THE FAUST TAPES

This is the first, and I would think last, time I have given no stars to an album. (edit: the zero stars option has since been withdrawn, hence the one star rating).

"The Faust tapes" became something of a joke in the UK, as it sold so well, yet was almost universally derided. The reason the album sold so well was that it was one of the first ever albums by a contemporary artist, to be sold at a very cheap price in order to generate interest in the band. At the time of its release, the record companies fixed album prices, with discounting by retailers being virtually non-existent. The fact that this album of new material by a progressive band was originally available for less than a quarter of the normal retail price of an album meant that an extraordinary amount of interest was generated, and the album sold in vast quantities (in the UK at least).

Unfortunately, those who bought it found that it did not contain what could realistically be described as music. It is made up entirely of studio ramblings, and chat. There are no tracks as such, and no attempt appears to have been made to "compose" anything. Even for those who enjoy the most abstract and freeform of music, the contents of this album must be extremely challenging.

The damage done to the name and marketability of Faust in the UK must have been enormous. "Faust IV" was subsequently advertised as "very commercial" in an attempt to redress the balance, but "The Faust Tapes" must rank in music history as one of the worst own goals ever.

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