So I think this is the first Faust recorded outside of Wumme and I'm sure it's the Krautrock credence that this makes it an inferior record. The true essence of Faust was born and died at Wumme - stupid old Virigin, bringing them over to the UK which, of course, led directly to their downfall. I think I felt this at the time and I think I still feel this now - this is Faust's masterpiece.
It's a brother to So Far in that it consists of actual songs (The shortest track here is around the 3 minute mark) and it's inherently un-Faust in that there's very little cut ups. But anyway - the opener "Krautrock" pretty much defines the genre it turns out. All spinning guitars and fuzz. Then Faust do reggae and the Sad Skinhead. But it's not really reggae but it's Faust through and through. Overlapping vocals, bonkers lyrics and not much to do with Skinheads.
Jennifer is one of my favourites - a beautiful guitar melody, on repeat of course, steady drumming and the lines "Jennifer your red hair burning, Yellow jokes come out your mind". It's really beautiful and the space that they allow themselves pushes the song further forwards. Then it's back into more structured soundscaping type affairs - my CD version has mixed up the tracks and so it all the titles are mixed up after this. Giggy Smile is stupid, and is repetition in the vain of Chet Va Buddah from the Faust Tapes. Then more French, over choppy violins and nice drumming. Some buzzy nonsense. Then another song proper - it's a bit of a pain to be where I am.
So it's not bonkers, it's fairly centered on the here and now and there's no cut ups. But it's a great record and has the flashes of invention seen in the other records but now it's tempered with a strange skill with regard to your actual songwriting. It's consistent and it's great - I find it completely that a group that were clearly finding a really interesting direction to follow were dropped after this record. But I'm glad that this record exists.
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