Solo

dc Talk | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 17, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI CMG
• ASIN: B00005B5BI
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,615 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three parts of the whole, May 9, 2001

By 

Brandon K. (WA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Solo (Audio CD)

What if you could take a band and disect it while it was jamming? Taking each instrument and member and letting them play separate from each other, while still playing the same song. It would be a look into what each member brings to the group.

And that is what we have here with dcTalk's "Solo" EP. "40(Live)" is an example of what dcTalk brings to the table as a group. Kind of. As is true with most recent Talk work, it is more Kevin Max, and less Tait and Toby Mac. But anyhoo, that's the way it goes. Next up, we've got two Tait Band songs. And they rock. He is easily the most radio friendly of the three, and easily-accessible. "Alibi" is still stuck in my head. Next is Brit-wannnabe Kevin Max. I like his voice. I like his style. So why do I get the feeling HE likes his voice? Anyway, he has a rather creative and interesting "Return of the Singer." Believe me, that made me turn up my stereo when I heard the first strains of East-Indian style vocals. Think Sting's "Desert Rose" on Christ. Toby Mac is a great rapper. His songs always, always have great rhymes. "Extreme Days" almost makes me want to skate. And believe me, that would not be a pretty sight.

When you listen to this album, you get the feel of dcTalk -- what each member brings, and how it integrates into one group. Really, my only concern is that three whole albums by these guys will make people tired of dcTalk when they do come together. Hopefully, the variety shown here will continue in all parts of their solo efforts.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Three's company, two's a crowd, one is....Solo, May 22, 2001

By 

Anthony R. Strain (Modesto, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Solo (Audio CD)

...Despite the manufactured, heady sense of coming attractions that mark Solo and its decidedly perfunctory PR thrust, it's enjoyable simply for the strokes of contrast splashed around by three guys whom you would never ever guess had been in the same group for a dozen years. Tait, Max, and Toby are so disparate, yet so talented that they could almost fool you into thinking they've been on their own for that many years--the new individual sounds can be taken on their own terms, with little or no accountability to the tie that binds, the dc Talk legacy. Tait is to be commended for not taking the high road to cookie-cutter fame as one more mellifluous baritone purveyor of syrupy r&b. With a trio of veteran rockers behind him, there isn't a pelvic thrust (not that there would be, realistically; this is Christian pop, after all) in sight. Tait's new venture really isn't a solo odyssey at all, his adopted bandmates are merely gracious enough to accept his surname for a moniker. Tait's two contributions to Solo evoke Matchbox Twenty, only with Seal subbing for Rob Thomas. If that's not eclectic enough for you, there's Kevin Max, aka KMax, who immediately throws the unitiated off stride with that hip-hop-sounding tag, and then really raises eyebrows with a swirl of tricked-out electronica hints and sophisticated drum loops...Rounding out this sampler of things to come is a freebie cover that hearkens back to the unplugged portions of past dc Talk live sets. The song is U2's "40" which is wrought with passable intimacy, and proper allegiance to its progenitors, Bono et al. Solo succeeds comfortably on its own terms; it serves as a clever piece of salvage for dc Talk fans disheartened by the far-away timetable of the next studio album, and as a tease for the upcoming solo records for Tait, Max, and Toby. Whether any of the three albums will be kudo-worthy in its entirety is only speculation at this point, however.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going Solo....and with pizazz!, May 5, 2001

By 

Dustin Faber (Waldron, AR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Solo (Audio CD)

 Great things come in three's. The New York Yankees 3 World Series Titles in a row, the late Dale Earnhardt, the Three Wise Men and the Three Amigos all come to mind. In that list of fame, a group called dc Talk should be present as well. Comprised of three members, Toby McKeehan, Kevin "Max" Smith, and Michael Tait, the group has produced beautiful ballads, awesome alternative sound, and, if you have one of the early cd's, some funky hip hop beats. One would think that since the guys are all in the same group, they would sound the same if each member tried to cut it solo. Enter Solo, an album that could be called a "Single on Steroids." While this album may be short (7 tracks totaling 26 minutes), it is an exciting sneak peak at the upcoming solo albums to be released later this year. Each member has two cuts from their respective albums, with a collaborative re-make of U2's "40." Still think each song sounds the same? This is where you will be informed otherwise. Leading off is "40", followed by "Alibi" and "All You Got" by Michael Tait. K-Max follows with "Return of the Singer" and "Be." And Toby wraps it up with "Somebody's Watching" and "Extreme Days." Each one has their own distinct sound: Tait's alternative flair, Kevin's thought-provoking and sometimes haunting ballads, and Toby's "I'm white and I can rap as good as Eminem," sound. "Alibi" is among "Extreme Days" as the best songs on the album, while "Return of the Singer" left something to be desired. Be warned: without the producing power of Mark Heimmerman (dc Talks' producer since "Nu Thang") except for "40", liking dc Talk will not guarantee an appreciation of the album. However, for the person who appreciates originality, creativity, and well-done music, this muscled up single would be a nice exchange for 11 dollars.