Customer Reviews

Take Me to Your Leader

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Newsboys are still maturing musicians, but I think they're so much more than musicians. They're ministers, comedians, and crusaders. They don't apologize for what they believe or even that they won't shut up about it ("God Is Not a Secret"), but they are ardently hilarious. "Breakfast" is laugh-out-loud funny. I played it for a friend the first time, and he started whistling a few seconds before THEY started whistling. "Take Me to Your Leader" is a simply skillful play on words that I could never have pulled off in a million years ("Isabel is a belly dancer...tried stealin' Helena's handbasket...Joshua judges her ruthlessly.., etc."). And yet, they're not ALL flash. "Lost the Plot" is pure unbridled, yet holy anger. "Let It Go" is wonderfully soothing after the occasional argument with someone you really love. I'm still trying to figure out "Reality," and I bought this crazy thing over three years ago. I bought their newest release "Step Up to the Microphone" not too long ago, and it showed that the Newsboys had matured musically. "The Tide" is sheer delight to listen to, and "Entertaining Angels" is just stunning music.

So, for the Newsboys, each release is different, and you'll get something different out of each one. I don't know anything about "Not Ashamed," but "Going Public" is a strong statement about Christian witnessing, "Take Me to Your Leader" is comic genius, and "Step Up to the Microphone" is just ear-pleasing music.

This album is the Newsboys at their hard-rockin' best! From the catchy title track to the breathtaking "Breathe," this album is great! A friend in my church let me borrow it after I told him I got 'Going Public', and this one completely blew me away! I think I bought the wrong album ;)! Give this album one spin, and you will see why it hardly ever leaves my cd player! Thanks!

Two words... Awe-Struck! About 5 years ago I couldn't care less about The Newboys, & guess what, 'Take Me To Your Leader' is my favorite Christian alternative album! Jars Of Clay's 'Much Afraid' is runner-up. When I first heard the eccentric rock number "Breakfast" on a Release Magazine sample tape in 1996, my reaction was... how could anybody sound so bad? I mean the rock aspect wasn't my schtick, it was their weird lyrics that made me shun the idea of even sampling a demo of the album. But when my taste was becoming more genre-venturing I got 'Take Me To Your Leader' for free from a multiple-cds-for-free deal, and I did a total 180. My favorite ones are... all of them! But when you get down to it, it would have to be "God Is Not A Secret," (grungy guitars & urgent lyrics), "Take Me To Your Leader" (quite humorous; almost vague use of alliteration and lyrics), "Reality" (twisted lyrics; kind of hard to grasp, yet a mesmirizing dance number), "Breakfast" (lyrics are "off the wall"; quite singable/listenable), "Let It Go" (cool mix of acoustic guitar & insightful lyrics), "Cup O' Tea" (short, but sweet), & "It's All Who You Know" (hard to describe; funny, yet extremely catchy). What I like most about them is John James & Peter Furler's Australian accents and their humourous approach to gospel-laced rock. I wish John James didn't leave however, but what I've heard of 'Step Up To The Microphone,' + the emergence of the new release 'Love Liberty Disco,' I'm sure they'll manage. An eccentric alternative classic, yet 5 stars doesn't do it much justice. It should 5 1/2 stars!

The culmination of many efforts came together to create the strongest effort from the Newsboys to date. First of all, the line-up present at this recording had played dozens of concerts together. Most were together on the "Going Public" CD (all but Phil Joel (or Philip Urry on this project)). Thus, togetherness breeds familiarity and experience fosters maturity. Of course, maturity is a relative term when considering we are speaking of the Newsboys here.

Sadly, this will be the last album featuring John James as lead vocalist and Steve Taylor as producer. However, the journey from song 1 ("God Is Not A Secret") to number 11 ("Breathe (Benediction)") sees the listener through several different regions of musical ventures. "God Is Not A Secret" simply rocks hard with a guitar assault worthy of praise from any hard rock fan. The album immediately bounces joyfully through the title track, and then rocks again on "Breathe". "Reality" and "Breakfast" showcase Steve Taylor's silly but profound lyrics (be careful not to miss the message in the humor), and then we get serious about forgiveness in "Let it Go". "Cup O'Tea" is a wonderful rock gem that starts a four-song series of introspective yet disturbing looks at us, our sin-natures, and our need for God ("It's All Who You Know", "Miracle Child", and "Lost The Plot"). Finally, we pray through "Breathe (Benediction)" for God's salvation, healing, and in-dwelling Holy Spirit.

Again, a very solid effort from the Newsboys. Through all the silliness and humor, you can see a group of men serious about their faith and their desire to edify believers and to draw in unbelievers. When you are not too busy bouncing up and down with the beat and laughing at the lyrics, take time to seriously read along with the songs (the CD jacket has all the words). You will be blessed.

Too often, popular Christian songs fall into two categories: 1. God is great, and 2. You should change your life. They're either praise or preach, back and forth, for albums at a time.

The reason why I like the Newsboys is they're not afraid to examine the difficulties of life in general and as a Christian in particular. They're willing to confess their own shortcomings instead of trying to change mine. They're also not afraid to take Christendom to task, either -- check out the searing criticism of "Lost the Plot."

All of which, of course, is secondary to the music. The Newsboys make solid alt-rock with the occasional dance beat thrown in for good measure. Their lyrics are always excruciatingly clever, like a Christian Barenaked Ladies. The title track is a dizzying play of words on various names, such as "Isabelle is a bell-y dancer," "Justin is adjustin' to the odor from Theodore's Evergreen Incense," and "Oliver's all-liver supplements." Say them out loud if that didn't make sense.

In short -- clever, groove-able rock with a Christian bent. I'm not sure if non-Christians will enjoy it, but it's good enough musically and lyrically that I can play it for my heretic friends without blushing.

"Take Me to Your Leader" is the Newsboys best album, and one of CCM's greatest ever! I am compiling my personal list, and this will surely rank in the Top 10 albums of all-time! The band "grew up" on this album, and showed their Spiritual maturity as well. Of course there are the fun pop songs we all can sing along with (Breakfast, title cut, Reality), but this album goes so much deeper. It's grittier, bolder, and higher quality than most Christian Rock albums. The album's climax was towards the end. The song "Lost the Plot" is one of the greatest Christian Rock songs ever recorded. I suppose it can be compared to "Stairway to Heaven." The song starts out as a ballad in a minor key. By the end it's a screaming, driving anthem. However, it's deeply emotional, gritty, and spiritually profound. It is a single moment of vulnerability that is worth the price of the whole CD. In concert, the whole crowd sat silent after this song ended. Many times, I too must stop the CD, and in silence confess my unfaithfulness to God. Powerful! If you are a new Newsboy's fan, and aren't familiar with their previous albums... you'll be happy with all of them. But this one must be at the top of your list!

This is a truly great CD. I used to not think much of it, until I started becoming very interested in rock, and started playing guitar and bass. One day I popped it in, and realized it was AWESOME!! It had catchy, funny, and meaningful lyrics, and many of the songs had driving guitar beats that I loved. I especially liked "Cup 'o' Tea", with its driving beat and cool lyrics. I also liked "God Is Not A Secret". That is a truly AWESOME song, with its awesome leading guitar, and meaningful, edgy lyrics that just BEG to be turned up. I also love John James voice. It sounds sooo cool. This is easily my favorite Newsboys album. Pick it up.

The Newsboys 'Take me to your Leader' establishes itself along with Jars of Clay's self-titled album and DC Talk's 'Jesus Freak' as one of the three best Christian albums ever made. The Newsboys third release is a bit edgier than their previous efforts, as apparent in the first track, 'God is not a secret to be kept', as well as 'Breathe', 'Cup of Tea', and 'Lost the Plot'. Their dance/pop background still has an influence, and the title track, 'Reality', 'Breakfast', and 'It's all who you know' are as catchy as ever. Their lyrics have reached perfection, and are especially sharp in 'Let it Go', the most subdued of the songs, save for the benediction. I also think that it's the best song on the album- perhaps the best they've ever written. A brilliant effort by the Newsboys. God bless them all, for they are touching the hearts of many through their music.

An Atheist friend of mine once said "Christians have made some really good music." This was one of the CDs he was talking about. Along with The Benjamin Gate's '[Untitled]', Michelle Tumes' 'Center of my Universe', Tree63's self-titled album, and Audio Adrenaline's 'Underdog', 'Take me to your leader' is one of THE essential modern Christian CDs. The thing that separates 'Leader' from other Newsboys CDs like 'Step up to the Microphone', 'Going Public', or 'Thrive' is that it covers the full spectrum of the Newsboys' sound.
From the trademark quirkiness of 'Breakfast' (They don't serve breakfast in Hell) to the darkly poignant 'Lost the plot' (Why are you still calling? You forgave, we forgot) 'Leader' listens like a musical biography. This CDs fun, with tracks like 'Reality' (I'm busy giving blood and shoveling elephant dung) and 'Take me to your leader' (Isabel is a belly dancer with a cleptomaniac's restraint) that made the Boys a popular band; but it's also deeply in touch with real world Christianity, with 'Cup O Tea' (Sorry I'm not your cup o tea, but I don't mind) and 'Let it go' (He left his rights, whill you leave yours? You won't understand it, let it go) that proved they were a high quality band.
This is the perfect Newsboys album. New comers will enjoy the goofy metaphors and awe-struck praise and worship that is echoed by 'Thrive'. Older fans will appreciate the abrassively truthful lyrics that 'Going Public' boasted. And even if you aren't a Christian, this is some great post-grunge alternative rock.

These Aussies rock! Fast beat, great drums, deep and yet often humorous lyrics. This is a CD you can listen to front to back over and over. If you like bands like There Might Be Giants and the B-52s, this is in the same genre in respect to whimsical lyrics and rocking sounds... and these songs carry a deeper meaning than just throwing a bunch of non-sensical words together.... excellent work.