FAUST/IV V 2004 (-73) UK

After the band been sacked by German Polydor they went to England and got contact with the then virgin Virgin label. Richard Branson couldn't meet the huge economic demand for an assignment, but let them use the company studio more or less free and thus got priority to the results. This became their second issue for the label and also last original studio recording before re-uniting twenty years later. As the story goes the circumstances were chaotic. The group was on the edge of breaking up, there were differing wills and aims and the sessions dragged on without result. Finally producer Uwe Nettlebeck stepped in and added two earlier recorded tracks to finish it off. The joint result got mixed reveiws, sold OK at the time and is today considered a cult classic. To me it's a love-hate relationship. I get scattered, uneasy and partly destructive, at the same time honest and emotional. In a way it reminds me of Hawkwind's dirtier moments, especially the longest cuts. "Krautrock" takes off as rythmic noise, but ends as regular space rock and parts of the suite opening side two could have been on "Doremi Fasol Latido" complete with effects and all. "Jennifer" starts as a soft ballad, including a girl reading a vintage Swedish text about human body hair, eventually distorted by very annoying synth noises. The end part of "Lauft" with its calm atmosphere makes me think of Eno's later "discreet" works and "The Sad Skinnhead" can only be described as teutonic raggae, sung from an insider veiw with German accent. It's not a record I sit down and listen to a lot today, but I'm glad it exists and play it to my younger friends as an exemple from a time when issues like this could be managed by major companies and actually get on the lists. Virgin wasn't fully established by then, but EMI did the pressing and handeled the distribution together with Island. Original issues in Europe and downunder. First US on 1992 CD (Caroline Records CAROL 1885-2). Virgin 2006 CD (CDVR 2004) came with bonus CD including John Peel sessions and alternate versions. Premiere UK had label as shown here and thin matt cover. (ÄZC*)