DC TALK was formed in Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan,
Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith while they were attending Jerry Falwell’s
Liberty University. The trio released
five studio albums. The first came out
in 1989. It was self-titled and included
the hits ‘Heaven Bound’ and ‘Spinnin’ Round’.
JESUS FREAK, their fourth album, came out in 1995 on ForeFront
Records. It was distributed by Virgin
Records in the mainstream market. The
album hit No 16 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Six of its seven singles hit No 1 on Christian radio. JESUS FREAK won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rock
Gospel Album. Years later a tenth
anniversary edition of the album (2 discs) was released. I will be reviewing the original standard
version here.
‘So Help Me God’, a grungy rocker with Dann Huff on guitars,
starts things off. The song admits that
the Christian walk is not always the easiest: “Infected by the skin I’m in
that’s starving with desire/And Jesus ain’t the latest thing to come across the
wire/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/You’re there when I call/And
You’re there when I fall/Even though I don’t deserve it all/You, You light my
way/Through the night and the day/And from You I will not stray”. ‘Colored People’ was penned by Toby McKeehan
and George Cocchini. This pop song with
a rap break is a direct attack on racism: “Ignorance has wronged some races/And
vengeance is the Lord’s/If we aspire to share this space/Repentance is the
cure.../We’re colored people and we live in a tainted place/We’re colored
people and they call us the human race/We’ve got a history so full of
mistakes/And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace”.
The unforgettable title track, ‘Jesus Freak’¸ was composed
by Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann.
Musically, it blends elements of soul, rock, grunge, and rap. Lyrically, it speaks of spiritual rebirth and
its consequences: “Separated, I cut myself clean/From a past that comes back in
my darkest of dreams/Been apprehended by a spiritual force/And a grace that
replaced all the me I’ve divorced.../What will people think/When they hear that
I’m a Jesus freak?/What will people do when they find that it’s true?/I don’t
really care if they label me a Jesus freak//There ain’t no disguising the
truth”. Larry Norman would later cover
the song on his concert album SHOUTING IN THE STORM. ‘What if I Stumble?’ begins with a powerful
quote by author Brennan Manning: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the
world today/Is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips/Then walk out
the door and deny Him by their lifestyle/That is what an unbelieving world
simply finds unbelievable”. This mellow
ballad finds the group worrying about falling spiritually and disappointing
their fans and God.
‘Day by Day’ is from the early 1970’s musical
‘Godspell’. Toby McKeehan and Kevin
Smith contribute additional lyrics. The
song includes these words of godly desire: “Day by day, day by day/Day by day,
day by day/Oh dear Lord, three things I pray (1,2,3)/To see Thee more clearly
(day by day)/To love Thee more dearly (day by day)/To follow Thee more nearly
(I got to take it)/Day by day”. ‘Mrs.
Morgan’ is a short, silly spoken word track that has a lady complaining about
the group’s loud drummer. ‘Between You
and Me’ is a smooth adult contemporary number written by Toby McKeehan and Mark
Heimermann. It broke into the mainstream
market. This one is all about
reconciliation: “If confession is the road to healing/Forgiveness is the
promised land/I’m reaching out in my conviction/I’m longing to make amends/So,
I’m sorry for the words I’ve spoken/For I’ve betrayed a friend/We’ve got a love
that’s worth preserving/And a bond I will defend/Just between you and me/I’ve
got something to say/I wanna get it straight/Before the sun goes down”.
‘Like It, Love It, Need It’ is an energetic rock song with a
rap bridge. It finds the group speaking
directly from their heart to their generation: “You’ll never find peace of mind
in your pool of self/You’ll never find peace of mind in a sea of wealth/You’ll
never find peace of mind in your rock and roll/You’ll never find peace of mind
if you sell your soul/You gotta like it, you gotta love it/I know you need some
freedom from the strife/You gotta like it, you gotta love it/I know you need
some Jesus in your life/Some Jesus in your life (2X)”.
Next up is ‘Jesus Freak (Reprise)’. This short track has someone goofing around
vocally off key with some of the lyrics from the title track. This is followed by a cover of a great pop
song Charlie Peacock wrote in 1991 called ‘In The Light’. DC TALK’s version has Aaron Smith on drums
and includes a vocal contribution from Peacock himself. The words of the song could easily have been
written by the apostle Paul. They are
some of the most vulnerable lyrics in CCM: “What’s going on inside of me?/I
despise my own behavior/This only serves to confirm my suspicions/That I’m
still a man in need of a Saviour.../The disease of self runs through my
blood/It’s a cancer to my soul/Every attempt on my behalf has failed/To bring
this sickness under control”.
‘What Have We Become’ is a soulful song. Jerry McPherson and Dave Perkins play
guitars, while Dennis Soley plays flute.
The lyrics ask questions many Christians are still asking today: “What
have we become?/A self-indulgent people/What have we become?/Tell me where are
the righteous ones?/What have we become?/In a world degenerating/What have we
become?” ‘Mind’s Eye’ is a great
pop/rock track. It even includes a short
spoken word by Rev. Billy Graham. The
message is one of believing in God sight unseen: “Life is a gift that You
choose to give/I believe we eternally live/Faith is the evidence of things
unseen/People tell me that You’re just a dream/But they don’t know You the way
that I do/You’re the one I live to pursue/Can you catch the wind?/Can you see
the breeze?” Track 13 is a hidden track of
sorts that came to be known as ‘Alas My Love’.
It is poetry set to music with Kevin Max Smith speaking these words about
the arrest of Christ: “You see it was one man against the night/Taking on a
multitude that had left Him high and dry/No candle burning vigil could light
the way/Darkness hit the ground, like a fallen satellite”.
If asked to name the most influential albums in CCM history,
many would say Larry Norman’s ONLY VISITING THIS PLANET (1972), Amy Grant’s AGE
TO AGE (1982), and Petra’s BEYOND BELIEF (1990). JESUS FREAK is most certainly an album of
this quality. It is like nothing CCM had
seen before musically! It mixes rap, rock,
and soul, with grunge music which was pioneered by Kurt Cobain and
Nirvana. It still sounds contemporary
and relevant today. JESUS FREAK was a
bold statement of faith, but also delved into social issues and societal
ills. I’m rating this album a perfect
100% as I see no way it could have been improved! For more info visit: www.dctalk.com and www.capitolcmglabelgroup.com. Fans continue to long for a DC TALK reunion.
Toby Mac is currently a solo artist, Michael Tait is lead singer of the
Newsboys, and Kevin Max now fronts Audio Adrenaline.