Great Divide Billboard review

[Ana4Stapp]

SINGLE: THE GREAT DIVIDE
Scott Stapp recorded a track for last year‘s multi-artist compilation "The Passion of the Christ: Songs," but his official solo debut, "The Great Divide," arrives November 22. The first single and title track is more than a passing reminder that Stapp was the driving musical force in the polarizingly successful Creed. Aside from some folky acoustic guitars, "The Great Divide" is essentially a less bombastic version of the Creed hit "Higher." Stapp‘s curiously affected vocals stand out in the softer sound mix (which is not as loud as previous songs), but his rich tone is similar to Eddie Vedder's. He sings during the grand chorus, "You set me free to live my life/You became my reason to survive the great divide." It is not hard to figure out what Stapp has survived, but now he faces another test: whether radio will take more of the same from him.Unecessary to say what I think about GD. :rolleyes: but this review has some interesting points:

1-yes- it sounds folky.
2- no -its not good as Higher ...(very distant , by the way...)
3- yes - his voice is 'similar' to Eddie Vedders voice.


What do you guys think?

[Frankie]

The first single and title track is more than a passing reminder that Stapp was the driving musical force in the polarizingly successful Creed.

:D

[rabidgopher04]

Scott Stapp sounds like Eddie Vedder? NO WAY! That sounds so familiar.... Haven't we all heard that before?

[Dogstar]

SINGLE: THE GREAT DIVIDE
Scott Stapp recorded a track for last year‘s multi-artist compilation "The Passion of the Christ: Songs," but his official solo debut, "The Great Divide," arrives November 22. The first single and title track is more than a passing reminder that Stapp was the driving musical force in the polarizingly successful Creed. Aside from some folky acoustic guitars, "The Great Divide" is essentially a less bombastic version of the Creed hit "Higher." Stapp‘s curiously affected vocals stand out in the softer sound mix (which is not as loud as previous songs), but his rich tone is similar to Eddie Vedder's. He sings during the grand chorus, "You set me free to live my life/You became my reason to survive the great divide." It is not hard to figure out what Stapp has survived, but now he faces another test: whether radio will take more of the same from him.

Stapp‘s curiously affected vocals stand out in the softer sound mix (which is not as loud as previous songs

This is the only part I agree with :D.

[uncertaindrumer]

I agree with the whole thing, almost.

[The Lithium]

The first single and title track is more than a passing reminder that Stapp was the driving musical force in the polarizingly successful Creed.
Fuck no! What to do, laugh or cry?

[Agent D]

Some review. Less bombastic than Higher? What the hell does that mean?

[Dogstar]

Hahah, yeah. That was pretty lame on most counts. Not much of a review either way.

[uncertaindrumer]

Fuck no! What to do, laugh or cry?

I don't know... I sorta agree with that statement... I think he was talking mroe about the commercial generic nature of the songs, maybe not.

[Dogstar]

I don't think he was specific enough in what constitutes his opinion. Driving force can have both negative and positive connotations.

[uncertaindrumer]

Yeah I don't see how anyone can "hate" that review... it was so ambiguous...

[Ana4Stapp]

^^^
I think this review is kinda ironic... :rolleyes:

[The Lithium]

^^^
I think this review is kinda ironic... :rolleyes:
Hah, no kidding!

[Bridge of Clay]

I couldn't find the review for OYE so we could compare... just the one for ODR.

[HuMaN~ClAy]

I kinda agree with what, i think :confused:, this person is saying..... The Great Divide does sound a hell of a lot like a mellow version of Higher.... I've realized that after listening to this and Relearn Love I can honestly say that AB sounds nothing like Creed in comparison to the way Stapp does.... sounds like he really is making his solo album Creed #4, which isn't bad, kinda like we're getting new Creed songs.... bastard Creed songs n e way haha... even the "pawn shop band" honestly sounds oddly like Tremonti and Flip back in their Creed days, kinda catchy but not nearly to their full potential.

I guess making everything sound like Creed will work nicely when he plays Creed songs on tour :mad1: .....

[Bridge of Clay]

yeah, he's using the same producer to make'em sound alike.

But Tremonti could do much better arrangements, imho.

[The Lithium]

That's so silly of Scott... As I said in another thread, the one about Stapp playing Creed songs on tour. I think it's a lack of creativity and self-confidence!

[HuMaN~ClAy]

That's so silly of Scott... As I said in another thread, the one about Stapp playing Creed songs on tour. I think it's a lack of creativity and self-confidence!

well whatever the case, I'd rather he do this than going ahead with that hip hop thing that there were talks about last year!! LOL!! what a joke that would have been!

[titan9]

Either that, or WU is somehow urging him to carry on the legacy of Creed. You know WU, they're all about the money and Creed was a huge money-maker for them. I wouldn't be shocked if they are somehow urging Stappy to make a solo CD that sounds just like a Creed CD. But, of course, this could all be Stapp's choice.

[Dogstar]

Sadly, I think Wind Up probably does have too big a part in determining the sound of a band. It's why a lot of their bands sound the same.

[Bridge of Clay]

As Ryan said, it's Creed promoting Scott Stapp instead of Stapp promoting himself.

I'll still not judge him for TGD coz it's pretty clear Screw-Up chose the most Creedish song to start the transition phase, as they did it with AB too.

[The Lithium]

Sadly, I think Wind Up probably does have too big a part in determining the sound of a band. It's why a lot of their bands sound the same.
Yeah, could be, but they didn't do that with AB. I think that Mark and Flip would have wanted to leave WU if WU told them they had to make a fourth Creed record.

Just to check; we are talking about John Kurzweg as Scott's "new" producer, right?

[Creed7352]

Sadly, I think Wind Up probably does have too big a part in determining the sound of a band. It's why a lot of their bands sound the same.

yes...and it's why a lot of them "wind up" dropped from the label when going in for album 2.... :mad1:

12 stones
american pearl
breaking point

and more that i can't think of...there have been too many! LOL

[The Lithium]

Seven Wiser was one. But 12 Stones are still on WU!

[Creed7352]

LOL!!!!! oh yeah, what the fuck was i thinking?!? i think i put them cause they've been lacking in promotion...i apologize...i knew they were still on WU. :D

[The Lithium]

Yeah, WU just won't promote anyone anymore!

[Dogstar]

Seven Wiser was one. But 12 Stones are still on WU!
They might as well have dropped them for all the promotion they got. It's like Submersed. Live, they were unreal, and not that I don't like the CD, but I think WU had too much of a heavy hand in the production. The spark from the live performance is missing from the CD.

[uncertaindrumer]

Wind Up does indeed stink. They just feed the fire in terms of making more boring generic over-distorted under-substantiated bands.

[Soundslave]

Creed was Wind-Up's big money maker. When Creed split up, I'm sure they decided that Stapp would be the best chance to make money from the Creed legacy. No matter what you do, Myles will never sound like Stapp, but you can have Stapp's backing band play similarly to Mark and Flip, and to the casual listener, it will be like Creed never broke up.