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Heaven & Hot Rods was only released as a promotional single
 
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| cover = Stone Temple Pilots Nº 4.jpg
| cover = Stone Temple Pilots Nº 4.jpg
| alt = A white star
| alt = A white star
| released = October 26, 1999
| released = {{start date|1999|10|26}}
| recorded = 1998–1999
| recorded = 1998–1999
| venue =
| venue =
| studio =
| studio =
| genre = {{flatlist|
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Grunge]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/stonetemplepilots-no4.html|title=No. 4 - Stone Temple Pilots|publisher=Popmatter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000903201433/http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/stonetemplepilots-no4.html|access-date=February 14, 2021|archive-date=September 3, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=2654|title=No. 4 - Stone Temple Pilots|website=The Daily Vault|access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Grunge]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/stonetemplepilots-no4.html|title=No. 4 - Stone Temple Pilots|publisher=Popmatter|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000903201433/http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/stonetemplepilots-no4.html|access-date=February 14, 2021|archive-date=September 3, 2000}}</ref>
* [[alternative metal]]<ref name="rovi"/>
* [[alternative metal]]<ref name="rovi"/>
* [[alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2061990/stp-no-4-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary/|title=Stone Temple Pilots' 'No. 4' Turns 20|website=[[Stereogum]]|last=Leas|first=Ryan|date=October 25, 2019|access-date=July 6, 2024}}</ref>
* [[hard rock]]
*[[pop rock]]<ref name=rs />
|}}
|}}
| length = 42:17
| length = 42:17
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| single2 = [[Sour Girl]]
| single2 = [[Sour Girl]]
| single2date = April 16, 2000
| single2date = April 16, 2000
| single3 = No Way Out
| single3date = May 2000
}}
}}
}}
}}
'''''No. 4''''' (officially stylized as '''''№ 4''''') is the fourth studio album by American rock band [[Stone Temple Pilots]], released on October 26, 1999, by [[Atlantic Records]]. The album was a return to the band's earlier hard rock roots, while also blending elements of heavy metal, psychedelic rock, and alternative rock. Despite the lack of promotion due to singer [[Scott Weiland]]'s one-year jail sentence shortly before the album's release, ''No. 4'' was certified [[Music recording sales certification|Platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] on August 7, 2000,<ref name="UScert" /> and by the [[Canadian Recording Industry Association|CRIA]] in August 2001.<ref name="CRIAcert" /> The song "[[Down (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Down]]" was nominated for [[Best Hard Rock Performance]] at the [[Grammy Awards]]. The album also produced one of STP's biggest hits, "[[Sour Girl]]", which charted at #78 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], their only song to appear on that chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stone-temple-pilots-mn0000626463/awards|title = Stone Temple Pilots &#124; Awards|website = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref> The CD was originally released as a [[digipak]], then later changed to a standard [[jewel case]].
'''''No. 4''''' (officially stylized as '''''№ 4''''') is the fourth studio album by the American rock band [[Stone Temple Pilots]], released on October 26, 1999, by [[Atlantic Records]]. The album was a return to the band's earlier hard rock roots, while also blending elements of heavy metal, psychedelic rock, and alternative rock. Despite the lack of promotion due to singer [[Scott Weiland]]'s one-year jail sentence shortly before the album's release, ''No. 4'' was certified [[Music recording sales certification|Platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] on August 7, 2000,<ref name="UScert" /> and by the [[Canadian Recording Industry Association|CRIA]] in August 2001.<ref name="CRIAcert" /> The song "[[Down (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Down]]" was nominated for [[Best Hard Rock Performance]] at the [[Grammy Awards]]. The album also produced one of STP's biggest hits, "[[Sour Girl]]", which charted at #78 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], their only song to appear on that chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stone-temple-pilots-mn0000626463/awards|title = Stone Temple Pilots &#124; Awards|website = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref> The CD was originally released as a [[digipak]], then later changed to a standard [[jewel case]].


==Musical style==
==Musical style==
''No. 4'' displays the band returning to the more hard rock-oriented sound of their first two albums. [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] cited the album as STP's "hardest effort" since ''[[Core (Stone Temple Pilots album)|Core]]'', remarking that "it's as if STP decided to compete directly with the new generation of [[alternative metal|alt-metal]] bands who prize aggression over hooks or riffs." Erlewine also commented that ''No.4'' "consolidates all [of STP's] strengths."<ref name="rovi"/>
''No. 4'' displays the band returning to the more hard rock-oriented sound of their first two albums. [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] cited the album as STP's "hardest effort" since ''[[Core (Stone Temple Pilots album)|Core]]'', remarking that "it's as if STP decided to compete directly with the new generation of [[alternative metal|alt-metal]] bands who prize aggression over hooks or riffs." Erlewine also commented that ''No. 4'' "consolidates all [of STP's] strengths."<ref name="rovi"/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
{{Album ratings
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="rovi"/>
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="rovi"/>
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| rev4score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Stone Temple Pilots |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |edition=5th |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}</ref>
| rev4score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Stone Temple Pilots |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |edition=5th |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev5 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev5score = C<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/10/29/no-4/|title=No. 4 review|website=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|last=Brunner|first=Rob|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118081441/https://ew.com/article/1999/10/29/no-4/|archive-date=November 18, 2018}}</ref>
| rev5score = C<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/10/29/no-4/|title=No. 4 review|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|last=Brunner|first=Rob|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118081441/https://ew.com/article/1999/10/29/no-4/|archive-date=November 18, 2018}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev6 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-1534-336151 |title=No 4 |date=September 12, 2005 |work=[[NME]]}}</ref>
| rev6score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-1534-336151 |title=No 4 |date=September 12, 2005 |work=[[NME]]}}</ref>
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| rev10score = 5/10<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Clover |first=Joshua |date=December 1999 |title=No. 4 Review |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJbW_6l-uRUC&pg=PT5 |magazine=Spin |language=en |publisher=SPIN Media LLC}}</ref>
| rev10score = 5/10<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Clover |first=Joshua |date=December 1999 |title=No. 4 Review |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJbW_6l-uRUC&pg=PT5 |magazine=Spin |language=en |publisher=SPIN Media LLC}}</ref>
}}
}}
''[[AllMusic]]'' critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album four out of five stars, praising the opening tracks "[[Down (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Down]]" and "[[Heaven & Hot Rods]]".<ref name="rovi">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r432802}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' critic Rob Brunner graded it "C", calling the album "generic and phoned in" and mostly "unexciting and obvious". Brunner deemed the track "Down" as "dour", "No Way Out" as "dated", and "Atlanta" as "pretentious". Brunner further deemed the tracks "Sex & Violence" and "Pruno" as "hardly original" and having resemblances to [[David Bowie]] but also as "well-crafted".<ref name=ew>{{cite magazine|author=Rob Brunner |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,271323,00.html |title=No. 4 Review |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 29, 1999 |access-date=June 26, 2017 }}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' critic Lorraine Ali rated it three out of five, calling the songs "strong [[pop rock|pop-rock]] pieces but without the self-consciousness of previous efforts".<ref name=rs>{{cite magazine|author=Lorraine Ali |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/stonetemplepilots/albums/album/117382/review/5942924/no_4 |title=Stone Temple Pilots: No. 4 : Music Reviews |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=November 11, 1999 |access-date=August 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001211017/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/stonetemplepilots/albums/album/117382/review/5942924/no_4 |archive-date=October 1, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]'' critic M. Tye Comer called the album "powerful and cohesive", recommending readers to listen the tracks "Heaven & Hot Rods", "Church on Tuesday", "Sour Girl", and "No Way Out".<ref name=cmj>{{cite magazine |first=M. Tye |last=Comer |date=November 1, 1999 |title=Must Hear the Essential Releases of the Week: Stone Temple Pilots – ''No. 4'' (Atlantic) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajrfqGFW3-EC&q=%22no+way+out%22+%22stone+temple+pilots%22+-wikipedia+-billboard&pg=PA3 |magazine=CMJ New Music Monthly |page=3 |access-date=June 26, 2017 }}</ref> Critics noted similarities between "Atlanta" and "[[My Favorite Things (song)|My Favorite Things]]" from the 1959 musical ''The Sound of Music''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kot |first1=Greg |title=Stone Temple PilotsNo. 4 (Atlantic)Stone Temple Pilots... |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-10-24-9910240366-story.html |access-date=December 8, 2020 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=October 24, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Andrew |title=Stone Temple Pilots rehash same old sounds with fourth album |url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/stone-temple-pilots-rehash-same-old-sounds-with-fourth-album/article_80d77829-403b-5b04-8edc-f58cabd28d86.html |access-date=December 8, 2020 |work=Daily Nebraskan |date=November 12, 1999}}</ref>
''[[AllMusic]]'' critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album four out of five stars, praising the opening tracks "[[Down (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Down]]" and "[[Heaven & Hot Rods]]".<ref name="rovi">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-4-mw0000252509|title=No. 4|website=[[AllMusic]]|author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|access-date=May 7, 2023}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' critic Rob Brunner graded it "C", calling the album "generic and phoned in" and mostly "unexciting and obvious". Brunner deemed the track "Down" as "dour", "No Way Out" as "dated", and "Atlanta" as "pretentious". Brunner further deemed the tracks "Sex & Violence" and "Pruno" as "hardly original" and having resemblances to [[David Bowie]] but also as "well-crafted".<ref name=ew>{{cite magazine |author=Rob Brunner |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,271323,00.html |title=No. 4 Review |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 29, 1999 |access-date=June 26, 2017 |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903110918/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,271323,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' critic Lorraine Ali rated it three out of five, calling the songs "strong [[pop rock|pop-rock]] pieces but without the self-consciousness of previous efforts".<ref name=rs>{{cite magazine|author=Lorraine Ali |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/stonetemplepilots/albums/album/117382/review/5942924/no_4 |title=Stone Temple Pilots: No. 4 : Music Reviews |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=November 11, 1999 |access-date=August 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001211017/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/stonetemplepilots/albums/album/117382/review/5942924/no_4 |archive-date=October 1, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]'' critic M. Tye Comer called the album "powerful and cohesive", recommending readers to listen the tracks "Heaven & Hot Rods", "Church on Tuesday", "Sour Girl", and "No Way Out".<ref name=cmj>{{cite magazine |first=M. Tye |last=Comer |date=November 1, 1999 |title=Must Hear the Essential Releases of the Week: Stone Temple Pilots – ''No. 4'' (Atlantic) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajrfqGFW3-EC&q=%22no+way+out%22+%22stone+temple+pilots%22+-wikipedia+-billboard&pg=PA3 |magazine=CMJ New Music Monthly |page=3 |access-date=June 26, 2017 }}</ref> Critics noted similarities between "Atlanta" and "[[My Favorite Things (song)|My Favorite Things]]" from the 1959 musical ''The Sound of Music''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kot |first1=Greg |title=Stone Temple PilotsNo. 4 (Atlantic)Stone Temple Pilots... |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-10-24-9910240366-story.html |access-date=December 8, 2020 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=October 24, 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Andrew |title=Stone Temple Pilots rehash same old sounds with fourth album |url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/stone-temple-pilots-rehash-same-old-sounds-with-fourth-album/article_80d77829-403b-5b04-8edc-f58cabd28d86.html |access-date=December 8, 2020 |work=Daily Nebraskan |date=November 12, 1999}}</ref>


==Album cover==
==Album cover==
The cover art for ''No. 4'' generated some brief controversy because it strongly resembled the cover of the debut EP from [[Washington, D.C.]]-based band Power Lloyd.<ref>{{cite web |last1=vanHorn |first1=Teri |title=Stone Temple Pilots LP Cover Bears Striking Resemblance To Another |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/517869/stone-temple-pilots-lp-cover-bears-striking-resemblance-to-another/ |publisher=MTV News |access-date=October 12, 2020 |language=en |date=September 30, 1999}}</ref> The Power Lloyd CD ''Election Day'' had been released in 1998, and the cover was a white five-point star on a black field under the band's name; STP's ''No. 4'' also featured a white five-point star on a black field under the band's name.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nuttycombe |first1=Dave |title=Star-Making Machinery |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/270881/star-making-machinery/ |publisher=Washington City Paper |access-date=October 12, 2020 |date=October 15, 1999}}</ref> Power Lloyd co-founder Gene Diotalevi explained that after their band had given a song to [[MTV]] to be used on the soundtrack of ''[[Celebrity Deathmatch]]'', someone at MTV with an advance copy of ''No.4'' noticed that the covers were nearly identical, and alerted the band. Diotalevi stated that no one from STP's camp would return their calls or letters, until his band mailed a cease-and-desist letter to STP's record company. STP's legal team then "made an offer to settle that was unacceptable to us", according to Power Lloyd's lawyer Will Shill.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brace |first1=Eric |title=What's in a Name? Ask the Fabulettes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/01/07/whats-in-a-name-ask-the-fabulettes/6f79fd5c-128c-4346-9401-0b171b15165b/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=October 12, 2020 |date=January 7, 2000}}</ref>
The cover art for ''No. 4'' generated some brief controversy because it strongly resembled the cover of the debut EP from [[Washington, D.C.]]-based band Power Lloyd.<ref>{{cite web |last1=vanHorn |first1=Teri |title=Stone Temple Pilots LP Cover Bears Striking Resemblance To Another |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/517869/stone-temple-pilots-lp-cover-bears-striking-resemblance-to-another/ |publisher=MTV News |access-date=October 12, 2020 |language=en |date=September 30, 1999}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The Power Lloyd CD ''Election Day'' had been released in 1998, and the cover was a white five-point star on a black field under the band's name; STP's ''No. 4'' also featured a white five-point star on a black field under the band's name.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nuttycombe |first1=Dave |title=Star-Making Machinery |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/270881/star-making-machinery/ |publisher=Washington City Paper |access-date=October 12, 2020 |date=October 15, 1999}}</ref> Power Lloyd co-founder Gene Diotalevi explained that after their band had given a song to [[MTV]] to be used on the soundtrack of ''[[Celebrity Deathmatch]]'', someone at MTV with an advance copy of ''No. 4'' noticed that the covers were nearly identical, and alerted the band. Diotalevi stated that no one from STP's camp would return their calls or letters, until his band mailed a cease-and-desist letter to STP's record company. STP's legal team then "made an offer to settle that was unacceptable to us", according to Power Lloyd's lawyer Will Shill.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brace |first1=Eric |title=What's in a Name? Ask the Fabulettes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/01/07/whats-in-a-name-ask-the-fabulettes/6f79fd5c-128c-4346-9401-0b171b15165b/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=October 12, 2020 |date=January 7, 2000}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
{{track listing
{{tracklist
|headline=''No. 4'' track listing
| title1 = [[Down (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Down]]
| title1 = [[Down (Stone Temple Pilots song)|Down]]
| writer1 = [[Scott Weiland]], [[Robert DeLeo]]
| writer1 = [[Scott Weiland]], [[Robert DeLeo]]
Line 84: Line 84:
| length5 = 4:18
| length5 = 4:18
| title6 = No Way Out
| title6 = No Way Out
| writer6 = Weiland, R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, [[Eric Kretz]]
| writer6 = Weiland, R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, Eric Kretz
| length6 = 4:20
| length6 = 4:20
| title7 = Sex & Violence
| title7 = Sex & Violence
Line 104: Line 104:
}}
}}
{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| collapsed = yes
| headline = Japanese edition bonus track
| headline = Japanese edition bonus track
| title12 = Down (live)
| title12 = Down (live)
Line 113: Line 112:
'''Stone Temple Pilots'''
'''Stone Temple Pilots'''
* [[Scott Weiland]] – vocals, organ on "Heaven & Hot Rods"
* [[Scott Weiland]] – vocals, organ on "Heaven & Hot Rods"
* [[Dean DeLeo]] – guitars, acoustic guitar on "I Got You", [[lapsteel]] on "I Got You", six-string bass on "I Got You"
* [[Dean DeLeo]] – electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel and six-string bass on "I Got You"
* [[Robert DeLeo]] – bass, percussion on "Church on Tuesday" and "Sour Girl", guitars on "Sex & Violence" and "Glide", [[fuzz bass]] on "Glide", [[zither]] on "Glide", electric guitars on "I Got You"
* [[Robert DeLeo]] – bass, backing vocals, percussion on "Church on Tuesday" and "Sour Girl", guitar on "Sex and Violence", "Glide", and "I Got You", fuzz bass and zither on "Glide"
* [[Eric Kretz]] – drums, percussion on "No Way Out" and "Atlanta"
* Eric Kretz – drums, percussion on "No Way Out" and "Atlanta"


'''Additional personnel'''
'''Additional personnel'''

Latest revision as of 20:15, 30 July 2024

№ 4
A white star
Studio album by
Stone Temple Pilots
ReleasedOctober 26, 1999 (1999-10-26)
Recorded1998–1999
Genre
Length42:17
LabelAtlantic
ProducerBrendan O'Brien
Stone Temple Pilots chronology
Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
(1996) 		№ 4
(1999) 		Shangri-La Dee Da
(2001)
Singles from № 4
  1. "Down"
    Released: April 5, 1999
  2. "Sour Girl"
    Released: April 16, 2000

No. 4 (officially stylized as № 4) is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, released on October 26, 1999, by Atlantic Records. The album was a return to the band's earlier hard rock roots, while also blending elements of heavy metal, psychedelic rock, and alternative rock. Despite the lack of promotion due to singer Scott Weiland's one-year jail sentence shortly before the album's release, No. 4 was certified Platinum by the RIAA on August 7, 2000,[5] and by the CRIA in August 2001.[6] The song "Down" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards. The album also produced one of STP's biggest hits, "Sour Girl", which charted at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100, their only song to appear on that chart.[7] The CD was originally released as a digipak, then later changed to a standard jewel case.

Musical style

[edit]

No. 4 displays the band returning to the more hard rock-oriented sound of their first two albums. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic cited the album as STP's "hardest effort" since Core, remarking that "it's as if STP decided to compete directly with the new generation of alt-metal bands who prize aggression over hooks or riffs." Erlewine also commented that No. 4 "consolidates all [of STP's] strengths."[2]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(neither)[8]
The Daily VaultB+[9]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
Entertainment WeeklyC[11]
NME[12]
PopMatters6.5/10[13]
Rolling Stone[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[14]
Spin5/10[15]

AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album four out of five stars, praising the opening tracks "Down" and "Heaven & Hot Rods".[2] Entertainment Weekly critic Rob Brunner graded it "C", calling the album "generic and phoned in" and mostly "unexciting and obvious". Brunner deemed the track "Down" as "dour", "No Way Out" as "dated", and "Atlanta" as "pretentious". Brunner further deemed the tracks "Sex & Violence" and "Pruno" as "hardly original" and having resemblances to David Bowie but also as "well-crafted".[16] Rolling Stone critic Lorraine Ali rated it three out of five, calling the songs "strong pop-rock pieces but without the self-consciousness of previous efforts".[4] CMJ New Music Monthly critic M. Tye Comer called the album "powerful and cohesive", recommending readers to listen the tracks "Heaven & Hot Rods", "Church on Tuesday", "Sour Girl", and "No Way Out".[17] Critics noted similarities between "Atlanta" and "My Favorite Things" from the 1959 musical The Sound of Music.[18][19]

Album cover

[edit]

The cover art for No. 4 generated some brief controversy because it strongly resembled the cover of the debut EP from Washington, D.C.-based band Power Lloyd.[20] The Power Lloyd CD Election Day had been released in 1998, and the cover was a white five-point star on a black field under the band's name; STP's No. 4 also featured a white five-point star on a black field under the band's name.[21] Power Lloyd co-founder Gene Diotalevi explained that after their band had given a song to MTV to be used on the soundtrack of Celebrity Deathmatch, someone at MTV with an advance copy of No. 4 noticed that the covers were nearly identical, and alerted the band. Diotalevi stated that no one from STP's camp would return their calls or letters, until his band mailed a cease-and-desist letter to STP's record company. STP's legal team then "made an offer to settle that was unacceptable to us", according to Power Lloyd's lawyer Will Shill.[22]

Track listing

[edit]
No. 4 track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Down"Scott Weiland, Robert DeLeo3:50
2."Heaven & Hot Rods"Weiland, Dean DeLeo3:24
3."Pruno"Weiland, R. DeLeo3:14
4."Church on Tuesday"Weiland, D. DeLeo3:00
5."Sour Girl"Weiland, D. DeLeo4:18
6."No Way Out"Weiland, R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, Eric Kretz4:20
7."Sex & Violence"Weiland, R. DeLeo2:52
8."Glide"Weiland, R. DeLeo4:59
9."I Got You"Weiland, R. DeLeo4:16
10."MC5"Weiland, D. DeLeo2:42
11."Atlanta"Weiland, D. DeLeo5:19
Total length:42:17
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Down (live)"3:58

Personnel

[edit]

Stone Temple Pilots

  • Scott Weiland – vocals, organ on "Heaven & Hot Rods"
  • Dean DeLeo – electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel and six-string bass on "I Got You"
  • Robert DeLeo – bass, backing vocals, percussion on "Church on Tuesday" and "Sour Girl", guitar on "Sex and Violence", "Glide", and "I Got You", fuzz bass and zither on "Glide"
  • Eric Kretz – drums, percussion on "No Way Out" and "Atlanta"

Additional personnel

  • Brendan O'Brien – producer, mixing, backing vocals on "Pruno" and "I Got You", keyboards on "Church on Tuesday", percussion on "Church on Tuesday", "Sour Girl", "Sex & Violence" and "I Got You", backing vocals on "Sour Girl", piano on "Glide" and "I Got You"
  • David Campbell – string arrangement on "Atlanta"
  • Suzie Katayama – contractor and cello
  • Joel Derouin – concertmaster
  • Evan Wilson – viola
  • Larry Corbett – cello
  • Barrett Martin – bass marimba on "Atlanta"
  • Nick DiDia – recording engineer
  • Russ Fowler – recording engineer
  • Dave Reed – engineer
  • Allen Sides – engineer
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Andrew Garver – digital editing
  • Erin Haley – production coordinator
  • Cheryl Mondello – production coordinator
  • Richard Bates – art direction
  • Andrea Brooks – art direction
  • Chapman Baehler – photography
  • Steve Stewart – management

Charts

[edit]

"No. 4" and its singles made several appearances on the North American Billboard charts.

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Mainstream Rock Tracks[33] Modern Rock Tracks[34] Adult Top 40[35] Hot 100
1999 "Down" 5 9 107
2000 "Heaven & Hot Rods" 17 30
"No Way Out" 17 24
"Sour Girl" 4 3 37 78[36]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[6] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[5] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

[edit]

The album and its entire tracklisting is displayed in S1E7 of HBO's True Detective, during a scene in which Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson's characters converse in a diner.[37]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "No. 4 - Stone Temple Pilots". Popmatter. Archived from the original on September 3, 2000. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "No. 4". AllMusic. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Leas, Ryan (October 25, 2019). "Stone Temple Pilots' 'No. 4' Turns 20". Stereogum. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Lorraine Ali (November 11, 1999). "Stone Temple Pilots: No. 4 : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "American album certifications – Stone Temple Pilots – No. 4". Recording Industry Association of America.
  6. ^ a b "Canadian album certifications – Stone Temple Pilots – No. 4". Music Canada.
  7. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots | Awards". AllMusic.
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). "Stone Temple Pilots". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 9780312245603.
  9. ^ Ray, Benjamin (2004). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : No. 4". dailyvault.com. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Stone Temple Pilots". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  11. ^ Brunner, Rob. "No. 4 review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018.
  12. ^ "No 4". NME. September 12, 2005.
  13. ^ Lichtenstein, Steve. "Stone Temple Pilots, No.4 (Atlantic)". Popmatters. Archived from the original on September 3, 2000.
  14. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Stone Temple Pilots". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 785. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ^ Clover, Joshua (December 1999). "No. 4 Review". Spin. SPIN Media LLC.
  16. ^ Rob Brunner (October 29, 1999). "No. 4 Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  17. ^ Comer, M. Tye (November 1, 1999). "Must Hear the Essential Releases of the Week: Stone Temple Pilots – No. 4 (Atlantic)". CMJ New Music Monthly. p. 3. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  18. ^ Kot, Greg (October 24, 1999). "Stone Temple PilotsNo. 4 (Atlantic)Stone Temple Pilots..." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  19. ^ Shaw, Andrew (November 12, 1999). "Stone Temple Pilots rehash same old sounds with fourth album". Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. ^ vanHorn, Teri (September 30, 1999). "Stone Temple Pilots LP Cover Bears Striking Resemblance To Another". MTV News. Retrieved October 12, 2020.[dead link]
  21. ^ Nuttycombe, Dave (October 15, 1999). "Star-Making Machinery". Washington City Paper. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  22. ^ Brace, Eric (January 7, 2000). "What's in a Name? Ask the Fabulettes". Washington Post. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  23. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Stone Temple Pilots – N° 4". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stone Temple Pilots – N° 4" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  25. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  26. ^ "Charts.nz – Stone Temple Pilots – N° 4". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  28. ^ "Chart Log UK: DJ S - The System Of Life". www.zobbel.de. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  30. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  31. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  32. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  33. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Mainstream Rock Songs chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  34. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Alternative Songs chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017. "Alternative Songs" was formerly "Modern Rock Tracks".
  35. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – Adult Pop Songs chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017. "Adult Pop Songs" was formerly "Adult Top 40".
  36. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots – The Hot 100 chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  37. ^ "Stone Temple Pilots And Depeche Mode Were Referenced On True Detective". Retrieved June 22, 2017.
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