The album sold well in the United Kingdom (60,000 copies)[2] because of a marketing gimmick by Virgin Records that saw it go on sale for the price of a single.

The Recommended LP reissue used a brand new cover design and was packaged in an oversized plastic bag.

The Faust Tapes consists of segments of songs woven together in pieces spread out over two sides of the LP.

The result was The Faust Tapes, a full-length album, which sold at 49 pence, the price of a 7" single at the time.

[2] In 1998 The Wire placed The Faust Tapes in their (unnumbered) list "One Hundred Records That Set the World on Fire (While No One Was Listening)", where the writers said it "showcases the art of sonic collage at its best".