Cons: Interludes can get annoying; frequent shifts in musical style are confusing at first.
The Bottom Line: Call them sellouts if you want, but this was the first album that showed the true personality and wit of all of the members of dc Talk.
Author's Note: If you arrived at this page via a link from the website "Corrupted Christianity", please note that I do not support their fundamentalist, judgmental ideas about every Christian rock artist in the world being EVIL AND SATANIC, nor did I authorize them to link to my review as an underhanded way of supporting their false teachings.
If you didn't arrive here via that link, you may visit their site at http://corruptchristianity.tripod.com if you'd like to see what I'm referring to. It's good for a laugh.
If my bias wasn't already obvious in the countless other reviews where I've mentioned dc Talk or its members, I'll make it clear here. DC TALK ROCKS. Or, more appropriately, dc Talk writes awesome songs that rock when they assemble a band to play them. From their early days as a cheesy, white-boy rap group, their catchiness and popularity has relied not only on the excellent voices and ever-improving songwriting skills of the group's three members, but also on skilled production and competent studio players. They were already getting huge with the 1992 release of their classic hip-pop album Free at Last, which, for all of its embarrassing missteps, managed to bridge one heck of a gap between fans, elevating dc Talk far beyond where the then miniscule realm of Christian rap could take them. At some point in the three years after Free at Last, dc Talk realized that they loved a lot more than just poppy rap songs. Something inside them was itching to take the music wherever it would go and not confine themselves to a genre, and voila! Out popped Jesus Freak, one of the most musically diverse and yet cohesive and satisfying Christian albums ever. This bad boy paved the way for the reinvention of several big-name artists who were staples of Christian pop/rock radio, even if it meant a radical change in their fan base. It also blew the doors wide open for newer acts to explore a then-innovative mixture of rock and rap that Christian music had not yet seen done well. More than anything else, it was fun. And nearly every song on Jesus Freak is now viewed by almost all of their fans as classic, making this a tough album to top. Heck, every single song on this thing was a radio hit – no filler, no kidding. The boys put a lot of work into this one, and though several of their fans from the hip-pop days cried “sellout”, we really should have seen it coming with more guitar-oriented rap songs like “Luv Is a Verb” and “Time Is…”, the R&B influenced “Hardway”, the technofied “Jesus Is Just Alright”, and the entirely acoustic rendition of Larry Norman’s apocalyptic “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”.
So, let’s take another look at these modern classic, shall we?
So Help Me God I throw myself at mercy, for I am the chief of sinners, but daily taking up my cross has brought it's share of splinters…
Starting off with a whacked out, fuzzy intro, this song had me convinced when I first got the album on cassette that it was being eaten by my stereo. But then, “I got something for ya, man…” Once I calmed down enough to realize that my brand new tape was supposed to sound that way, I found myself drenched in an oddly rocking soundscape of guitars and drums drenched in reverb, with enough explosive dissonance to clearly explain to fans that dc Talk had officially become part of the alternative rock culture. The title here almost resorts to shock value by using a phrase often taken as blasphemous and turning it into something reverent, a tactic used more blatantly by early Christian rock bands. Toby Mac’s almost spoken vocals during the verses are a bit of surprise as well – he can do something other than rap which makes him fit into this new sound just fine, and Michael Tait and Kevin Max bring insane amounts of singability to the song with the “ba-ba-ba”s at the beginning and the desperate chorus. It was all quite a surprise at the time, but thankfully, it stands on its own as a good song and not just an attempt to shock fans. I love the little sound clip as the song falls apart at the end – several songs on this album are tied together with quirky little interludes or skits that pay homage to the group’s rap roots. The transitions between songs on this album are just fabulous.
Colored People Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, mister - I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin…
This song leads off with a catchy electric guitar line, but overall, it’s more of an acoustic, organic pop tune that ended up replacing “Walls” as the group’s battle cry against racism. The whole tune is richly orchestrated with layers of guitars, strings, keyboards, vocals – pretty much whatever they could throw at it, and no live version has measured up since. Kevin’s rubbery vocals fit the clever lyrics perfectly during the verses, describing humanity in rather artsy terms as a “skin kaleidoscope”, and Toby’s everlasting affinity for hip-hop still shines through as he chants “One (one, one one), Two, (two, two, two), Three (three, three, three), Four (four, four, four)” at various points during the song, even breaking in with a very brief rap interlude in the middle. I didn’t think most of this album would get much radio play at the time, being such a weird intermingling of catchy pop, fuzzy rock, and rap, but radio ate this thing up, and if Christian radio ever did something right, it was definitely the choice they made to not edit Toby’s rap out of the song. The times, they are a changing!
Jesus Freak People say I’m strange, does it make me a stranger that my best friend was born in a manger?
This of course is dc Talk’s signature tune, and it really needs no introduction, but I’m going to try to do it justice. This is an extreme, jarring rock/rap anthem that affirms the radical nature of the true Christian faith in no uncertain terms, citing the extreme changes that people go through upon being born again, and asserting that if we are true to the things we believe, the outside world is going to feel confused and even threatened by our radical nature. Once again, the group has taken a term that most Christians would have considered an insult, and turned it into a rallying cry. “I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus freak, there ain’t no disguising the truth.” The thrashing guitars are most definitely Nirvana-inspired, while Toby’s high-energy raps that break in after each verse are a definite homage to the Beastie Boys, and a lot of people criticized dc Talk for basically putting together a pastiche of everything that was popular in mainstream rock at the time. But it needed to be extreme. If the guitar solo that breaks in after the creepy but humorous bridge (quoted above) didn’t startle you at first, then you were a much more forward-thinking Christian music fan than I was. It didn’t take me long to come around, and few songs are more memorable to me than this one, which was permanently stuck in my head as I went off to college that year. Amazingly, this song walked away with a Dove Award for Song of the Year in 1996, making it the only song anywhere close to modern rock or rap to ever win that award. Way to go, boys!
What if I Stumble? If struggle has a purpose on the narrow road you've carved, why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar?
After the rather “ouch-ful” ending of “Jesus Freak”, a quick sound clip breaks in, offering a disarming quote from author Brennan Manning: “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” This ominous tune then follows, remaining mostly soft and acoustic in its nature, but still richly layered, and with lyrics that hit like a ton of bricks as the guys describe their pitfalls of being a Christian celebrity who people look up to as an example and an inspiration to keep the faith. Michael Tait sounds especially pained as he asks himself “Is this one for the people? Is this one for the Lord? Or do I simply serenade for things I must afford?”, and Toby speaks/whispers in the background, “What if I stumble, what if I fall? You never turn in the heat of it all.” In light of the scandals that rocked Christian music in the years leading up this release (Sandi Patty, Michael English, etc.), and even those troubling CCM today (Amy Grant, Raze, etc.), this song is an honest and refreshing look at just how hard it is to maintain humility and purity amidst so much stress and temptation.
Day by Day The subtleties of darkness never cease to amaze as a physical world creates a spiritual haze…
Some fun covers (“Jesus Is Just Alright”, “Lean on Me”) really offered a fun variety to Free at Last, so the group couldn’t help but follow up by covering a few more songs that had personal meaning to them on Jesus Freak. “Day by Day” is a rather radical transformation of a tune from the musical Godspell, which is likely almost unrecognizable to those who are familiar with that musical. dc Talk added some lyrics and a huge rock factor to this tune about the everyday struggle to die to self and follow Christ, and it fits all too well after the humbling effect of “Stumble”. (Ouch – that was an awkward place for a rhyme.) Though not as lyrically deep as the rest of the record, it’s a fun an encouraging tune that doesn’t skimp on the Gen-X angst factor, but still has some good clean fun in the process. It’s one of the best songs on the record for driving alone in your car and just belting out the lyrics at the tops of your longs, or screaming along with Toby, or whatever else you want to do. dc Talk songs are often interesting in that those who like to sing along (like me) aren’t always sure which member to follow!
Mrs. Morgan
The first of two interludes on this album that were lengthy enough to get their own track – this is a humorous mockery of some of the “beat poetry” that fills space on a lot of rap/R&B albums. Over a smooth hip-hop beat laid down by Toby’s buddies, the Gotee Brothers, an old woman by the name of Mrs. Morgan is sampled as she complains about the guys making a lot of noise in their recording studio, which she had the unfortunate privilege of living next door to. Mrs. Morgan has had her 15 minutes of fame ever since her little story was sampled here, including another appearance on the group’s greatest hits album, though a lot of fans find this track to be incredibly irritating after a while, and just skip to the next song.
Between You and Me If there's to be any resolution, I've got to peel my pride away…
This track is a lovely blend of acoustic pop and R&B, most certainly inspired by the likes of Seal and Lenny Kravitz. It’s no surprise that Michael Tait takes the lead for most of this song, since both artists seem to be two of his biggest influences. It’s a lovely song about reconciliation that goes a step beyond the whole “I love you, you love me” resolution to assert that when things are not right between us and our brothers and sisters, things are not right between us and God. It was catchy enough to grab tons of radio play on both Christian and mainstream radio (though frustratingly edited for both formats), and its tune and compelling lyrics are just inventive enough to make it rise above the normal “difficult relationship” song.
Kevin also makes a nice vocal appearance during parts of this song, but it seems mostly to be Michael’s baby.
Like It, Love It, Need It We circumvent our feelings through an angry sound, he who complains the loudest, wears the fattest crown…
Transitioning very quickly back into alternative-fuzz land, Toby starts this song off immediately with another quirky verse in which his rather thin singing voice shows us a very different side of this hip-hop-head. The song talks about all of the things that Generation X seems to be addicted to, and how none of those things will “provide peace of mind”. There may be a slight misstep in the chorus, where the guys loudly assert “You gotta like it, you gotta love it, I know you need some Jesus in your life.” As a non-Christian friend of mine once asserted, it makes Jesus sound like a drug (not that the ill-fated metaphor hadn’t been attempted before). Though not as seeker-sensitive as some of the other tracks, this song is still a winner simply due to its odd lyrics and its fun factor, including a rapid-fire tongue twisting rap from Toby in the middle of the song that jumps out of nowhere amidst some funky bass licks. When you’re not used to hearing rap in rock songs, that sort of thing can be a bit startling, but five and a half years later, it’s nothing short of just plain cool.
Jesus Freak (Reprise)
Hands down, this is the one track on the album that nearly every fan gripes about. It’s a rather hilarious mockery of the album’s title track, sung by one of Toby’s Gotee buds (the same one who did the voice of “Greer” on Free at Last) in a ridiculously over-emotive tone of voice that brings together the worst of lounge and Christian inspirational music. Apparently they did this rather late one night in the studio (if I had a nickel for the number of artists that made executive decisions to put weird stuff on their albums at like 3 in the morning...), and the dc Talk guys were laughing so hard that they had to leave the room in order to not ruin the recording. It’s funny the first few times – it probably would have been better placed as a bonus track at the end or something. Oh, wait, there is a bonus track. But I’m not there yet.
In the Light The disease of self runs through my blood, it's a cancer fatal to my soul, every attempt on my behalf has failed to bring this sickness under control …
Picking up where some of the breezier acoustic tunes left off, this song is a lovely cover of the Charlie Peacock classic from his now out-of-print Love Life album, that ties in wonderfully with the perspective on sin offered in “What if I Stumble?”, and which is turning out to be a central theme of the album. Having three great voices to attack this tune makes it into an even better version than Mr. Peacock’s, and they manage to alter it from early 90’s over-programmed pop to mid-90’s acoustic rock, even if there’s still a lot of busy-work going on in the production (strings and all that). Toby took a few liberties with the lyrics – the guys reiterate a key passage from Peacock’s original two or three times: “What’s going on inside of me? I despise my own behavior. This only serves to confirm my suspicion that I’m still a man in need of a Savior.” He also wrote his own bridge which alternates between Kevin crooning and Toby whispering, where the original featured a rapid lyrical sequence that Charlie made up on the spot while recording. The vocals become more spontaneous toward the end as the guys weave together brilliantly, and Mr. Peacock himself shows up to close out the song, putting his stamp of approval on their effort to take the tune to the next level. It’s now on of the most requested songs in their concerts.
What Have We Become? A preacher shuns his brother ‘cause his bride's a different color, and this is not acceptable, his papa taught him so…
This is probably the track on the album that got the least exposure, being the last of ten to be released to radio (that happens when you take three years to put together another album and there isn’t as much music vying for radio play). It’s a dark, R&B influenced tune that indicts the selfishness and bigotry still prevalent in our generation, describing a racist preacher in the first verse, and a teenage girl who commits suicide while her parents are too busy fighting in the second verse. Not easy stuff to swallow, and once again, I thank dc Talk for making this sort of lyrical boldness in writing about un-pretty subjects more accepted in the landscape of Christian music. Once again, the guys weave a great vocal tapestry, including a haunting rap/whisper from Toby that gets repeated a few times, and some passionate cries from both Michael and Kevin. As the song fades away, a gospel choir can be heard singing a rousing chorus: “The world can’t do me no harm.” It’s ironic, to say the least, but a nice bridge to the final tune.
Mind’s Eye Can you catch the wind? See the breeze? Its presence is revealed by the leaves on a tree, an image of my faith in the unseen…
Finishing up the album with an upbeat but mystical pop tune, “Mind’s Eye” celebrates the very nature of faith in things unseen. The lyrics are a wonderful vision of the alternate world in which Christians believe, where the supernatural is all too real, and battles are being waged that we can’t even begin to understand. Toby speaks briefly as the song fades in, offering a sort of mantra about faith that gets transformed into a catchy rap later in the song. Michael does a great job on the chorus, and Billy Graham even gets sampled near the end of the song, tying things up in a very compelling and encouraging matter after a lot of the difficult and extreme topics being dealt with on this album. It’s still one my favorite dc Talk tracks to this day, and it almost provided a sneak peak of the less extreme, more wondrous aura of their upcoming Supernatural album, one which I’ve gone out on a limb for in stating that I like it even more than Jesus Freak.
Alas My Love Alas my love, this guilty night, it gives me up like a foster child…
The aforementioned bonus track has its own spot on track 13, which at first seems to just be an unnamed track that repeats the album’s fuzzy intro and then falls silent for a few minutes. However, strings creep in to break the silence, and over an odd polyrhythmic soundscape, Kevin reads us a poem that he has written that offers a rather esoteric and otherworldly view of the crucifixion from Christ’s point of view. This was one of the first instances I could think of where a bonus track was found on a Christian rock album, and it was darn cool. They still pull this one out in concert at times, the most memorable occurrence being a medley where Kevin’s poem transitioned into a post-grunge rendition of “The Hardway”. Powerful stuff.
Looking back, dc Talk hasn’t done anything on Jesus Freak that someone somewhere in Christian music didn’t at least attempt in years prior. The difference is that it was never done so well all in one package, or so surprisingly by a group that many people had pigeonholed as a cheesy rap group made for the junior highers. dc Talk had something to say with this album – something to prove, and they ended up making one of the best Christian rock albums ever. The mainstream mostly scratched their heads or simply chuckled when exposed to Jesus Freak - dc Talk still had hurdles to overcome as far as mainstream acceptance, though their short-lived singing to Virgin Records and the release of “Between You and Me” to the mainstream were pleasant surprises. No one knows exactly where dc Talk will go next, as was proved by the challenging but satisfying follow-up, Supernatural, and I couldn’t even hazard much of a guess as to what they’ll do next after the group members are done exploring their solo talents here in the year 2001. All I know is that 1995 was an awesome year for Christian music, and this album, along with Jars of Clay’s first, still remains among the best of the best.
TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY Excellent: Jesus Freak, Mind's Eye, What If I Stumble?, So Help Me God, Between You and Me, In the Light
Good: Colored People, Day by Day, Like It Love It Need It, What Have We Become?, Alas My Love
Decent: Mrs. Morgan
Weak: NONE
Skippable: Jesus Freak (reprise)
Group Members:
Toby MacKeehan
Kevin Max (Smith)
Michael Tait
Website: http://www.dctalk.com
Great Music to Play While: Ummm… it kind of changes with each track.
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