Being a major Newsboys junkie, I got this album purely so that I could say "I have every Newsboys CD," which, considering how many albums the band has, is quite a feat. The bigger feat is that this album surprised me, a "Newsboys expert." It is nothing like the rock of Take Me to Your Leader or even the pop/rock of Not Ashamed. When taken in context, however, this style makes sense. It has the distinctive sound of the 80's (when the album was made), has all the high points and pitfalls of a band still finding their musical footing, and hints at the fact that the 'boys were trying a little too hard to expand their fan base.

The album starts off with "Stand Up for Jesus" which makes for one of the most hilarious opening sounds I've ever heard. The guitars are the high point of the song as Jonathan Geange goes into mini-solos every now and then. Next is "In the End," a rather monotonous rock song that I usually end up skipping after the first verse. "Simple Man" is probably the best song on the album with engaging drums, thoughtful lyrics, and very nice vocals by John James. "All I Can See" is a very nice ballad with good vocals, but sounds a little too much like "Love You Tomorrow," found later on the disc. The last notable song is "Ten Thousand Miles," which has a nice beat and feel to it, featuring some of the best lyrics.

Overall, I would recommend this album to Newsboys fans simply because you cannot appreciate the new without hearing the old, and there are some very good songs. But if someone were to buy this expecting the Newsboys as we know and love them today, they would walk away either terrified or in stitches. That being said, I have enjoyed this album a lot because it has allowed me to watch my favorite band grow up both musically and spiritually - which has been very exciting.

Review date: 1/14/05, written by Christina Roy for Jesusfreakhideout.com