Jesus Freak - DC Talk (CD 1995)

If you grew up in my household at the same time that I did, there were two styles of music that you would have been bombarded with---country and gospel. (This is, of course, discounting my later years as a member of the household, during which I added my own genre to this short span of styles---rock and roll.) To be fair, when I say gospel, I'm not talking choirs---I mean just about any record made by an identifiably Christian performer, be it Christian rock, pop, ska... even my notoriously rap-hating father would brake for a Christian rapper.

I haven't been able to listen to either genre since.

I've noticed something about Christian music---a great deal of it isn't emotional enough; half the time, it isn't even HONEST. Christian music NEEDS to be honest, it needs to be emotional. This is your religion, the set of beliefs that shape what you do with your life, and if you're not honest and emotional about it, you're just going through the motions. As a Christian, I find the lack of substantial religious or religiously-themed music rather depressing.

That said, I still have my Christian CDs that I used to listen to during that period, before I started to yearn for more honest, more heartfelt fare, and there's one album in particular that I find myself dusting off and returning to---dc Talk's Jesus Freak. This trio, made up of vocalists/lyricists Kevin Max Smith, Michael Tait, and Toby McKeehan, began as a band deeply rooted in silly white-boy pop-rap. The album they released prior to Jesus Freak was 1993's Free At Last, chock-full of dull rap exercises like "Luv Is A Verb" and a butchering of the Doobie Brothers' "Jesus Is Just Alright".

Yet, this 1995 album oozes a newfound maturity. The rap isn't completely abandoned, unfortunately, but it's been cut down significantly. (Don't take the previous statement to say that I hate rap, because I don't---I rather enjoy the genre when done with enough heart, but dc Talk's raps were always rather listless, corny, stale.) dc Talk let us know that, even as Christians, they sin, they doubt, and they bleed, just like everyone else.

Which is not to say that Jesus Freak doesn't have its flaws, because it does. "Colored People" packs an awesome message into its impressive lyrical content: "Pardon me, your epidermis is showing/ I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin/ I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement/ 'cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin." And while I love the way that the song asserts EVERYONE as "colored people," there's something about the music here that renders this track utterly unbearable to listen to. The music, the melodies---it's just awfully humdrum and rather headache-inducing in the end. "Like It, Love It, Need It" is just plain corny---pointless trite pop-rock with really bad lyrics.

There are also interludes---the first, "Mrs. Morgan," isn't something you put on for repeat listens, but listening to this old woman complain about the drummer for dc Talk's band is rather amusing the first time around. "Jesus Freak (reprise)" is a lounge-y reworking of the title track's chorus. It's gimmicky and not very funny. While the interludes aren't long enough to interrupt the flow of the album too much, they're still pretty pointless.

The title track may well be one of the most famous Christian-rock songs of the past decade or so. Something about this rebellious tune, the anthem for the disaffected Christian teenager, struck a chord with listeners within the contemporary Christian music community and the secular music crowd alike, and it became a minor hit. This one flips the proverbial bird to Christian persecutors, adopting the slang phrase "Jesus freak" from the 1970's or thereabouts, and turning it into a martyr's defiant assertion. The song's really rather irresistable, despite the track itself being an overtly obvious Nirvana ripoff. (Look at the back of the CD---doesn't Toby McKeehan resemble a more clean-cut Kurt Cobain?) I seem to remember hearing "Between You And Me" on mainstream radio as well, an easily digestable pop confessional: "Just between you and me/ confession needs to be made/ recompense is my way to freedom/ just between you and me/ I've got something to say."

The pop-rock confection "So Help Me God," like "Jesus Freak," turns the non-positive into the positive, transforming a phrase normally used as an angry oath to an actual plea. (This one was often preceded by a cover of the Beatles' "Help!" in concert. Interesting note.) Amusingly enough, the group turns "Day By Day," a softer number from Steven Schwartz's musical Godspell, into a upbeat pop-rock tune, adding verses and an actual tempo. It's fun.

Yet, it's when dc Talk become more confessional and reflective that they're at their best. The acoustic-based "What If I Stumble?" is the doubter's anthem, a great little song that showcases perfectly what thoughts go through an unsure Christian's head. "What Have We Become?," although being incredibly melancholy, is remarkable. It may be the saddest Christian song I've heard, but it's incredible nonetheless.

Then, there's the emotionally charged cover of Charlie Peacock's "In the Light." The song weilds a beautiful, uncommon power---there's an urgent, pleading tone to the song, yet it winds up being hopeful. It does remarkable justice to the original, and is easily the best song here.

Whether you're a Jesus freak, a non-believer, a casual Christian, or a fan of good pop-rock, Jesus Freak should hold some appeal for you. It covers a good variety of popular music styles, and the music actually holds some uncommon honesty and wisdom. Christian music fans seem to gravitate toward this one, and with good reason---whether you're steadfast in your faith or having your doubts, it's a great listen. A few stumbling blocks here and there, but nothing that a speedy skip-button finger can't overcome.