Human Conditions - Richard Ashcroft [VINYL]

Originally issued on Hut Records in October 2002, 'Human Conditions' built on the success of 'Alone With Everybody', retaining the new fans he had gained with that record. 'It's a beautiful world', sings Ashcroft on opening track and lead single 'Check the Meaning'. Its eight-minutes seem a culmination of all of Ashcroft's work to date a haunting guitar figure, swelling strings, and subtle orchestration back a lyric that catalogues the battle of love over evil, ending with Ashcroft assuring the listener 'It's gonna be alright'. It is a powerful beginning to a powerful album. 'Buy It in Bottles' maintains the introspection of 'The Drugs Don't Work', a mood that can be also found on 'Running Away' and 'Lord I've Been Trying'; while 'Bright Lights' and 'Paradise' bring the anthemic rock. When Brian Wilson guests on one of your albums, it suggests a certain status has been attained; Richard Ashcroft demonstrated that he could hold his own in such company; both are songwriters of the human condition, and the song Wilson appears on 'Nature Is the Law', closes 'Human Conditions' in stellar fashion.

Disc 1
1. Check the Meaning - Richard Ashcroft (8.04)
2. Buy It in Bottles - Richard Ashcroft (4.39)
3. Bright Lights - Richard Ashcroft (5.15)
4. Paradise - Richard Ashcroft (5.37)
5. God in the Numbers - Richard Ashcroft (6.58)
Disc 2
6. Science of Silence - Richard Ashcroft (4.15)
7. Man On a Mission - Richard Ashcroft (5.29)
8. Running Away - Richard Ashcroft (4.16)
9. Lord I've Been Trying - Richard Ashcroft (5.23)
10. Nature Is the Law - Richard Ashcroft (4.55)