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I remember reading an interview with Peter Furler, who does vocals, guitars, and drums for the Newsboy. 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. "It's only the beginning." Now, about a year and a half later, I am ready to agree. Love Liberty Disco is not only great, it was almost magical. Never have the Newsboys sounded this good. The first track, "Beautiful Sound," should capture almost anyone. Beginning with a simple yet effective keyboard intro, it soon explodes into one of the most wonderful and worshipful choruses that has ever been written. It's a beautiful soundThe catchy and poppy title track, "Love Liberty Disco" is next. Even if you don't like disco you should love this (or at least tolerate it). While I can almost see John Travolta on the dance floor and the Bee Gees backing the Boys up on this tune, it's still a great song. The best track to me is number four, "Good Stuff," taken from Corinthians 13. In it, the band proclaims that they can write a great song or speak with tongues of angels, but without love it is nothing but just a sound. The bridge says it all. We got the rhythmThis song should be the band's anthem--it should be every Christian band's anthem. If I had to criticize anything about this album, I guess it would be the song, "I Would Give Everything." When I heard this song, it reminded me of 80's music, which I usually find mundane and tedious. But, ironically, I still like this song a lot, so it's just a minor problem. I do wish that there was at least one or two more upbeat songs. The songs are very meaningful but the album seems to drag near the end, and if they had just put a another fast song around track nine or ten it would have sounded great. Peter Furler was right. I believe that this is probably their best album yet. Adam Duckworth November 21, 1999
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
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
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. Michial Farmer 11/21/99
Every 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 don't do a bad job of it, keeping away from some of that genre's worst excesses. The style rather suits them, but it doesn't dominate the album. Most of the material doesn't differ too much from what we've come to expect from the Newsboys, slightly quirky but in-the-end-mainstream pop-rock, except that they seem to be tiring. LoveLibertyDisco has its good songs, and several songs are sure to do well as singles, but the sparkle of some of the Newsboys's Steve Taylor produced material is lacking and the album suggests that perhaps the ever-rumoured big departure is needed if the Newsboys are really to return to their top form. As the later tracks drag, the stronger material at the start of the album fades from the memory, and the impact is minimal. James Stewart 12/09/1999
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