Back in the late ’90s Rock music was going through a transitional period. Nirvana had been dissolved since ’94, Alice in Chains were on hiatus since ’96, and the Grunge movement was pretty much done. These factors in mind, during the period of time post 1995 there were few new bands coming out in Hard Rock that really had an identity. Around the same time people started to label many new acts emerging onto the scene as Post-Grunge and in 1997 an independent band by the name of Creed came out of what appeared to be nowhere.
A band that had roots dating back to 1994 when Vocalist Scott Stapp and Guitarist Mark Tremonti had been classmates in high school, within just a few years they were putting out their debut album to be known as My Own Prison. At first released independently earlier in June of 1997 by the band’s record label Blue Collar Records, the story goes their manager, Jeff Hanson, teamed the band up with John Kurzweg (who would go onto to work with other big stars like Puddle of Mudd, Godsmack, and Jewel) and My Own Prison was recorded for a modest $6,000… all funded by Hanson.
From here the album made rounds at local Florida radio stations and by August of that same year at the time unknown independent label called Wind-up Records (who went on to build an all-star roster that included Evanescence and Seether) signed Creed and re-released My Own Prison. Still finding their audience, within 6-7 months Creed began to pick up some steam. Sure, there were critics who were less than kind to the band calling them a derivative of Grunge and unoriginal, but truth be told, Creed was getting plenty of attention among hungry Hard Rock fans. In fact, for many coming-of-age rockers the My Own Prison album was a bit underground, a bit edgy, and extremely powerful. That said, believe it or not, between 1997 up until their 1999 album Human Clay, Creed was anything but mainstream. However, when Human Clay hit in 1999, Creed was no longer the little band that could, they were soaring up charts on their way to becoming the biggest band in the USA.
A wild history, Creed would go onto sell over 53 million albums worldwide, and become one of best-selling artists of the entire 2000s period. So much for critics! Either way, the foundation for Creed’s success was really set with My Own Prison, and for many, this album still has a special place in their hearts. That is why with the album’s 25th anniversary arriving in 2022, it is super exciting to see it make its way to vinyl for the first time ever.
Arriving in stores on December 2nd thanks to Craft Recordings, and just in time for Christmas, the vinyl release is available in a variety of limited-edition colors; this includes opaque orange (via Revolver), metallic silver (Walmart), and root beer vinyl (limited to 1,000 copies through Craft Recordings webstore only). So, fans are probably curious what is in the packaging, and is it worth it?
Well, the LP is pretty standard – no fancy art, no extra bells and whistles, but just a beautiful LP sleeve with the original artwork enlarged. Then inside you have a very nice liner which has the original CD booklet art and song lyrics. In essence, you are getting the album as it would have been released back in 1997 had it been printed on vinyl. All in all, it is a really cool item and a must have for fans who love this album and appreciate how great it really is.
Let us not forget My Own Prison includes some really intense tracks which include “Torn,” the title-track, “Pity for a Dime,” “Illusion,” and “Unforgiven.” If you have not spun the album in the while, the musicianship still holds up, the passion is clearly in the performance, and the songwriting is top-notch. Say what you will about Creed, but give them their due credit. Beyond the eyes of a cynic’s vision, Creed and this album still rock hard. That is why Cryptic Rock gladly gives this vinyl release of My Own Prison 5 out of 5 stars.
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