Disco. It's blamed by some for the fall of quality musicianship, but it's also embraced by others as the most fun genre of all time. Some people in the 1970s sneered at the leisure suits and platform shoes, while others wore them with pride. In the end, though, disco is probably the most hated style of music in pop music history. So, at the very least, the Newsboys deserve a certain amount of respect for their bravery in attempting a disco album.
The album's not really all that disco, actually. Yes, the title track is a full-throttle return to the night clubs of the late '70s, and most of the tracks are retro/disco flavoured in both production and songwriting, but Love Liberty Disco is, at its heart, a pop album. The catchy, upbeat melodies fans have come to expect from the band are definitely present here, and no critic will make the mistake, as many did with 1996's Take Me To Your Leader, of labeling the band "alternative." Jeff Frankenstein's keyboards have a much stronger presence here than they've ever had in the past.
Problem is, with all of this attention on the 1970s and keyboards, the Newsboys have apparently lost every trace of the edge they once had. Love Liberty Disco is almost mellow enough to be used as elevator music, and, save a few songs, is completely unremarkable. The lyrics, which have been suffering ever since the band parted ways with longtime producer Steve Taylor, seem more forced than ever here:
You say you need love
Tell me, where does that get you?
When push comes to shove
Who you gonna run to?
Turn your eyes above
He unconditionally loves you
Nothing you can say or do
Will change his love for you
(From "Say You Need Love")
The album's not a complete throwaway, however. There are a few real gems in this mass of sand, much as there were on their last, also weak effort, Step Up to the Microphone. The album's opener, "Beautiful Sound," is exactly what the title implies, and may have the best production of any piece the band's ever done. The title track is quite possibly the most fun song to come down the CCM pipeline in years, and "Everybody's Someone" has a unique charm to it. "I Surrender All" is another good production piece, but also manages to be a tender worship song:
Do you hear the sound of laughter
From the other side of life?
There are days when I feel like a stranger sometimes
Tell me, are there any other fools like me?
I surrender all...
He doesn't love us because of who we are
He only loves us because of who He is
Even given these songs, though, Love Liberty Disco appears to be a slump of sorts for the band. However, they've come out of these slumps before (this album certainly isn't as poor as Boys Will Be Boyz or Hell is for Wimps), and I have confidence that they will do it again. They've been one of the best bands in Christian pop music before, and they have the potential to do it again.
2.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
ReAL Magazine 1999Reviewed by Kevin D. HendricksThe newest Newsboys CD showed up in my mailbox, and as I sat down to review it I really tried to like it. I wanted to find a new CD to claim the coveted position in my CD player. After all, it's the Newsboys, right? It's a done deal, right? Well, it wasn't. Love Liberty Disco didn't claim that empty spot in my CD player. It's not that it's a bad CD, it just doesn't shine like it could. The title…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Adam DuckworthI remember reading an interview with Peter Furler, who does vocals, guitars, and drums for the Newsboys. He was promoting "Step Up to the Microphone" at the time and the fans were afraid that the band was about to break up because John James, who was their lead singer, had just left the band. When asked the question, "Is this the end of the Newsboys?" he gave an answer that I'll never forget.…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by James StewartEvery time the Newsboys head for the studio, rumours abound that their next release is going to be a real departure from what went before. This release was no different, with the stories of their new "disco" material floating around for many months. It seems that like most rumours, these contained a fair dose of exaggeration. The title track here is unashamedly 70s influenced disco. The band…Similar sounding releases
1998Margaret BeckerFalling Forward
2002Ashley ClevelandSecond Skin
1998DC TalkSupernatural
2001Mark SchultzSong Cinema
2003Michael W. SmithThe Second Decade 1993-2003
2001Mick JaggerGoddess in the DoorwayMore from Newsboys
1996Take Me To Your Leader
2000Live One Night in Pennsylvania (video)
2004Devotion
1992Not Ashamed
2002Thrive
1998Step Up to the Microphone
