Saturday, July 1, 2023

Mylon & Broken Heart "Crank It Up"


Mylon & Broken Heart 
Crank It Up
1990 Star Song
Produced By: Joe Hardy, Mylon LeFevre & Scott Allen

album cover

insert

insert (inside)

back

disc

Track Listings

Heaven (4:06)
Going Home (4:01)

Musicians

Mylon LeFevre: Lead Vocals
Kenneth Bentley: Bass Guitar, Vocals
Ben Hewitt: Drums
Scott Allen: Guitar, Vocals
Trent Agante: Guitar, Vocals
Marshall Pratt: Keyboards, Vocals
Michael Gleason: Backing Vocals

A time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to be silent, a time to..."crank it up!"

Mylon & Broken Heart was one of the first Christian rock bands I was introduced to during my formidable youth years, along with Petra, Stryper and a few others. While I knew this band was a little different than some of the others I was listening to at that time, what I didn't know was of Mylon LeFevre's southern gospel roots. While I can't say I was much of a fan of his music before he formed the Broken Heart band, kudos to a guy who realized he needed to change his style to keep up w/ the times in order to keep his ministry going.

I remember seeing Mylon & Broken Heart perform in concert on several different occasions while in high school. I had most of their albums on cassette and listened to them multiple times, however until I recently picked up Crank It Up! on CD from a used bookstore, I hadn't really listened to this album in nearly 30 years. Just the other day I decided to drop it in the stereo as I did some work in my hobby room if you will and after listening through it again I thought about crafting this post. It's been far too long since I've posted anything anyhow so I figured this was a good opportunity.

The album kicks off with the title track, Crank It Up, first hearing the sound of a vehicle being started. The guitars swell, drums kick in before the first lyrics are sung. Love, love this intro. The song as a whole still sounds great. Mylon is a good vocalist to start with, then throw in the big harmony on the chorus and you've got a fun song. I thought the other night that if the whole album sounded like the first track, it would be a more memorable album as a whole.

After Crank It Up, we transition to a bass heavy track called Denomination Demolition. I grew up going to a Southern Baptist church, not really knowing anything about Presbyterian, Methodist or any of the other churches you commonly see, especially in the South. Fast forward to the current and the church I attend just left the Methodist denomination over not agreeing with the direction they were going. This song is a call to "tear down the walls of division" and to "get back to Jesus"...to condemn religion...which is man made anyhow. Seeing what is happening in some churches/denominations, I felt this song was still pretty relevant even in 2023.

A New Attitude follows and continues the trend of straight forward rock 'n roll. This is another song that is easy to sing along with, especially on the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, it's a good reminder to me personally that I need a new attitude at times, no matter what it is that I'm doing.

From hear on out on the album it kind of goes down hill...at least for my personal tastes at the age of 46. The songs aren't bad, but they just aren't rocking songs like the two opening tracks are. Most of the songs have a light rock sound like you would hear on the radio. Saxophone, female background vocals on some choruses, it's a departure from some of their previous music. If anything some of the later tracks sound like they could have been on a Mylon LeFevre solo album. There is even a cover of the James Taylor song Shower the People. I hated this song when I was young and it still doesn't doo much for me today.

By the time the 8th track rolls around things do seem to pick up a little. Heaven returns to more of a rock 'n roll sound, complete with a sing-along chorus. The lyrics are a little shallow in my opinion, but the premise of the song is pretty simple...

I'm gonna go to heaven
I'm gonna walk down the streets of gold

Ah man, while I'm in no hurry to "check out", songs like this do make you stop and think about what's to come in the afterlife and I for one am looking forward to meeting my Creator and re-uniting with family members that have already passed on.

World Changer I remember really speaking to me in my younger days. Trying to find your place in the world and what you are to do with your life is tough, especially in those tough teenage years. World Changer is all about trying to figure out God's will for your life.

I need to know what I'm supposed to do
What pleases me is just pleasing You
So won't You show me just before I start
What is Your vision for my broken heart

I may not change the world today
But I know You're changing mine
World Changer
And I know You've got a better way
Let us see the grand design
World Changer
Change my world

Tracks 8 and 9 picked up the tempo on the back end of the album, but we end on a ballad? Going Home isn't a bad song, but again it sounds like something that would be better fit for a solo album of Mylon that it does a Broken Heart song. I would have rather the album end on a high note just as the album starts.

I enjoyed my listen through, however it doesn't quite stand up as much as I thought it would. There are a handful of tracks that are still great, but I think there are better Broken Heart albums in their catalog. This experience may have be going back down memory lane with a few more of their albums to see if they hold up or are any better or worse than Crank it Up. This is a rather easy and cheap album to find on the secondary market if you are so inclined to pick it up for your musical library.
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