Caedmon's call goes U2

Just in case you don't read the rest of this because it's too political or whatever for you, I'll go ahead and start by saying BUY THE NEW CAEDMON'S CALL CD!!!!!!!!!!!! I just bought it from itunes, and it's amazing. That said, I can now tell you why.

I have had several conversations with friends in the past about frustrations with Christian bands/singers. The complaints have a pretty wide range--everything from not liking Michael W. Smith's voice (my own personal complaint) and the fact that he sticks out his chin when he hits high notes to theological disagreements with their messages. One recurring theme, however, has been a general disappointment in what the ones who "make it big" do with their fame--for the most part, nothing. With the money that they are making and the influence that they have within the Christian community and sometimes in our society in general, couldn't they be doing more around the world?

I think U2 is a good example of what a bunch of regular guys in a band can actually do. I love reading about Bono, the lead singer, and all the cool stuff he does. I'm not saying his Christian example has always been perfect (whose has?) but man, he is passionate about using the stuff God has given him to be the body of Christ in the world, especially concerning the AIDS epidemic that is tearing Africa apart. He has used his fame and money to do everything from taking personal trips to Africa with different aid organizations to successfully lobbying for the US government to give $5 billion in relief, and he has been persistent in asking Western governments to cancel debt in these countries so they can start to stand on their own feet. Funny how they are the first example that comes to my mind on what a Christian band should do, and they have never been a "Christian" band in the marketing sense.

All this being said, when I read a review of the new Caedmon's Call CD in Relevant Magazine, I was pleasantly surprised to see that their newest effort is artistically and socially being compared to the significance U2's "The Joshua Tree." After looking at their own story on their website (http://www.caedmonscall.com/ns/about.htm) and buying and listening to their CD, I'm even more impressed. Artistically, it is a huge step up from their last album, with lots of international influence from recent travels to India, Ecuador, and Brazil. It's a lot of fun to listen to! Also, the band has become involved with a great organization called the Dalit Freedom Network. The Dalit are one of the untouchable castes in India, consisting of about 250 million people, who basically have no rights whatsoever. (The website explains it better than I do!) Besides raising awareness with some tough lyrics, they are raising money through sales and concerts to benefit organizations they support (including DFN), and they are also planning specifically to build two Dalit schools so the children from that caste can have a chance at education like kids from higher castes.

In other words, Caedmon's Call has gone U2--praise God! If you were thinking about buying the CD, please do! It's worth it to listen to, and it goes to people who are actually DOING SOMETHING!