Faust (album)

In 1970, German record producer and music journalist Uwe Nettelbeck negotiated a deal with Polydor Records to assemble a new musical ensemble that could be "the German Beatles".^[1][2][3] Polydor financed the construction of a recording studio in a converted schoolhouse in the rural village of Wümme, near Hamburg, where the band lived and worked communally with Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner. This isolation allowed for complete creative freedom and a radical approach to recording that combined long improvisations, tape loop experiments, found sounds, and the use of self-built electronic instruments.^{[citation needed][4][5]}

The original LP record was on clear vinyl in a clear cover with an X-ray of a human fist silkscreened on the outer sleeve (Faust is German for "fist"). It also included a transparent plastic sheet with the lyrics and credits printed in red.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Pitchfork Media	9.0/10[7]

Faust was released on September 21, 1971 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and West Germany. The first pressing was packaged in a distinctive transparent sleeve with a clear vinyl LP inside. The album was widely ignored upon release.

Retrospective reviews by AllMusic lauded the record as "a revolutionary step forward in the progress of rock music," adding that "the level of imagination is staggering, the concept is totally unique and it’s fun to listen to as well."^[8] Pitchfork stated, "The overwhelming vibe here is of playful curiosity rather than oppressive abstraction" and compared tracks to Throbbing Gristle and Nurse with Wound.^[9]

Radiohead’s OK Computer (1997) was influenced by the album.^[10]