Revisiting human clay - Creed (September 1999)

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Human Clay - Creed

Wind-up

Produced by John Kurzweg

Released 28th September 1999

US Chart #1

UK Chart #29

Singles From Human Clay

01. Higher

02. To Whom It May Concern

 Limited Edition Tour EP (European Release)

01. Higher

02. To Whom It May Concern

03. Roadhouse Blues (Live)

04. What's This Life For (Acoustic)

Limited Edition Numbered CD (European Release)

01. Higher

02. I'm Eighteen

03. Roadhouse Blues (Live)

Also released as a Limited Edition 7" Yellow Marble Vinyl in the US and UK

Released 24th August 1999

US Chart #7

UK Chart #47

 01. What If (Album Version)
02. What If (Radio Edit)
03. I'm Eighteen
 Released January 2000
Did Not Chart

 Released as Limited Edition Red Vinyl 7" in the UK
A-Side: With Arms Wide Open (New Version)
B-Side: With Arms Wide Open (Acoustic Version)

and as a Enhanced CD in Europe

 01. With Arms Wide Open (New Version)
02.With Arms Wide Open (Strings Version)
03. With Arms Wide Open (Acoustic Version)
04. With Arms Wide Open (Album Version)
05. With Arms Wide Open (Video Strings Version)
Released 24th April 2000
US Chart #1
UK Chart #13

 Radio Promo Release Only
01. Are You Ready?
Released August 2000
 
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Creed are one of those bands that you either love or hate, it seems there is no sitting in the middle when it comes to them. You are either For them or you are Against them.

The band had formed in 1993 originally as a five piece (rhythm guitarist Brian Basher left the band in 1995) and once the line-up had settled it featured Scott Stapp on vocals, Mark Tremonti on guitar, Brian Marshall on Bass and  Scott Phillips on drums. They were originally called Naked Toddler but settled on the name Creed.

(Original Cover for their debut album My Own Prison)

In 1997 they released their debut album My Own Prison on their own label - Blue Collar Records and with the help of airplay on Florida Radio stations they managed to sell 6,000 copies in the area in the first 2 months.

A copy had fallen into the hands of Diana Meltzer from Wind-up Records who was keen to sign the band and did so after seeing them perform live in Tallahassee.

The album was then remixed and cleaned up a bit and given a bit of a more radio friendly sound and re-released 26th August 1997. The sales of 6,000 on their own label would be blown apart when it became a #22 album in the States selling enough (six million!) to be certified six times Platinum!

Whilst My Own Prison was still selling pretty well (it would spend over 110 weeks on the Billboard Chart) the release of their second album Human Clay would further their careers as it would debut at #1 in the States and in the two years that followed would sell over 10 million copies. It has to date been certified Platinum 11 times and is one of a number hard rock albums that was certified Diamond.

People like to put bands into Categories/Genres and of course the question to be asked is where exactly do Creed fit? Well, as I often have no comprehension as to what all these Genres and Sub-Genres actually mean, to me they are a hard rock band. I've seen them listed as Post-Grunge (again not totally sure what it means other than the fact they were not from Seattle and so didn't fit the "Grunge" mould). Ultimately though it shouldn't matter because either the music is good or it's totally pants, and on this note I say that it's good.

The singles Higher and With Arms Wide Open were huge hits for the band reaching #7 and #1 respectively. With Arms Wide Open won a Grammy for Best Rock Song and the album also won the Favourite Pop/Rock Album at the American Music Awards.

Listen to more from Creed 

With Arms Wide Open - A Retrospective.