CREED

CREED's "Human Clay" came out at an interesting time in both music and the band's career. In the late-1990s, modern rock was struggling a bit in identity. Grunge was still the most popular rock genre, but at this point, several years after "Nevermind" came out and NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain's death, the sound was very derivative.

But, through it all, CREED emerged, and even though they had a somewhat post-grunge sound, they brought something new and different to the rock world. Sure, there were the Eddie Vedder, Scott Stapp comparisons, but this writer never heard that in Stapp's vocals. CREED brought anthemic rock, with huge, glistening choruses and a polished sound that was missing from most post-grunge bands at the time. The band also brought the guitar back, with lead guitarist Mark Tremonti a strong, proficient guitar player capable of innovative soloing.

CREED broke out with their 1997 debut album, "My Own Prison". At first, the Tallahassee, Florida, band released the album themselves on their own record label. It did well and Wind-Up Records inked the band, releasing the record on a mass scale. "My Own Prison" took off, making CREED instant rock-radio stars. They quickly went from playing to a few local fans to thousands of rock fans around the world.

"My Own Prison" was the album that broke CREED, but "Human Clay" is the album that made them superstars in both rock and the mainstream world. The album, out in 1999, scored radio hits in a bevy of formats thanks to the heartfelt "Higher" and "With Arms Wide Open". Both songs charted on the Billboard Hot 100, "Higher" at No. 7 and "With Arms Wide Open" at No. 1. "Human Clay" also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Now, 25 years later, CREED honor "Human Clay"'s legacy with a jam-packed deluxe edition. What's of interest here isn't the smooth, modern edge of the remastered original tracks, it's the release's live cuts and alternative versions.

The real highlight is a previously unreleased concert recording from a 1999 San Antonio, Texas show, which captures the moment in time for CREED. Here was a band on the verge of massive stardom, and you can hear the energy and excitement of that in this recording. The sound quality is impeccable, which is not always the case for a live recording. Another album highlight is a live recording of CREED performing THE DOORS' "Roadhouse Blues" with that band's guitarist and founding member Robby Krieger, recorded live at Woodstock '99. At the time, this performance was overshadowed by the festival's disaster, so it's nice to see it getting a proper release. Sprinkled throughout the set are more live versions of songs form "Human Clay", as well as acoustic and string versions of "With Arms Wide Open" and more.

This celebration of "Human Clay" does exactly what this kind of release is supposed to: captures a moment and offers a bit of something new for the listener. Whatever your musical taste, it's pretty much impossible to deny this album's importance in late-1990s and early-2000s popular music. Those who love CREED should find lots to appreciate about the set.