Faust: Faust IV 1973 (2 CD Special Edition 2006)

 

Since 2004 two different bands, both having original members, carrying the name Faust are active.

German for "fist", and also the protagonist of Goethe's eponymous play, Faust were one of the first bands to use the recording studio as an instrument. After two albums for Polydor, they signed with the fledgling Virgin label. Priced as a single, "The Faust Tapes" album sold a staggering 50,000 + copies - amazing since it is one amazingly weird pastiche.
                                                   

Their live appearances were explosive (literally), as the pinball machines and jack-hammer legends

detail. The band carried on for nearly two years after "IV", however that album, recorded outside the Wümme studio, was their last. Faust came back in 1995 with a new series of albums and live appearances.
                                                   

Jean-Hervé Peron, former bassist and vocalist with Faust, would like to get something straight about his old band – specifically, the period in the early 1970s when they were living in a commune in Wümme, a rural area outside Hamburg. Faust’s time in Wümme is one of the great sagas in the history of

experimental rock, which begins with their wily late manager, Uwe Nettelbeck, somehow convincing Polydor that they were signing not a recently formed collection of Hamburg musicians who would prove to be the most uncompromising band in an uncompromising era for German rock – even by the standards of fellow travellers Can, Kraftwerk and Amon Düül II, Faust’s eponymous 1971 debut album was a provocative, revolutionary, flat-out weird listen – but “the German Beatles”.
                                             

["There is no group more mythical than Faust," wrote Julian Cope in his book Krautrocksampler, which detailed the pivotal influence the German band exerted over the development of ambient and industrial textures.
                                            

The group's initial run during the early '70s produced a series of albums which radically reimagined the role of the recording studio, introducing tape cut-up techniques and Dada-ist whimsy to freewheeling psychedelic rock. The band's releases earned a cult following, particularly 1973's Faust IV, a more accessible set which gradually attained classic status.
                                                

The group disbanded in 1975, and some of the founding members reconvened in 1990. Faust continued performing and releasing albums which demonstrated how the group had become a lasting influence on

industrial, techno, noise-rock, and even hip-hop, as evidenced by their 2004 collaboration with Dälek, Derbe Respect, Alder. Two separate lineups of Faust, both centered around original members, subsequently became active, with the incarnation featuring Jean Hervé Péron and Werner Diermaier becoming the most prolific, touring often and releasing albums such as 2017's Fresh Air.
                                      

Producer/overseer Uwe Nettelbeck, a one-time music journalist, formed Faust in Wumme, Germany, in 1971 with founding members Hans Joachim Irmler, Jean Hervé Péron, Werner "Zappi" Diermaier,

Rudolf Sosna, Gunther Wusthoff, and Armulf Meifert. Upon receiving advance money from their label, Nettelbeck converted an old schoolhouse into a recording studio, where the group spent the first several months of its existence in almost total isolation, honing their unique cacophonous sound with the aid of occasional guests like minimalist composer Tony Conrad and members of Slapp Happy.
By Jason Ankeny]

FAUST IV  1973

                                                        

[Coming on the heels of the cut-and-paste sound-collage schizophrenia of The Faust Tapes, Faust IV

seems relatively subdued and conventional, though it's still a far cry from what anyone outside the German avant-garde rock scene was doing. The album's disparate threads don't quite jell into something larger (as in the past), but there's still much to recommend it. The nearly 12-minute electro-acoustic opener "Krautrock" is sometimes viewed as a comment on Faust's droning, long-winded contemporaries, albeit one that would lose its point by following the same conventions.
                                           

There are a couple of oddball pop numbers that capture the group's surreal sense of whimsy: one, "The

Sad Skinhead," through its reggae-ish beat, and another, "It's a Bit of a Pain," by interrupting a pastoral acoustic guitar number with the most obnoxious synth noises the band can conjure. Aside from "Krautrock," there is a trend toward shorter track lengths and more vocals, but there are still some unpredictably sudden shifts in the instrumental pieces, even though it only occasionally feels like an idea is being interrupted at random (quite unlike The Faust Tapes).
                                             

There are several beat-less, mostly electronic soundscapes full of fluttering, blooping synth effects, as

well as plenty of the group's trademark Velvet Underground-inspired guitar primitivism, and even a Frank Zappa-esque jazz-rock passage. Overall, Faust IV comes off as more a series of not-always-related experiments, but there are more than enough intriguing moments to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, it would be the last album the group recorded (at least in its first go-round).
By Steve Huey]
                                                                

Faust – Faust IV (Special Edition 2 CD) 2006
Label: Virgin – CDVR 2004, Virgin – 0946 356362 2 2
Format:    2 x CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo 2006
Country: UK
Released: 1973   
Genre: Rock
Style: Krautrock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

CD 1.

               

01. Krautrock    11:46
02. The Sad Skinhead    2:34
03. Jennifer    7:10
04. Just A Second (Starts Like That!) / Picnic On A Frozen River / Deuxieme Tableux    3:35
05. Giggy Smile    7:45
06. Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft    8:06
07. It's A Bit Of A Pain    3:09

MP3 @ 320 Size: 106 MB
Flac  Size: 264 MB

CD 2.

                                                    

01. The Lurcher    7:52
02. Krautrock    11:44
03. Do So    2:32
04. Jennifer - Alternative Version    4:47
05. The Sad Skinhead - Alternative Version    3:19
06. Just A Second (Starts Like That!) - Extended Version    10:30
07. Piano Piece    5:56
08. Läuft...Heisst Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft - Alternative Version    4:12
09. Giggy Smile - Alternative Version    5:55

MP3 @ 320 Size: 134 MB
Flac  Size: 340 MB

Recorded at The Manor, Oxfordshire, England June 73.
Tracks CD1-1 to CD1-7 originally released on LP in 1973.
Tracks CD2-1 to CD2-3:
Recorded for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1.
First transmission date: 1st March 1973.
Released by arrangement with BBC Music.
Tracks CD2-4 to CD2-9:
Original mixes at The Manor Studios, Oxfordshire in June 1973.

Uriel: Arzachel 1969

Uriel were an English Heavy - Psychedelic Blues Band formed in 1968 by Steve Hillage (Guitar,

Vocals, later with Gong), Dave Stewart (Organ, later formed Egg), Mont Campbell (Bass, Vocals, later formed Egg), and Clive Brooks (Drums, later formed Egg).  The band initially called themselves Uriel, they produced their sold album under the Arzachel in June 1969.
                                                                   

The album Arzachel was recorded and mixed in a single session in London. The 'A' side has four songs,

while the 'B' side consists of only two mind-bending psychedelic tracks, the longer of which is a 17-minute jam entitled 'Metempsychosis'. It was issued on the short-lived Evolution label (also home to the debut by Raw Material) and quickly became a collectors' item. A pirate version is thought to have circulated in the late 1970s, and it has been much bootlegged in more recent years. It was eventually released on CD by Demon Records in 1994.
                                              

Formed while Hillage, Campbell and Stewart were at the City of London School, they initially played

covers of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and the Nice. After Hillage left in mid-1968 to attend university, the remaining trio began playing original material written by Campbell and Stewart. Bowing to pressure from their managers, they changed their name to Egg in early 1969.
                                                 

Shortly after Egg signed to Decca, a tiny company named Zackariya Enterprises gave the musicians an

opportunity to record a psychedelic session for the burgeoning market. Since this was not "Egg material" (and besides, they were under contract now to Decca), Uriel re-united to produce their sole album in June 1969, a one-off psychedelic project under an assumed name Arzachel (named after a crater on the moon, itself named after a medieval Spanish astronomer). The musicians also used pseudonyms on the album, although their biographies each contain some measure of truth:
                              

Simon Sasparella (Steve Hillage) - lead guitar and vocals. Sim was born in Seatoller, Cumberland in 1948, and has been playing guitar for 11 years. His dark Northern ruggedness is offset by the coolness of his manner. These two qualities are reflected in his playing – heavy, emotional work, and soft, subtle sounds. He believes that music is the only really physical art form – and is in a lifelong search for the ultimate musical power, on the same scale as the rocky Lake District crags from whence he came.

Njerogi Gategaka (Mont Campbell) – bass guitar and vocals. Njerogi was born in Mzumi Springs, a small border town in the north of the Kenyan Rift Valley. He trained to be a Manjanga drummer for the local Kyuma dances, but came to England with family in 1962. He lived in Brighton for five years, then moved to London, where he formed Arzachel with Sim, Basil and Sam. He believes that music stems largely from the sexual urge, both of which have an integral part in rhythm, having been taught this as part of his drum training.

Basil Dowling (Clive Brooks) – drums. Basil was born in Tottenham in 1947; as one would expect, he was an ardent Tottenham Hampton F.C. supporter in his younger days, but decided it would no longer be wise to go to football matches when his wiry bushy hair reached shoulder-length. He has been in seven groups, playing every conceivable style of music from dance band to skiffle. Basil is a heavy, violent drummer; he has been known to break fourteen sticks in as many bars. He believes that if it were not for Arzachel's music, his violence would still be expressed in seat-slashing and toilet-roll throwing.

Sam Lee-Uff (Dave Stewart) – organ. Sam was born in Lewisham in 1949 – he could play the piano when only two years old, and began to take organ lessons at the age of seven. He was expelled from public school, and spent eight months living on crusts, playing a battered accordion on street corners. This he refers to as his "hang-up" period. When the Psychedelic scene began to blossom, Sam joined various unsuccessful groups. Arzachel was a result of meeting up with Sim and Njerogi. Sam's favourite artistes include Heinz; Mike Ratledge; Holst; P.J. Proby; Vincent Crane. He believes music to be an expression of one's inner being – this expression, he says, will lead to the ultimate spiritual liberation of one's personality.
                                        

The album was re-released on 7 December 2007 as Arzachel Collectors Edition by Uriel (2007, Egg Archive CD69-7201). This official band release features a re-mastered version of the original album plus four unreleased Uriel studio demos, a spoken-word message from the past and a live snippet recorded in 1968. Steve Hillage plays on two of these bonus tracks.
                                         

Uriel – Arzachel (Collectors Edition)
Label: Egg Archive – CD69-7201
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo Dec 7, 2007
Country: UK
Released: 1969   
Genre: Rock
Style: Heavy Psychedelic Blues Rock, Prog Rock

TRACKS

                                                     

01. Garden Of Earthly Delights  (Written-By – Campbell)  4:26
02. Azathoth  (Written-By – Stewart, Campbell)  4:26

Azathoth is a deity in the Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle stories of writer H. P. Lovecraft and other authors. He is the ruler of the Outer Gods, and may be seen as a symbol for primordial chaos.
03. Soul Thing (Theme From 'Queen Street Gang')  (Arranged By – Campbell/Written-By – Mansfield)  4:32
04. Leg (Lyrics By – Vinall, Hillage/Music By – Hillage)  5:49
05. Clean Innocent Fun  (Lyrics By – Vinall, Hillage/Music By – Hillage)  10:34
06. Metempsychosis  (Written-By – Uriel)  16:58

Bonus Tracks

                                                       

  
07. Introducing The Bass Guitarist  (Written-By – Mr. Campbell)  0:21
08. Egoman  (Written-By – Campbell)  4:12
09. Swooping Bill  (Written-By – Stewart)  3:19
10. The Salesman Song  (Written-By – Campbell)  2:56
11. Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age  (Arranged By – Campbell/Written-By – Holst)  3:45
12. The Stumble      0:46
                                                

Recorded At – Denmark Street Studios
Bass, French Horn, Bugle, Vocals – Mont Campbell  
Drums – Clive Brooks   
Guitar, Vocals – Steve Hillage (tracks: 1 to 6, 11, 12)
Organ, Piano – Dave Stewart
Design [Front Cover] – Mont Campbell
Producer – Peter Wicker (tracks: 1 to 6)

                                                                       

AZATHOTH LYRICS

 
     

Mindless Demon
Ruling in absolute chaos
Human minds cannot believe

Fractured rainbows
Circling deep in the darkness
Bright red trails of pain

Azathoth the Mighty
Centre of confusion
Ruler of the dead beneath the Sea of Clouds

                            

Evil blind things
Ruling in absolute darkness
Fighting forever

Weeping, gnashing
Falling in utter confusion
Fire and chaos thrive

MP3 @ 320 Size: 142 MB
Flac  Size: 334 MB

Jason Crest: The Colllected Works 1968 (1998 Compilation)

 

Jason Crest (formerly The Good Thing Brigade) were an English, Tonbridge, Kent based psychedelic

pop group, active from around 1967 to 1969. Despite releasing five singles on Philips from 1967 to 1968, (including a cover of the Move's "(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree"), the band were never commercially successful and disbanded towards the end of the 1960s when their contract with Philips expired.
                                                                    

However, the singles "Black Mass", "Turquoise Tandem Cycle", "(Here We Go Round) The Lemon

Tree" and "Place in the Sun" have all appeared on the Rubble collection of British psychedelia and freakbeat, and the band garnered a modest cult reputation. Jason Crest's fourth single, "Waterloo Road" (1968), was adapted into French as "Les Champs-Élysées" by singer Joe Dassin and reached number one in France.
                                                                                      

Formed in Tonbridge, Kent from the ashes of 'The Good Thing Brigade', Jason Crest were signed to Philips in the latter part of 1967 after being discovered by former Four Pennies bassist Fritz Fryer, who got them a recording contract ahead of EMI. On signing their name seemed a little inapproiate so this

was duly changed with a slight amendment from one of the groups tracks, 'The Collected Works of Justin Crest'. Within weeks from being spotted, the newly named Jason Crest were in the studio recording their first single, 'Turquoise Tandem Cycle', a wonderful debut dubbed by Philips on advertisments as "the first new group of 1968" this over the years, has often linked up with Procol Harum and Tomorrow especially with the former for it's distinctive organ sound, but despite a fair measure of airplay the single failed to click, it's a shame they never picked the flip 'Good Life', as this was the strongest of the two.
                                                        

The same fate happened with the second single 'Juliano The Bull' , nice enough but banned by radio one after some bright spark suggested it was "promoting blood sports", once again though the flip, this time, 'Two By The Sea' was the strongest of the two. After two flopped singles, Philips pulled the plug on the

groups original songs and opted for a cover version, the song in question was The Move's '(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree', despite rumours though Roy Wood wasn't on the production team for this single, sadly once again, this also ended in the same fate despite considerable radio play. Bassist Ron Fowler quit around this time, working in a band and a full time job time didn't mix especially when the Crest were off to Germany and so he was replaced by John Selley. After three flops, Philips were desperate for a hit, Fryer got the band to record one of his numbers and a fourth single, the more commercial 'Waterloo Road' was recorded and promptly bombed, probably just as well as the single is uninteresting and uncompiled.
                                                        

With one single left on the contract, a final single 'A Place In The Sun' was released, again this met with the same fate although rather surprisingly the strange 'Black Mass' found it's way onto the flip, surprising because Philips had earlier decided that the song was unfit for public consumption!! By now

the group were breaking up, the album that was promised had all but disappeared, the lack of success had caused indifferences in the band and to top it all, not surprisingly, Philips were not in the mood for re-newing contracts, the end wasn't too far away. Fitz Fryer had new interests in The Open Mind of whom he also produced for. Terry Clarke (the original co-founder) was to leave first joining up with a London based outfit called Orang Utan, whilst the remainding members continued with new vocalist Brian Prebble and ex-Mike Stuart Span / Leviathan guitarist Brian Bennett under the new name of High Broom. In 1971 Clark, Smallcombe and Siggery all sorted out their differences and formed Holy Mackrel.
                                                        

All was not lost when more recently Wooden Hill put out the excellent compilation "The Collected Works of.....". The album included the complete singles collection plus six unreleased acetates, 'My

House Is Burning'; 'The Collected Works of Justin Crest'; 'King of the Castle'; 'Teagarden Lane'; 'Charge of the Light Brigade' & 'You Really Got A Hold On Me'. If that wasn't enough, the recently discovered radio sessions (recorded over two afternoon sessions) got a deserved release on Tenth Planet, both albums are essential stuff. Jason Crest were one of the finest British act to come out from the late Sixties, maybe with a little bit of luck, better selections for the A-side on some singles such as 'Charge of The Light Brigade' and others things could have been very different.

Jason Crest – Collected Works Of Jason Crest
Label: Wooden Hill – WHCD006
Format:    CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 1998
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Pop Rock

TRACKS

                                                                          

01. Turquoise Tandem Cycle
02. Teagarden Lane
03. Patricia's Dream  (Written-By – Sandison, Fryer)
04. A Place In The Sun
05. My House Is Burning
06. King Of The Castle
07. The Collected Works Of Justin Crest
08. Black Mass
09. Charge Of The Light Brigade
10. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree  (Written-By – Wood)
11. You Really Got A Hold On Me  (Written-By – Robinson)
12. Two By The Sea
13. Juliano The Bull
14. Education
15. Waterloo Road  (Written-By – Deighan, Wilsh)
16. Good Life

MP3 @ 320 Size: 121 MB
Flac  Size: 197 MB