dc Talk

Item: Jesus Freak
Author: Josh Hurst

Jesus Freak

(1995)

Reviewed by Josh Hurst

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Spotify YouTube Music

Label ForeFront RecordsThe Rebel Base2002

alternative rock hip hop pop rock rap rock

My taste and preferences in music have fluctuated over the years quite a bit. Music that I loved a few years ago makes me cringe nowadays, and some of the bands I'm into today would have had a similar effect on me when I was younger. Because of these changes in taste, there are several CDs in my collection that I never listen to any more, but I can't bring myself to get rid of, for sentimental reasons, if nothing else. Dc Talk's contemporary Christian rock classic, Jesus Freak, is one of those albums.

Before I discuss Jesus Freak, I should probably give a brief description of the contemporary Christian music "genre." Thus, I present to you A Brief Foray Into CCM 101:

1. Christian music is poorly defined. Don't ask me what makes an album "Christian." Apparently, I don't know. I always thought that U2 was pretty darn "Christian," but most of my fellow believers have issues with this belief. Due to the fact that they smoke and occasionally swear, U2 has been largely rejected by the Christian community. Apparently, these people never sin themselves, which gives them the right to judge Bono and the boys. But I digress. The point is, the term "Christian music" means different things to different people. For the remainder of this review, I will use the term as a reference to what most people think of as Christian music, though I do not necessarily agree.

2. Christian music is almost as diverse as non-Christian music. The land of CCM is rich with different styles of music. From rap to reggae to boy bands, them Christians have got it all.

3. Point #2 has not always been true. Up until the 90's, Christian music was mostly restricted to "inspirational" adult contemporary music. Jesus Freak played a huge part in opening the minds of many CCM fans and adding new colors to the Christian music palette, so to speak.

4. Most Christian artists are cleaned-up, edited, Christianized clones of secular bands. Popular Christian band Delirious?, for example, is actually U2 without any profanity (or creativity). Thankfully, dc Talk is not a part of this mass lack of creativity. They actually have a fairly unique sound (as a band, anyway - their solo albums are a different story). Let us now applaud dc Talk for being a fairly unique Christian band. Applause.

The somewhat-extreme significance of Jesus Freak

Many Christian music fans and experts laud Jesus Freak as a landmark album, a truly important album that ranks as one of the most influential Christian records of all time. Now, I realize that going against the grain and disagreeing with the rest of the world has become something of a trademark for me, but I'm actually going to agree with the critics on this one. To some extent, anyway.

On the one hand, dc Talk didn't totally shake the earth and revolutionize the music world with Jesus Freak. The Beatles changed the world. Pink Floyd raised the bar with The Wall. U2 did the impossible with Achtung Baby. Dc Talk did none of this. Still, Jesus Freak was important. It was the first Christian rock album to gain mass acceptance in the Christian community. It opened the doors for modern Christian bands like Switchfoot and Third Day to do what they do. And, most importantly, Jesus Freak had modest success outside of the Christian realm. Dc Talk has always had the potential to do something truly relevant, and they did just that with Jesus Freak, for the first and probably last time.

What will people think...?

"So Help Me God"

After a fuzzy guitar mini-solo and a muffled "I got something for ya, man," the Jesus Freak ride kicks into full motion with some slightly rough, grunge-flavored guitars and drums. It's not the best track on the album, though it is perhaps the most overlooked. You have to hand it to the men of dc Talk for turning a colorful phrase like "So help me God" into such an uplifting, overtly spiritual tune. In fact, the lyrics on this song are among my all-time favorites from dc. Instead of the usual "I have faith and love for God" mantras that are so common on Christian radio, this song instead says "I want to have faith and love for God, but I'm too weak to do so on my own." Refreshingly honest. For this particular group, anyway.

Up until Jesus Freak, Kevin Max's voice showed great potential, but it wasn't until this record that this potential was fully realized. It's apparent from the very first song on Jesus Freak that K-max has matured as a vocalist, and, back in the day, his part on "So Help Me God" was quite impressive, though his vocals on Jesus Freak just aren't as stirring once you've heard his solo album, or dc Talk's live album, which both feature much stronger singing from Kevin.

"Colored People"

Musically, this is probably my favorite track on the album. The song begins with some more fuzzy electric guitars, but "Colored People" is primarily acoustic. The percussion calls to mind folk bands like 10,000 Maniacs or Caedmon's Call, or even recent Bob Dylan, but "Colored People" ain't just some cliche folk song - it's got elements of rock and Top-40 pop in it, as well as strong hip-hop overtones. The spoken word raps and smooth fusion of styles are very cool, but it's the superb vocal from Kevin that makes "Colored People" a winner (even if he did a much better job on the live version of the song). All in all, this is not only an album highlight, but also one of dc Talk's most brilliant moments.

The theme of the song, by the way, is racism - not a novel idea in the Christian rock realm nowadays, but it was fairly original when dc Talk did it. The lyrics are very opinionated and direct here - dc Talk has never been very good at being subtle, but their intense preaching actually works in their favor here. For once.

"Jesus Freak"

Do I really have to talk about this song? If you have even the slightest interest in the CCM industry, you've heard this song before. It's been all over Christian radio for several years now, and it was the first rock song to ever be awarded the coveted "Song of the Year" trophy at the Dove awards - a defining moment in Christian music.

This infamous song begins with some bizarre sound effects and a muffled count-off before firing off on all cylinders into a catchy, hard-rocking rock/rap anthem, complete with an eerie bridge, a solid guitar solo, and excellent, polished yet raw, simple yet layered production. Kevin Max and Michael Tait handle their brief solos capably, but Toby Mac steals the spotlight with a tasty rap blitzkrieg and some tasteful shouting that lends itself well to big arena performances.

Musically, "Jesus Freak" is an album highlight, but the lyrics are merely so-so. Dc Talk is capable of being much more obnoxious and propagandistic than they are here, but it's still not the most subtle, poetic song in the world. The lyrics focus on being proud of one's Christian faith - a noble theme, if a bit trite. In all honesty, I can't quite make up my mind about this song. I loved it when it first came out, but, the more I listen to it, the more I wonder where the artistry and creativity is. Oh well - it's a sentimental favorite, if nothing else.

"What If I Stumble?"

Perhaps the reason why there is a slight lack of depth in the title song's lyrics is because dc Talk poured it all into this song, my second favorite on the record. Lyrically, dc Talk speaks with a transparent honesty here about "stumbling" in front of their peers. The band is insecure about messing up and doing something wrong in front of their fans, especially the unsaved ones. They're afraid of selling out, as the line "compromise is calling" suggests. Wow. An honest, poetic, from-the-heart confession that stands as one of the all-time greatest Christian pop songs. If only dc Talk could write like this more often!

Musically, "What If I Stumble?" is an acoustic, Middle Eastern-style pop song, flavored with spoken-word whispers and a solemn acoustic guitar. It may not grab you on the first listen, but repeated spins will prove that this is one of the more eloquent, beautiful songs on the album.

"Day by Day"

The fifth track on the record took some time to grow on me, but it now ranks as one of my favorites. "Day by Day" finds Toby, Mike and Kevin achieving a superb balance between a rootsy classic rock sound and the fuzzy grunge-flavored alternative that dominates the rest of Jesus Freak. One of the album's strong points is the way dc Talk can meld their voices together perfectly (a gift that they didn't utilize as potently on the follow-up to Jesus Freak, Supernatural), and their unique vocalizing is especially compelling on this song.

According to one of my co-writers at Epinions.com, "Day by Day" is a cover of an old Broadway song. I'm not familiar with the original, so I can't compare the two, but I do know that some of the lyrics on dc Talk's version were added by Toby Mac, and did not appear in the original song. Normally, I'm not a big fan of cover songs, but it's always interesting to see how dc Talk makes cover songs their own.

"Mrs. Morgan"

Ah, yes, the interludes. Jesus Freak has multiple interludes scattered throughout the album. Call them souvenirs from the Free at Last days. These interludes range from the serious to the silly, and two of them are long enough to justify dc Talk giving them their own track on the album. The first of these mega-interludes, "Mrs. Morgan," sits comfortably in the #6 position.

Some of my fellow critics and fans think that these interludes are a total waste of space, but I actually like "Mrs. Morgan." Granted, it gets stale and irritating after several listens, but it's still a blast. Mrs. Morgan is a former neighbor of dc Talk, and the boys gave her the mic for a minute or so for her to rant about the band's loud drummer. Her Southern drawl and her serious demeanor make this a charming little break from the music, and I'm glad dc Talk included it on the album.

Personally, I find the original "Mrs. Morgan" to be much funnier than the new one recorded for dc Talk's greatest hits project.

"Between You and Me"

If ever dc Talk had a chance at crossing over onto mainstream radio, it was with this song. "Between You and Me" has one of dc's better lyrics, as it deals with confession, forgiveness, and making amends with a friend - topics anyone can relate to. It's also got a soulful, radio-friendly groove, sweet vocal harmonies, and an interesting music video, to boot.

Despite the fact that it's one of the best tracks on the album, "Between You and Me" may seem a bit out of place at first. It's one of the mellowest songs on Jesus Freak, and the sleek production has more in common with Supernatural than the rough, alterna-pop sounds of Jesus Freak. Still, that's a minor hiccup, because the song really is great.

"Like It, Love It, Need It"

Ouch. The chorus of this song makes me grimace in sheer pain and irritation. In fact, I would have probably awarded Jesus Freak five stars if it weren't for this abominably insipid, indescribably trite, insultingly unintelligent little jewel of a song.

Yeah, the verses are pretty cool, and Toby's experimental rap section is among the best on the album, blah blah blah, but guess what? The line "I know you need some Jesus in your life" is not only the most ridiculous on the album, but possibly the most embarrassingly bad line dc Talk has ever written. And that's saying something.

I know I'm picky when it comes to lyrics, and I actually feel kind of bad about being so tough on this song, but let's face it, folks: "Like It, Love It, Need It" has a stupid chorus. I don't mean stupid as just another synonym of "bad," either. It really shows a lack of thought. If ever dc Talk had a chance of making every non-Christian roll their eyes and laugh, it was with this song. It's self-righteous, bland, preachy, and annoying, and I, for one, plan on never listening to it again, thank you very much.

"Jesus Freak (Reprise)"

Long interlude #2. Much like U2 did with PopMart, dc Talk seems to be making fun of themselves a bit here. One of Toby's fellow Gotee Brothers (Todd Collins, I believe) is featured here, singing an over-the-top, laugh-out-loud funny rendition of "Jesus Freak"'s chorus. Well, it's laugh-out-loud funny the first time, anyway - repeated listens to the album will probably make you want to use the skip button on your CD player...

"In The Light"

Hmm...I'm not sure which is worse: when dc Talk writes their own songs or when they use too many covers. One cover can be done in a tasteful way, but two covers on the same record? In my book, that automatically disqualifies this album from being a "masterpiece." Yeah, dc Talk has occasional struggles with writing solid lyrics, but I prefer original songs over modified classics any day.

In all honesty, though, some of dc Talk's cover songs end up being "even better than the real thing," to borrow a Bono-ism. "In the Light" may just be one of those rare covers that exceeds the greatness of its predecessor. The original version of the song was recorded by Charlie Peacock in the early 90's, and his fingerprints are all over the song - it's smartly-crafted and catchy, witty without being funny, simple yet profound. It's what all great pop writers strive to create. It's one of the best lyrics on Jesus Freak.

I'm not familiar with the original song, so I really can't compare the two, though the fact that most people don't even know that dc Talk's version of the song is a cover makes me wonder. Is dc Talk's version really that much better, or is Charlie Peacock just too obscure?

"What Have we Become?"

From a musical standpoint, the final song trilogy on Jesus Freak is one of the coolest twelve minutes to ever come out of the CCM world. In my book, Switchfoot and Jars of Clay are still the reigning kings of Christian rock, but even I must admit that "In the Light," "What Have We Become?" and "Mind's Eye" form a potent movement, if nothing else for their sheer intensity.

After the brilliant acoustic radiance of "In The Light" fades away, the eerie, other-worldly sound of "What Have we Become?" takes the forefront. Well, at least it's supposed to sound eerie and other-worldly. It really doesn't work as well as it could've, though - maybe dc Talk was trying too hard to sound like U2, or maybe they were just pressed for time, but "What Have We Become?" could have been much better. If they had replaced the corny sound effects and Toby's breathy background vocals with a distorted guitar riff and some haunting organ or keyboard sounds, this song probably would have ended up being a little more artistic (and, admittedly, a little more U2-like).

Still, with all those quibbles aside, this really is a good track. Not great, but good. The chorus may seem a little preachy, but the verses are the darkest and arguably the most interesting on the album. The first verse finds Kevin singing about a racist, hypocritical preacher, while the second verse is the story of a young girl who commits suicide, sung by Michael. These troubled, bleak, almost cynical verses, coupled with strong vocals and some tight raps from Toby, make "What Have we Become?" well worth a listen.

"Mind's Eye"

The fascinating three-song ending to Jesus Freak concludes with an upbeat pop/rock tune called "Mind's Eye." Again, this song finds dc Talk breaking one of the most basic rules of art - "Show, don't tell" - but this song has enough strong hooks and lyrical wit to make it a winner.

"Mind's Eye" is quite possibly the most undeniably dc Talk song on the entire record. It's an almost perfect representation of who they are as a band. Kevin's rock star swagger, Mike's soulful, passionate vocals, and Toby's spoken word/rap breaks, the big hooks and in-your-face lyrics make for a model dc Talk song. Needless to say, most fans eat this kind of song up. Personally, I prefer the honesty of "What if I Stumble?" and the artsy vibe of "Colored People" over the made-for-radio "Mind's Eye," but it's still a good song, and an ideal track for dc Talk to use to say "The End..."

"Alas, My Love"

"...or is it?" Ah, yes, the ever-present "secret song." Actually, dc Talk lists a thirteenth song on the back of the album (without a title), and the lyrics to "Alas, My Love" are printed in the insert, so it's not much of a secret. I'm glad this track appears at the end of the album, though, otherwise it would have seriously interrupted the flow of the music. "Alas..." is a spoken-word poem, written and read by Kevin Max, and the colorful depiction of Christ's death makes for a fitting, tasteful end to an album called Jesus Freak.

There ain't no disguising the truth

There we have it. I hope that my unforgivably long analysis of Jesus Freak has given you some insight into the classic album. It's an interesting ride across various musical styles, not to mention differing levels of quality, but, in the end, the pros outweigh the cons, and my quibbles with a few of the songs aren't enough to keep me from recommending this album. Underneath some of the trash, there are some real gems here, and they're well worth digging for. Just make sure you bring a good shovel.

Yeah, I know. That was a corny ending. So sue me.

Josh's Score: 4/5