FAUST - a legend
Above is the first release by German band Faust ( Faust means
Fist in German ) from 1971. It came in a clear cover ( see thru )
with a clear lyric sheet and the album itself was also clear
vinyl. That probably doesn't sound all that odd now but 1971...!!!!
A copy of this "clear" release is hard to get but it
was later released on normal black vinyl in a white sleeve, still
a striking cover, and RER have released it in the Faust box set
"The Wumme Years" available from November 2000.
The album is a ground breaking release of structure, improvisation, tape cut ups, lofi ambience, plunderphonics with a dark quality, yet a great humour runs through it. Consisting of only three tracks, "Miss Fortune" takes up all of one side along with "Meadow Meal" and "Why dont you eat carrots? " filling the other, but the pieces dont meander due to the wonderful editing from Uwe Nettlebeck the producer and manager (sort of) for Faust who was heavily involved with the overall result and indeed the formation of the band itself.
The line up for this album was Werner Diermaier, Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Herve Peron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wusthoff. Also listed on the sleeve were Kurt Graupner and Andy Hertel who presumably ( as the sleeve gives not indication as to who does what ) were engineers.
Faust went on to produce a follw up album "So Far" in 1972 and were then signed by Virgin in 1973 who released the album "Faust Tapes" at a bargain price of 49p ( the price of a single at the time). Virgin released a further album "Faust IV" but after poor sales "Faust V" was turned down. The material for this and further material released through Rough Trade has emerged on an album "71 minutes of Faust" again from RER.
A Peel Session was broadcast in 1973 which is detailed as follows (from the "In Session Tonight" book by Ken Garner)
5/6/73 John Peel Show : Just a second / Ask the Cleaning Woman she knows the Subtitle / Foam Rubber
Hans Jochim Irmler (keyboards) / Jean-Herve Peron (bass) / Rudolf Sonsa (guitar) / Werner Diermaier (drums) / Gunther Wusthoff (Bass)
It also says "This didn't actually
happen. When they turned up at the studio we found we didn't have
enough plugs for their equipment, synthesizers and stuff.
Instead we bought in a tape they did for us in Germany" (John
Walters)
After a period of inacvtivity Faust have again become active since the early 1990's and all their recordings are unmissable.
The "Wumme Years" box set contains "Faust" , "So Far" , "Faust Tapes" , "71 minutes of Faust" , "The Peel Session" and further unheard material and was released in November 2000
.