Proof that Christian Rock Doesn't Have to Alienate Intelligent Listeners
Written: Nov 06 '05 (Updated Nov 06 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: Brilliant lyrical wit and fun musical twists abound.
Cons: Too short. "Breathe" and "Breathe (Benediction)" don't measure up to the other songs.
The Bottom Line: A landmark recording for Christian rock in the 90's, and more importantly, a treasured classic from my college days. You should check it out.
divad23's Full Review: Take Me to Your Leader by Newsboys
Author's Note: Sometimes, I just have to take time out of my regular review schedule, go back in time, and write about something classic. It's easy to take up music criticism as a hobby, but harder and harder to maintain it when you're taking in so much new stuff at once that it's hard to really sit down and appreciate any of it. Lately I've procrastinated writing about the myriad of new releases I've been trying to digest, simply because I've become rather bored with the process of giving something a few cursory listens only to crank out a review in a timely manner and then forget about it as I move on to something else. I forget that nobody's determining a schedule for me here, and I have to write about things that I love writing about from time to time so that this won't become a chore. With that in mind, I give you one of the many reviews that I've been meaning to write for ages.
1996 was a really good year for Christian music. Always a few years behind the mainstream market in terms of trends, this was around the time when several artists discovered the opportunity to hook a younger and somewhat more demanding crowd, recognizing how "alternative" stylings had caught on in the mainstream. Perhaps it was dc Talk who led the charge with their stunning genre-jump in 1995, but whatever the case, many artists who were formerly very poppy and programmed suddenly set out to prove that they could succeed in more of a raw, edgy environment. It might not have been anything that would have appealed to the cutting edge critics who continued to insist Christian music was all fluff, but you know what, this trend found a lot of artists improving on their old styles, proving that the bands were actually bands and not just window dressing for producers to hide behind, and also proving that CCM songwriters could be a little more thoughtful.
The Newsboys, already lauded for making some insanely catchy pop/rock tunes with highly clever and insightful lyrics that nevertheless maintained mass youth group appeal, took this "alternative" leap with their 1996 album, Take Me to Your Leader. Following up the massively popular (and highly DAT tracked) Not Ashamed and Going Public was a daunting task, but they were certainly off on the right foot by ditching their programmed rhythms and sticking almost entirely to the sound of their live instruments on this record. A few of the more danceable sounds from their old days remained, most notably in the disco-esque first single "Reality", but the Aussie/New Zealand/American band was also branching out with harsher guitar licks, more introspective and sometimes even jaded lyrics, and some surprising musical twists, all the while retaining their infectiously poppy attitude. Take Me to Your Leader was the equivalent of an aural smile, with a subtle nod and wink to those who didn't want Biblical encouragement to mean total lyrical stupidity. You can say that the zany, clever lyrics were all Steve Taylor's doing, but in all fairness, lead singer John James, drummer Peter Furler, and bassist Phillip Joel Urry (now known as Phil Joel) were also starting to emerge as thoughtful writers and expressive singers. Whatever the case, this album was blessed with an excellent array of talent, and while it's definitely on the poppy end of alternative rock, I think it stands strong as one of the most memorable records of its era - Christian or otherwise. (And I'll confess that I have no grounds to make such a claim, given that I listened to virtually no mainstream music in by college days, but all I'm really trying to say is that Leader is a solid body of work.)
Of course, part of the fun of this record is nostalgia - remembering how a friend loved the vintage keyboard sounds of "Reality", or how convicting songs like "God Is Not a Secret" or "Lost the Plot" were in the mind of a young Christian, or how I titled my journal entries like the protagonist of "Breathe", or how I quoted the wacky "Breakfast" out of context on my dorm room message board and an argument in multi-colored pen with an unidentified agnostic ensued. Take Me to Your Leader was a landmark recording during a formative year of my life - its witty lyrical puns kept my attention while the message underneath nearly every song cut to the core of my being. (Yeah, silly pop records can do that.) I only wish that the Newsboys - and the CCM industry in general - still had a commitment to being as in-your-face and fun as this while communicating a serious and timely message.
God Is Not a Secret Your in-depth research shows
Drop the God, emphasize the beat
I've heard that positive pop you dig
I'd rather be buried in wet concrete...
From the mellowed-out keyboard and guitar intro, you might not expect such an immediate kick into a powerfully rocking songs, but the gentle ticking of Duncan Phillips' drum kit in those first few seconds is what gives things away right before the band erupts into a tense chord sequence, giving way to a verse in which John James rails against ad executives who would love nothing more than to turn the band into massive hitmakers who have absolutely nothing to say. When I first heard this song, with its incisive tone taken toward those who would water down the Christian message in order to attain popularity, I'll admit that I winced a little. I mean, it's not always a bad thing for a singer or band to "cross over" if a song they wrote in a more poetic or enigmatic manner happens to appeal to the mainstream. But lately, I think I understand a little better what they meant here, as so many CCM artists, while their music may be explicitly Christian in tone, have taken to watering down the music and the powerful meaning of the Christian faith into something bite-sized and unchallenging for the sake of fitting a trend and making a buck. (Ironically, this includes the current incarnation of the Newsboys themselves, who are now convinced that clever songwriting is not worshipful and therefore making anything other than blandly simplistic worship albums is below them, but that's another story.) Sometimes you need an in-your-face song like this to tell the industry that it's full of B.S., and to make a lot of noise in the process. "Take back your free advice, I won't accept", John James snarls. "I will not play those games; God is not a secret to be kept." The 'boys actually remixed this one rather successfully, complete with a Toby Mac cameo (which was before that had become too much of a cliché), for their greatest hits collection in 2000.
Take Me to Your Leader Justin is adjustin' to the odor from Theodore's evergreen incense
But aroma therapy don't make him and younger than Oliver's all-liver supplements
His late mate Merilee merrily said immortality can't be bought in a jar
This just in: Justin's had enough of cure-alls, gonna quiz the neighbor kid with the fish on his car...
Oh yeah, you've gotta remember this one. The fun little organ bursts, the purposefully off-key guitar notes sounding like an intruding alien in otherwise easygoing pop song... and who could forget the abundant puns on the name of each character in the story? "Joshua judges her ruthlessly on account of Ruth walking out on him" - Brilliant. "Got caught stealin' Helena's handbasket" - OK, how sad is it that I finally just got that pun today? (And how many Christian artists do you know who will makes puns on the word "hell"?) Maybe this one's hurt slightly by its cheerleading chorus telling us to lead others to Christ because "It's real, it's free, it's fun", but what they lose there, they more than make up for by inserting the Australian interjection "Oi!" into the lyrics. Add some fun keyboard work from Jeff Frankenstein (yes, that's his real name) and lots of banging and crashing on the drums, and you get an infectious song which deserves its place as a favorite in the Newsboys canon.
Breathe Thursday the fifth, I title "Drivers Beware"
Temperamental, and I don't really care
I gave 'til I bled, you laughed when I fainted
Don't wanna live this life bitter and tainted...
If "God Is Not a Secret" wasn't enough of a hint that this record would be more "alternative" in its tone, there's no mistaking the intentionally harsh and scratchy guitar intro that Jody Davis smacks us upside the head with. This song is a fairly abrasive one in general, describing some of John James' less savory days (and his behavior as a result of them) in the form of brief journal entries in which he basically admits that the people he's supposed to love really p!ss him off sometimes. This transitions rather awkwardly into a more melodic chorus of "Breathe on me, breathe O breathe of God", which is a nice prayer, but perhaps too quick of a resolution to the mayhem. The fact that the 'boys do nothing but blurt out "doo doo doo" over the song's dissonant bridge doesn't really help it to build to a satisfying conclusions, so unfortunately, this one'll have to go down as one a failed experiments on an otherwise solid collection of songs.
Reality Mom and Dad, I'm fair, how's life?
Lent the money you sent me to the clown with the knife.
My career as an acrobat hasn't begun,
But I'm busy giving blood and shoveling elephant dung.
Send money.
Man, you gotta love the vintage keyboards that open this one, along with the (admittedly programmed) disco beat that fuels it. With just that and the chorus about "The reality that comes from above", this could have been the cheesiest song in the world, but it's the wacky retelling of the prodigal son as a kid who runs off and joins the circus that provides enough hilarity to make this song a winner. As a college kid, I definitely related to this guy repeatedly asking his folks to "Send money". The band has some fun with a talkbox during the otherwise flat bridge (expanded in concert to allow Frankenstein to cover the disco hit "Funky Town"), and there are quite a few one-liners and puns to keep us smiling (obviously absurd comments like finding a better photo for the milk carton backs or shoveling elephant dung fit nicely alongside more subtle double meanings like "after the fall is an all new episode"), right up to the abrupt ending smack dab in the middle of that repetitive, catchy chorus. (It's interesting to note that this track is one of the few times I've heard Christian radio edit a song for reasons other than its length - apparently some were too squeamish to allow the line about elephant dung, so they just took out the two lines around it, making for an awkwardly short second verse.)
Breakfast Those here without the Lord, how do you cope?
For this morning, we don't mourn like those who have no hope.
Oh, rise up, Froot Loop lovers, sing out Sweet & Low
With spoons held high, we bid our brother Cheerio...
Now here's a song that will live in infamy. Puns, specifically on the subject of breakfast foods, abound in this incessantly bouncy song about death. You gotta love those Christian bands and their wacky sense of humor when it comes to the hereafter - I mean, hey, if you believe in Heaven, then there's really no need to see one's own death as such a morbid occasion, right? This song eulogizes an unknown teacher figure who has "bought those pine pajamas", and its lyrics range from the absurdly silly to the mildly profound as it explains how we don't have to shed a tear for this guy because he's moved on to a better place. So many Christian songs tackle this subject by trying to jerk tears from us with a deadly serious tone - it's just gotten old. While this particular tune might come off as a bit insensitive to non-Christians (hence why quoting it to the general public got me into a bit of a debate my freshman year), it's easy to just take it as tongue-in-cheek, campy fun, whistle solo and all. And hey, how many times do the Christian kids get to sing the word "hell" at the top of their lungs and get away with it? (For the record, the line is, "When the big one finds you, may this song remind you that they don't serve breakfast in hell.")
Let It Go This bitterness you hide, it seeps into your soul
And it steals your joy, 'til it's all you know...
Hey, the Newsboys are doing the acoustic thing - that seemed different to me at the time. Looking back, this is probably one of the most "normal" songs on the record, which is funny, since the band originally conceived it as more of an edgy rock tune. I think it works well in this more reflective setting, since it's a song about holding grudges and the negative effect this can have on one's faith. The song strikes a good balance between mellow and tense, and in the process of making some cutting observations ("And as another sun sets on your anger, the darkness laughs as the wound destroys, and it turns your prayers to noise") while again showing the band's clever side with double meanings ("He left his rights"). It's really easy to picture the lonely person in this song, wandering along the beach, waiting for an apology in a bottle that will never come.
Cup O' Tea Spotlight, a dream for many a year
Mumbled something' 'bout pearls in a pig's ear
Old school, thirty-two and knowin' it all
Who wants to listen to a single-sided phone call?
Hey, it's actual audible bass on a rock album! Cool! Phil Joel gets some good, fast licks in at the beginning of this one, laying the framework for a warp-speed rocker in which John James gets enigmatically personal about his career. I'd imagine that for most of the youth groupers, this was simply a fun song about being yourself, but looking deeper, I think James was seriously questioning his role in the industry (hence, the alter ego "Jimmy" being addressed in the lyrics) and what the best way would be to get a valuable message out there - was it through a band making zany rock music, or would that prove to be irrelevant as he aged? (Interestingly, he left the band after this record.) After flying through some more seemingly nonsensical lyrics, the band hits us with the defiant, noisy punch of the chorus: "Sorry, I'm not your cup o' tea, but I don't mind/Yeah, said I don't mind/At least I know you're thinking' about me, and I don't mind/Yeah, said I don't mind." If there's a message to take away from it, it requires some thought to get to it (a talent the Newsboys appear to have lost in their later years). I think they're trying to say that just because you know the truth and you want everyone to hear about it doesn't mean that you can't just say whatever you want and expect everyone to respect you for it.
It's All Who You Know For the want of a cough drop, the musher's throat went hoarse
For the want of direction, the huskies went off course
Then the sled got snowbound, took some time to free 'em
Now they're on display inside the British Museum...
Here's another highly danceable track - an underrated gem that never really got a chance to stand out since "Reality" was such a big hit right out of the gate. A deft mix of rock groove and pulsating dance rhythm, complete with a zippy guitar hook and another set of quickly delivered, pun-infused lyrics, this one aims to show the folly of man's trust in his own ability by telling us about cancelled TV shows starring plastic surgeons, and dog mushing gone awry. Yeah, it's pure silliness, and I'm not sure if the point I really think it's making is really the point after all. Whatever. It's a fun song.
Miracle Child When You got there, we were sure You'd come too late
We all pay You lip service, then address our prayers to fate...
For the longest time, I felt that this was one of the skippable songs on the record, a break in the pure brilliance in between all of the catchy songs and one of the most poignant ones. Certainly, the music isn't as nutty here, and the lyrics are far more serious, talking about a girl who had a brush with death and who miraculously survived despite the lack of faith of her loved ones. It's kind of a slap in the face to Christians who have given up on miracles, thinking them to just be a Biblical thing (though it may also be a modern interpretation of a miracle such as the resurrection of Lazarus or Jairus' daughter). I'll be honest - healing prayer is never something I've put much stock in, and this song dares to come right at me with its buzzing guitars and its shifty key changes and ask, "Well, why can't God do that?" I think this one really hit home for me during my sophomore year, after a suicidal friend who was in no way religious suddenly turned around and became a Christian. To sum up, the 'boys are basically reminding us that our expectations of God are too low.
Lost the Plot Gone with the free-range sheep, while the big birds sharpen their claws
For a time we stuck with the Shepherd, but You wouldn't play Santa Claus
Sigh, let's be blunt
We're a little distracted, what do You want?
Here it is - in my personal opinion, the absolute pinnacle of the Newsboys' catalogue. It's not a typical Newsboys song by any means - no danceable beat, no smile-inducing catchy chorus or anything like that. But brilliance abounds in this slow, creepy tale of a backslidden Christian who has the nerve to ask God, "When you come back again, could you bring me something' from the fridge?" The tone here is almost like a slow, eerie Smashing Pumpkins song, with John James playing the shrill, ticked off Billy Corgan role. He's partially ticked at God for not being what he thought God should be, and partially ticked at himself for being so childish. "Once we could hear you, now our senses are shot", he moans, "We've forgotten our first love, we have lost the plot". At this point an abrupt tempo change occurs, with Jody Davis cranking out an angular guitar solo as the drums clatter and crash about, eventually leading into a final verse an a chorus where John James is practically screaming at the Almighty: "Why are you still listening, 'cause we're obviously not!" There are still some puns and witticisms - wouldn't be a Newsboys song without them - my favorite being the line, "You forgave, we forgot" (a play on the old adage "forgive and forget"), but for the most part, this is a chillingly serious wake-up call that deserves to down as one of the best CCM songs ever recorded (so sad that the powers that be didn't deem it catchy and cheery enough to make the greatest hits album). It ends with the first verse trailing off into silence on an unresolved chord - it would have taken even more guts to end the record that way, but I'll applaud them for being so bold as it is.
Breathe (Benediction) When all is said, and all has come undone
Restore the promise I made when I was young
Now unto Him who can keep us from falling
And present us faultless before His glory...
Interestingly, the album's least interesting song gets recast as an acoustic devotional to bookend the record, with Phil Joel taking over on the mic, adding quiet, worshipful verses where John James' frustrated journal entries were once placed. This feeds into the same chorus, played softly, with the line "'Til I love like You do" replaced with "'Til I'm resting in you". It's not a complete emotional resolution after "Lost the Plot", just an admission of what would be a good place to start. The song comes up a little dry, musically speaking, still suffering from the lack of a memorable bridge. But it's an interesting way to cap the album off, and considering that no Newsboys album other than this one has made it past track 10, I suppose I should give them extra credit points for at least trying here.
Yeah, I guess the one downfall of every Newsboys album is its brevity - I don't think any of them run past 40 minutes (greatest hits and live albums notwithstanding). Then again, long albums tend to have a lot of filler dragging them down, and filler's about the only thing that the Newsboys were really lacking on this record. Even the less interesting songs are there for a good reason, and the album stands out as an excellent example of thoughtful and clever Christian songwriting - an example that I honestly wish more modern Christian bands would follow.
Take Me to Your Leader proved to be the high point in the Newsboys' career - they may have become more popular with Adoration and their subsequent worship album franchise, but they were just never as cool as this album. They came close with Step Up to the Microphone, their first album after John James' departure (due to Peter Furler's vocal similarity, lots of folks didn't even notice), and also their first album largely written without the influence of Steve Taylor. After that came Love Liberty Disco, which was a disaster, popularity-wise, but I felt that it was an interesting experiment. Thrive came later as an admirable attempt to relive their glory days, but since they devolved into an AC-friendly praise band after that, I'm not expecting them to ever duplicate this level of greatness again. The best way to discover the Newsboys is to go back in time almost a decade, and start right here with Take Me to Your Leader - a brief and tasty little morsel, and a monolith from another world all at once.
ALBUM WORTH:
God Is Not a Secret $2
Take Me to Your Leader $1.50
Breathe $1
Reality $1.50
Breakfast $2
Let It Go $1.50
Cup O' Tea $2
It's All Who You Know $1.50
Miracle Child $1
Lost the Plot $2
Breathe (Benediction) $.50 TOTAL: $16.50
Band Members:
John James: Lead vocals (has since left the band)
Peter Furler: Vocals, drums
Phillip Joel Urry a.k.a. Phil Joel: Vocals, bass
Jody Davis: Guitars, backing vocals (has since left the band)
Jeff Frankenstein: Keyboards
Duncan Phillips: Drums
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