Pros: Incredibly clever lyrics and fun, bouncy rhythms.
Cons: More pop than rock, and in desperate need of digital remastering.
The Bottom Line: This album strikes a good balance between youth group evangelism and deeper, introspective songwriting - despite its flaws, it's still very listenable.
The Newsboys were one of the first rock bands that I really got into. Not one of the first Christian bands... one of the first bands period. It was the fall of 1994, not long after my interest in listening to actual modern music had been sparked, and so naturally, I didn’t have quite the grasp on different genres that I do now. From what I understood, anything that combined fuzzy guitars with hip-hop or techno rhythms was “alternative rock”, and if it didn’t but it was considerably loud, it was “heavy metal”. The whole rap-metal thing hadn’t really come into play yet, at least not that I knew. But hey, the Newsboys rapped during one song on their Not Ashamed album (1992), and the lyrical phrasing on their latest album, Going Public (1994), had a bit of a rap attitude to it, right?
Well, six and a half years later, I clearly understand the Newsboys’ style as being pop. They’re still a band, and quite an enjoyable band at that. And they can rock when they want to. But for the most part, this album dives right in and sets forth to communicate spiritual truths against all manner of bouncy rhythms, and it does a good job. The Newsboys were at the top of their game in the early 90’s, and the majority of their material from this album and Not Ashamed, though dated, is still meaningful and enjoyable today.
Real Good Thing Sell the Volvo, shred the Visa/Send the cash to Ma Teresa/Great idea, the only catch is/You don't get saved on merit badges…
A decently popular hit for the ‘boys, this clever lyrical collaboration between drummer Peter Furler (who became the band’s lead singer after the departure of John James in 1997) and producer/writer/all-around genius Steve Taylor jumps right in with a catchy beat and bass line, immediately hitting you with its seemingly foolish chorus: “When we don’t get what we deserve, it’s a real good thing.” Though overshadowed by the monster songs that follow it, it does a great job of communicating the idea that we can’t work our way to salvation. The second verse nudges a little too close to the whole “If you died right now, where would you go?” scare tactic, but the ‘boys still emphasize mercy over hellfire and brimstone. The whole thing finally comes to a halt, and something sounding like a didgeridoo leads us into the next track (perhaps a remnant of the band’s Australian origins).
Shine Try as you may, there isn't a way/To explain the kind of change that would make an Eskimo renounce fur/That would make a vegetarian barbecue hamster/Unless you can trace this about-face to a certain sign…
Ah, yes – the gargantuan hit that launched the Newsboys into a permanent place in Christian music history. Arguably, it’s one of the most easily recognized contemporary Christian songs in the world, starting off with its fun-fun-fun guitar riff, the drums kicking in with a wonderful little cadence of their own, and every element trying its hardest to put a smile on your face. (If you’re confusing this with Collective Soul’s “Shine”, you should be shot – though that is also a great song, thought by many to be a Gospel song, that launched a band to success as well.) Steve Taylor handled all of the lyrics on this one, and you can tell – his wacky descriptions of people making complete and unpredictable changes to their lifestyles may seem wacky, but it illustrates the way recently converted Christians seem to the outside world. The message is a call to action among Christians, of course, that people would see the community as loving and nurturing, that our actions would show it without even needing words to back them up. I must say, the ‘boys have remixed this one a few times with better results – the original can kind of wear on after the chorus has been repeated five or six times near the end. Going back to the original years later was what made me realize that the production of their older material is substantially weaker, but I’ll get more into that later.
Spirit Thing It's not a family trait, it's nothing that I ate/And it didn't come from skating with holy rollers/It's an early warning sign, it keeps my life in line/But it's so hard to define, never mind…
Probably the second biggest hit from this album. The guys decided that the whole bouncy programmed rhythm and immediate guitar hook was working well for them, so they stuck with it. Here some bright keyboard playing and a very Gospel-sounding female vocal are added to the mix, giving the happy shiny pop a bit of soul. This is a fun song about the inexplicable nature of the Holy Spirit, and the absurdity of trying to explain how God communicates with people. The conclusion is pretty much “You’ll know it when you sense it”. My only complaint about an otherwise solid song is that the lyrics to the bridge (“I took the pulpit, then backed down again/Some things in Heaven cannot be explained”) are so subtle that you barely notice them, especially after the chorus comes back to overlap them.
Let It Rain And I've been bathed in mercy/By every gesture, every word You've said/Once I spoke of power and high position/You took a towel and washed my feet instead…
Starting off with a few bubbly keyboard notes and other aquatic sounds, this is a calmer song, almost a ballad, but mostly driven by keyboards and electronic ambience. It addresses the character of Jesus as experienced by the disciple Peter. It’s a prettier, gentler track that helped to break the Newsboys in the more conservative sectors of Christian radio.
Going Public She's been dazed and induced/Wants a part-time God for her private use/But she won't take a stand/'Cause she might get tagged as a closet Jesus fan…
The title track on this album was surprisingly overlooked… perhaps its message was too close to the previous mega-hit “I’m Not Ashamed”, but I actually found this song to be a more clever communication that Christians shouldn’t cover up their faith. The song starts off with some more sinister electronic sounds, evolving into a very Depeche Mode-inspired beat, and indeed, the overall feel of this song is like a bouncier “Personal Jesus”. I really like this one – it’s got a more noticeable lead guitar and a more substantial low-end that some of the other tracks, and I love the descriptions of the Christians trying to conceal their faith from the outside world.
Truth and Consequences I am the voice of the male agenda/Sensitive, strong or shy, I tend to/Act anyway that would possibly send you/Somewhere we can be alone…
From Michael W. Smith’s “Old Enough to Know” to LaRue’s “Someday”, the Christian market has always been inundated with no-sex-before-marriage propaganda in the form of a song. Believe me, I don’t think one night stands are a good idea or anything, but hearing songs pleading with us to keep our virginity gets annoying after a while. Having said that, this is one of the better songs to address the topic in recent years, offering a humorous and yet too-true take on the dating landscape and the general intentions of some of the seemingly nice men out there. The song has an almost goofy quality, driven by a techno/house rhythm (and sadly, not much else), incorporating some humorous male monologue and whistling into the bridge, and reminding the female protagonist that there’s much better out there for her than these fools who would say anything to get her into bed. The song cleverly fades out with one of these men talking, and it’s really unfortunate that it’s buried so far back in the mix that you can hardly hear what he’s saying (thankfully, they had the forethought to print it with the lyrics).
Lights Out Last one turns the lights out/Climbs up to the top of the roof /He's sitting there 'til the Second Coming/Says he's got the mathematical proof…
Here’s where the Newsboys finally decided to let loose and rock, unleashing some crunchier guitar sounds on top of their usual driving rhythm. The song creeps up quite nicely just as the last one dies out, becoming a fast and furious number about the end of the world that proved to be a favorite concert closer for a while. Rather than the usual “End Times” stuff that the Christian market gets bombarded with, this song is actually a clever reminder for Christians not to assume that they know when Jesus will come back, and not to stop making a real effort to spread the Gospel. Regrettably, despite the rocking effort put forth by the band, the final mix is a mess. The elements just don’t come through clearly, and often, I feel like I’m listening to the band play this song in a dance hall while I’m out listening from the alley. But we’ll chalk that up to a production style that places a little too much emphasis on the beat.
Be Still We've been running without a direction/We're afraid to get there late/What we need is strength just to kneel down and wait…
As you might have guessed, this is a calmer song about being still in the presence of the Lord. Its calm strings at the beginning and its soft beat are a curious counterpoint to “Lights Out”. It’s a nice, reflective song and all, but I almost feel like the ‘boys were trying a little hard to earn some Adult Contemporary acceptance here. This is one of those songs that you could slip by on conservative Christian radio without it being obvious that it’s coming from a rock band that the youth groups are all in love with. In some ways, Christian radio needed the lines blurred, but in the long run, this just ain’t that interesting of a song.
When You Called My Name I want to preach the Word/They want massages/I check chapter and verse/They check their watches/I spy another yawn/I might as well be gone/Let's stand and say “Amen"…
Often overlooked by Newsboys fans (the unfortunate result of two slower songs being placed back to back), this is definitely the mellowest song on the album, driven mostly by keyboards, a very soft beat, and some subtle bass work. It tells the story of a worn-out preacher who isn’t convinced his congregation cares to listen to him any more, and it could well be a reflection of the Newsboys questioning their position in Christian music (some bands preach from stage and risk boring the kids who came to see them play, while others get ridiculed for not preaching the Word). It’s definitely one of the deepest songs they’ve ever written, but given the Newsboys’ core audience, they haven’t won very many people over with subtlety. Still, I can’t fault them for trying. The same fans that got bored with this probably disowned the ‘boys when Love Liberty Disco came to town five years later. Still, like the preacher in the song, the band has a calling, and they’ll take it where God leads them, come support or criticism. You gotta respect that.
Elle G. Silence all, nobody breathe/How in the world could you just leave?/You promised you would/Silence that evil with good…
Wow. You would have never guessed the Newsboys could pull off a song like this, would you? This is truly the hidden gem of the album, the great song that they never play any more. It starts off with a creepy bass line (and I have to give credit to the band’s former bass player Kevin Mills, who was recently killed in a motorcycle accident, for being a strong presence on this album), and takes off from there, carrying a much more ominous tone than anything else on the album, still containing a programmed element, but overall more straight-ahead rock. The song seems to be about a teenage runaway, written from the perspective of a father trying to piece together the events leading up to her disappearance. It’s a dark tone on which to end the album, but I like that they chose not to neatly tie everything up, because this acknowledges that the Christian life still has its mysteries and its heartbreaks, and, as the lyrics say, “We haven’t a hope beyond Your grace.” Even if the Newsboys were never your cup of tea (sorry, but they don't mind), you should check out this song sometime.
Well, it’s a bit short, a few songs fell flat, and the production could have been a little more crisp, but this still stands up as a classic album. It was a bit of a stepping stone for the band, taking away some of the dependence on programming and late 80’s bombast that made Not Ashamed become very quickly outdated - a glimpse of what was to come on their solid 1996 release Take Me to Your Leader (which I must get around to reviewing some time!). Some of these songs (all the youth group favorites, of course) have been digitally remastered and re-released on Shine: The Hits, but as a whole, this album is drastically misrepresented on that compilation, because all of the deeper songs are absent. So, if you’re planning on catching up on some classic Newsboys, skip their greatest hits album, and pick this one up, as well as Take Me to Your Leader.
TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY Excellent: Shine, Elle G., Spirit Thing, Lights Out
Good: Let It Rain, Going Public, Truth and Consequences, When You Called My Name
Decent: Real Good Thing
Weak: Be Still
Skippable: NONE
Band Members:
John James: Lead vocals
Peter Furler: Drums, vocals
Jody Davis: Guitar, vocals
Jeff Frankenstein: Keyboards
Kevin Mills: Bass, vocals (left the band after this album; replaced by Phil Joel)
Duncan Phillips: Keyboards
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