Look Up

Last week, we took a look at Mylon Lefevre’s Crack the Sky, so today, let’s take a look at Look Up.

I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to Christian music when this album was first released back in 1986, so I’m sure, if you didn’t know what it was, it was sort of confusing for a lot of people. Here is a generic graphic that says “Look Up,” and well, so what? It might have struck the curiosity of a few regular Christian bookstore -goers. But most people probably just skimmed over it as their eyes caught something more––well––eye catching. When people found out it was Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart, they must have thought, “What? Are you kidding me? Why does it just say, “Look Up”? And why such a generic-looking album cover?”

Well, the album was Mylon’s attempt to enter the mainstream secular charts. I believe it was so that audiences would get hooked on the songs, and hear the gospel in concert. So there’s nothing overtly Christian in the album’s lyrics. For the most part, this is positive pop, but the album’s low-budget cover excludes a lyric sheet. So to know exactly what Mylon sings would require some pretty good listening skills.

Look Up was produced by Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key (of Degarmo & Key), and includes Dana on lead vocals for the album’s fourth song, “San Francisco” and pretty prominently as a background vocalist for “Love Is All You Need.” Since Look Up was Mylon’s only D&K -produced album (he used Joe Hardy for his others), it has a production quality set apart from any of Mylon’s other material. While Eddie and Dana were producing stellar material at this time (their best D&K material IMO), this album is––I hate to say it––pretty bland. But that doesn’t mean this doesn’t have some highlights.

The album opener, “It’s Alright” is more than just alright. So is side 2’s opener, “The Gunfighter.”

The quirky “Peace Begins Within” is pretty good, and has the strongest Christian lyrics. “I Wish I Hadn’t” has some 50’s verses blended with an 80s chorus. While it kind of works on vinyl, I’m sure it was a fun song to do live. The album ends on a pretty catchy note too, with “Got To Get Used To It.”

“Saturday Night” is the album’s best song, with it’s poppy, upbeat chorus. This one had the most secular radio potential, but Mylon never had a chance to try these out over the mainstream airwaves. Once the record company, CBS, realized that Mylon and crew were a Christian band, they decided they had made a mistake. True story. So CBS fulfilled their contractual obligations, slapped the cheap, generic logo on the cover, and well, pretty much buried it. It went to Christian retailers where it struggled a little, but sold.

Nowadays though, this is in high demand amongst Christian record collectors who want a piece of Mylon Lefevre history. A quick look on ebay, and you’ll find it selling for a pretty penny. But if you just want to take a listen, like anything else these days, it’s available to hear on Youtube.