The Fourth World (album)
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The Fourth World is the debut studio album and major label debut by the band Kara's Flowers, who later became Maroon 5. The album contains 11 tracks, plus one bonus track on the Japanese edition.
Following their 1995 self-released demo album ...We Like Digging?, Kara's Flowers signed with Reprise Records, teamed up with the people who worked with Green Day and released The Fourth World on August 19, 1997.<ref>VH1.com: Kara's Flowers Artist Page Accessed August 18, 2007.</ref> The band had little success with the album and parted with the record label two years later. They continued to explore different musical styles until finally coming together again with James Valentine under the name Maroon 5.<ref>[[[:Template:AllMusic]] allmusic: Kara's Flowers] Accessed August 18, 2007.</ref>
The album was re-released on CD in 2004 with an added message from the band. "Here is a good example of how much we changed over the course of five years. This is the album we made in high school, before James joined the band, before we became Maroon 5. To paraphrase Monty Python, 'Get Ready for something completely different'."<ref name="Liner Notes" />
Soap Disco
The lead single, "Soap Disco", was released on July 22, 1997. A music video was produced for the single, depicting the group walking through a park and performing in an orange and green room.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A storm appears at the end of the video. The video was directed by Mark Kohr (who has directed music videos for Alanis Morissette and Green Day). The video made airplay on 120 Minutes. The song was included in Volume 50 of CMJ New Music Monthly.<ref name="Standout Albums">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The band made an appearance from the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, where they performed the song in the episode "Forgive and Forget".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Critical reception
Template:Music ratings Giving the album a B+, Tom Lanham with Entertainment Weekly said the "optimistic, lyrically awkward kids spend 10 more happy tracks turning the tables on lethargic slacker cynicism, with Green Day producer Rob Cavallo bridling all that youthful zeal."<ref name="EW19970815"/>
Track listing
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Personnel
All credits for The Fourth World are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="Liner Notes">Template:Cite book</ref>
Kara's Flowers
- Adam Levine – lead vocals, lead guitar
- Jesse Carmichael – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Mickey Madden – bass
- Ryan Dusick – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
Production
- Rob Cavallo – producer
- Jerry Finn – mixing, engineer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Ken Allardyce – engineer
- Steve Holroyd – engineer
- Mark Agostino – second engineer
- Billy Bowers – second engineer
- Tony Flores – second engineer
- Barry Goldberg – second engineer
- Brandon Harris – second engineer
- Billy Kinsley – second engineer
- John Srebalus – second engineer
- Mike "Micro" Shaw – guitar tech
- Adam Day – guitar tech
- Cheryl Jenets – A&R coordination
- Katherine Delaney – layout
- Pat Magnarella – management
- Bob Cavallo – management
Release history
| Region | Date | Edition | Format | Label | Template:Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | August 19, 1997 | Standard | CD | Reprise | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Japan | October 5, 1997 | WEA Japan | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| United States | May 25, 2004 | Reissue | Rhino Entertainment | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Various | January 24, 2020 | Limited | Vinyl | Music on Vinyl | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |