Greatest Hits [Digipak] (CD - 2004)

Creed (1~Post-Grunge): Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall (bass guitar); Scott Stapp, Scott Phillips.

Personnel: Scott Stapp (vocals); Mark Tremonti (guitar); Scott Phillips (keyboards, drums); John Kurzweg (keyboards); Amie Stapp (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Amie Stapp, Tallahassee Boys Choir (background vocals); John Kurzweg .

Audio Mixers: John Kurzweg ; Kirk Kelsey; Creed ; Ron Saint Germain.

Recording information: J. Stanley Productions Inc., Ocobee, FL; Miami Beach, FL; The Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL; The Kitchen Studio, Tallahassee, FL; TransContinental Studios, Orlando, FL.

Photographers: Glen Dicrocco; Sacha Waldman; Michael Halsband; Len Irish.

Creed weren't just one of many two-album wonders of the post-grunge late '90s, they were the biggest of the two-album wonders, selling more records and crashing harder than any other their peers. All the while they produced unflappably earnest heavy rock -- music that sounded like Pearl Jam, only not nearly as much fun. They also traded on Pearl Jam's unfortunate tendency to place sheer emotion and sound over hooks, and since Creed weren't as powerful or interesting musically as the Seattle quartet, that meant that their albums could sound rather samey in the long haul. Nevertheless, their sincerity resonated among mainstream listeners irritated that Pearl Jam went weird after Vs., and with 2000s "With Arms Wide Open," they had a power ballad hit with universal appeal that helped break them through to an even wider audience than they had before. It, naturally, is the literal centerpiece of Creed's 2004 Greatest Hits, arriving in the middle of the 13-song album. Since it remains their biggest and best song, it's only appropriate that it has such a prominent position on this album, because a listen to the entire album reveals that the rest of their material hasn't aged all that well. Still, for those listeners who want to dig back to the halcyon year or two where Creed were one of the biggest bands in the land, Greatest Hits is the way to do it, since it has all of their charting hits, minus the minor radio hit cover of "Riders on the Storm" from the 2000 Doors tribute album Stoned Immaculate. It may not be timeless music, but Greatest Hits does gather all the noteworthy Creed tracks for those who care. [The initial pressings also contained a bonus DVD, containing all of Creed's music videos, along with some live performances. Unfortunately, the menu interface is not well designed -- it is only possible to play the videos individually, there is no "Play All" function.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Despite Creed's lack of critical acclaim, Scott Stapp and crew made a lasting connection with millions of fans, along the way selling truckloads of CDs and filling stadiums. More importantly, the Florida ensemble kept an updated version of grunge alive (a style many music-industry pundits predicted would fade with the early 1990s), burning ferociously into the new millennium, and spawning nearly as many imitators as the genre's Seattle-based pioneers.

Spreading the gospel of loud guitars, louder drums, and angst-ridden, baritone growling even further into the mainstream than before, Creed added a Christianity-inspired lyric sensibility matched with heavy Soundgarden-style de-tuned six-string riffs ("Torn") and a big dollop of arena-rock drama ("One Last Breath"). GREATEST HITS comes as advertised, straightforwardly delivering all of the band's chart-toppers and fan favorites in one convenient package without the remix/bonus track filler that plagues many other superstar best-of collections. The fine bonus DVD features footage of the group performing live and nine music videos. minimize