3-28-87

Description

3-28-87 is a live album by the American alternative rock band Undercover, released on Broken Records in 1988, a Brainstorm Artists International imprint manufactured and distributed by Word. Also released in the UK. (Originally billed as the band’s farewell concert, this album was initially planned as a Blue Collar release.) The album was recorded live at Six Flags Magic Mountain, the “Retirement Concert”, as it were. The album title is taken from the night the album was recorded. “You and I” and “One to One” were new songs, recorded live here and not available on any other album by Undercover.

Later the same year, band member Ojo Taylor released his sole solo album, Relative.

3-28-87, the maiden release of the newly-revived Broken Records, is the live swan song of a mainstay of the Christian new music underground, UnderCover. Like Rez, who bore the label “heavy metal” but always transcended the genre with a unique and intelligent approach to hard rock music and lyrics of unequaled sensitivity, UnderCover has borne the cross of the “punk” label in spite of a variety of hard rock stylings. 3-28-87 captures UnderCover at their best where they always shined, on their live stage, playing the strongest material from their catalog with new intensity and urgency.

Sine One owes a great deal to UnderCover’s pre-Branded optimism, best represented in «God Rules», «Three Nails», «Boys & Girls», and «I Love God». Balanced on the bookends of «I’m Just a Man» and «Cry Myself to Sleep»/«Darkest Hour» the older material finds renewed credibility. The change in tone from early to later UnderCover is revealed in two tunes by Ojo, the opening kicker «Is Anyone Thirsty?» from 1984’s Boys and Girls – Renounce the World and Taylor’s one new song, «One to One», which notes, “They promised I would have my fill / And yet I find I’m thirsty still.”

Side Two takes the focus to Branded’s strongest material and a second new track, «You and I», from Gym Nicholson. «Build a Castle» and «Pilate» paint the perplexity of the human condition, while the closing numbers «Come Away with Me» and «If I Had a Dream» point to the final resolution when “God will dry the tears from our eyes / No more pain and we will never die.”

3-28-87 is the grand finale of a band that matured but due to limited distribution of its best work, 1986’s Branded, probably never received its due. Now with Broken going out through Word’s distribution channels, 3-28-87 and a re-leased Branded may get the attention and airplay hey deserve. Broken product will be available commercially only on CD and cassette, which explains the extended length of this project (nearly 60 minutes).

For this band it is goodbye, but Gym Nicholson, who has appeared as part of Steve Taylor‘s Some Band this last year, and Sim Wilson are circulating demos for their new band, Boy’s Club. Gary Olson will always be remembered as the fastest drummer in Christian music, and Joe Taylor plans a solo release later this year on Broken. As Taylor yells at the end of 3-28-87, “in my dreams, we are free.” [Brian Q. Newcomb, CCM, February 1988]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Is Anyone Thirsty” – 4:12
A2. “I’m Just A Man” – 3:46
A3. “God Rules” – 1:22
A4. “Three Nails” – 3:27
A5. “Boys & Girls” – 3:43
A6. “I Love God” – 4:08
A7. “Cry Myself To Sleep” – 2:32
A8. “Darkest Hour” – 3:32

Side Two
B1. “Build A Castle” – 4:00
B2. “Pilate” – 3:07
B3. “You And I” – 2:55
B4. “I’d Rather Stay” – 2:58
B5. “One To One” – 3:59
B6. “Come Away With Me” – 4:42
B7. “If I Had A Dream” – 5:22

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Broken Records.

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