#4 Record
Studio album by
You Am I
Released28 April 1998 (1998-04-28)
RecordedLate 1997
StudioSound City, Los Angeles
LabelrooArt
You Am I chronology
Hourly, Daily
(1996)		 #4 Record
(1998)		 ...Saturday Night, 'Round Ten
(1999)

#4 Record or You Am I's #4 Album is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band, You Am I, which was released in April 1998. It reached No. 1 on the ARIA albums chart. It was the group's third consecutive album to debut at No. 1, a then-record by an Australian band. Its third single "Heavy Heart", is one of their well known songs and has been covered by different artists, Paul Kelly, Ben Lee, Lisa Mitchell, TZU, Courtney Barnett, and the Supersuckers.

You Am I recorded #4 Record with producer George Drakoulias. His work schedule was described by front man, vocalist and guitarist, Tim Rogers, they were put "through the wringer," with high standards for the scansion of the vocal performance, which he wanted to capture on the recordings.[1] The album was recorded during an unhappy period for the band. "It was the worst recording experience. Rusty, Andy and I didn't hang out." Rogers later said.[2]

Background

Work for #4 Record, You Am I's fourth studio album, began late in 1997 with George Drakoulias (the Black Crowes, the Jayhawks) producing at his Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, again.[3][4] The line-up of the band was Rusty Hopkinson on drums and percussion, Andy Kent on bass guitar and Tim Rogers on lead vocals and guitar.[3][4] Drakoulias had previously recorded the group in 1996.[3] The limited edition version, issued in May 1998, included a bonus disc of nine tracks, Radio Settee, which was recorded for youth radio station Triple J's programme Live at the Wireless.[4][5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]

Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane believes it is "lean, nifty rock’n’roll";[3] while music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll observed it was a "back-to-basics" album.[7] Rolling Stone Australia's writer claimed the album, "strikes perhaps the group's best balance between pure pop and jagged, potent riffola: even if the American producer did his best to sand the rough edges off 'Billy' and the great rock & roll radio pop of 'Rumble'."[8]

AllMusic's Jack Rabid said the band, "finally makes some headway toward matching its vicious, chaotic live intensity. You have an LP that beguiles, teases, sweetens, and often throbs in popcraft. It also blasts in fits and starts of harsh edge, chops, infectious attitude, and, when it suits them, abandon."[6] Andrew Bartlett of Woroni felt, "As well as being fine listening, there's some lyrical usage worth noting on this disc."[9]

Ranked as 19th most under-rated album of all time, FasterLouder said, "For a band that always styled itself on the sloppy swagger of the Stones, the clever wordplay of The Kinks and the brazen cheek of The Faces, #4's about as close as they got to an amalgam of that holy trinity."[10]

Track listing

All tracks by Tim Rogers.

  1. "Junk"
  2. "The Cream & The Crock"
  3. "What I Don't Know 'bout You"
  4. "Fifteen"
  5. "Top of the Morn' & Slip of the Day"
  6. "Billy"
  7. "Come Home Wit' Me"
  8. "Heavy Heart"
  9. "Rumble"
  10. "Guys, Girls, Guitars"
  11. "Plans"
  12. "...And Vandalism"

Radio Settee

The limited edition of the album came with a live bonus disc, featuring songs recorded for a Triple J's programme Live at the Wireless set. Several tracks have Brad Shepherd of The Hoodoo Gurus on extra guitar and harmonica, while Phil Stack contributes double bass to tracks 3 and 4.

  1. "Live with Me"
  2. "Looking for a Kiss"
  3. "Berlin Chair (acoustic)"
  4. "Heavy Heart (acoustic)"
  5. "Junk"
  6. "Billy"
  7. "Trike"
  8. "Fox on the Run"
  9. "Mr Milk"

The EP has three cover versions: "Live with Me" is a cover of the Rolling Stones song; "Looking for a Kiss" is a cover of a New York Dolls; and "Fox on the Run" is a cover of Sweet.

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 1

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[12] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ McMillen, Andrew (25 November 2015). "Episode 15: Tim Rogers". Penmanship Podcast. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Darren Levin (12 November 2012). "The Most Underrated Albums of All Time". faster louder. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 McFarlane, Ian (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'You Am I'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. pp. 525–527. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  4. 1 2 3 Holmgren, Magnus. "You Am I". Australian Rock Database. Archived from the original on 15 March 2004. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  5. ↑ You am I (Musical group) (1996), Number Four Record: Radio Settee, Ra Records, retrieved 7 October 2022
  6. 1 2 Rabid, Jack. "You Am I – #4 Record". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ Nimmervoll, Ed. "You Am I". HowlSpace. Archived from the original on 19 December 2002. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "The Year in Recordings". Australian Rolling Stone Yearbook. Tilmond Pty Ltd. December 1998. p. 139.
  9. ↑ "Entertainment: Music: Number 4 Record You Am I". Woroni. Vol. 50, no. 6. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 July 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 7 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ Darren Levin. "The Most Underrated Albums of All Time". FasterLouder. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016.
  11. ↑ [https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=You+Am+I&titel=
    1. 4+RECORD&cat=a "Australiancharts.com – You Am I – #4 RECORD"]. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
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