Human Conditions
Encyclopedia
Human Conditions is the second solo album
by English
singer-songwriter
, Richard Ashcroft
, released in October 2002 (see 2002 in British music
).
described it as "a truly awful record", remarking that "Ashcroft obviously sees himself as some kind of incisive commentator with a greater depth of understanding of the human condition than those around him. This record reveals with alarming clarity that he is actually a poor songwriter, dire lyricist, and arrogant buffoon all at the same time." Andrew Lynch of entertainment.ie
gave the album two stars out of five, calling it "in the final analysis, quite unbelievably boring." Rowan Shaeffer of Counterculture gave it three stars out of five and praised aspects of the album, though still feeling that "for the most part Richard Ashcroft seems be going through the motions; and while he's produced a good album, it's an ultimately unfulfilling listen."
In 2003, when asked about the reception to Human Conditions, Ashcroft responded: "If I had put on fifteen stone and Kate
had left me and I’d almost [overdosed] on smack, then this record would have been received very well". In a 2006 interview with The Sun
, Ashcroft said of the criticism: "I wouldn't say I was massively affected. I didn't feel the paranoia I felt when The Verve broke up."
ese and American
editions of the album featured one bonus track
originally released as a B-side
for the UK single
"Check the Meaning".
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, Richard Ashcroft
Richard Ashcroft
Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...
, released in October 2002 (see 2002 in British music
2002 in British music
This is a summary of 2002 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. In 2002, as in the previous year, there were 30 songs that reached the top of the charts...
).
Release and reception
Human Conditions generally received negative reviews. Nick Southall of StylusStylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
described it as "a truly awful record", remarking that "Ashcroft obviously sees himself as some kind of incisive commentator with a greater depth of understanding of the human condition than those around him. This record reveals with alarming clarity that he is actually a poor songwriter, dire lyricist, and arrogant buffoon all at the same time." Andrew Lynch of entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
gave the album two stars out of five, calling it "in the final analysis, quite unbelievably boring." Rowan Shaeffer of Counterculture gave it three stars out of five and praised aspects of the album, though still feeling that "for the most part Richard Ashcroft seems be going through the motions; and while he's produced a good album, it's an ultimately unfulfilling listen."
In 2003, when asked about the reception to Human Conditions, Ashcroft responded: "If I had put on fifteen stone and Kate
Kate Radley
Kate Radley was a keyboard player for the British rock band Spiritualized, and was, for part of her tenure with the band, in a long-term relationship with the band's frontman and principal creative force, Jason Pierce...
had left me and I’d almost [overdosed] on smack, then this record would have been received very well". In a 2006 interview with The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, Ashcroft said of the criticism: "I wouldn't say I was massively affected. I didn't feel the paranoia I felt when The Verve broke up."
Track listing
- "Check the MeaningCheck the Meaning"Check the Meaning" is a song by English singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft and is the opening track on his 2002 album Human Conditions. The song was also released on October 7, 2002 as the first single from that album in the United Kingdom...
" – 8:04 - "Buy It in BottlesBuy It in Bottles"Buy It in Bottles" is a song by English singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft and is the second track on his 2002 album Human Conditions. The song was also released as the third and final single from that album in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2003, peaking at #26 in the UK Singles Chart .-Track...
" – 4:39 - "Bright Lights" – 5:15
- "Paradise" – 5:37
- "God In the Numbers" – 6:58
- "Science of SilenceScience of Silence"Science of Silence" is a song by English singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft and is the sixth track on his 2002 album Human Conditions. The song was also released on January 6, 2003 as the second single from that album in the United Kingdom...
" – 4:15 - "Man on a Mission" – 5:29
- "Running Away" – 4:16
- "Lord I've Been Trying" – 5:23
- "Nature Is the Law" – 4:55
Bonus track
The JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
editions of the album featured one bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
originally released as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
for the UK single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Check the Meaning".
- "The Miracle" - 3:51
Personnel
- Richard AshcroftRichard AshcroftRichard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...
- Vocals, Guitar, Percussion, Bass, Piano, Wurlitzer, Keyboards - Peter SalisburyPeter SalisburyPeter Salisbury is best known as the drummer of The Verve, which he joined as a founding member in 1989.- Personal life :...
- Drums - Kate RadleyKate RadleyKate Radley was a keyboard player for the British rock band Spiritualized, and was, for part of her tenure with the band, in a long-term relationship with the band's frontman and principal creative force, Jason Pierce...
- Keyboards - Martyn CampbellMartyn CampbellMartyn Campbell is an English bass guitarist from Liverpool, England. He is best known for his work with Rain, The Lightning Seeds, Richard Ashcroft, Wah! and Terry Hall...
- Bass - Talvin SinghTalvin SinghTalvin Singh Matharoo , is a producer and composer and tabla player, known for creating an innovative fusion of Indian classical music and drum and bass...
- Tablas, Beats, Drones, Shruti Box, Duggi Tarang, M adal - Chuck LeavellChuck LeavellChuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...
- Piano, Hammond Organ - Richard Robson - Programming
- Steve Sidelnyk - Drum Programming, Programming
- Craig Wagstaff - Percussion
- Jim HuntJim HuntJames Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
- Flute, Saxophone - Matt Clifford - Wurlitzer
- Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
- Backing Vocals, Backing Vocal Arrangement - Wil Malone - Orchestral Arrangements, Conducting
- The London Session Orchestra - Strings
- London Community Gospel ChoirLondon Community Gospel ChoirThe London Community Gospel Choir is a successful gospel choir located in the United Kingdom.-History:The London Community Gospel Choir was founded in 1982 by the Reverend Bazil Meade with the assistance of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis.Initially the idea was for a single concert...
- Choir
Release details
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
17 October 2002 | Toshiba-EMI Toshiba-EMI (formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
VJCP-68440 / 4988006804005 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
21 October 2002 | Hut Records Hut Records VC Recordings trading as Hut Records was a British record label brand which was started in 1990 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Records... |
2LP | HUTDLP77 / 7243 8 13383 1 5 |
| CD | CDHUT77 / 7243 8 13383 2 2 | |||
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
25 February 2003 | Virgin Records Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
CD | 7243 8 13384 2 1 |
External links
- Richard Ashcroft: Human Conditions (2003): Reviews at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. - Billboard.com - Discography - Richard Ashcroft - Human Conditions at BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.com