Newsboys

Item: Shine - The Hits
Author: Adam Duckworth

Shine - The Hits

(2000)

Reviewed by Adam Duckworth

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label Sparrow RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2000

ccm modern rock pop rock

After listening to Love, Liberty, Disco time and time again, I will admit something. I, one of the biggest Newsboys fans of all time, got tired of it pretty quick. The first week or so, I thought it was great, then some songs began to get on my nerves. Yeah, surprise surprise. You would have never figured that out if you read my review.

When Shine, the Hits came out, I was having mixed feelings about the band. I was sort of afraid that it was going to remind me of a time when the boys were... well... better than what they are now and that I was going to find myself wishing for it to happen again. What I was really dreading was the three new tunes, thinking I was going to have to be submitted to more lukewarm songs. I was wrong.

The semi-bad news; Yes, you have the hits. All of them. Just like you remembered. But, the CD does seem to be missing something. Maybe I was expecting too much. If I was going to put a "Greatest Hits" album together for the band, I would have taken out songs such as "I've Got Your Number" and "Believe" and replaced them with others like "Cup O' Tea" and "Lost the Plot." And I would have done a full remix of the song "Shine," for the album, much like they did with "Shine 2000" for the Entertaining Angels maxi single. But, hey, that's just me.

The good news; There are no songs from Love, Liberty, Disco and the new songs are much better. Maybe it's just because they were just playing around on LLD. Maybe it's because they are just now finding their groove since John James left and they are finally getting out of their slump. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because Steve Taylor is helping them out a little bit more with their lyrics. For example, on "Who?"

How you gonna reckon with a God
Like this?
When you gonna face what you
Can't dismiss?
Whatcha gonna say to the... soul
kiss that is my God?
Fearsome like the sag in a fat
man's chair?
Sweeter than a patch of
Rogaine hair?
How do you define what you
Can't compare?
This is... my God.

Man, I missed those quirky lyrics.

Another good thing on this album is the remix of "God Is Not a Secret," featuring Toby Mac. I really like the way that song sounded on Take Me To Your Leader. But, wow, it was great to hear such a cool song new and improved.

While many, including me, were not real pleased with Love, Liberty, Disco, everyone should find Shine, the Hits like a breath of fresh air.

4.5 tocks