- Included among the Record Descriptions of Favorite Albums (Part 1).
- All Four One includes their first hit single, the #9 song “Only the Lonely”, and also probably my favorite Motels song, “Take the L”.
The Motels – All Four One (1982): The Motels are from Berkeley, California and feature distinctive lead vocals by Martha Davis, strong songwriting, and good musicianship. The Motels are considered to be a new wave band, though their roots go back to 1971. Although I was already a long-time fan of the band, I previously delved deeply into the history of the Motels; since one of my Under Appreciated Rock Bands, Code Blue was founded by Dean Chamberlain, an original member of the band that became the Motels – then known as the Warfield Foxes and later as the Angels of Mercy. All Four One is the third album by the Motels and their breakthrough to stardom.
Their first album, simply called Motels (1979) looks so unlike their snazzy later releases that it didn’t register with me for ages that it was also an album by the Motels. All Four One includes their first hit single, the #9 song “Only the Lonely”. Also on the album is their follow-up single and probably my favorite Motels song, “Take the L” (“take the L out of lover and it’s over”). Another #9 hit song, “Suddenly Last Summer” came out in 1983 and is included on their following album, Little Robbers.