Faust (album)

Last updated
Faust
Faust album cover 1971.jpg
Cover for the original 1971 German pressing
Studio album by
Faust
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1971
Recorded1971
StudioWümme (Bremen, Germany)
Genre
Length34:07
Label Polydor
Producer Uwe Nettelbeck
Faust chronology
Faust
(1971)		 Faust So Far
(1972)

Faust is the debut studio album by German krautrock band Faust, released in 1971 by Polydor Records.

Contents

Background

In 1970, German record producer and music journalist Uwe Nettelbeck negotiated a deal with Polydor Records to assemble a new musical ensemble that could be "the German Beatles". [1] [2] [3] Polydor financed the construction of a recording studio in a converted schoolhouse in the rural village of Wümme, near Hamburg, where the band lived and worked communally with Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner. This isolation allowed for complete creative freedom and a radical approach to recording that combined long improvisations, tape loop experiments, found sounds, and the use of self-built electronic instruments.[ citation needed ] [4] [5]

The original LP record was on clear vinyl in a clear cover with an X-ray of a human fist silkscreened on the outer sleeve (Faust is German for "fist"). It also included a transparent plastic sheet with the lyrics and credits printed in red.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Pitchfork Media 9.0/10 [7]

Faust was released on September 21, 1971 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and West Germany. The first pressing was packaged in a distinctive transparent sleeve with a clear vinyl LP inside. The album was widely ignored upon release.

Retrospective reviews by AllMusic lauded the record as "a revolutionary step forward in the progress of rock music," adding that "the level of imagination is staggering, the concept is totally unique and it’s fun to listen to as well." [8] Pitchfork stated, "The overwhelming vibe here is of playful curiosity rather than oppressive abstraction" and compared tracks to Throbbing Gristle and Nurse with Wound. [9]

Legacy

Radiohead’s OK Computer (1997) was influenced by the album. [10]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Why Don't You Eat Carrots" Faust 9:31
2."Meadow Meal"Faust, Rudolf Sosna 8:02
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Miss Fortune" Faust 16:35

Release history

YearLabelCountryFormat
1971 Polydor West Germany / UKLP, clear vinyl
1973 Virgin UKLP reissue
1986 ReR Megacorp UKLP, cassette
1992 ReR Megacorp UKCD
2001 ReR Megacorp UK / EUCD reissue
2009 Grönland GermanyLP, 180-gram
2021 Grönland [11] Germany2×LP, deluxe edition

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Faust: Whatever happened to 'the German Beatles'?". www.bbc.com. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  2. ↑ Stubbs 2018, p. 211.
  3. ↑ Stubbs 2018, p. 215.
  4. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (18 October 2021). "Krautrock legends Faust: 'We were naked, stoned and eating dog food'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Faust: 1971–74 – The Golden Age of Krautrock". Louder Sound. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  6. ↑ Patterson, Archie. "Faust". AllMusic . Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  7. ↑ Leone, Dominique (2001). "Faust: Faust". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  8. ↑ Faust - Faust | Album | AllMusic , retrieved 2025-11-17
  9. ↑ Leone, Dominique. "Faust: Faust/So Far". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  10. ↑ Hogan, Marc (2017-03-20). "Exit Music: How Radiohead's OK Computer Destroyed the Art-Pop Album in Order to Save It". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Faust 50 Jahre Edition". Gronland Records. Retrieved 2 November 2025.

Bibliography

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