Track Listing

1. Runaround
2. Stand
3. Look Around
4. Fallible
5. Mountains Win Again
6. Freedom
7. Crash Burn
8. Price To Pay
9. Hook
10. Good The Bad And The Ugly
11. Just Wait
12. Brother John

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44762 in Music
• Released on: 1994-10-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
Already established as a reputable act due to years of drop-dead touring, FOUR is the album that has broken Blues Traveler through to widespread popularity, becoming their first best-seller. Singer John Popper's frenetic harp coupled with guitarist Chan Kinchla's chicken-scratch rhythm playing makefor a potent one-two punch that goes far in distinguishing Blues Traveler from the hordes of similar "Grateful Dead Baby Bands" that have cropped up in recent years. And while theband still retains that musical formula, FOUR explores other levels of their organic boogie.
Scaling back the over-extended jams of their previous records, Blues Traveler has returned as a much leaner unit. Opening with the airy "Run-Around", FOUR dabbles with pretty ballads ("Look Around") as well as more upbeat and sunny fare ("Hook"). Guest Warren Haynes' guitar playing gives "The Mountain Wins Again" a heavy Allman Brothers flavour, and Paul Shaffer's funky organ fills on "Stand" tango with Popper's scat-like vocal delivery.
The road is still Blues Traveler's true calling--it is, after all, where they became the dynamic musical force they are today. But for a studio album made by an acknowledged liveband, FOUR makes for one helluva rest stop.

Customer Reviews

A great introduction to Blues Traveler for jaded musos!
Blues Traveler are one of those bands that deserve a lot more recognition than they get. Aside from having lived the true rock'n'Roll lifestyle with all the ups and downs of a touring band, they also boast some of the most admired rock/blues musicians in America, yet in the UK, few people will have heard of them.

Musically, 'Four' is very radio-friendly and accessable to just about anybody. The first thing that strikes you is the searingly fast harmonica playing. However, one thing that the band do not do is provide a background for showy 200mph harmonica trills. Each band member has a skill for the improvisational in his own right, and each bandmember gets a share of the spotlight.

Blues Travelers' speciality is getting a feeling of total improvisation on their albums. In a band as tight and as musically talented as this, every song has got an energy that is lacking from most commercial pop/rock outfits. Listening to them play on a CD is like being there live. Finally, the songs are mostly upbeat, with some great lyrics (belted out with a lot of fire and passion), and songs that will get you tapping your feet.

Four features Blues Traveler's biggest hit to date, 'Runaround' which is a great into to the band. The tunes aren't as bluesy and raw as their previous albums, and the song lengths are fairly short (bearing in mind that most Blues Traveler songs are anything from 5 minutes to 20 minutes long!). These criticisms, however, are only in comparison to their other albums, and there is still a lot of music for your money here, blues, rock, folk, funk etc...Every song has got a mixture of at least two of these genres, and is still fantastic to listen to.

Four is designed to introduce music lovers who are disenchanted with image-driven, choreographed and preened music, and would prefer something more spontaneous and energetic. If you want to hear Blues Traveler at their best, however, I would recommend 'Save his Soul', 'Live from the Fall' and their first album, also called 'Blues Traveler'

The Daddy of modern Blues Rock
This album is over seven years old and is still fresher than most of the stuff released today. It is pure brilliance with Brother John, The mountains win again and Runaround standing out on and outstanding album. Leave the world of mediocrity that is inhabited by Blue, S7 Club and Steps and dive in the pool electrifying blues rock that is Blues Traveler.

Superb words and great sounds.
I'm back here to buy another copy of this cd for a friend because he is threatening to steal my copy. John Poppers words mixed with Chan Kinchlas music work perfectly together but it is the execution of the two of them when mixed together with the backing of Brendan Hill & Bob Sheehan that really hits the spot. All the tracks are great but Freedom and The Hook are stuck in my brain and I can't seem to shake them loose.