Faust (album)
| Faust | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover for the original 1971 German pressing | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Studio | Wümme (Bremen, Germany) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:07 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Uwe Nettelbeck | |||
| Faust chronology | ||||
| ||||
Faust is the debut studio album by German krautrock band Faust, released in 1971 by Polydor Records.
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.[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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [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
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Why Don't You Eat Carrots" | Faust | 9:31 |
| 2. | "Meadow Meal" | Faust, Rudolf Sosna | 8:02 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Miss Fortune" | Faust | 16:35 |
Release history
| Year | Label | Country | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Polydor | West Germany / UK | LP, clear vinyl |
| 1973 | Virgin | UK | LP reissue |
| 1986 | ReR Megacorp | UK | LP, cassette |
| 1992 | ReR Megacorp | UK | CD |
| 2001 | ReR Megacorp | UK / EU | CD reissue |
| 2009 | Grönland | Germany | LP, 180-gram |
| 2021 | Grönland[11] | Germany | 2×LP, deluxe edition |
Personnel
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|
References
- ^ "Faust: Whatever happened to 'the German Beatles'?". www.bbc.com. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- ^ Stubbs 2018, p. 211.
- ^ Stubbs 2018, p. 215.
- ^ Petridis, Alexis (18 October 2021). "Krautrock legends Faust: 'We were naked, stoned and eating dog food'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Faust: 1971–74 – The Golden Age of Krautrock". Louder Sound. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ Patterson, Archie. "Faust". AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
- ^ Leone, Dominique (2001). "Faust: Faust". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
- ^ Faust - Faust | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2025-11-17
- ^ Leone, Dominique. "Faust: Faust/So Far". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Faust 50 Jahre Edition". Gronland Records. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
Bibliography
- Stubbs, David (7 June 2018). Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany (Main ed.). Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0571346639.
External links
- Faust at Discogs (list of releases)
- faust-pages.com. Clear.