listen again
I hadent ever heard of Faust before this album. After listening- it was decebt but unremarkable. It had an interesting sound- kind of like progressive rock meets a more implistic style. I could see this being an influential album, but nothing really stood out to me.
Vibes brother, it’s all about the vibes ✨
A bit like Can but possibly more experimental. Interesting at times.
Has a few compelling moments
Eclectic album. Really diverse sounds.
Ahead for its time, amazing sounds, 5 stars
Listened to it so it gets a 2. Weird but it had its moments I guess
luuuuvvvvv it. kinda hard to believe this is from 1974 honestly it really does sound so contemporary. groovy as all get out.
that was awesome. and it was also crazy…
Why is this on here... No songwriting, just jamming... This is not a record
This album was short. Which was good because I wasn’t really into it. But if you consider it came out in 1972, it’s pretty crazy and I can see how it paved the way for some of my favorite bands like Radiohead. So in that context, this is a great album. But not so great that I ever want to listen to it again.
Not for me.
Pretty dope
Atmospheric
Interesting German prog rock. 2.5 stars for me if they did halves. Nice experimentation but lacks flow and maybe a little dated now.
Interesting and certainly ahead of its time, but didn’t pull me in enough to want to explore their other works.
Amazingly weird. Almost felt like it might have been the original inspiration for creating 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Not sure if I really understand what krautrock is, but at least it feels a little more familiar.
I Bloody LOVE a bit of Krautrock. Sure, there's elements of dungeons and dragons here. I'm too old to give a shit about style these days. There's a lovely pace and rhythm throughout. Ozric Tentacles were clearly fans.
Occasionally interesting but mostly just grating and annoying.
I've heard Jennifer and Giggy Smile before so that was nice to hear again. The rest of the album was new but I just wasn't that in to it
Idk what this was
If I could vote 0 stars then I would... What the heck was this?? And the "wet bug noises" half way through one of the songs was the most unnecessary thing.
Sucks
Lemppari: Piano Piece Vähiten lenppari: Lauft…Heisst Das Es Lauft Oder Es Kommt Bald..Lauft
i was trying to let this album lowkey rest on my ears but im forced to rate it early, thought it was a nice listen and kinda pink floyd esque, but a bit TOO randomly experimental at times
Tons of weird things going on, overall I liked it.
Eh. 3.6/10.
You know what, I was apprehensive. I popped it on in the gym and just got into it. I could hear lots of bits that have obviously gone on to influence newer experimental/proggy artists! This WILL be getting another listen or two!
Original psyche, krautrock fun
Krautrock may just be the longest single ive ever heard at nearly 12 mins. I cant say it was a particular standout either. It felt long just for the sake of being long. Very repetitive. Now it was quite a jump in style betweenh Krautrock and sad skinhead. One i wasnt prepared for. I think the change in style sums this album up. It didnt know what it wanted to be. Top tracks - The first 4.30 mins of jennifer before it goes whacky. Overall, this was a truly awful album in my honest opinion. Hopefully it inspired something better.
Nope. could not get my head into this.
This is dope
While this was an interesting listen this is something that's not my favorite project. Parts were okay but Just a Second (or Deuxieme Tableaux, the end of this track) for example really sucked.
This scratched an itch I didn't know I had. The chaos at the end of Just a Second felt like it was tickling/massaging my brain.
So, krautrock is kinda weird, but I kinda liked it. My favorite track was Jennifer.
Play it loud... preferably with headphones.
Interesting. I’ve never listen to this album before. I enjoyed the opening track. The sad skinhead reminded me of early WEEN. I can see where Faust was influential. I might have to listen to IV again to see if I enjoy it more, but on first listen it’s about a 2.5
Well that was an unexpected find! I enjoyed the experimental sounds, uncommon rhythms, and random meanderings. King Gizzard influencers?
Much better, and much worse than I expected. There is one track here I have been hunting for over a decade, and it's here. Magical work. Half the album is ok, half the album is dross. So, 2 stars for the dross and 4 stars for the magic means a 3 star album.
DNF
Krautrock. Another psychedelic voyage. Like some moments where it breaks the musicality.
4.5
This is so easy to ignore. It’s supposed to set a scene but it just sets off my ADD
🎧What an adventurous, unusual album this is. Musically interesting and a bit challenging (though not altogether inaccessible). It’s pretty damn out there at times—some of the most enigmatic krautrock I’ve heard, maybe even more than Can. According to Wikipedia “some fans of Faust's earlier work felt that it was a ‘sell-out’ album” which is baffling and hilarious. “The Sad Skinhead” reminds me of Fear of Music-era Talking Heads, wonder if they were aware of Faust. Traces of early Eno in “Giggy Smile.” So yeah, overall did not love it but I can see why this is considered a must-listen pre-death.
Schrill & Thrill - Die Songs “The Sad Skinhead” und “Jennifer” stechen besonders hervor und bieten eine faszinierende Mischung aus Melancholie und Experimentierfreude. Der Rest des Albums ist eine abwechslungsreiche Mischung aus schrillen und spannenden Klängen, die den Hörer auf eine skurile musikalische Reise mitnehmen .. es läuft.
This was...not for me. At times I'd feel like I was getting into a track and then some strange sounds came in and threw me off the overall flow. Not even sure I understand the relevance of the genre well enough to "appreciate" it
Not something I understand.
Glad we came back to it. More interesting than a lot of other krautrock albums imo.
Faust arp. Cool stuff, though not sure it’s catchy enough for me to come back to it.
Pretty tough listen in the most part. Possibly one for the purists, but if so I’m afraid this may a bit highbrow for my taste. A few nice moments though, Just a Second and Giggy Smile in particular provide some light relief. I note from the Spotify figures that not many listeners make it to Disk 2, which says it all.
I was aware of these guys but never really explored before. Fair to say I really enjoyed it. Experimental without being too wanky, defo ahead of its time with some of the sounds and grooves. While individually the songs are not bangers as such, it’s nice to be taken on a journey through styles and ideas (had me thinking Black Rebel Motorcycle Club based their entire career off ‘Just a second….’.. Sounds like their earlier stuff is more experimental but will be checking it out.
Bizzar stugf
Crazy sounds - mostly acoustic but I loved it.