Creed
From page 69 of Classic Rock Magazine May 1999
'My Own Prison' !Epic/wind-upadvance col ***** Pearl Jam. Go on, say it. "Florida's Creed are no more than Pearl Jam soundalikes."Well, that's what everyone says. Except that, they're not.
Sure, frontman Scott Stapp has a voice reminiscent of Eddie Vedder's, but that's as far as comparisons go. The songs, the music, the production.., everything else bears little relation to the grunge-era of early'90s Seattle. It's all linked through the great American tradition of Tom Petty and John Mellencamp, albeit with an alternative twist.
Originally released two years ago in the US on the band's own Blue Collar label,'My Own Prison' was made on the sort of budget that wouldn't keep an anorexic budgie in seed for a week. At times you do notice the absence of state-of-theart technology. But ultimately, it makes for an honest record. Songs like 'Ode;'Pity For A Dime' and 'In America' are swathed in a clinging, desperate atmosphere that at once suffocates yet inspires.
Make no mistake, 'My Own Prison' marks the birth of a great American rock band.
Malcolm Dome


