So here's the first single from Newsboys with Michael Tait on lead vocals. I must say, Im liking this a lot more than I expected. Now that I've actually heard the two put together, it sound like a pretty good fit.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] src="[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" quality="high" scale="exactfit">

It sounds even more generic to me than the Newsboys were getting on their own. Their last couple of projects have just not been what they once were. After hearing this, I am even more convinced that the Newsboys are finished without Furler. Maybe it's time to put this one on mothballs.

Not to completely show my ignorance, but wasn't M. Tait one of the guys in DC Talk?

At this point are than any original members even in Newsboys (not that there has to be, just wondering).

Yes Michael Tait was a member of DC Talk. As far as original members I don't think so. I know that Jody Davis (guitar) came back to the Newsboys. I believe he was in the Shine era of newsboys. He was also a member of the old arena rock band JAG. If I remember right Peter was the last orignal member.

I'm a fan of the original Newsboys - from the second I heard "Simple Man" on KLRD in 1990. There are no original members anymore and therefore are no longer Newsboys. The new band is good, they're just not the original band... in fact the original band =

• John James - lead vocals
  
• Sean Taylor - bass guitar
  
• Peter Furler - drums
  
• Phil Yates - guitar
  
• George Perdikis - guitar, vocals
  

changed with each album until just Peter Furler was left.
I lost interest in the band and their lack of creativity around the Thrive album period.
I saw the originals in concert about 5 times.
I was way devastated to hear of John James difficulties with falling into the world of drugs, alcohol and other stuff. But I'm inspired that he's repented and has a lot of Believers around him now helping and lifting him up in prayer as we should do when a brother falls.

I absolutely LOVE Tait's voice, and I think he's a perfect fit here. He's one of the few that could have filled Furler's shoes. (In fact, I think he's better as a vocalist. Time will tell if he's as good a songwriter, though I suspect he is.)

I wonder if the album he was working on, Loveology, will see the light of day through newsboys?

I have to confess to never really being a Newsboys fan, a little to "pop" for my tastes.
My wife wanted me to download the single "Born Again" for. But I noticed it was only $7.99 for the entire album (at amazon), so I talked her into just downloading the whole thing.
I listened to the whole album and I have to say I was rather impressed. I have to say this rocks better than most of the Newsboys music I remember hearing in the before. With the exception of a few very "pop" sounding songs, I would say this is a pretty decent rock record.

I agree with Staybrite in that this seems catchier than their older stuff (not that I've listened a lot to that)

As for Petra, I thought that God Fixation was Petra at it's weakest, but didn't Bob write some of those songs anyway?

Fundy

I think at that time that Petra was John's band totally with no Bob influence. Had Bob not come back, that would have been the death blow to Petra.

In my opinion, Petra was at their best with Greg X Volz. I've never cared much for John's vox (although Beyond Belief is one of fav albums)

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] src="[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" quality="high" scale="exactfit">

Back to the boyz - stumbled on this one yesterday and was really touched by it (course my wife's been trying to tell me for years that I'm "touched")