| Faust IV | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 1973 | |||
| Recorded | The Manor,Oxfordshire, England, June 1973 | |||
| Genre | Krautrock | |||
| Length | 43:37 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | Uwe Nettelbeck | |||
| Faust chronology | ||||
| ||||
Faust IV is the fourth studio album by the Germankrautrock bandFaust, released in 1973 byVirgin Records. The album is included in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, where it is described as a "krautrock classic".[1]
The album was the last to be released by the original line-up of Faust. Following its completion, the band recorded a fifth album, sometimes referred to asFaust V, at theManor Studio in early 1975, butVirgin Records rejected the tapes and dropped the group from its roster.[2][3] The group disbanded shortly afterwards.
Faust did not return until 1994, when a new incarnation of the band, led by founding membersJean-Hervé Péron andWerner Diermaier, releasedRien onTable of the Elements.[4]
In 1973,Virgin Records headRichard Branson was seeking an avant-garde act to complement the label’s roster. Impressed by Faust's prior work, Virgin offered the band a new recording contract and releasedThe Faust Tapes at the budget price of 49 pence, a marketing gamble that sold over 50,000 copies in the UK and made Faust briefly successful.[5] The commercial surprise ofThe Faust Tapes provided the budget forFaust IV, which would become both their final album for Virgin and the last recording by the original line-up.[citation needed]
Following the success ofThe Faust Tapes, Faust relocated from their self-built studio in Wümme, nearBremen, toThe Manor Studio inOxfordshire, England, to record their fourth album. Jean-Hervé Peron claimed the album was recorded at the same timeMike Oldfield was recordingTubular Bells.[6] The closing track "It’s a Bit of a Pain" had previously appeared as the B-side to the single "So Far" in Germany.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Pitchfork | 9.4/10[8] |
| Spin |  [9] |
| Record Collector | [10] |
| Mojo | [11] |
| The Quietus | positive[12] |
Faust IV was released in June 1973. In 2007,Pitchfork described it as "a subtle dismantling of rock structure, where beauty and absurdity coexist without hierarchy." The review highlighted the contrast between the monumental opener “Krautrock” and the melodic ballad "Jennifer," calling the latter "further proof that the band were capable of writing actual songs."[13]AllMusic stated the album "comes off as more a series of not-always-related experiments, but there are more than enough intriguing moments to make it worthwhile."[7]Spin described the record, as the band's "handsomely failed attempt to sound normal," and noted the opening track "Krautrock" as "hypnotic guitar-drone".[14][15]
Record Collector described "The Sad Skinhead" and "Jennifer" as a "sabotaged mixed bag of defaced whimsical ditties,” while noting the album "a still-intriguing snapshot of a band about to implode under its extreme internally combusting weight."[16]
Madlib sampledThe Sad Skinhead in 2013 for his albumRock Konducta, Pt. 1 on the track "Far Faust".[17]
Original 1973 release
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Krautrock" | 11:47 |
| 2. | "The Sad Skinhead" | 2:43 |
| 3. | "Jennifer" | 7:11 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just a Second" | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Giggy Smile / Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau" | 7:45 |
| 3. | "Läuft...Heißt Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft" | 4:28 |
| 4. | "Run" | 3:40 |
| 5. | "It's a Bit of a Pain" | 3:08 |
The published track listing contains a number of errors. Track 5, "Giggy Smile / Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau" is incorrectly listed as "Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableau". Track 6, "Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft", is incorrectly listed as "Giggy Smile".[18] "Run" is incorrectly listed as "Läuft...Heißt Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald…Läuft".[19]
2006 Faust IV CD EMI reissue[20]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Krautrock" | 11:48 |
| 2. | "The Sad Skinhead" | 2:36 |
| 3. | "Jennifer" | 7:13 |
| 4. | "Just a Second (Starts Like That!)/Picnic on a Frozen River, Deuxieme Tableaux" | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Giggy Smile" | 7:46 |
| 6. | "Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald....Läuft" | 8:07 |
| 7. | "It's a Bit of a Pain" | 3:08 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Lurcher" | 7:51 |
| 2. | "Krautrock" | 11:44 |
| 3. | "Do So" | 2:33 |
| 4. | "Jennifer" | 4:49 |
| 5. | "The Sad Skinhead" | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Just a Second (Starts Like That!)" | 10:32 |
| 7. | "Piano Piece" | 5:58 |
| 8. | "Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft" | 4:14 |
| 9. | "Giggy Smile" | 5:55 |
