Credo

CREDO (2011) is the Human League's first studio album in ten years, it has great synthesizer sounds with heavy dance beats supporting the vocals of Philip Oakey, Susan Sulley and Joanne Catherall. This 47 minute CD with eleven new synth-pop songs should be celebrated by fans of synth-pop dance music. This new music recovers that Human League signature sound from 1983 that melds cold electronics with melodic lyrics. It is like Sweet-&-Sour food, the constant beats and metallic sounds that combine with the flow of marvelous melodies.I really like CREDO because of the quick lyrics of the Human League, supported by the constant beats and accents from the synthesizers. The best thing about this album for me, is that it just gets better the more one listens to it.I strongly recommend CREDO (2011) for Human League fans, because I think it is equal to their best albums, DARE! (1981) and FASCINATION (1983). The best thing for the normal listener to do, is go to the Human League's channel on YOUTUBE and watch the CREDO videos. The video for "Never Let Me Go" uses many special effects from camera lens and mirrors to make a fantastic video.P.S. Americans should insure they buy the cheaper US release, instead of the more expensive IMPORT of this CD.The CASE: I bought the CD release to get the packaging, I wanted the jewel case and a pretty booklet with lots of pictures, but that was not to be. The CD is slipped within a three-piece cardboard fold-out, with one small head-shot photo of each vocalist. The booklet lists the order of the song titles and has multiple pages of tiny white song lyrics on black pages. The tiny white lyrics are printed in various orientations and are hard to read, but at least they are on a solid background. I would have been just as happy downloading the MP3 songs.ALSO: Human League fans may now download the MP3 songs from Fascination! that famous 1983 EP album which I also strongly recommend. You can also make a good purchase of Dare / Love & Dancing which is the ten songs from the famous DARE album combined with the eight extended dance mixes released in 1982.Dance to the Synth-Pop music and enjoy !

Updated 2-2016 - this album definately gets better with repeated listens!I still think Secret is right up there on top, but this is a great CD, and a must have.On first listen, this has more of the simplistic sound that you might have heard on earlier works like Dare.Coming off of Secrets, which was a fantastic work by Human League, Credo starts out sounding a little disappointing.I had somewhat dismissed it initially. Now that some time has passed, and with a few more listens under my belt, I find I really, really like Credo. Is it better than Secrets?It's a great CD.Just be sure to listen to it all the way through before dismissing it as I did back in 2011!

Given the real possibility of never again hearing anything new from the Human League, it's a real cause for celebration to have some new music from this truly great band.I have to admit, "Credo" has grown on me--from not liking it very much on a first listen, to now enjoying it a lot. It's received wildly mixed reviews in England, from high praise to being panned. For me, I don't think "Credo" is going to stand in the upper echelons of The Human League's work, but it's a solid effort that is enjoyable and worth having if you are a fan. However, I'd be surprised if "Credo" will make new fans of The Human League.Overall, "Credo" seems a lot more riff-oriented, rather than containing fully fleshed-out songs. There's nothing on this CD that reaches the heights of their best work, such as "Soundtrack To A Generation" from Romantic or "Reflections" or "You'll Be Sorry" from Secrets, or "The Lebanon" from Hysteria, etc. Still, there are a lot of very solid songs that eventually get under your skin, even if they would not be considered among the band's best material.It was daring to open the CD with "Never Let Me Go," a song sung by Suzanne Sulley. However, it's unfortunate that her voice is processed with a pitch correcter so that she's always in-tune. Memo to the band: Part of the charm of the Human League is hearing singers who are just slightly out of tune, so it's not a positive that this sort of technology is being used on Suzanne. Thankfully, the technology is never used on Phil Oakey's voice (witness Phil's wonderfully out-of-tune singing on "Privelege").Strongest tracks include "Sky," "Single Minded," "Egomaniac," "Electric Shock," "Privelege," and "When The Stars Start To Shine." There are no weak songs on the CD.So how would I rank "Credo" against the Human League's major body of work? In order from worst to best: 7) Crash, 6) Hysteria, 5) Credo, 4) Octopus, 3) Dare, 2) Secrets, and 1) Romantic?.UPDATE: With the passage of time since I first wrote this review, I like Credo even more. You might get me to bump Credo up to #4, but rather than displacing Octopus, I would probably rank them a "tie" rather than one better than the other. Octopus has higher highs, but also lower lows. Credo, by contrast, never hits the heights of Octopus, but also don't have a bad song on it. And I have to admit--Credo has not left my CD player since I got it.

After listening to some previews of the music, I wasn't sure. But, being a fan of the Human League since the '80s, and since I have every other CD of theirs, I decided to try it. After listening, it was okay...but after 3 or 4 listens, it's absolutely incredible. It is one of those recordings that you have to listen to several times before becoming addicted to the music. But, it's worth it! I cannot get these songs out of my head. Highly recommended for any Human League fan!

One thing I've always liked about the HL is they have for the most part always been true to themselves, never jumping on the next bandwagon to sell records (well, maybe except for "The Lebanon") This album feels like an album made from a band that is confident and happy with themselves. Oakey's voice sounds as good as it did 30 years ago, and the Sulley lead track "Never Let Me Go" is probably the best female lead vocal track the League has ever done.However, the album as whole lacks very much edginess. Aside from the track "Privilege" (which I think is pretty brilliant and could have easily come off the first album "Reproduction" ) most of the hooks are pretty generic and wear thin quite quickly. No track really stands out even as much as "All I Ever Wanted" from 'Secrets'Still, it is a very honest, well produced and pleasant album...lyric-wise very positive and uplifting...but no new ground is broken here and certainly nothing like "Dare" or their other earlier works.

This is the best effort by Human League since DARE. It is upbeat and the songs are blended perfectly. Their voices have not changed in 30 years, and that is quite remarkable. If you are a true fan, then give it a couple of plays before you make a decision on whether you like it or not. I've played it everyday for a month and am not tired of it yet!JRD

I was a bit leery after hearing the samples available -- but I got the CD and am amazed at this latest Leage effort. Great stuff!

THIS IS A MESS. After all the build up I have never been so disappointed. There is no melody, or anything catchy rhythm wise. I seriously see this as a huge blemish. SO someone please tell me what I am missing! Even the artwork sucked. This is not my HL - from EMPIRE STATE HUMAN through ONE MAN IN MY HEART - graphically and musically, Phil showed his talent. I have no idea what happened here; they worked on this too long and it is a mechanical monster.

I find it difficult to understand some of the mixed reviews 'Credo' has got. It is not so much a return to form as a development of everything The Human League have created over the last 33 years.'Never Let Me Go' has to rank as one of HL's best openers, on a par with 'The Black Hit of Space' and 'I'm Coming Back'. There is even a nod to 'Crash', with its heavy drum patterns. The vocals are sublime on this track, especially Susan's, and once the production revs up 3 minutes in, this is an entirely new Human League. 'Night People' sounds like the grandchild of 'Sound of the Crowd'. On first hearing I, like many, thought the lyrics were faintly ridiculous, but now, after listening to it on repeat, I am totally hooked. Who else but Phil would have the nerve to rhyme 'freezers', 'cheeses', and 'Caesar's'? That is some sort of genius. 'Sky' is a dancier update of 'Louise'-meets-''Life On Your Own', neatly segueing into the next track, 'Into The Night', which is reminiscent of 'Secrets'-era HL. In fact, without writing a blow-by-blow 'this song sounds like that one' review, 'Credo' cleverly references everything we love about The Human League, particularly 'Hysteria' and 'Travelogue', although this is more to do with subtle sounds than carbon copies. They have never sounded better, they are more relevant today than ever after the shameless plundering by artists such as La Roux, and this album proves the original is always the best. More's the pity 'Credo' won't sell millions, but to paraphrase Norma Desmond in 'Sunset Boulevard, The Human League still are big, it's just the charts that got smaller...

Un muy buen disco con algún que otro tema con el espíritu de la banda de siempre. Inmejorable relación calidad precio.

It's been a while since we last heard from the Human League. Their last CD, Secrets, released in 2001, went unnoticed despite positive reviews. They never give up though. Produced by the production team of I, Monster, they deliver their best effort since Dare or Secrets. The League churn out hooky, and yet sometimes edgy synthpop, programmed in a time machine from 1981. Adding a little of contemporary charm, they manage to be themselves without becoming stagnant or lacklustre. Human League fans should get this CD immediately, and new time fans who are into techno, would appreciate the programmed hooks and tight production. Give this group some credit for surviving as long as they have-they're going into their third decade as a group, and continuing to turn out catchy, memorable technopop.

フィリップのデビューの頃と変わってないvoとかジョアンヌやスーザンの若返ったようなvoもびっくりでした。正に彼らはアンチエイジングな三人です。特にジョアンヌとスーザンは魔女だったのでした(笑い)。そしてサウンドもまるで「お帰りなさい」と言わんばかりの懐かし音で「もうテンション上がりっぱ」とテクノ好きな友人たちも言っておりました。やっぱHRはDMと並んで最強なテクノグループですね。もしかしたらDMをも上回る?かもですね。

Alles goed en wel ontvangen, leuk business te doen met jullie. ik kijk altijd eerst bij jullie om een cd te kopen.