Where do you rank No. 4 against the rest of the catalog?

[disasterami]

#1 easily for me! In your face, the drums, no way out, atlanta, mc5, down,  aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robert DeNiro]

+1 for STEAK, Aylin, STPunderground, Silverguns and Candybars, Disasterami.
Right on Disasterami!  Interesting comment from Silverguns' like usual and im with STEAK when he says he wishes they would do another album like Tiny or No. 4

[Veesk]

No.4

Lol, genius! I always loved this album, it totally shows off just how well STP can pull off different styles. I did feel it wasn't Scott's best from a lyrical point of view, and MC5 just doesn't cut it for me, it's a bit messy! But Atlanta is one of my favorite songs, just wish we could hear it live at some point soon. Wishful thinking much? 

[robrhre]

I love No.4, it is a good mix of hard rock songs like Down, Sex & Violence and others. Then you have the softer songs like Sour Girl and Glide. The whole album rocks, but I am not crazy about Atlanta.

[pjstp]

No. 4 is No. 3 behind Tiny Music, and Purple.

[STEAK]

No4 really showed their versatility. 

1. They nailed the hard rock songs (Down, No Way Out)

2. Sour Girl was basically a perfect pop song, but still transcended genres.... not to mention that it's probably one of the most timeless STP songs.  (I still hear it today on random radio stations and it holds up as if it were new.)

3.  And with Atlanta, it was unlike everything else on the album but it still fit with the rest of the songs.  Not to mention Scott's vocals on Atlanta and how he almost sang in a different voice for all the songs on the album.

As much as I love all their songs... looking at it from a time stand point.  No4's 'Sour Girl' will probably continue to be played on radio stations for a long time.  The only other song in their library that would top it would be 'Interstate Love Song'.  So that's gotta say something about No4.

[robrhre]

I

No4 really showed their versatility. 

1. They nailed the hard rock songs (Down, No Way Out)

2. Sour Girl was basically a perfect pop song, but still transcended genres.... not to mention that it's probably one of the most timeless STP songs.  (I still hear it today on random radio stations and it holds up as if it were new.)

3.  And with Atlanta, it was unlike everything else on the album but it still fit with the rest of the songs.  Not to mention Scott's vocals on Atlanta and how he almost sang in a different voice for all the songs on the album.

As much as I love all their songs... looking at it from a time stand point.  No4's 'Sour Girl' will probably continue to be played on radio stations for a long time.  The only other song in their library that would top it would be 'Interstate Love Song'.  So that's gotta say something about No4.

I disagree with that, no way Sour Girl beats out Plush, Vasoline, Dead & Bloated, Trippin, and Big Empty for radio play time.

[STEAK]

I

No4 really showed their versatility. 

1. They nailed the hard rock songs (Down, No Way Out)

2. Sour Girl was basically a perfect pop song, but still transcended genres.... not to mention that it's probably one of the most timeless STP songs.  (I still hear it today on random radio stations and it holds up as if it were new.)

3.  And with Atlanta, it was unlike everything else on the album but it still fit with the rest of the songs.  Not to mention Scott's vocals on Atlanta and how he almost sang in a different voice for all the songs on the album.

As much as I love all their songs... looking at it from a time stand point.  No4's 'Sour Girl' will probably continue to be played on radio stations for a long time.  The only other song in their library that would top it would be 'Interstate Love Song'.  So that's gotta say something about No4.

I disagree with that, no way Sour Girl beats out Plush, Vasoline, Dead & Bloated, Trippin, and Big Empty for radio play time.

I'm not saying SG is necessarily better, but it appeals to a broader audience.   Those other singles are primarily played on rock stations, where SG is played on rock stations as well as many other genre specific stations.  Maybe it's just more commercial, but in 20 years I feel like I'd be more likely to hear Sour Girl wherever I may be. (I've heard it on different stations, in the media, in stores, in a Red Lobster, even at a strip club once!)

[crackerman33]

As rediculous as I find topics like this I am still fascinated by fellow fans opinions regarding what albums are the best. Personally, i think  'Purple" is their best album to date. The lyrics, melodies and musical composition on those tracks are amazing. Growing up with the band since "Core" debuted every album up until 'Stone Temple Pilots' has been my favorite at one time or another. The best thing about this band has been following along their musical growth, shoving the "grunge" label in the critics faces and making music from the heart. No 4 is an amazing album that rivals anything they've put on. I remember recording Down off the radio and listening to it over and over on tape as I roamed my college campus.  I've spend countless hours playing guitar to songs off this album with friends and the more we play the more amazed we are with this albums strengths.
Regardless, Im glad this forum exists so fellow fans can voice their opinion and I enjoy reading everyone's perspective.

[Comatose Commodity]

god, No Way Out has gotta be the most overrated stp song ever!

[robrhre]

god, No Way Out has gotta be the most overrated stp song ever!

This is not me being a smartass, but being serious as possible. Did you mean to type underrated in place of overrated? That song is so badass!

[robrhre]

I love the lyrics to the song. Everybody can relate to that at some point in their lives and Scott just takes the lyrics to the next level, simple yet really effective and meaningful.

[stpunderground]

god, No Way Out has gotta be the most overrated stp song ever!

 

[IMJ]

I'd beg everyone to read this post, if only to start a movement or campaign to remaster No. 4. 

No. 4 would've probably beat out Core in every way if the production wasn't so crummy on it. The whole album has a hazy or otherwise muffled filter over it. If that album had the sound clarity of a late 80s CD, then it would've been STP's best compilation.  Instead, clarity was exchanged for amplification, and the sound quality of No. 4 suffered for it.

Musically, I think it's incredible, and it really made me feel that STP was the hard rock band that I loved for years. On the other hand, I think Glide is one of the most ethereal, underrated STP tracks ever, and it really shows Weiland's vocal range.  Good luck ever hearing that one played live now, though.

I also don't understand the hate that Pruno gets... I think it's an energetic rocker. Not the best track on the album by any means, but it's a solid song. Sour Girl was a great crossover hit and I think that song gave the band more cross-genre exposure in music than any other STP song, barring maybe Interstate Love Song on country radio.

All of the STP albums are works of art with their own tone and vibe, but No. 4 was really the band at their peak. It's too bad the sound quality on the album is so pathetically terrible. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'd love to see the No. 4 album remastered with the volume enhancement completely removed from the album. Remaster this album like it was a CD made in 1989 and you'd have a bonafide work of art right there.

[stpunderground]

i dont get the hate on the albums production.. i love the hazey/murky/foggy production... it would be a shame to hear it polished and re-mastered... youd kill the atmosphere and what makes the album unique compared to the rest of the catalog ... and i certainly dont see how this album doesnt vibe?
 
several bands have used this kind of murky production, which has resulted in some fantastic albums... the production reminds me of several albums such as Aerosmith's Night in the Ruts, Alice in Chain's self titled album, Black Sabbath's Master of Reality, just to name a few...
 
like i said... a polished No. 4 would be tragic