BEST sophomore outing

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Some bands only make one good album, and it's generally accepted that most make a mediocre second album even if they live to make a great third. Who has made GREAT second albums?

My vote: Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Pavement - "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain"
Spoon - "Series of Sneaks"
Wire - "Chairs Missing"
Tribe Called Quest - "Low End Theory"
Massive Attack - "Protection"
Archers of Loaf - "Vee Vee"
Wilco - "Being There"
In my opinion, of course.
Many will inevitably disagree.
Suc h Is ILM.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Queen II
Rush: Fly By Night
Judas Priest: Sad Wings of Destiny

― The Archibishop (The Archbishop), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Sightings "Michigan Haters"
Sonic Youth "Bad Moon Rising"
Drive Like Jehu "Yank Crime"
Olivia Tremor Control "Black Foliage"
Neutral Milk Hotel "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea"
Pearls Before Swine "Balaklava"
Stooges "Funhouse"

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Pixies - Doolittle (assuming the Come on Pilgrim EP doesn't count as an album)
Mercury Rev - Boces
Radiohead - The Bends
Lilys - Eccsame The Photon Band
Brainiac - Bonsai Superstar
Unwound - New Plastic Ideas
Sleater-Kinney - Call The Doctor

what's the name of that one band...? Oh, right: Nirvana.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:19 (twenty-two years ago)

It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Death Certificate
De La Soul is Dead
Metal Box/Second Edition
Solid Gold
Real to Real Cacophony
Tago Mago
Dub Housing
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Horse Rotovator
And some other ones. . .

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Damn fine picks, Alex. Damn fine.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Although I must admit that I can't identify all of them. Here's my incomplete key to Alex's picks:

Public Enemy
Ice Cube
De La Soul
PIL
?
?
Can
Pere Ubu
?
?
?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Public Enemy
Ice Cube
De La Soul
PIL
Gang of Four
Simple Minds
Can
Pere Ubu
Organized Konfusion
Darkthrone
Coil

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually I thought of a few more:
Faust So Far
Current 93 Dog's Blood Rising
Birthday Party Junkyard
Earth 2

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Freewheeling Bob Dylan obviously.

Plus Head Over Heels -- Cocteaus.
Closer -- Joy Division
Seventeen Seconds -- the Cure
Floodland -- The Sisters
Rid Of Me -- PJ Harvey

Okay, I'm starting to disbelieve the so-called sophomore jinx now...

― David A. (Davant), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 05:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Fishbone's In Your Face...NO DIGGITY.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 06:04 (twenty-two years ago)

X - Wild Gift.

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 06:24 (twenty-two years ago)

bandwagonesque

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 06:37 (twenty-two years ago)

if you're feeling sinister

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 06:38 (twenty-two years ago)

able tasmans 'hey spinner!'

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 06:39 (twenty-two years ago)

suede - dog man star
blur - modern life is rubbish
autechre - amber
orbital - brown album
low - long division
neutral milk hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea
queens of the stone age - rated r
nirvana - nevermind

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 07:01 (twenty-two years ago)

pixies - surfer rosa (or doolittle, depending on if you count come on pilgrim)
black box recorder - the facts of life

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 07:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I’ve never seen them anything but dissed on ILM but The Black Crowes’, ‘Southern Harmony and Musical Companion’ is one hell of a fine album.

― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 07:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't Soundtracks Can's sophomore album, or are we not counting it?

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 08:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Great to see Amber and A Blaze In The Northern Sky mentioned!

Immortal Pure Holocaust
Iron Maiden Killers
Biosphere Patashnik
Dimmu Borgir Stormblåst
Dark Tranquillity The Gallery
Graveland 1000 Swords
Amorphis Tales From The 1000 Lakes
Impiety Skullfucking Armageddon
Pestilence Consuming Impulse
Anthrax Spreading The Disease
Paradise Lost Gothic
My Dying Bride Turn Loose The Swans
Abigor Orkblut - The Retaliation
Venom Black Metal
Bathory The Return
Motörhead Motörhead

I could go on and on...that second album theory is rubbish!

― Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 08:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Palace Brothers - Days in the wake

― neil, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Genesis (well, considerably better than the debut anyway)
Elvis Costello
Oasis
Squeeze
Culture Club
Duran Duran

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

X - Wild Gift
Dylan - Freewheelin'
White Stripes - De Stijl
Astral Weeks - Van Morrision (if you consider his Bang sessions his first solo recordings)
Moondance - Van Morrison (if you consider Astral Weeks his first solo recording)
The Band - The Band

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Paperclip People: "The Secret Files of Dr. Eich"
Mouse on Mars: "Iaroa Tahiti"
Air Liquide: "Nephology"
Ultramarine: "Every Man and Woman is a Star"
Nonplace Urban Field: "Raum für Notizen"
Omni Trio: "Haunted Science"
4 Hero: "Parallel Universe"

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Siamese Pumpkins' Siamese Dream owns this thread...

The sophomore slump is just a myth created by bands whose creativity resumes to their puberty period... some of them eventually learn from their mistakes but, if there is REAL talent, the quality of the material is supposed to grow with the experience gained.

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Shouldn't that Be Siamese Pumpkins' "Smashing Dream"?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, A Tribe Called Quest owns this thread; DO NOT FRONT ON _The Low End Theory_.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
David Bowie - Space Oddity
Spacemen 3 - Perfect Perscription

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"The sophomore slump is just a myth created by bands whose creativity resumes to their puberty period... some of them eventually learn from their mistakes but, if there is REAL talent, the quality of the material is supposed to grow with the experience gained. "

Often a band would rush to get a second album out. Some people can rush sucessfully while many don't. But usually if thier first album is not too popular then they don't rush as much and put more effort into improving.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll second so many of the previous choices, it isn't funny, or worth listing. Here's some more
13th Floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere
Steely Dan-Countdown To Ecstacy
Blue Oyster Cult-Tyranny and Mutation
Led Zep-II
Beatles-With The Beatles
Johnny Winter-Second Winter
Dandy Warhols-Come Down

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

white light/white heat

― Sam J. (samjeff), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Van Morrison, Astral Weeks (only qualifies if you don't count Them)
With the Beatles
Howlin’ Wolf (s/t)
Little Richard (s/t)
Ted Hawkins, Happy Hour
Feelies, The Good Earth
Buddy Holly (s/t)
New Order, Power, Corruption, and Lies
Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food
Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique
Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions
Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads
R.E.M. Reckoning

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

dinosaur jr- 'you're living all over me'

― otto midnight, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
Magazine - Secondhand Daylight

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Bjork leases this thread!

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

The Fall - Dragnet. Amon Duul II - Yeti.

― rw, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Scientist--Heavyweight Dub Champion
Plastikman--Musik
KMD--Black Bastards
Cocteau Twins--Head Over Heels

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Magazine, Secondhand Daylight
Dexy's - Too Rye Aye
Neu! 2 (proper 'difficult second album' n'all)
The Cure, Boys Don't Cry
The Sound, From the Lion's Mouth (I've never really been sure I think it's great, but n'eh)

This from the pile of 20 CDs next to me now. It doesn't strike me as that rare a phenomenon.

― Ferg (Ferg), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Bob Marley--Soul Rebels
Peter Tosh--Equal Rights

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

D'Angelo has a time-share on this thread

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Comsat Angels, Sleep No More
The Associates, Sulk

(= post-punks don't make bad second albums)

― Ferg (Ferg), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

minutemen - what makes a main start fires?
redd kross - teen babes from monsanto

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

The Distillers "Sing Sing Death House"
McLusky "McLusky Do Dallas"
L7 "Smell the Magic"
Hole "Live Through This"

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

BEST Sophomore Outing
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39027000/jpg/_39027407_abfab-bbc-203index.jpg

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Of course I forgot Crowded House, the best sophomore outing of all time. "Temple Of Low Men" did suffer from the second album syndrome commercially though..

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Grateful Dead - Anthem Of The Sun

― lennyx, Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread makes me sad 'cause I keep seeing it and keep wanting to post...

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food

...but damnit Kenan beat me to it!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

I was thinking about this earlier and wondered if there was already a thread. My first thoughts are already listed, but Devo's Duty Now For the Future needs to be on the short list.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 12 May 2005 14:29 (twenty years ago)

'De Stijl.'

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 12 May 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 17 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Eno
YMO
The Sound
Bootsy Collins
Thomas Dolby

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 12 May 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

i guess the sophomore-ness of some of these is debatable...

for your pleasure
room on fire
outsideinside
discovery
rooty
beaches and canyons
in search of space
dub housing

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 May 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

slint - spiderland

!!!

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 12 May 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

spiderland is borrrrrrrring!

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 May 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

thanks peter smith, unboring ILM-guy!

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 12 May 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice
Incredible String Band - 5000 Spirits
Ramones - Leave Home
Superchunk - No Pocky for Kitty
Wedding Present - Bizarro
Wipers - Youth of America (if you're counting EPs), Over the Edge (if you're not)

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

also

Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments
Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun
Spacemen 3 - Perfect Prescription
Love - Da Capo

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Thursday, 12 May 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

kilian Murphy: you read my mind on:
suede - dog man star
blur - modern life is rubbish
autechre - amber
but BBR - the facts of life? England Made Me was soooooo much better. everything after that was pretentious & boring (& I adore luke haines)

I also agree on pavement - crooked rain, b&s - if you're feeling sinister & radiohead - the bends.

I would add erykah badu - mama's gun and meh thats it my brain is broken.

― vanessa novaeris (novaeris), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:41 (twenty years ago)

kitchens of distinction 'strange free world'(though the first and third are better)
verlaines 'bird dog'
pearlfishers 'the strange underworld of the tall poppies'
Moose 'honey bee'
super furry animals 'radiator'
slowdive 'souvlaki'
architecture in helsinki 'in case we die'
king loser 'you cannot kill that which does not live'
long fin killie 'valentino'
brunettes 'mars loves venus'
broadcast 'haha sound'

― keith m (keithmcl), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:21 (twenty years ago)

The Beatles Second Album

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

yellow magic orchestra - solid state survivor
new order - power corruption and lies
elvis costello - this year's model

the last two might have come up already but i'm pretty sure YMO hadn't, they are all great sophomore albums though. new order discounting joy divison of course.

― jmeister (jmeister), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:33 (twenty years ago)

galaxie 500 - on fire
ida - i know about you

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

just to throw some out that haven't been mentioned yet:

Ash Ra Tempel - Schwingugen
Big Black - Songs About Fucking (once again discluding many EPs)
Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
Elliott Smith - Self Titled (that's if you count Roman Candle as the first)
Lightning Bolt - Ride The Skies
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
Scott Walker - Scott 2
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
This Heat - Deceit
Weezer - Pinkerton

― - (smile), Friday, 13 May 2005 05:34 (twenty years ago)

MEAT PUPPETS (2)
BEEFHEART (Mirror Man)
PIXIES (Surfer Rosa)

also, seconding those whose 2nd is unquestionably best:
Dinosaur Jr
Neil Young
Public Enemy
This Heat
Wire
Stooges

― autovac (autovac), Friday, 13 May 2005 05:51 (twenty years ago)

maybe good second albums are just... i dunno... common?

― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 13 May 2005 06:09 (twenty years ago)

(ok ok, i won't skunk the thread)

unless someone's mentioned it..

(by either the A-Frames or Godz)

― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 13 May 2005 06:10 (twenty years ago)

PWEI - This Is The Day... This Is The Hour... This Is This

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 13 May 2005 12:27 (twenty years ago)

Boo Radleys - Everything's Alright Forever

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 13 May 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

― stephen morris (stephen morris), Friday, 13 May 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

Great-with-a-captial-G-ness debatable for some of these, but they're all at least Really Good:

Disco Inferno - D.I. Go Pop
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Liars - They Were Wrong So We Drowned
Soft Machine - Volume Two
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher

― sleep (sleep), Friday, 13 May 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

Ladytron - "Light And Magic"

― Seb (Seb), Friday, 13 May 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

2 years and no one has added The Cars "Candy-O" yet!

― ZionTrain (ZionTrain), Friday, 13 May 2005 18:00 (twenty years ago)

Ride the Lightning

― latebloomer: the rebel sound of grits and bacon (latebloomer), Friday, 13 May 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

2 years and no one has added The Cars "Candy-O" yet!

-- ZionTrain (ziontrain200...), May 13th, 2005.

Only b/c it pales in comparison to The Cars

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 13 May 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

a grand don't come for free

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 13 May 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

Elbow - Cast of Thousands

― JC-L (JC-L), Friday, 13 May 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

The Police - Regatta de Blanc

― Bobby Peru (Bobby Peru), Saturday, 14 May 2005 01:46 (twenty years ago)

http://www.duke.edu/~amwhite/College/Tinkoff%20picnic_r2_c3.jpg

― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Saturday, 14 May 2005 01:59 (twenty years ago)

malory 'outerbeats'. i see tonevendor has their new album, has anyone heard it?

― keith m (keithmcl), Saturday, 14 May 2005 02:03 (twenty years ago)

cop shoot cop - white noise
devo - duty now for the future
tom waits - heart of saturday night
sleepytime gorilla museum - of natural history

― John Justen (johnjusten), Saturday, 14 May 2005 02:31 (twenty years ago)

Two words: Liquid. Swords.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 16 May 2005 04:55 (twenty years ago)

Breathless - Three Times and Waving
Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Mambo Nassau

― ... And suddenly Ian Riese-Moraine is a naked man saying, 'Volvo! Volvo!' (Easte, Monday, 16 May 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

Outkast - ATLiens
Randy Newman - 12 Songs (ownz this thread)
Reigning Sound - Time Bomb High School
AC/DC - High Voltage
The Glands - The Glands
CCR - Bayou Country
Duran Duran - Rio

― Will(iam), Monday, 16 May 2005 16:22 (twenty years ago)

twelve years pass...

Chairlift - Something
Fiona Apple - When the Pawn

― Week of Wonders (Ross), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 02:31 (seven years ago)

mazzy star - so tonight that i might see

― Week of Wonders (Ross), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 02:40 (seven years ago)

LFO -Advance

― El Tomboto, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 03:04 (seven years ago)

stooges fun house
led zeppelin ii
espers ii

― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 03:06 (seven years ago)

eleven months pass...

I have a few!

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 19 July 2018 01:29 (six years ago)

this is, without a doubt:

The Cure - Seventeen Seconds

which has not been mentioned in this thread, wtf?

― Bee OK, Thursday, 19 July 2018 01:35 (six years ago)

they did better before and after -- too damn crunchy

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 19 July 2018 01:37 (six years ago)

Three Imaginary Boys is a great debut and a collection of early songs.Seventeen Seconds was the first true Cure album, it sent them on their way. Faith is probably better but because of the reason above and it doesn't have "A Forest" on it.

― Bee OK, Thursday, 19 July 2018 01:42 (six years ago)

richard buckner - devotion + doubt

― lowercase (eric), Thursday, 19 July 2018 01:45 (six years ago)

maybe good second albums are just... i dunno... common?

+1

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Thursday, 19 July 2018 02:33 (six years ago)

now third albums... a bit less so

― lowercase (eric), Thursday, 19 July 2018 02:39 (six years ago)

Seventeen Seconds was mentioned

― rip van wanko, Thursday, 19 July 2018 02:46 (six years ago)

Before Hollywood is sooo OTM.

Probably not all consensus picks, but preferable to respective debuts IMHO:

Steve McQueen
Odyshape
Hell Among the Yearlings
Jane from Occupied Europe

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 19 July 2018 03:10 (six years ago)

Odyshape “preferable” to The Raincoats?!

― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Thursday, 19 July 2018 03:37 (six years ago)

Blondie - Plastic Letters
CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye
Patty Griffin - Flaming Red
Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
Tommy Keene - Songs From the Film
Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair
‘TIl Tuesday - Welcome Home
The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving

― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 July 2018 03:40 (six years ago)

xpost: "preferable" in a very "I seem to listen to it more often these days" way, rather than "vast improvement over the wretched debut" or whatever. :)

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 19 July 2018 04:08 (six years ago)

I don't think any of these have been mentioned yet:

The Blue Nile - Hats
Minnie Riperton - Perfect Angel
Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds From Another Planet
Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85
Brick - Brick
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
Human League - Travelogue
Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Earl Brutus - Tonight You Are The Special One
Saint Etienne - So Tough
The Cardigans - Life
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
Charlotte Hatherley - The Deep Blue
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4
Pet Shop Boys - Actually
Soft Cell - The Art of Falling Apart
Curtis Mayfield - Roots
Melody's Echo Chamber - Bon Voyage
Chic - C'est Chic
Solange - Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places
Plush - Fed
Rachel Stevens - Come and Get It
Antony & The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
Syreeta - Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Denim - Denim On Ice
St. Vincent - Actor
When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie
Simple Minds - Real to Real Cacophony

― kitchen person, Thursday, 19 July 2018 04:12 (six years ago)

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