Human Clay
Encyclopedia
Human Clay is the second album by Creed
released on September 28, 1999. It was certified 11x platinum and 1x(+) diamond by the RIAA, and is 54th on the top 100 selling albums of all time in the United States (as of February 2007). The album was the band's first to hit #1 in the U.S., where it debuted with first week sales of 315,000, and stayed on top for two weeks. By 2010, it had sold 11,561,000 copies in the USA alone according to Soundscan numbers. It has also been certified 6 times platinum in Canada, 5 times in Australia and 7 times in New Zealand, among others. The fourth single "With Arms Wide Open
" won a Grammy Award
for Best Rock Song. The album had three videos released from it: "Higher", "What If
," and "With Arms Wide Open," the last of which was voted the 92nd best music video of all-time by VH1
who also ranked it #4 on the "25 Greatest Power Ballads" . VH1 listed "Higher" as one of the greatest hard rock songs of all time in 2009. Human Clay is the only Creed album without a title track.
According to Mark Tremonti
, the album cover represents a crossroad which every man finds himself at in his life and the man of clay represented "our actions, that what we are is up to us, that we lead our own path and make our own destiny." The title of the album comes from a lyric in "Say I" ("The dust has finally settled on the field of human clay"), a song which carries the same message.
This was the final album until 2009's Full Circle
to feature Brian Marshall
on bass guitar; he departed from the band shortly after the tour for the album in August 2000. Mark Tremonti filled as the bassist on their third album, Weathered
, while Brett Hestla
became their touring bassist. However, the band has since reunited with Marshall.
Human Clay was ranked #5 on Billboard's Hot 200 Albums of the Decade in 2009. The album has sold over 11.5 million copies in the US, and millions more worldwide. Making it the best selling album of Creed's career and one of the Best-selling Albums in the United States
The album will be played in its entirety during Creed's April 2012 "2 NIGHTS" tour.
and Mark Tremonti
.
Additional Musicians
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
released on September 28, 1999. It was certified 11x platinum and 1x(+) diamond by the RIAA, and is 54th on the top 100 selling albums of all time in the United States (as of February 2007). The album was the band's first to hit #1 in the U.S., where it debuted with first week sales of 315,000, and stayed on top for two weeks. By 2010, it had sold 11,561,000 copies in the USA alone according to Soundscan numbers. It has also been certified 6 times platinum in Canada, 5 times in Australia and 7 times in New Zealand, among others. The fourth single "With Arms Wide Open
With Arms Wide Open
"With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Rock Song. The album had three videos released from it: "Higher", "What If
What If (Creed song)
"What If" is a song by Creed, released as the second single from their 1999 album Human Clay.In the song, Scott Stapp sings about hatred and those who oppress others. According to guitarist Mark Tremonti, the intro was inspired by the song "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones.The song was used...
," and "With Arms Wide Open," the last of which was voted the 92nd best music video of all-time by VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
who also ranked it #4 on the "25 Greatest Power Ballads" . VH1 listed "Higher" as one of the greatest hard rock songs of all time in 2009. Human Clay is the only Creed album without a title track.
According to Mark Tremonti
Mark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
, the album cover represents a crossroad which every man finds himself at in his life and the man of clay represented "our actions, that what we are is up to us, that we lead our own path and make our own destiny." The title of the album comes from a lyric in "Say I" ("The dust has finally settled on the field of human clay"), a song which carries the same message.
This was the final album until 2009's Full Circle
Full Circle (Creed album)
Full Circle is the fourth studio album by American rock band Creed, released on October 27, 2009. It is Creed's first release since disbanding in 2004, prior to the release of their Greatest Hits album, and is their first studio album since 2001's Weathered, as well as their first to feature...
to feature Brian Marshall
Brian Marshall
Brian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
on bass guitar; he departed from the band shortly after the tour for the album in August 2000. Mark Tremonti filled as the bassist on their third album, Weathered
Weathered
Weathered is the third album by Creed, released on November 20, 2001. Some versions are enhanced CDs and include videos. It has been certified 6× platinum by the RIAA...
, while Brett Hestla
Brett Hestla
Brett Hestla, is an American guitarist, bassist, vocalist and record producer.-Music career:In the late 1990s Hestla's band Virgos Merlot was signed to Atlantic Records. After their first release, Signs of a Vacant Soul, he became the touring bassist for Creed after the departure of Brian Marshall...
became their touring bassist. However, the band has since reunited with Marshall.
Human Clay was ranked #5 on Billboard's Hot 200 Albums of the Decade in 2009. The album has sold over 11.5 million copies in the US, and millions more worldwide. Making it the best selling album of Creed's career and one of the Best-selling Albums in the United States
The album will be played in its entirety during Creed's April 2012 "2 NIGHTS" tour.
Track listing
All songs written by Scott StappScott Stapp
Scott Alan Stapp is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production...
and Mark Tremonti
Mark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
.
- "Are You Ready?Are You Ready? (Creed song)"Are You Ready?" is the fourth single from the album Human Clay by the American rock band Creed. It is included on the 2001 album NASCAR: Full Throttle and the 2005 album Harley Davidson: Ride. It was their worst performing single on the U.S. charts up to that point, even though it became a top 5...
" – 4:45 - "What IfWhat If (Creed song)"What If" is a song by Creed, released as the second single from their 1999 album Human Clay.In the song, Scott Stapp sings about hatred and those who oppress others. According to guitarist Mark Tremonti, the intro was inspired by the song "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones.The song was used...
" – 5:18 - "Beautiful" – 4:20
- "Say I" – 5:15
- "Wrong Way" – 4:19
- "Faceless Man" - 5:59
- "Never Die" – 4:51
- "With Arms Wide OpenWith Arms Wide Open"With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" – 4:35 - "Higher" – 5:17
- "Wash Away Those Years" – 6:04
- "Inside Us All" – 5:49
- "Young Grow OldYoung Grow Old"Young Grow Old" is a bonus track on rock band Creed's album Human Clay. It is arguably one of the heavier tracks found on the album and one of Creed's heaviest songs. Though never released as a single, it was featured on the WWF Forceable Entry compilation soundtrack....
" (Australian only Bonus Track) 4:48 - "With Arms Wide OpenWith Arms Wide Open"With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
(Strings Version)" 3:57
Personnel
- Scott StappScott StappScott Alan Stapp is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Creed, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production...
- lead vocals - Mark TremontiMark TremontiMark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
- lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals - Brian MarshallBrian MarshallBrian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
- bass - Scott PhillipsScott Phillips (drummer)Thomas Scott "Flip" Phillips is the drummer and co-founder of the bands Alter Bridge and Creed. Phillips grew up in Madison, Florida. He started out playing in a band called Crosscut at 18. In 2004, he joined Alter Bridge with fellow then-former Creed members bassist Brian Marshall and lead...
- drums
Additional Musicians
- John Kurzweg - B-3 organ
- Kirk Kelsey - Mandolin
Charts
| Chart (1999–2000) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
4 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
9 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 35 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
29 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Higher" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
7 |
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | ||
| 2000 | "What If What If (Creed song) "What If" is a song by Creed, released as the second single from their 1999 album Human Clay.In the song, Scott Stapp sings about hatred and those who oppress others. According to guitarist Mark Tremonti, the intro was inspired by the song "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones.The song was used... " |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 102 |
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 | ||
| "With Arms Wide Open With Arms Wide Open "With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks... " |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | |
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | |||
| "Are You Ready? Are You Ready? (Creed song) "Are You Ready?" is the fourth single from the album Human Clay by the American rock band Creed. It is included on the 2001 album NASCAR: Full Throttle and the 2005 album Harley Davidson: Ride. It was their worst performing single on the U.S. charts up to that point, even though it became a top 5... " |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 125 | |
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |