Music DVD Review: Creed - Live

It's sometimes hard to remember just how insanely successful Creed once were. Their first three albums, My Own Prison, Human Clay and Weathered, sold 6 million, 11 million, and 6 million copies respectively. All told, they shifted over 35 million records, yet you'd be hard pushed to find anyone admitting to owning one, or a critic with a kind word to say about them. Which is peculiar, because they actually wrote some excellent songs.

For sure, the whole Christian rock-band thing seems to alienate some people. And that's also peculiar, because I'd rather have a band who appear to be seeking some kind of spiritual resolution than yet another Motley Crue wannabee banging on about how many groupies they've had and how many ants they've snorted. Yes, Hinder, I'm referring to you. But the career of Creed seemed to have been blown out of the water when singer Scott Stapp took a left hand turn into the world of the party-hard rock star and, in 2004, the band ground to a halt.

Afterward, they brought back their old bass player, hired a new singer, and continued on a similar path as Alter Bridge. They were reasonably successful, with both albums going Top 20 in the USA, as did Stapp's sole solo record. So it was a surprise when Creed announced they were getting back together, spurred on by Stapp apologizing to his former bandmates. Their reunion album got to Number Two on the US charts—with only the late Michael Jackson keeping them from the top spot—and they headed out on tour, resulting in this Live DVD. A rather good one it is too.

Filmed in front of a sold-out crowd in Texas, Creed haven't stinted on the production values, with 239 cameras in play, capturing the born again band in fine fettle. Naturally, it's the classics that people want to hear, and there's plenty of them on this 17-track DVD, from the high octane opener, "Bullets" through to an encore that includes "One," "One Last Breath" and "Higher." It's fair to say that the fan favorite is still their Number One hit, "With Arms Wide Open," but there's a good reception as well for new material like "Overcome" and "A Thousand Faces" from the new Full Circle album, which slots easily and comfortably into the classic Creed, post-grunge sound.

Article Author: Stuart A Hamilton

Mr H is a compulsive reviewer who has foisted his opinions across the internet, as well as in UK publications like Record Collector and Blues Matters, where he is a contributing writer. If you really want to know more go to Mr H To U But don't say …

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