THE FAUST CONCERTS VOL. I

This is one of a pair of concert recordings from the reconvened Faust of the early 90s, featuring the trio of founder members Hans- Joachim Irmler, Jean Herve Peron and Zappi Diemaier. I didn't see any performances by this particular incarnation, but having seen Faust live on more than one occasion I know just how powerful they can be on stage and how well they can reinterpret their studio work.

Unfortunately, this limited edition release doesn't really do them justice. The bootleg level sound quality doesn't help; vocals and drums tend to drown out everything else a lot of the time. Also, Faust's studio albums are painstakingly assembled sonic events, whilst onstage they add a strong visual and theatrical dimension to their work. The use of power tools is very effective in a live context, but on CD you just get to hear the sounds of chainsaws and angle grinders over Zappi Diemaier's muscular drumming. This is a pity, as there are some interesting ideas audible here and there - Gorecki's Symphony No 3 comes in for a mauling (which would become one of the most effective tracks on Rien, itself based on live recordings from a US tour) and a Beethoven piano sonata underpins an eccentric version of It's a Rainy Day Sunshine Girl.

This was a very limited edition which occasionally surfaces on ebay or in second hand shops at inflated prices. If you saw them on that particular tour it's a nice souvenir, but otherwise it's definitely one for completists and diehard fans only.