"What the hell is this?" That was my first thought when I started playing this CD.
"Bullets," the first track, is very loud and crunchy. Lots of screaming and such... this does not sound like the Creed that I know and love. There seems to be no technique in the guitar, drums, or anything at all for that matter. The second track is called "Freedom Fighter." Again, like the first track, loud as hell and more crunchy than eating cockroaches... which is what I would rather be doing right now. Anything is better than listening to these first two tracks. What happened to these guys? "Who's Got My Back," track number three seems mellow enough, maybe this one will kick some ass. Hmm... a little mid-eastern sounding. This should be interesting. Ok, I really like this song. It has a great build up as do alot of Creed's semi-mellow songs. It's long though... jeez, but it's great. Well, so far one good track out of three.
The fourth track is called "Signs." This song reminds me of Alice in Chains, I like it. It's got a good beat and the guitar riffs are quasi-captivating. Not a very technical song, but definitely a keeper. "One Last Breath," is the next track. I love it! It's very close to "What's This Life For." Some orchestrations make this song extremely beautiful. This is the good ol' Creed that I have been looking for. If you haven't heard "My Sacrifice" yet, you are missing out. It's the next track and I have been listening to it for quite some time now and it's a great track. I can see why it would be the first release off of the album.
"Stand Here With Me" is the next song. Nice and technical and different sounding from most bands that I have heard lately. Songs like this really set Creed apart from everyone else. No other band on Earth can write songs the way that they do. I am starting to warm up to the album, I hope it has some good tracks to end it. "Weathered," the title track from the album is next. Another song that starts with a clean guitar sound. It sounds a little like something that you would hear on a cowboy movie. The guitar reminds me of that Bon Jovi song "Dead or Alive." It is real "blah" sounding, not one that would hold my attention. Track nine is "Hide." At first I thought that this song was going to bore me, but it's actually good. It's a new sound for Creed, but it works for them.
Next is "Don't Stop Dancing." Some more of the good ol' Creed sound. It's a slow groove. This is the type of song that I could listen to all day and never get tired of it. There's a woman singing in it... sounds like Alanis Morrissette, but I don't think it is. The last track is "Lullaby." It's beautiful, I mean what else could you expect from a song by that name. I think this is another song that was written for his child. I actually have chills all over my body. "With Arms Wide Open" does the same thing to me, I seriously love that song. "Lullaby" is no exception to the rule that Creed has excellent lyrics and beautiful guitar.
In conclusion, what started out to be an album that I would never even think of purchasing has now become one that I will be waiting at the store to grab on November 20, 2001. I would suggest that everyone go out and buy it. It's not exactly the same as "My Own Prison," nor is it a replica of "Human Clay." Creed has done some experimentation on this album and it works for them. Their vesatility is something that keeps people captivated, and I hope that they will keep astounding us for years to come.
nice review, i believe in it fully. nice job, keep up the work, the whole "Human Clay"- "My own Porison" thing is kinda old though, but so true. the column was true to the heart and also gives the meaning of the whole new album. good luck, and god bless.
No, it's his sister AMY!
Oh, I'm sorry, but she's not his wife. Actually she is his sister and I got that from ehm, wait... I think it was www.creed.com, but I am not sure 'bout that. *grin*
Much fun to you guys.
Hay all wot a gr8 topic this is.
As a die hard creed fan I have a few comments to make. Those who were disappointed by Human Clay, I undersatnd that My Own Prison was a hard act to follow but what I feel the guys do is express current emotion at the time of writing an album. Human Clay was an expression of true emotion. The sucess of My Own Prison could not have been predicted and the guys were under great pressure to follow it up. If u were looking for harder songs in Human Clay what about SAY I and WHAT IF. What must be understood is that anticipation leads to disapointment.
p
Next the issue of Christianity. Of course there are lines in the songs that refer to God and Christ but what has lead to this. Religion? I personally dont think so. I feel Creed are trying to send us a message not meanings. Of course Scott is aware of what he is writing. An example of this is WHAT IF.
what if
He makes us question ourselves by asking maybe the most un-answerable question. This he did on purpose to make us think about our life. Do we want to look back in old age and ask WHAT IF? I certainly dont and he feels through the music he can help us do the best we can in life.
Thanks for reading.
p.s Creed Have started recording the 4th album. I wonder what it'll hold for the different types of fans . Only time will tell!
This Creed album is as good as their previous "Human Clay"...they have got excellent lyrics and Stapp has got REALLY good vocal. Creed has got a great future ahead of them if they continue this streak.They have real variation.Mixing hard rock and power ballads.
No, Aimee Stapp is Scott's sister. His ex-wife is Hilary. Aimee is the singer on that song.
Phil- One problem with what you write but an affirmation first.
1. It is true that the writer knows what they intend to say or convey and would be the final authority on any lyrical interpretation.
2. However, words especially in a work of art (poetry, lyrics, novel) are meant to convey more than just the definiable content of the lyric. There is a unity of meaning intended to convey a universal concept as well as specific one.
3. Thereby not all interpretations are right, but not all are fictious, imagined, made up or relative.
4. You need to get past grey thinking and place things in there proper context and content.
5. Additional context can be added through investigation into the history, beliefs, other lyrics and statements of the band.
6. Points 1-3&5 provide a reasonable context for interpretation that is not subjective or arbitrary. The lyrics provide the content for interpretation. And lyrics are nothing more than words and words convey specific, defined information.
7. Are you getting my conotations, yet
To say that all interpretations Minus that of the song author are non-sense is non-sense. If they did not want to convey meaning they would not have used words. And if they did not want to convey more than just a specific case, they would not have chosen artistic expression. Does that make all interpretations valid? NO! Does that mean that they are all invalid? Maybe! Could more than one interpretation be valid? It has to be the case if you are to correctly interpret lyrics at all.
I think this argument is cogent and valid. While yours was based on pure subjectivism, which is nonsense and self contradictory. Opinions war out on the battlefield of words and truth.
"What is the truth, now?"
Among other things there is a clear rejection of subjective relativism in the lyrics of Creed. Hooray! The king has "know" clothes and is nothing more than a puppet for an oppressive dictator. That which promises "freedom" "freedom" is not ever free.
To say otherwise is to exchange the Truth of God for a lie and worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator. Creed acknowledges God and creation, which would make one a theist at minimum.
Are they truely "Christian". I do not know but some lyrics are unmistakenly a reference to Christ. By the way this shadowing of Christ in song lyrics is Biblical. Many of the Psalms have prophetic connotations and have always been understood to be so. Was David a "Christian" then? We'll No and Yes. David was 100% Jewish and lived hundreds of years before Christ. Yet, Christ said that David looked foreward to this Day. It would seem the Author affirmed my interpretational principles for lyrics.
I hope anyone reading this has enjoyed the logic, philosophy, and theology of it as much as I have in writing it. One can and should affirm God and creation. All else is non-sense at best and evil at worst.
People read into song lyrics what they want to hear, and in reality, the only one who really knows is... the one who wrote it.
look at lucy in the sky with diamonds... an reverse acronym for LSD, or an innocent childs picture given to john? if you are going to second guess a writter, listen to techno like i do and miss the point entirely. :p
I love Creed too, but obviously you started listening to them after Higher and WAWO came out because the songs that you like are more like the ones that are gonna be played on the radio. Don't get me wrong, I love every song that Creed makes, they are by far my favorite band, but just don't be a Pop person.
Just to let you know, the female singing back up on "Don't stop dancing" is Scott Stapp's wife. Just a little info.