Caedmon's Call -- Caedmon's Call

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9/10

Like most folks, I've found some things for myself, and some things have been passed down to me.  I am the oldest cousin on the younger of two tiers of cousins, thus I've had stuff passed down to me from the older tier.  The older tier was also a great resource in answering my mother's age-old question, "What should I get my teenage son for Christmas?" Well, in the good old Christmas of 1998, the answer to that question was, "Get him this Caedmon's Call CD."
That was a good move.  Caedmon's Call's (haha, double possessives look funny!) intellectual, highly spiritual folk-rock sound mirrored the music all these older cousin's friends' bands were making, bands these cousins were taking me to see play.  I was primed for it.  This was also a good move because I come from exquisite genetics and everyone in my family has good taste.
And finally, we all had a good laugh that the album cover reminded us of this one:
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From another great band that sounds nothing like Caedmon's Call.
So anyway, I guess I'm supposed to be writing a review or something.
This is artfully written, enjoyably performed as I said above..."folk rock." I guess the fact that it has drums, a few patches of electric guitar, and an actual pulse is the "rock" aspect.  The lyrics are the thoughtful college kid variety--that's who this band spent their early years playing to (hey, it's like they WERE my older cousins).  This band was Derek Webb's gig before he got all solo, and he does great work with his songwriting here, composing half of the tracks, and many of the best ones. Actually, almost everyone of these songs is a "best" one.
The best thing about this debut album is that it sounds like the work of seasoned veterans.  Every guitar lick and organ line seems to come from a place of wisdom.  The triple-vocal threat (one of which is a woman) also adds to the album's diversity of sound, and a butt-kicking Rich Mullins cover in the middle proves that this band isn't afraid to take chances and mix things up a bit.
So while you do get a few of your basic, "I'm in a coffee house thinking" songs, the prevailing sentiment of this album flows against that to the point that there is an actual song titled "I Just Don't Want Coffee." This is an album of many autumnal colors that would just as soon rock out as meditate, and songs like "Not the Land" are toe-tappers that prove Derek Webb could have possibly had a career in punk music.

I'm proud to still spin this album to the point that the plastic's falling off. Thanks, cousins!

1997 Warner Alliance
1 Lead of Love 3:57
2 Close of Autumn 4:56
3 Not the Land 5:04
4 This World 3:45
5 Bus Driver 4:57
6 Standing up for Nothing 4:56
7 Hope to Carry On 2:48
8 Stupid Kid 4:01
9 I Just Don't Want Coffee  5:59
10 Not Enough 3:40
11 Center Aisle 5:46
12 Coming Home 4:21

Comments

Man, this review originally included a dig at Derek Webb, but I later edited it out after he or his web-admin re-posted the review on his website. I regret that. My opinion on Webb's music over the last few years has been unfortunately prescient--I've always thought he has been a provocateur for the sake of provocation rather than for the sake of whatever he is supposed to be provoking people toward. I always had pushback from friends on these points, and while this idea is oversimplified, I think it has been proven true. I feel like when someone undergoes a major belief change, and yet remains the same, it's the actual recurring behavior that's true. Webb's "In-your-faceness," the way that he always aggressively makes points with such conviction and certainty even when his point ins uncertainty has always driven me crazy, though only to a greater extent once he went solo. He may now be saying "I don't believe in Jesus" instead of "I believe in Jesus," but his method of communication is the same...it's why I haven't bought one of his albums since 2004. I just don't like his musical persona. It's like he's always pointing a finger at you: "You don't even CARE ABOUT AFRICA!" "You and your church don't serve Jesus correctly!" "You're judging me!" Meh. There's already a finger pointing at me in the mirror everyday, and that one needs to chill out as it is.
All that to say, I regret softening my opinion on him in print for the sake of page-views. His website kindly re-posted the two reviews I did of his solo work (which I also wrote far more gently I truly felt), as well, and I owed him an honest opinion about the way I felt about his music. Outside of his collaborative work on the first two Caedmon's Call albums, I don't particularly like it. I can't think of another time I have sacrificed my integrity on The Nicsperiment to this level, but I hope that I don't do it again.
As for Webb, I don't know him personally, and I might even like him as a person if I met him, but as an artist, I don't care for him, at all.
Graham Wall said…
I'm glad I stumbled upon this epic speech! Ha ha. I enjoy "Stockholm Syndrome" and wanted to see if you had a review, but it was released in 2009, not 2004. ;) One thing I think I'm learning about people lately is how susceptible we all are to pride ... I suppose I should only keep my eyes on myself about this, but there's my wild guess. Whether you're a fundamentalist Christian or a deconstructionist, you're probably not exempt; and I'm not either.

This is probably the only time I will ever quote Nietzsche: “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

When we associate ourselves with a group—no matter how well-intentioned—we seem to be prone to scapegoating another group. Why humans seem so incapable of overcoming this, I'm not entirely sure of.
Yes! I’m so glad you made it here. That’s one of the only Nietzsche quotes I enjoy! Great point about pride, and also, your last paragraph is particularly wise: As I mentioned, I’m sure I’d have softer opinions of Webb if I met him in real life. It’s easy to have that negative, factionalized view of an “other” when you never spend any time with that other!

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