Jesus Freak (album)
Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the American Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995, on ForeFront Records.[3] 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.
Jesus Freak
November 21, 1995
1995
- Fun Attic Studio, Franklin, Tennessee
- House of Insomnia Franklin, Tennessee
- Sanctuary Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
- Secret Sound, Nashville, Tennessee
57:53[2]
Mark Heimermann, Toby McKeehan, John Mark Painter
The album was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and six of the album's seven singles reached number one across various Christian radio formats. It won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.
Jesus Freak is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential albums in the history of contemporary Christian music (CCM).[4]
Background[edit]
After three albums of hip-hop oriented sound, including DC Talk's Grammy award-winning third album, Free at Last, which was based primarily on hip-hop- and pop-oriented songwriting, the trio decided to innovate and reinvent their style.
After three years, DC Talk returned with songs featuring a more alternative rock sound. Thus, the album's lead single, "Jesus Freak", was considered unexpected by fans and critics alike.[5][6]
Michael Tait said, "I was totally into rock and roll at the time [...] I really wanted to make a rock record."[6] The band decided to focus on more rock-oriented music, with touches of rap and pop interwoven into the mix. Tait later explained, "We wanted to write songs that would hopefully touch a generation."[7]
Recording and production[edit]
Compared to DC Talk's other albums, Jesus Freak was, stylistically, an experiment. The album was a fusion of various musical genres, including pop,[1][8] rock,[1] and grunge,[9] all combined with hip hop.[1][8]
The title track, "Jesus Freak," is also of historical importance. It is believed to be the first link between grunge and rapcore in CCM.[10] The song was even played on some secular stations.[10]
In addition, the album contains two cover songs: "Day by Day," from the musical Godspell, and a heavily overhauled version of "In the Light" originally by Charlie Peacock.[2] Two spoken-word samples are also heard; "Mind's Eye" features the words of Billy Graham and "What If I Stumble" contains a quote from Brennan Manning.[2]
Lyrical themes[edit]
As with the genres, the themes of Jesus Freak are varied,[1] ranging from the spiritual–such as accepting Jesus, hypocrisy,[2] atheism–to the social, such as seeking forgiveness from a friend,[2] racism,[2] facing intolerance,[11] and acceptance.[2]
Release[edit]
Jesus Freak was released on November 21, 1995. It debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, selling over 85,800 copies in its first week of release.[12] This number was the highest debut for a Christian album at the time.[13]
After the album, released through ForeFront Records, proved to be extremely successful, the band signed an exclusive distribution deal with Virgin Records.[3] The label made it a priority to promote the album to mainstream music fans.[3] Due to this promotional increase, "Between You and Me" became a hit for the band, managing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Legacy[edit]
The album is considered one of the greatest and most influential Christian albums of all time and is viewed as a landmark of the 1990s alternative rock scene.[20]
It is one of the biggest-selling Christian albums of all time and has been certified double platinum in the United States and gold in Canada.
On June 20, 2006, Gotee Records released a ten-year anniversary tribute, Freaked!, featuring artists from record labels Gotee and Mono vs Stereo covering songs from the original album.[21] "In the Light" and "Jesus Freak" are both featured in Alive and Transported. In addition, the songs are still regularly sung in tobyMac and Newsboys concerts.
In 2006, EMI released a commemorative 10th-anniversary version of the album, Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition. This special edition contained a bonus disc of brand-new remixes, rarities, live tracks, and demos.[9] A single-disc remaster was released in 2013.[22]
For the 20th anniversary of the album in November 2015, SMLXLVinyl.com released a double lp 180-gram vinyl of the album. It was its first pressing on the format.[23]
DC Talk
Musicians