They Sound Good, But Creed’s Songs Run A Little Long

I was first introduced to Creed when my sister (who listens to the radio more than I) came screaming into my room that the best song was being played and I needed to come listen.

Through the mass of garbled static, I could make out the words to “My Own Prison,” the first and so far only single from Creed’s album by the same title.

Now that I have the CD, I know why “My Own Prison” is the big hit. I’m not saying the other songs are bad, but they could use some editing.

The band Creed comes from Tallahassee, Fla., and formed in 1995. The group has four musicians and three instruments. Without more instruments, it’s difficult to have guitar-driven songs. Songs on their album need lyrics and lots of them to provide a backbone. Unfortunately, it seems Creed has lyrics for 2-1/2-minute songs and is trying to stretch them into four-minute songs.

“My Own Prison” and “Torn” are the only songs that I can say had lyrics to fit the length. A good 30 seconds could be cut from most of the songs. Midway through the CD, “Unforgiven” comes on for a little more than three minutes. This is a good song. Creed says what it wants to and then quits.

Brief as they may be, I have to congratulate the band on the lyrics.

They tend to be well-thought-out lyrics that click with something in listeners. I’m not exactly sure where the band would fit in the thousands of genres out there. It is slightly heavy metal, slightly alternative.

I like the CD. I like the band, but there is room for improvement.