#273 GOD RULES by Undercover (1983)

GOD RULES by Undercover (1983)
A&S Records | A&S0005

Producers:

Dan Willard and Joey Taylor

File Under: New Wave/Punk Rock

Time Capsule-Worthy Track:

God Rules

"It sounds like Honey, I Shrunk The Cars." That's how one blogger described this album.

Here are a few other words and phrases I found on the internet that are used to describe God Rules by Undercover:

"Giddy new wave." "Sugary as bubble gum and with just as much pop." "Zippy little keyboard-driven numbers with hiccuping percussion." "Chipper." "Sticky-sweet." "Hooky." "Catchy." "Simple three-chord stuff." "New wavish, poppy post-punk Jesus rock." One reviewer said it was just "goofy enough to be endearing."

Joey "Ojo" Taylor and James "Gym" Nicholson formed Undercover in the early 1980s. Based out of Fullerton, California and affiliated with Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, the band began as pogo-stick pop-rockers and became a punk outfit before finally transitioning into a darker, alternative rock band credited with inspiring a new generation of Christian modern/alternative rock groups (sometimes referred to as the Third Wave of artists to be birthed in the Christian rock music scene).

According to the band's Wikipedia page, Undercover's early years were characterized by "high-energy anthems, rebellious themes, and short, three-chord songs." "Mohawk hairstyles, tattoos, and torn jeans" were the preferred look at that time, and the band's albums contained punk versions of traditional hymns and youth group choruses, shouted vocals and simple, direct lyrics. Very simple. Like, at times, laughably simple...

Jesus
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus

Jesus for me, for me
For me, for me

Those are the lyrics - all of the lyrics - for a song called Jesus For Me.

How about a track titled His Love...

His love has set me free
His love delivered me
His love stays, won’t leave
He lives inside of me

His love – well, it made me
His love – and it saved me
His love – it’s all around me
His love, His love

His love
His love
His love
His love

Or this one called Jesus Girl...

She jumps and shouts for Jesus, she loves Jesus
She keeps her eyes on Jesus, on her Jesus
And when she jumps and shouts, her eyes are on the Lord
Well, she’s a Christian, yeah, but she’s never bored

And she’s a Jesus girl, oh yeah, (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Well, she’s a J-J-Jesus girl (oh yeah, oh yeah)
She’s a Jesus girl

Nothing wrong with Jesus girls. I wish the world was full of more Jesus girls. But let's face it...the lyrics on this record were about as deep as a plastic kiddie pool. 

And for many, that's part of the charm of God Rules. Not only did they not shy away from matters of faith, they were cheerleaders with clear, direct songs that championed that faith. And we didn't have to sweat and strain and swallow hard trying to figure out what we thought the band might be trying to say. Sometimes that's refreshing.

No interviewer ever asked Ojo Taylor, "What exactly were you trying to get across in the song He Takes Care Of Me? What's that song about?" Yeah, it was pretty clear, I'd say. Painfully simple...but clear!

I have a car, but it won’t go very far
But I don’t care, ‘cause I can talk to Jesus anywhere

I can’t buy a three-piece suit and tie
I don’t mind ‘cause Jesus had only one robe when he died

I don’t own a nice two-bedroom home
But that’s okay, ‘cause I’ve always got a place to stay

Loving God makes me a happy boy
I never need anything, because…because…
I never need anything, because he takes care of me
He takes care of me

There ya go. Just a plain and simple re-stating of Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-34.

Not to belabor the point, but some of the songs read almost like a children's book. I could almost see the lyrics of Jesus Is The Best in a Dr. Seuss book...

Jesus is the best
He’s better than the rest
Go on, put Him to the test
You’ll see He’s the best

Jesus is the most
He rules from coast to coast
I need another dose
My Jesus is the most

Now He is the King over everything
Call Him on the phone – ring, ring
He can change anything
Have you heard the latest?
Jesus is the greatest

But Undercover seemed to be the right band in the right place with the right message at the right time. It just worked. In the words J. Edward Keyes: "Where punk peers like the Altar Boys seemed hellbent on storming the gates with torches, Undercover made Christianity sound like a children’s show, with a bounce castle and a ball pit and communion wafers that tasted like Cherry Pez." 

"One thing’s for sure," wrote the blogger at The One Hundred list, "the band didn’t hide its light under a bushel, but proudly and loudly proclaimed that God not only rules, but also rocks!"

At the time of God Rules, Undercover consisted of Joey Taylor (credited as O-Joe) on keyboards and bass, Jim "Gym" Nicholson on guitars, Gary Olson on drums, and Bill Walden (listed as 'B') on lead vocals and tenor sax.

God Rules was produced by Dan Willard and Joey Taylor and was recorded at Whitefield Studios. Dan Willard was also credited as the album's engineer.

The album's cover and sleeve had a bit of a punk aesthetic on display. A peach background with streaks of pink and purple, complete with the name of Jesus hidden (sort of) in the artwork. Part graffiti/part finger paint/part school art project. It's been said that the cover matches the mood of the music contained inside.

The album's art directer was listed as "Al X."...which actually referred to the multi-talented Alex MacDougall. The typography was credited to Joe Christian - actually the legendary Rick Griffin. [Did no one want to be associated with this record? Just wondering why so many aliases were used in the credits.] Gary Delacy worked on the album design, while Camille Krischak served as an illustrator and photographs were taken by Wes Covina and Scott Lockwood.

Pastor Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (and friend of Jesus freaks everywhere) was given a shout-out in the special thanks. In his blog An Atheist's Guide to Christian Rock, J. Edward Keyes shared his opinion that Undercover's connection to Calvary Chapel was crucial. "The church," Keyes wrote, "as unbelievable as it sounds, was kind of the Gilman Street of the Christian punk community, generating scores of tradition-breaking bands...it wasn’t just a scene, it was a movement..."

The album's title track got away from the happy pogo-pop stuff a little bit. It would forever be a signature song for Undercover and pointed in the direction the band would travel next. This was less new wave, more punk rock... 

1, 2, 3, 4!

Last time water, this time fire
The day is getting down to the wire
I’ve heard Jesus mocked and now I’m tired
God is true and men are liars

Jesus helps me day and night
He took my sins and flushed them right outta here
The devil lost the fight
Jesus won with power and might

There’s more to life than getting stoned 
And sitting in the twilight zone
He is coming to take us home
Don’t be left here all alone

God rules! God rules!
God rules! God rules!
Hey – God rules!

Along with Daniel Amos, The Choir, the 77s and Adam Again, Undercover would influence many other aspiring bands in the Christian modern rock/alternative scene. Their music would eventually take a darker, more introspective turn. 

It's been said that Joey "Ojo" Taylor would begin to steer the band through dark, nuanced works about doubt and loss. I think I remember reading years ago that Taylor's divorce had much to do with the tone of subsequent albums and his depressed emotional state.

Any time Undercover is discussed, the elephant in the room is the fact that "Ojo" now says he's an atheist. I won't spend a lot of time on that topic here. 

Taylor's own lyric from God Rules:
I've heard Jesus mocked and now I'm tired / God is true and men are liars.

#irony

By the way, don't try to discuss faith or politics with Taylor via social media (unless you have Trump Derangement Syndrome). He will block you, as many Undercover fans have discovered. I guess that's what atheists do when they are secure in their "logic" and "reason."

The other band members seem to still be Christ followers (Bill's a Calvary Chapel pastor) and are reported to maintain friendly relationships with Taylor, so, hey...you never know. Pray for him. And pray for his students (he teaches music-related courses at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia).

An Undercover reunion show in California a few years back

At the end of the day, this album is remembered fondly as a celebration of faith. What it lacked in eloquence was made up for in exuberance.

To quote J. Edward Keyes one more time: "As a snapshot of surf-loving Jesus kids playing beach volleyball in the California sun, it’s hard to match the all-smiles enthusiasm of God Rules."