It’s fair to say that I was caught by Caedmon’s Call from the very moment I heard that guitar opening.
I did not hear the self-titled record right after its release. I didn’t pick it up until October of 1997, where I was working in my first college job in my freshman year. I was an avid reader of CCM at the time, and they were making a big deal about this band out of Texas. I trusted them enough to give it a try. I’m glad that I did. Looking back, I can see the lead of love.
I find that I am drawn strongly to music that comes at important points in my life. There are records that I will always associate with the promise and then failure of relationships. There are records that are a source of strength when I am weak. For me, the self-titled record came at a time when I was moving from youth group Christianity into one that really struggled with what this faith experience really meant. Along with Jennifer Knapp’s Kansas and the first two Jars of Clay records, Caedmon’s Call served as a jumping-off point for discussion, reflection, and reading our Bibles during my first two years of college. Because of that, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
I was drawn to a number of things about Caedmon’s Call, but the vocals really did it for me. I’m a choral music person, so a record that let vocals shine and, better yet, revolved around three vocalists with very different styles was very appealing. I’ve played around with the track list for the record a number of times over the years, but I don’t think you could do any better than “Lead of Love” -> “Close of Autumn” -> “Not the Land”. The progression from anthemic to contemplative to angry just really does it for me.
There’s really only one clunker on the record for me, and that’s “Stupid Kid”. While I’ve always appreciated the sentiment of the song, it just grates on me. “Bus Driver” has certainly seen better days, which explains why Derek quit playing it over a decade ago. Everything else, though, sparkles just as much for me as it did fifteen years ago.
If I’m pressed for a favorite song, it has to be “Not Enough” for the following:
In the garden of my pride
The lamented lime tree
Too stupid to cry for rain
fruitless and choked out by weedsSo I write a book of life
Using the best words I can find
For some struggler to snuggle up
When the world becomes unkind
When the world becomes unkind
Biblical imagery plus painful reflection … man, that Aaron Tate.
We’ll have a few reflective pieces over the next few days from our staff. We’d love for you to sound off here in the comments or on our Rumor Forum. What do you love about the record? What’s your favorite song? Where were you in life when you first came across the record?