Human Conditions


Human Conditions is the second album by English singer-songwriter, Richard Ashcroft. It was released on Hut Records in 2002.

Release and reception

Review aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalised score of 61 based on 15 reviews, which indicated a "generally favourable" reception. However, many of the critics had negative views of Ashcroft's ideas. Some of the negative reviews, included Nick Southall of Stylus, who remarked 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."

Details

In 2003, when asked about the naysayers to the album, Ashcroft responded: "If I had put on fifteen stone and Kate had left me and I’d almost 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."

Track listing

  1. "Check the Meaning" – 8:04
  2. "Buy It in Bottles" – 4:39
  3. "Bright Lights" – 5:15
  4. "Paradise" – 5:37
  5. "God in the Numbers" – 6:58
  6. "Science of Silence" – 4:15
  7. "Man on a Mission" – 5:29
  8. "Running Away" – 4:16
  9. "Lord I've Been Trying" – 5:23
  10. "Nature Is the Law" – 4:55

    Bonus track

The Japanese and American editions of the album featured one bonus track originally released as a B-side for the UK single "Check the Meaning".