- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
- Faust "Faust" 1971 (Germany)
- The 1971 debut album by the German group Faust is one of the landmarks of "krautrock" music, and among the most acclaimed "experimental" records of all time. The genius of Faust is that there do not seem to be any rules to their music -- at times they are melodic or even funky, and at other times jarringly "un-musical." Though their albums were never big sellers, the group established a strong cult following which has only grown over the years, and have proven enormously influential in recent decades (much like Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground, artists to whom Faust in turn probably owes some debt.) After falling mostly silent during the years 1975-1990 (though apparently still recording in secret at their rural location in Wümme during this period), three of the core members of the group revived Faust and the band has been more active in recent decades than ever before (their most recent record was 2007's Disconnected, a collaboration with Nurse With Wound.) The packaging of Faust's early albums is also worth a mention -- Faust was originally released as a transparent record in a transparent sleeve (with transparent lyric sheet) with a picture of an X-ray of a fist on the cover ("Faust" is German for "fist.") Their second album Faust So Far came in a "none more black" sleeve, while their final album Faust IV features a minimalist design with empty musical staves on the cover. Though their most popular album was undoubtedly The Faust Tapes -- for even though it's probably their most strange and disjointed record of all, Virgin Records sold it at the super low budget price of 49 pence in order to drum up interest in the group.
- Here's some documentary footage of Faust in 1971, and here is Faust today!