Faust - Faust [Review]

This is a bit of a challenge to review, being such a far out album, and having to build on what others have already written. I'm sure you do know who they are and what this is, but if not, Faust was the name of six insane German musicians from Wumme. Their debut (Faust), was recorded in 1971 and whether you love it or loathe it - it cannot be denied that there is very little that sounds like it. On one level, it is a bizarre psychedelic sound collage designed to freak listeners out or make their trip the scariest thing ever to happen to them. This however, is merely the surface level of the album; as you dig deeper, you can see the twisted apocalyptic message being delivered by Faust, their crazy sound all part of a cohesive deadly whole.

The album begins with a heavily distorted radio tuning in, with distant samples of Satisfaction and All You Need Is Love fading in and out, almost a reminder that we are travelling far from musical norm, and even from reality as we know it - This is Why Don't You Eat Carrots. The distortion ends and a melancholy piano plays a sorrowful tune before utterly being displaced by a twisted, atonal marching band playing the most inane tune possible. It's a parade of death, proudly blasting its way down the road to hell. As with everything in Faust though, this does not last - distorted vocals are woven in and out of the texture of the music, out of place and out of their mind. This mix and match of bizarre melodies continues for some time, finally ceasing when that melody comes in (previous listeners will know), the instantly recognisable synchronised trumpet and guitar paired together like a match made in heaven - the krautrock drums of Zappi pounding a mantra of infinity. This is hell though, so naturally, it's not long before the catchy melody is obliterated with nothing to remain except sonic interferences and random conversation. Hints of the melody come back time and time again, but they too are hushed to silence again as an ambient noise puts the song to rest.

Meadow Meal enters with slowly ticking clockwork beginning to come into focus, speeding up and slowing down on a whim. A spanish guitar plays softly in the background, a triangle rings in and out of the foreground, lyrics are forcefully projected, not sung or spoken. Suddenly, out of nowhere a drum fill enters and the most breathtaking guitar solo begins, where the beginning of the song had been so mellow and slow, the whole world is now erupting as the great force and power of the band pushes it in a whole new direction. One guitar, two, three, all at the same time, playing in beautiful harmony together until they reach their climatic end and the vocals and spanish guitar re-enter. A storm brews and a pipe organ plays sweet music of the divine; From the deepest, darkest area of the inferno to the peak of holiness.

And so, to the masterpiece.

The first two tracks are beautiful soundscapes to heaven and hell, but they pale in comparison to the absolutely epic finale. As with all the songs on the album, the songs beings with but a whisper of sound, but soon roars into a wall of noise, ever building up until it fades to nothing (A Faustish trademark). An anthem of piano and guitar plays until it too fades and is replaced by the song of the dead - no forseeable beginning or end, just a stream of consciousness of nonsensical lyrics sung in utter depression. The same spanish guitar plays as the song reaches its end, two voices speak alternating words of philisophical and poetic brilliance, finishing with the metaphysically potent, 'To organise and analyse and at the end realise that nobody knows if it really happened'.

Faust enters with such demonic force and ends with such melancholy disillusion, asking the question: is our world of reality completely empty of meaning? These resounding last words have such a prescence in the context of the whole album; they are that which gives Faust its reason, not what is in our universe, but what could be. This album is not the first sound-collage or krautrock album, but it is the first to give them meaning or purpose. In its attempt (and achievement) to do so, it is ironically not empty. It is part of the album's greatness that it tells us nothing and offers us everything.