When “Jesus Freak” hit the streets in 1995, it was the drop heard ‘round the world, or the music world anyway. The Christian Music industry would never be the same, and for this, let us give thanks. DC Talk raised the bar in terms of musical excellence, commercial success, and crossover power, giving voice to the dreams of a generation of believers who wanted OUT of the confining Christian music ghetto. If you’re unfamiliar with DC Talk, this must sound like the greatest of overstatements, but if you’ve watched the development of the industry at all, you know what I’m talking about.
Disc One is a “remastered” version of the original “Jesus Freak,” each track still holding up after more than a decade. Disc Two is 14 tracks of B-sides, remixes, and live songs, an unreleased demo and one instrumental, a mix sure to lift the heart of the DC connoisseur. Most of this music is available on other sources, but the formidable trio’s songs are still potent enough to hold your attention. The “1995 Gotee Bros. Freaked Out Remix” is still a good time, I don’t care how often you’ve heard it before. “So Help Me God” is the funk-fest it always was, and the DC boys doing the Beatles? What’s not to like?!
I also enjoyed the unreleased demo version of “Mind’s Eye” with its bubbling rhythms and soaring melody line, as well as the live version of “Colored People.” New fans will take pleasure in the cover of U2’s “40” and as the instrumental version of “In the Light” closes the project out, I think we can all agree that DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” deserves the Special Edition treatment. A joy for the fan and a great introduction for the new listener, “Jesus Freak 10th Anniversary Special Edition” is the answer to your shopping woes and your listening dreams.
