Customer Reviews

40 Acres

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Knowing nothing about Caedmon's Call except for a cut from a CD I had heard, I bought 40 Acres as a stocking-stuffer for my son this Christmas.

He hasn't seen much of it since then.

Musically, Caedmon's Call has an upbeat country-tinged acoustic sound that is easy to listen to and that will appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Their musicianship is simply superb, and they range over a wide variety of styles from the soulful "Somewhere North" to the foot-stomping, rockabilly love song "Daring Daylight Escape". Their songs are enhanced by three very different but very talented lead singers as well as a blend of instruments not often found in popular music.

Best of all, their lyrics are honest, theologically sound, and very literate. How the group is able to incorporate many biblical ideas and references without coming off as preachy or stuffy is hard for me to fathom, but they do so with an ease and grace that seems to say that this band writes from the heart and lives their convictions.

This CD is easily the best contemporary Christian recording of 1999 and, in my opinion, ranks among the best ever made.

After hearing 40 Acres, it's no wonder this band has been such the big success it has been over the past couple of years. As outstanding as their first CD was, this one is even better. Caedmon's Call returns with their familiar acoustic folk-rock sound and improves on it by adding new instruments. Some of the songs even have sort of a Celtic flavor, especially "Petrified Heart." Derek Webb and Aaron Tate are two very talented songwriters; their lyrics are very poetic, introspective, honest, and easy to relate to. The members of this band are also very talented; three lead singers give the album a lot of variety. There is not one bad song on this album. While most contemporary Christian artists lack in depth and quality, these guys are far from mediocre. I can't wait to see them live in concert. Great work, guys!

...Christian music albums of 1999. I bought it based purely on the quality of the last album and think I actually like it better! So often I skip through tracks when listening for the first time, but didn't with this one. For some reason, it's so easy to listen to; the lyrics are introspective and "real". A little more country/folk than the last, but still maintaining a young, fresh, alternative sound.

Caedmon's does it again with 40 Acres. If you are looking for music that is honest and varied, they can't be beat. From the unofficial theme of redemption in the album (such as "40 Acres"), to feeling alone ("Table For Two"), to the Irish feel of "Petrified Heart", you have 3 vocalists, with three different styles, three songwriters (including Shawn Colvin on "Climb On"), there is so much depth and variety to their music that you won't get tired of it.

As a long term reformed Christian, I had pretty much gotten to where I felt virtually all CCM music was just second rate bands that couldn't get a contract without trading on the "religious" label. My favorite modern religious song had always been Eric Clapton's "Presence of the Lord". But then I read an article about the resurgance of Calvinism amoungst Christian youth and a few CCM rock bands and decided to try Caedmon's Call. I was pleasantly shocked. Derek Webb and company have managed to pull off the difficult task of bringing reformed theology into a modern context. I can't thank you guys enough. So far everything I've heard is first rate. Along with Jars of Clay, Derek Webb and Caedmon's Call are the best of what will hopefully be a coming flood of Christian alternative rock. I love it. Thank you!

I was fortunate to get this cd for my birthday, but as a result of a shipping mistake, i had to wait three weeks in order to get my hands actually on the disc.I'm quickly making up for lost time.40 acres is an excellent CD; the first four tracks hooked me and i haven't been able to stop listening to the cd ever since. There You Go has single written all over it, and it's immensely appealing, but Thankful, the next track, is marvelous, a rousingly thankful song to God. Now I pride myself on often keeping my emotions under control, but I'm happy to admit that "Shifing Sand" made me cry. THe sheer beauty of the lyrics (which describe the difficulty of the Christian walk with lines such as "sometimes I believe all the lies/and do all the things I should despise") and the introspective, powerful singing is highly effective. Shawn Colvin, an excellent secular artist of a highly similar genre, has an influence on the track after "Shifting Sand," in which the singer contemplates his life in his hometown and his family. Its simplistic but moving style is highly reminiscent of Colvin's "New Thing Now" or "Wichita Skyline." Seeing the Colvin influence, it's not surprisingly in the least that the band covers the excellent Colvin song "Climb on (a back that's strong)." They avoid the pitfalls of most covers and make the song fresh and vibrant. It's a true masterpiece. The other six songs on 40 acres are just as moving, with the group's country-tinged rock and smooth harmonizing evident throughout. Shawn Colvin and Jennifer Knapp fans shouldn't hesitate when deciding to purchase this disc. Buy it now!

I bought this CD after having heard 'Back Home' and 'In the Company of Angels' and am pleased to say that this has been my favorite CD by CC. It maybe the best display of Derek Webb's talent. His warm and passionate voice and guitar work is ever-present. The blend of different musical styles is so flowing that they do not clash, but rather harmonize very well. Their style is that of a folk/rock and is very enjoyable. Buy this CD, you won't be dissapointed.

What I like about Caedmon's Call and 40 Acres is their wonderful, lyrical honesty. With the rise in popularity of contemparary Christian music, we are swamped with airbrushed groups singing about a Christianity where nothing is difficult anymore. This is hardly the truth. It's hard to be a Christian in this world, and Caedmon's Call taps into that with their deep lyrics that showcase the educated and inspired minds that wrote them. Whether it's the difficulty of maintaining faith (Shifting Sand), struggling with materialism (Faith My Eyes), growing jaded (Pertified Heart), or fearing for the future (Table for Two - my theme song), Caedmon's Call shines. In the midst of the struggle is peace (Thankful), heartbreak (Somewhere North) and redemptation (40 Acres).

I have never enjoyed modern Christian music - this is a shame because I firmly believe that reverent and thought-provoking music can be both worshipful and marketable. The only problem is that for years the best that the genre had to offer was lite-pop mediocrity and horrendous and derivative R&B. These shortcomings are thankfully a thing of the past with the fantastic band Caedmon's Call. While their last album was very good, "40 Acres" is a masterpiece from start to finish. Every song is a fully-realized gem. The album's theme is redemption and the lyrics are reformed in their bent. Derek Webb is a wonderful talent - he writes provocative and gorgeous pop-folk songs. Most of his songs are about God's sovereignty. Listen to songs like "There You Go", "Table for Two", "Somewhere North", and "40 Acres" and you'll have to agree that this album is easily as good as anything in the secular world.

i got this CD for my sixteenth birthday. this is one of my favorite albumsof all time. derek webb is one of the best song writers alive and this is, in my opinion, the single best collection of his songs.