Artist Info:Discography Album length: 11 tracks: 42 minutes, 39 seconds Street Date: February 20, 1996
Take Me To Your Leader is definitely one of the best releases by Newsboys.
The album starts out with the rock song "God is not a Secret," which is a song about how God
shouldn't be kept a secret, and contains such heart-wrenching lyrics as "If we keep silent /
If we mass defect / These very rocks will scream / God is not a secret to be kept," and
"And would I wash my hands again? / Would I deny my savior when he hung inside the public square /
Did not my silence put him there?"
The next song takes down the rock and picks up the pop, to an extent. "Take Me to Your Leader"
is a well-known song that is just plain fun. And as soon as the song is over, the rock is picked up
again in "Breathe," a song about an angry, frustrated man (written in first-person) who stops to find
rest in God.
"Breakfast," which follows the poorly-done song "Reality," is a very popular light-hearted hit
with a deeper message: Life is short, and Hell ain't fun. "Let it Go" is a beautiful ballad about
how we need to let things go and give it to God. It also contains convicting lyrics, such as
"Will you forgive / Will you forget? / Will you live what you know? / Beneath the cross / you hear
His words, / "Father, forgive them," / and you know / you can't understand it / let it go."
"Cup O' Tea" is a fast-paced, fun song about needing to keep a check on your tongue. "It's All
Who You Know" focuses on how if you don't know Jesus, you're gone, and is followed by
"Miracle Child," a strong song about how we so often lose faith that God will move in our lives.
"Lost the Plot" follows, and is one of the album highlights. A song that starts out calm,
but progresses into an edgier rock climax, is a sad song about how our faith so quickly fails.
It is full of quick, powerful lyrics, such as "And why are you still calling? / You forgave, we
forgot. / We're such experts at stalling / that we've lost the plot."
The album ends off with "Breathe (Benediction)," a ballad that contains the chorus of the earlier song
"Breathe," but with different verses. A beautiful song, and a great way to finish off this great
album, which only loses points because of "Reality."
- JfH Reader REVIEW:
Review date: 11/21/04, written by Mark Ross for Jesusfreakhideout.com
Possibly the Newsboys' best record in an impressive career, Leader is a solid
album that juggles more serious themes in "Let It Go" and "Benediction," while offering plenty of fun
with the title track and "Breakfast." Songs like the brilliant "Lost The Plot" and the
edgy and honest "Breathe" help make this one of the best pop/rock albums in Christian music.
- 11/25/04, John DiBiase
Record Label: Star Song Communications
Album length: 11 tracks, 42 minutes and 39 seconds
Street Date: February 20, 1996
Buy It:Amazon.com
Record Label: Star Song Communications
