Caedmon - Caedmon

Published Wednesday 6th October 2010
Caedmon - Caedmon
Caedmon - Caedmon

STYLE: Jesus Music
RATING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 95628-16996
LABEL: Kissing Spell 9450
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Back in 1978, this Edinburgh-based Christian folk rock outfit recorded an album to mark the end of six years of making music together. Only 500 copies were pressed and, over the years, the eponymous release gained cult status resulting in original copies fetching hundreds of pounds by collectors who claimed 'Caedmon' to be a folk rock classic. Almost 30 years later, specialist label Kissing Spell (the same label responsible for the CD reissue of another group of Christian folksters, The Water Into Wine Band) re-released this gem. Recorded in a tiny home studio over two sessions on a shoestring budget, this is undeniably rough and ready stuff made all the more charming by its homemade nature and the band's obvious enthusiasm. Whilst comparisons to other folk rock acts such as Pentangle and Fairport Convention are inevitable, Caedmon go all out to keep things fresh by attempting to give a different feel to each track. For instance, the laid back groove of pianist and cellist Ken Patterson's "Maker Man" sits in stark contrast to the spellbindingly complex "Death Of A Fox" which features some nifty mandolin work from Simon Jacquet. The band's Jesus Music leanings are reflected in the likes of the progressive folk of "Ten Maidens Fair" which paraphrases the parable of the 10 virgins whilst "Beyond The Second Mile" tackles Jesus' "eye for an eye" rebuke complete with a tender performance from lead vocalist Angela Naylor and some memorable electric guitar from Jim Bisset. Other highlights include the evocative "Sea Song" and the joyously funky "Living In The Sunshine" which see the band work together as a unit to pull something rather special out the bag. The album is not without its faults - Naylor's vocals are often lost in the mix, for example. But there is much here which is not only fascinating Christian music history, it is exceptionally inventive Christian folk that easily stands up amongst today's music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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Reader Comments

Posted by Shaeron caton rose in Knaresborough @ 20:09 on Dec 28 2014

Hi! How do I get hold of or listen to this album?!


Reply by Sam Wilson in Edinburgh @ 11:44 on Mar 6 2020

For a long while it’s been unavailable, but we’ve just released a remastered edition on CD or vinyl. You can get it from our web site at .

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