Alternative 4 (album) - Misplaced Pages

Alternative 4 is the fourth album by the British rock band Anathema. It was released on 22 June 1998 through Peaceville Records. Like the band's third album Eternity, Alternative 4 is sung with clean vocals.

Background

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Sputnikmusic
Silencio Hungary

The album's title is derived from Leslie Watkins' book Alternative 3. Bassist and co-principal songwriter Duncan Patterson had read it a few years before they wrote the album. The book is about conspiracy theories, and most songs on Alternative 4 are about trust. Patterson is now playing in a band with the same title, and the songs are based on similar themes. In keeping with the theme of conspiracies, the album cover is a modified photo of American astronaut Buzz Aldrin (depicted as an angel) on the Moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission - this is in reference to the conspiracy of the Moon landings.

It is the last with Patterson and the only album released without John Douglas. He was replaced by Shaun Steels in 1997 but returned in 1998.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Shroud of False"	Duncan Patterson	1:37
2.	"Fragile Dreams"	Daniel Cavanagh	5:32
3.	"Empty"	Patterson	3:00
4.	"Lost Control"	Patterson	5:50
5.	"Re-Connect"	Vincent Cavanagh	3:52
6.	"Inner Silence"	D. Cavanagh	3:08
7.	"Alternative 4"	Patterson	6:18
8.	"Regret"	D. Cavanagh	7:58
9.	"Feel"	Patterson	5:28
10.	"Destiny"	Patterson	2:14
Total length:			44:57

2003 re-release bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Your Possible Pasts" (Pink Floyd cover)	Roger Waters	4:28
12.	"One of the Few" (Pink Floyd cover)	Waters	1:50
13.	"Better Off Dead" (Bad Religion cover)	Brett Gurewitz	4:21
14.	"Goodbye Cruel World" (Pink Floyd cover)	Waters	1:39
Total length:			57:15

Personnel

Vincent Cavanagh - vocals, guitars
Shaun Steels - drums
Duncan Patterson - bass, keyboards, piano
Danny Cavanagh - guitars, keyboards, piano

Guest musicians

Andy Duncan - drum loops on "Empty"
George Rucci - violin
Michelle Richfield (Dominion) - vocals on "Better Off Dead"

Production

Duncan Patterson - cover concept
Tim Spear - cover art
Noel Summerville - mastering
Doug Cook - mixing assistant
Simon Dawson - engineering assistant
Kit Woolven - producer, mixing
Lili Wilde - photography (band)

References

Alternative 4 - Anathema at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
Altmer (6 January 2009). "Anathema - Alternative 4 (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
"Anathema - Alternative4 (1998) // Silencio". silencio.freeblog.hu. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
"CoC : Anathema : Interview : 7/8/1998". www.chroniclesofchaos.com.

v t e Anathema
Vincent Cavanagh Daniel Cavanagh John Douglas Lee Douglas Daniel Cardoso Darren White Duncan Patterson Shaun Steels Dave Pybus Les Smith Jamie Cavanagh
Studio albums	Serenades (1993) The Silent Enigma (1995) Eternity (1996) Alternative 4 (1998) Judgement (1999) A Fine Day to Exit (2001) A Natural Disaster (2003) We're Here Because We're Here (2010) Weather Systems (2012) Distant Satellites (2014) The Optimist (2017)
Live albums	Untouchable (2013)
Compilations	Resonance (2001) Resonance 2 (2002) Hindsight (2008) Falling Deeper (2011)
EPs	The Crestfallen (1992) Pentecost III (1995)
Related articles	Discography

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