Description
Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the American pop/rock trio dc Talk, released on ForeFront Records in November 1995, distributed by Virgin Records. The album was produced by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan with Mark Heimermann co-producing (except track 4 co-produced with John Mark Painter of Fleming & John).
The style was a marked departure from the group’s previous releases, incorporating a heavier rock sound and elements of grunge that was popular at the time. The album was released to both critical and commercial acclaim reaching No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and with six of the album’s seven singles reaching No. 1 across various Christian radio formats. It won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album. The title song was as well honored with a Dove Award for Song of the Year, as the first rock song ever to receive this award. The album was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold) by the RIAA in January 1996 and Platinum (one million copies sold) in October the same year. October 2000 the album was certified 2xPlatinum.
The release of a new product by DC Talk into the marketplace is pretty much a major event. Any new product. It’s been nearly three years since ‘Free at Last‘ first hit the steets, but every time an ancillary project like remixes, home video, the AVCD single, live concerts or whatever made the scene, DCT’s fan base treated it like Holy Grail. The sneak-peek «Jesus Freak» singe alone has sold over 140,000 copies. Point is, this act’s star has risen dramatically in the past three years, and the anticipation for a new album has been overwhelming.
Fans, start your engines… the wait is over. ‘Jesus Freak’ is the logical extension of DC Talk’s ever-expanding career/ministry, an extremely well thought-out next step musically for these still-maturing musicians, an impressive example of re-imaging and re-inventing an artist’s musical identity… and lots more.
Part of DCT’s transitional plan of action centered around the aforementioned single, which featured two mixes of the song «Jesus Freak». Interestingly, the mix which most resembled the ‘Free at Last’-era sound was positioned as the alternative remix, though even it represented good musical growth. The primary mix was something altogether new… sort of. It’s hard driving guitar band attack was a radical change for the boys but it sounded an awful lot like… teen spirit. Was DC Talk going to become so influenced by Nirvana and the Seattle sound that theu would lose the distinctiveness it had achieved as a pop/rap hybird?
The first few minutes of this new album would make you believe it could be so. The fuzz-drenched guitar intro kicks hard into «So Help Me God», which could be a kissin’ cousin to “Jesus Freaks” musically. It’s the next track, «Colored People», that helps allay those fears. Both a nod to the group’s past and a feel for the future, the song continues the group’s stand against racism with a musical bed that is soulful, melodic, and catchy as heck. Kevin Smith demonstrates the significant progress he’s made personally here, turning in a lead vocal that’s nothing short of stellar.
The title song then makes its appearance, and its combination of alternative rock with McKeehan‘s rap breaks makes more sense in context with the album’s overall direction than in the initial shock of first hearing the song as a single (and don’t miss the hilariously cheesy reprise later on).
A brief sound bite from author Brennan Manning on the detrimental effect of hypocritical Christians on evangelism sets up the album’s most revealing song. «What if I Stumble?» is a painful self-examination on the lure of fame and the role of a Christian artist (or any of us for that matter) as personal example. Lines like “Holiness is calling, in the midst of courting fame,” and “If struggle has a purpose on the narrow road you’ve carved/ Why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar” should resonate in the hearts of Christian artists and fans alike in the wake of recent controversies. As Smith sings the chorus, “What if I stumble, what if I fall/ What if I lose me step and make fools of us all,” it’s clear this is a lyric he’s living, and it’s delivered with a conviction that should send a collective chill up all our spines.
«Day by Day» provides a welcome breather at this point – a clever cover of the Godspell anthem, expanded and reworked as «Jesus is Just Alright» was on ‘Free at Last’. The album’s other cover is Charlie Peacock’s «In the Light», more true to the original than «Day by Day», and replete with strings and other production touches (including a vocal tag from Peacock himself) slick enough to grab some Christian radio airplay.
Michael Tait sounds like he’s been listening to Seal on «Just Between You and Me», a show piece for the vocalist and another important lyric for the body of Christ about confession and forgiveness between friends. It’s a subject that is particularly relevant to the late teen/early 20s crowd that is DCT’s core audience.
Toby and Kevin face-off vocally and stylistically on the highly infectious «Like It, Love It, Need It», a hookey mix of rock and rap that is sure to be a concert favorite on the next tour. It’s here that we get the most significant slice of McKeehan’s new vocal approach and it’s… well, he’s singing for starters. Toby’s pipes are on the thinnish side (like Michael W. Smith‘s) and pale in comparison with the strides made by his partners in the last few years. Nevertheless, he has cultivated a somewhat unique style, and that’s an important element in moving outside of the hip-hop walls.
The album’s most poignant moment comes on «What Have We Become», as the album’s introspective lyrical theme embraces its entire generation, rebuking its selfishness anf self-destructiveness, but stopping far short of branding it with the “X,” and choosing to exhort toward compassion and generosity.
«Mind’s Eye» (featuring samples of the Rev. Billy Graham) wraps the record in a celebration of faith and imagination – the very elements that distinguish the Christian artist from the rest, and that which has increasingly defined the work of DC Talk. ‘Jesus Freak’ may not be the artistic quantum leap that ‘Free at Last’ was from its predecessor, ‘Nu Thang‘, but the group has remarkably managed to up the ante once again for itself and its fans, delivering the goods that make is all proud to share the vision. [Thom Granger, CCM, December 1995]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/jesus-freak-10th-anniversary-special-edition/716042576)
CD tracklist:
01. So Help Me God – 4:39
02. Colored People – 4:26
03. Jesus Freak – 4:50
04. What If I Stumble? – 5:06
05. Day By Day – 4:30
06. Mrs. Morgan – 0:57
07. Between You And Me – 4:59
08. Like It, Love It, Need It – 5:24
09. Jesus Freak (Reprise) – 1:17
10. In The Light – 5:06
11. What Have We Become? – 6:10
12. Mind’s Eye – 5:16
13. Alas, My Love – 5:16
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by ForeFront Records. A 10th Anniversary Special Edition double CD was released by ForeFront Records in 2006. Re-issued in November 2015 by Superfan Vinyl as a 12-inch 180 gram black vinyl double LP featuring two bonus tracks (“Jesus Freak” (Freaked Out Remix) and “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”) and packaged in a gatefold jacket with insert. (“I Wish We’d All Been Ready” originally was the B-side on the CD single for the song “Jesus Freak”.)
The December 1995 issue of CCM Magazine featured a cover story on DC Talk.
A full-page advertisement for DC Talk’s Jesus Freak was featured in the December 1995 issue of CCM Magazine.
A full-page advertisement for DC Talk’s Jesus Freak single was featured in the July 1995 issue of CCM Magazine.
“In The Light” (Alternate Mix)
We wanted to make a record that we would enjoy 20 years down the road; definitely a “classic” mentality as we worked. “Jesus Freak” was a song idea I had in a lucid state between awake and asleep (hypnopompia?). Maybe… probably… some help in and from the Spirit. We thought it was a big idea/song, but the label thought it was the end of everyone’s career. I’m just thankful they let DC Talk do what DC Talk did! I had some verse music and Toby came up with the guitar riff. I came up with the bridge idea later. Toby tightened up the chorus hook and wrote the genius verse lyrics. Everybody involved brought it to life ultimately.
We were absolutely influenced by the sound of the times. I’d say there was Nirvana, Beck, Seal, Peter Gabriel, U2, ‘90s hip-hop and a few other influences involved. It was a melting pot of rap, rock, and soul – all of the personalities of the three guys and myself in one with Toby steering everything. Even down to the players and engineer (Joe Baldridge) – everyone put their fingerprint on it. It was a beautiful collaboration of everyone’s gifts and styles.
As their producer, I wouldn’t say that I personally was true to any of those specific styles. However, I do approach production from a more European style – lots of sonic and melodic layering. I guess I was just good at bringing all those vibes and personalities together and making it palatable to the Christian masses and beyond. Praise God!
[Comment by Mark Heimermann, the producer of Jesus Freak. Published November 2015 in Chrindie ‘95, a website project featuring a collection of essays about a seminal year in Christian indie rock]
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