Customer Reviews

Fourth World

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you are purchasing this album in hopes of hearing "Songs About Jane part one ", you will be disappointed.

Although this is a very good album, it does not sound anything like Maroon 5's debut: SONGS ABOUT JANE.

Kudo's to RHINO for reissuing this Maroon 5 fan favorite.
Until now this album has been difficult to find & very expensive.

The mid 90's were filled with alternative rock bands that recorded maybe one or two good albums and then disappeared.
So it was probably a good decision for Kara's flowers to make the name change to Maroon 5 and go with a differant musical direction so as to not get lost in the shuffle amongst the many alternative pop bands in the mid 90's.

Most of the songs on this album are basically short, catchy, upbeat,straightforward,pop songs.

SOAP DISCO, which I think was the only single released from this album, is the lead song on the album and is an uptempo catchy pop rock song that will have you memorizing the words and singing along with the band.

OLIVER sounds Beatlesque and is a very good guitar driven song.

In my opinion the best song on the album is MY OCEAN BLUE which gives Maroon 5 fans their first introduction of "Jane" with the chorus line "Me and my Darling Jane". (SONGS ABOUT JANE is the name of MAROON 5'S first album)

It is MY OCEAN BLUE that gives listeners a tease of the future sound of MAROON 5. This is a well crafted pop song.
Although not as upbeat & uptempo as Maroon 5's THIS LOVE, the song is just as catchy. It is one of those songs you can play over and over again & not get tired of listening to it.

It would be nice if Maroon 5 would include some of the songs from this album in their setlist, when they play live.

Buy KARA'S FLOWERS today it is a good album to have while you await something new from MAROON 5.

Unbelievable CD! Every song is good! The guys are young on this album (17 years old I think) and their talent is totally infectious!

It doesn't stop here. The band changed it's name to Maroon5 and they are blasting to the top with their album "Songs about Jane" CD. Extremeley talented group and look forward to hearing more from these guys... You want great music? Make sure you get Kara's Flowers "The Fourth World".. Absolutly addicting!

This is a new Rhino Records reissue of the previously out-of-print, highly sought-after 1997 debut CD by Kara's Flowers. Presumably, anyone reading this already knows that the band subsequently added one new member, changed their name to Maroon 5, and hit the big time. Kara's Flowers had a pure power pop sound, without the Stevie Wonder soul influence that flowered in their later incarnation. Now that Maroon 5 are stars, many fans have hungered to hear their early recordings, and many have paid some very big bucks on online auctions to locate the original, out-of-print Reprise Records version of "The Fourth World". Rhino has done Maroon 5 fans a big service by reissuing this CD, as you can now own it for a fraction of the typical auction price. I noticed earlier today that news of the reissue still hasn't gotten out to everyone, since the online auctions continue to draw some very big bids, even though often the item being sold is the new (not at all rare) reissue rather than the (very rare) original. By the way, Kara's Flowers recorded a second album called "Stagg Street Recordings" on their own in 1999 when they were without a label deal, but it was never released. Demo copies of "The Stagg Street Recordings" have also become a popular (and pricey) auction item. I don't know if there are any plans to issue that album as an "official" release, but it, like "The Fourth World", is an outstanding power pop album that would most likely be very well liked by most Maroon 5 fans.

I have to be totally honest, I really do like Maroon 5. I read something in a magazine article about how they used to be Kara's Flowers. That sparked an intrest. So I looked up the CD, listened to the clips, ended up buying it, and loving it. The style of this CD is very different from Maroon 5, but in a good way, a very good way. They had a very beetles-esque feel/sound that I fell in love with immediately. I now love Kara's Flowers, and think Maroon 5 is OK. Plus, they were a whole lot better looking back then.

I bought this CD quickly after finding out that this group was the prerequisite to Maroon 5, whose CD "Songs About Jane" I had purchased long before they had become mainstream music. "Fourth World" was considered a collector's item at the time.

In comparison to Maroon 5's rythmic sounds and sexually charged lyrics, Kara's Flowers is by far much bubblier with songs in the vein of their "Soap Disco". But Adam Levine's unique voice is easily recognizable and people who enjoy his latest project "Songs About Jane" will enjoy the lighter sounds of "Fourth World". It's definately fun to compare the two bands and see how their music has evolved through the years.

And now that the prices are reasonable, there should be no reason for you not to buy this classic CD!

This has to be the best power pop album I have ever heard. I am always looking for something new, and was blown away when I heard this album. Definitely Beatles influenced, but with a good crunch to them. This band has moved into the top of my list for favorite bands. Although their Stagg Street Recording album is much different and more mellow, I definitely recommend it if you are looking for more quality music.

These guys really know how to rock!! The only way to describe them is amazing! They are a combination of pop/rock/60's/Beatlish/Weezerish. Every single track is great. The Cd is'nt like others, in that it has two or three good songs and the rest suck, THE WHOLE CD is fantastic! Buy this Cd, you might want to buy two, they'll get worn out fast from overuseage! It's worth the money!

what can i say, this album just totally rocks! kara's flowers are even better live in concert. i saw them at the glass house opening for phantom planet and let me tell you, adam levine can really sing. so, buy the cd!

I bought the Kara's Flowers CD a while back. I think I heard it on a promo CD somewhere and after hearing it, I knew I had to buy the CD. Immediatly after hearing the CD for the first time, I loved it (and that rarely happens to me!) They have a great melody and sing really well together. Every single song on the CD was great.. I didn't not enjoy a single one of them. Honestly.. this CD is not a waste of your money.. it's well worth it!

The guys themselves paraphrase this Monty Python phrase on the back of the jewel case, and they couldn't be more right. "The Fouth World" is the high school effort from 4 of the 5 members of Maroon 5.

Maroon 5's music grooves alot while Kara's Flowers os straight Rock 'n' Roll. Imagine The Beatles with distorted guitars(tey even use the cascading "aaahhhs" from "Twist and Shout" on their track "Oliver," incidentaly one of the best songs on the disc).

While there are hints of groove on alot of the tracks, most of it is pretty straightforward 4-chord rock. When listening, you almost forget that these guys were in high school when they made it. Not that high schoolers aren't talented but these guys seem more devoted to making something great rather than jamming with their buddies every Sunday afternoon after church.

I'd reccomend this disc to any hardcore Maroon 5 fan who wants to know how their favorite band started out or anybody who digs on Weezer or other such rock bands. If you just like Maroon 5's style, this may not be the album for you. It's a great disc, but it's mostly just a matter of personal preference.

****1/2 out of *****.