Whether you call him a satirist, prophet, evangelical iconoclast or just a cutting-edge rocker, few can ignore STEVE TAYLOR. Now he's back and firing on all cylinders report Tony Cummings and Jan Willem Vink.

"In retrospect, I'm not sure that everyone in the band was up to the challenge once the album was finished. I think there was a naiveté on the part of some members in thinking that the record company makes it all happen, which is why we had heated disagreements on what to do when the album was released. The touring aspect was especially thorny - I still can't believe that we never played live on the European continent.

"Overall, it was a good experience artistically, particularly the collaborative aspects, and we all still get along well. Of course, Mike and Wade played drums and bass on my album, and will hopefully be joining me on tour this spring. I still have some mixed feelings about what it all meant, which I put into the song 'Sock Heaven'."

How would you compare what you do now lyrically and musically with the material on the Chagall Guevara album? Do you feel there were things you wanted to say that you couldn't in the format of Chagall Guevara?

"I was surprised at the number of people who didn't have a clue what most of our songs were about. I think that perhaps we wrote as much for each other as we did for the listener, which may have made some of the lyrics a little obscure. We had no lyrical agenda, so whatever light was present came in through the back door. The main difference between the band's album and my album is the difference between a collaboration and a solo effort. There are similarities, lyrically and musically, but I doubt too many people would confuse one for the other."

You've probably been more successful in Europe than the US, especially in the UK. You've lived in London for a while, and chose to record Limelight' at Greenbelt. What attracts you to Europe? Do you think you are influenced in a big way by European/British thinking?

"I actually went thumbing through my CD collection yesterday and realised that about 80 per cent of the music I listen to is by British and European artists, so the influence musically is undeniable. I'm certainly no expert on European thought, and I'm hopeless at other languages, but I've always sensed - rightly or wrongly -that it costs a bit more to be a Christian in Europe than it does in America. Christianity in America is still accompanied by a lot of excess baggage, much of which has nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus, and some of which is directly at odds with his example. I think the time I've spent in Europe has helped me to keep a better perspective on what's important. I can also say with certainty that the Europeans I know are a lot more fun to argue with!"

You've recorded the new video in various countries around the world. Do the places of recording refer to the songs as well, or was it a good way to travel around the world? Can you tell something about your experiences in different locations?

"It was a good excuse to travel around the world with someone else paying the bill. When Chagall Guevara did our one and only video (for 'Violent Blue') I was so disappointed with the way it turned out that I decided next time I'd do it myself. I knew I wanted to shoot the videos for this album in exotic locales, but I didn't want them to be immediately recognisable. So I picked locations in countries that are off the beaten track, starting with Nepal and Vietnam, and then filling in the other stops to make a round-the-world itinerary. We experienced the sort of surprises you'd expect on a trip like that, including shooting the first music video ever filmed in Vietnam (which I guess isn't too surprising). There were only four of us travelling, along with our 12 cases of equipment. I actually bought a 35mm movie camera for the journey, so the overall look of the video is quite good. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and amazingly, everything went right. The weather was good (despite the fact that we visited most of the countries during monsoon season), nobody got malaria, we got some really great images on film, and I can tell you for a fact that elephants are more comfortable to ride than camels. I'm spending most of this fall editing it all together, and so far it's coming together very well.

On this new album there are three songs ("Sock Heaven", "Jesus Is For Losers" and "The Finish Line") that seem to be more personal and emotional. Can you tell more about the background of these songs? Is there any relation between them?

"'Sock Heaven' was a rarity for me in that it dealt with a slice of my own life, specifically the decisions leading up to starting the band, and on through to when we gradually began drifting apart. I believe it is somewhat connected emotionally to the song 'Jesus Is For Losers', in that I had to take a hard look at all my motivations of the past five years in order to figure out where to go from here. The title 'Jesus Is For Losers' seemed both an adequate summation of my state of mind, and a good reminder that Jesus didn't come for the healthy, but for those who needed a doctor. Finally, 'The Finish Line' may be the closest I've come to writing a song that really moves me on an emotional level. I had in mind various friends who were having a crisis of faith, and I suppose the message is simply to persevere."

The material on the three-song demo we heard sounded on one hand a logical conclusion of your previous work, but on the other hand still very experimental. Did you set yourself any goals before recording?

"This was my first time to produce myself without the help of a co-producer, which takes away all the usual excuses. I just wanted to get the songs on tape before they could start 'talking back' to me, before I could start second-guessing everything. We did lots of experimenting with sounds and textures (some of the songs have as many as three bass tracks on them), but if something wasn't working, we'd move on. I firmly believe that lax schedules and huge budgets are the enemies of creativity, and I didn't even spend all the money I had to work with -the first time that's ever happened! I worked with great musicians and a great engineer, and it was easily the most fun I've had in the studio."

Are there any things you did during your Sparrow days as an artist you are determined to never do again?

"I look back on most of those events very fondly, but there were a few embarrassing moments. The one that springs most immediately to mind is a certain duet that the record company talked me into singing on. I think that, given the choice between prolonged dental surgery and hearing that particular record in its entirety, I would choose the former."