Human Clay Tracks
1. Are You Ready
2. What If
3. Beautiful
4. Say I
5. Wrong Way
6. Faceless Man
7. Never Die
8. With Arms Wide Open
9. Higher
10. Wash Away Those Years
11. Inside Us All
Human Clay Review
Creed burst out of Florida with 1997's My Own Prison, a dark but commercial debut reminiscent of the early-'90s Seattle sound. Creed's moody guitar grunge and ardent lyrics, coupled with singer Scott Stapp's passionate vocals, helped My Own Prison sell millions. Human Clay demonstrates that this likable quartet hasn't messed with success; they turn in a sophomore outing rife with evocative moodiness, soaring guitars, and a dark, roiling, intense vibe. "Beautiful" is but one of the winners on this strong 11-song CD. Haunting and indeed beautiful, the track is more delicate and seductive than most heard here, as is another lilting and mysterious entry, "Never Die," which boasts some Middle Eastern accents. "Higher" is typical Creed--safe, emotive guitar rock for the masses, but with a slight edge. Memorable hooks, Soundgarden-like guitars, and Vedder-like vocals make Human Clay at once compelling and effectively redundant. --Katherine Turman
By the time this album came out, it was pretty much confirmed that Scott Stapp and his Creed cohorts were nothing more than a sappy music rendering, trying to be sensitive, poop band. "Not so fast..." moans Stapp. Early in the album is the "hit" song "What if". This song showed us that Creed still had some edge to them. The only problem was that the lyrics really didn't enhance this listening experience. I know the song is called "What if"; I don't need the phrase said 64 times.
And another thing. The first time I heard Creed, I could have sworn I was listening to Pearl Jam, bad Pearl Jam. Apparently I wasn't the first to make this comparison, and the band knew it. That guitarist, what's his face, I don't know, even had the gall to say the following: "Eddie Vedder wishes he could write a song as good as Scott Stapp." Well, Scott Stapp wishes he could sing in a way so people don't think he's ripping off Eddie Vedder, which he's clearly doing.