Fourth from the Last

Fourth From the Last
Studio album by
The W's
ReleasedJuly 28, 1998
GenreChristian ska, swing
Label5 Minute Walk/Sarabellum
ProducerFrank Tate
The W's chronology
Split EP Limited Edition
(1998) 		Fourth From the Last
(1998) 		Trouble With X
(1999)

Fourth From the Last is the first album by the band The W's, released in 1998 by 5 Minute Walk. The name of the album is derived from the fact that the letter W is the fourth from the last letter in the Latin alphabet.[1]

The album was well received, achieving No. 4 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and "Top Contemporary Christian" charts, and No. 147 on the Billboard 200.[2] Although the album was pulled from the shelves of LifeWay Christian Resources stores for containing "indecent" words[3] the album eventually sold over 200,000 units.[4] The album received two Dove Awards in 1999, first for "Modern Rock Album of the Year," and "Modern Rock Record Song of the Year" for the song "The Devil Is Bad".[5]

The hidden track is a tribute to the band Five Iron Frenzy, performed in the style of Wesley Willis.[6]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
CCM Magazine[7]
Cross Rhythms[8]
Jesus Freak Hideout[9]
HM Magazine[10]
The Phantom Tollbooth[11]
YouthWorker[12]

Track listing

All songs written by The W's except where noted.

  1. "Open Minded"
  2. "The Devil Is Bad" (Sampleⓘ)
  3. "Frank" written by Todd Gruener
  4. "J.P."
  5. "Moses"
  6. "Pup"
  7. "King of Polyester"
  8. "Jason E"
  9. "Alarm Clock"
  10. "Flower Tattoo" written by Hunter Oswald
  11. "Dexter" written by Todd Gruener
  12. "Hui"

Credits

  • Andrew Schar — lead vocals, guitar
  • Brian Morris — drums, cover art talent
  • Valentine Hellman — tenor sax, clarinet
  • Bret Barker — trumpet
  • Todd Gruener — bass, vocals
  • James Carter — alto sax, background vocals

Production

  • Masaki Liu – producer
  • Frank Tate – executive producer
  • Ken Lee – mastering at Kenneth Lee Mastering, Oakland, California
  • Aaron James – album design and layout
  • David Dobson – photography

References

  1. ^ Hendrickson, Lucas W. (January 1999). "W's Good, Devil Bad" (reprint). CCM Magazine. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  2. ^ "The W's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  3. ^ "W's Album Banned". Cross Rhythms. October 1, 1998. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  4. ^ "The W's Biography". Christianity Today (courtesy of Five Minute Walk Records). Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  5. ^ "Dove Award Recipients for 1999". Gospel Music Association. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  6. ^ "The W's: Todd Gruener Interview". Jesus Freak Hideout. April 20, 1999. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
  7. ^ Urbanski, David (September 1998). "Reviews". CCM Magazine. 21 (3): 54.
  8. ^ Rimmer, Mike (October 1998). "The W's Fourth From the Last". Cross Rhythms (47).
  9. ^ "The Ws, "Fourth From The Last" Review". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  10. ^ McGovern, Brian Vincent (November–December 1998). "Album Reviews: THE W's Fourth From the Last". HM Magazine (74). Archived from the original on February 22, 2001.
  11. ^ "A Review by The Phantom Tollbooth". www.tollbooth.org. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  12. ^ Will, Scott (November–December 1998). "Tools / Music / Fourth From the Last". YouthWorker Journal. XV (2): 70.