Hostage to Nobody: Derek Webb's 'Stockholm Syndrome'

As much as I've enjoyed the music of both Derek Webb and Caedmon's Call, the whole "controversy" controversy that has followed Webb since his departure from Caedmon's is stale. Yes, I think Derek is saying good things that do need to be heard by the church, but it's become quite muddied by the reactions that I don't see anyone actually making, but feel as though I'm reading about everytime I look at anything involving Webb. Maybe it is the doing of the Christian sub-culture that Webb has spoken about, or maybe it his intention to get a reaction, either way, it's taking away from the message of a good song writter who has something to say.

I am a Christian and I hate Christian music. I don't like categorizing any music into "Christian" because it's just music. Webb is an amazing artist, point blank. His lyrics are challenging and well placed. Good job on the album! If the "Christian" music market is upset, well done.

First off, I dig the music itself.

However, if it wasn't for all of the press and shenanigans telling me how "controversial" it is, I wouldn't have thought it was stirring up anything at all. I have yet to actually hear somebody speak a foul word about the content or lyrics; all I have are reports by the press, such as this, that there are people out there complaining somewhere. I don't live in the Bible Belt, so maybe that's part of it, but the press all feels a bit too much like manufactured marketing to me.

So the big news is that a musician put out a song that's supposed to shock people? Last time I checked, we've been doing that since Stravinsky's Rite of Spring; that sort of comes with the job.

Let the music be what it is. If the music and lyrics twist people up inside just like you intended, then you've done your job. If you have to tell people that something's controversial, it's probably not.

What makes you say the album is "stunningly successful"? Do you have online sales numbers?

I want to respond to a couple of comments about my above review of Derek Webb's new album "Stockholm Syndrome."

To Tim Eagerton, who writes that the media are creating controversy where there is none, I'd say that it's possible that the label omitted one of his songs from the album in order to drive up sales, and the media (I guess that's me) took the bait. But when an artist with Webb's track record has to release a song himself rather than see it die in the dark, that's what's defined as controversy on my beat, and I'd be remiss to ignore it.

In answer to Ron's question about what makes the album "stunningly successful": that's a critical judgment on my part. When I heard that Webb was making a techno album, I was flabbergasted by the change in his sound, but he pulls it off.

Lastly, Eric Howell entirely misses his guess about my habits, of mind, spirit and stimulants.

Derek's new CD brings the wrong message at the wrong time. The church is getting too much pressure from outside forces to keep quiet about homosexuality. We don't need more of that pressure from within our own ranks. The CD is being portrayed as anti-establishment. It really isn't. It is so much easier to take a stand for keeping quiet, than it is to actually say anything that anyone could ever construe as anti-homosexual. Derek is so politically correct. And the problems don't end with that one song. The CD enters into territory that should have been off limits.