Albums Of The Month: I Want To Be A Clone
Buzz Magazine (England)
November 1983
Thanks to Rob Marshall
I WANT TO BE A CLONE
Steve Taylor
This six-track 'mini-LP' is the most exciting and radically 'prophetic' recording the rock'n'roll subculture has so far presented to the Church.
Steve Taylor, a 25-year-old, from Denver, Colorado, writes lyrics which say more in one stanza than most safe Christian projects manage in a whole album. His musical base is a witty pot-pourri of post new-wave rock.
The message of his music takes neither of the standard 'secular' or Christian directions pursued by rock'n'roll Christians. THere is no hint of Scripture-spouting religiousity here.
Instead, Mr. Taylor allows his devastating lyrics to expose not just the sin of abortion and the self-delusion of the secular humanist, but also the smug churchmanship and spiritual mediocrity which often passes for biblical churchmanship.
Try this extract from the title track: 'Their language is new to me / But Christians got through to me / Now I can speak it fluently / I Want to be a clone.'
Then there is a devastating attack on religious compromise in 'Whatever Happened to Sin?" or try 'Bad Rap' which, over a spoof 'deejay rap' funk riff, pounds at the 'secular' mind: 'You save the whales / You save the seals / You save whatever's cute and squeals / But you kill "that thing" that's in the womb..., Convenience is the law you keep / And your compassion's ankle deep.'
This record is packed with humour, but it's humour which 'packs a wollop' so hard it's going to challenge anyone who hears it.
If Franky Schaeffer ever made a rock record I bet he'd sound like this.
Tony Cummings
