Search - Richard Ashcroft :: Human Conditions

Great, but not the verve

The Piper at the Gates | Bakersville, North Carolina | 12/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 2nd album from Richard Ascroft is definitely better and deeper than "Alone With Everybody". Ascroft still shows that he one of the best songwriters of his time. The only thing this lacks is the sound. Maybe Ashcorft doesn't want to sound like his old band, the Verve, but you have to admit, this album would be a classic if done in the classic verve stlye, with Nick McCabe droning guitars, and a bit of echoed-out lyrics. Another thing is that at times, the album tends to get poppy, especially in the last track, Miracle. There are bits of music here and there, that sound a bit like some Robbie Williams song,which isn't a good thing.

To me, the best track is Science of Silience, and the very beginning sounds like the Bill Withers song Lean On Me. To put it in a nutshell, this album lyrically, like all of Richard's work, is amazing, but I would like some of the music to a bit harder here and there (with the exception of Bright Lights, the only remotely hard song on the album). And even though, again, Ashcroft's work is great, it simply isn't the verve. So Richard, do me a favor, call up your old pals, and start the pheonomon that was the verve all over again."

Ashcroft's Masterpiece

Alex Tiuniaev | 03/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If I were ever asked to list the most underrated albums of all time - Human Conditions would definitely make the top 5.



Where did this one come from? Stuck between the Rock'n'roll champagne of Alone with Everybody and the down-to-earth sounds of Keys to the World, Human Conditions seems the odd one out. At a glance. Looking closer we may discern the slow shimmering of a treasure room full of beautifully crafted gems. Science of Silence is one. Simply stated, it is Ashcroft's most inspired existential anthem. "We are on the rock, spinning silently..."



Introspective and philosophical. Psychedelic and highly melodic at the same time. Thought-provoking and deeply spiritual. This is an album about me, you, and everybody else on the third rock from the Sun - about human conditions. This is Ashcroft's most mature and personal work of art - A Northern Soul of the 2000s. The soaring strings, naughty guitar licks, and swirling ambiences thrive in Chris Potter's densely populated production. The themes are as old as the world: love and life, religion and spirituality, and the never-ending battle with demons inside. I'm agnostic in God but man, she takes a female form, says Ashcroft. Oh yes.



For me this is a summer hymn. This is full of hope and joy, full of questions asked but never answered - and they never should be! Everybody can relate. What are we living for? (Check The Meaning). What are we? (Science of Silence). Is it worth it? (But It in Bottles).



Human Conditions is Ashcroft on his own. No cameras, no publicity, no pressure. He wanted to find the answer. Even if he failed, he gave us Human Conditions instead. This is quite enough for me.

"