Description

Devotion is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Undercover, released on Brainstorm Artists International in 1992, manufactured and distributed by Word. The album was recorded by Bob Moon, Gene Eugene of Adam Again and band member Ojo Taylor at both Mixing Lab A and B in Huntington Beach, California; with Ojo Taylor producing. Mixed by Eugene and Taylor. Backing vocals on both “Promenade” and “All That I Am” provided by Terry Taylor of Daniel Amos, while Steve Griffin of Vector fame is featured on the title track.

When Undercover re-formed three years after its farewell live album ‘3/28/87‘ to release ’90’s ‘Balance of Power‘ it was not living on past glory days, but rather recreating itself as a relevant musical approach and something to say in the new decade. The band rocked harder and more competently than ever before, and when the pain of «World Come Crashing Down» and «Last Rites» met the urgency of «Love Me Dangerously» and «The Eye of Love» the result was a tempered hope, made strong by the fires of life, and music that delivered in sonic power what the images communicated in poetry.

With ‘Devotion’ the metamorphosis is complete, and Undercover is a new band. Sim Wilson, Ojo Taylor, Gym Nicholson and Gary Olson have all broadened their musical chops and the band’s writing has become more economical and direct as Taylor and Nicholson’s vision has become clearer. «Man, Oh Man», a funk-driven track a la Fishbone, and «Purple Flower» define the outer limits with Ojo’s bass guitar groove laying the foundation for Gym’s psychedelic soloing. Aggressive hard rock provides ballast in songs like «Work it Out» and «Sea of Tranquility», but it all comes together in the title track where the band’s volatile playing is superceded only by Wilson’s plaintive wail for existential meaning, “All I need is something to make me feel like something.”

Nicholson’s soloing continues to be a delightful thing of beauty, but Undercover has developed into a serious playing unit, with rock solid underpinnings and Wilson’s continued growth as a vocalist, at times echoing the patterns of Axl Rose, but often creating a unique presence. Taylor’s keys play a less dominant role, but the songs often stretch-out from keyboard compositional origins, rather than being structured around guitar riffs.

Lyrically, ‘Devotion’ is perhaps the most honestly up-beat album from Undercover ever. While their early “pogo-for-Jesus” anthems reeked of naive positivity, here, grounded by reality’s hurts and trials they find a «Sea of Tranquility». They’re still asking the big questions – «Where I Should Be», «Dark Night» and «All That I Am», the disc’s second half triad that requires a few listens to shape a positive response – but they’ve been resolved somewhat in lives of «Devotion» where, in the «Promenade» of life the circle remains unbroken. Life is not handed to us on a platter, and faith doesn’t resolve us of the responsibility to live honestly and fully, but Undercover’s music rocks as it expresses the values of acceptance, community, persistence and love. Who can argue with that? [Brian Q. Newcomb, CCM, October 1992]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/devotion/1443968657)

CD tracklist:

01. Work It Out
02. Man, Oh Man
03. Sea Of Tranquility
04. Purple Flowers
05. Devotion
06. Promenade
07. Where I Should Be
08. Dark Night
09. All That I Am
10. So Wonderful

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Brainstorm. Re-issued on CD as a Limited Edition pressing (150 copies) by Lo-Fidelity Records in 2018, fully remastered, and in a 6 panel digipak case, with 8 panel fold out poster/lyric page, as well as 6 live bonus tracks from the era; Cry Myself To Sleep (Gene Eugene Live Tribute) / Witch Hunt (Gene Eugene Live Tribute) / Devotion (Gene Eugene Live Tribute) / Promenade (Acoustic Live) / Devotion (Cornerstone 2000) / So Wonderful (Cornerstone 2000). Also released for the first time on 12-inch vinyl double LP by Lo-Fidelity, fully remastered for vinyl. Pressed as both Transparent Yellow and Transparent Yellow Splatter. 180 gram vinyl. Available at Bandcamp: https://undercover.bandcamp.com/album/devotion-2018-remaster