The Petra Zone

Mountain Man wrote:Hearing Greg singing John's songs won't be nearly as strange as hearing Petra songs without Bob.

Kinda like when this happened?

I didn't like this version at ALL. This was just a John Schlitt solo band covering Petra tunes...TO ME. The arrangements changed. Pete couldn't/wouldn't play the right chords, solos, or capture the essence of the guitar parts. The bass playing and vocal was stellar on this tour. John was good on this tour. Louie got more vocal from behind the kit on this tour.

You can't just take Bob who IS Petra out of it and call it Petra. I know....."Petra is a ministry, blah, blah, blah." But you can't take any pastor out of any church, or Billy Graham out of Billy Graham Ministries, Neal Schon out of Journey or Keith and Ronnie out of The Stones and have it sound the same. All that makes these guys unique in strengths and weaknesses is what creates magic in the music and ministry.

Glad CPR is not calling itself Petra, even though the name Petra has no distinctive identity anymore, because of the various concurrent incarnations live. It would just add to the confusion.

I agree with Brent. I lost all interest in Petra after Wake-Up Call. Then again, the entire music landscape changed around that time, not necessarily for the better.

I agree with Brent 100%....I Think by 1996 it was The John Schlitt Band. I think they should have ended with Unseen Power, go out on a high note...As good as some think Wake Up Call was, the band had definitely "turned a corner"....
Definitely looking forward to CPR, I loved Classic Petra's Back to the Rock...regardless of how it was received...I heard a great interview with Elliot Easton of The Cars ( one of my all-time favorite bands!), and when asked about 2006's "The New Cars" he said "I love to work, and I love to play the songs that make people happy"...I thought that summed up Classic Petra, (at least I hope so...)
can you say RAMBLE??????

dihigo wrote:

Mountain Man wrote:Hearing Greg singing John's songs won't be nearly as strange as hearing Petra songs without Bob.

Kinda like when this happened?

Not quite, because Bob was still actively involved in studio sessions, so even though he wasn't touring and wasn't the "face" of Petra, he was still an integral part of the band.

Imagine how strange it would be if Kansas released an album without Steve Walsh and without Kerry Livgren.... Wait, that just happened.

Well....Kansas is a good point.

I think the Elefante fronted Kansas would be the equivalent to the post Bob years Petra.

The new Kansas record is killer IMO. Great production and playing. Steve just couldn't sing anymore, and it was painful to watch/hear. I am glad he was replaced with someone in the same vocal ballpark, with exceptional range, love for the music and intertwined history in the same state(s). Shooting Star was more or less a Kansas wannabe band.

There were other changes that people gloss over. When Dave left, Billy came from Steve Walsh's solo band, Streets. So, there was an affiliation there. Streets had some Kansas qualities to it too. I think he was a good fit for sure.

John Boy wrote:I agree with Brent. I lost all interest in Petra after Wake-Up Call.

Two of my top five favorite Petra albums were released after Bob retired...

1. God Fixation
2. Revival
3. On Fire!
4. Jekyll & Hyde
5. No Doubt

I guess I'm weird that way.

St_Augustines_Pears wrote:

John Boy wrote:I agree with Brent. I lost all interest in Petra after Wake-Up Call.

Two of my top five favorite Petra albums were released after Bob retired...

1. God Fixation
2. Revival
3. On Fire!
4. Jekyll & Hyde
5. No Doubt

I guess I'm weird that way.

I see only one...

I completely agree with Brent. Though in some cases it makes sence to discuss to what degree a band can change members and remain the same band what happened in that period made me loose all my interest in the band. I gave Lichens and Cooper a try. It was a very big change but I liked it. Seing them gone after a very short period and seeing all new faces everywhere and changing all the time just didn't feel like a band to mee. And thus it was so hard for the later more real incarnations of Petra to make any real interest. They had worn out their welcome to too many people.

Two of my top five favorite Petra albums were released after Bob retired...

1. God Fixation
2. Revival
3. On Fire!
4. Jekyll & Hyde
5. No Doubt

I guess I'm weird that way.

I fully agree!

No Doubt
God Fixation
Jekyll & Hyde

These albums are in my favorites list.

I still consider No Doubt to be a Bob era album as he did all the guitars on the record, and didn't officially "retire" until the recording was done. And as such, I always hated that he wasn't on the cover. So the only "new" member on the album was Jim Cooper.

As others have mentioned, Wake-Up Call did seem to be where everything started to change, even though it was still the "Dream Team" line-up. I somehow felt things were about to change when I heard that album, just a feeling I had and couldn't explain. I never thought the changes would come as fast and furious as they did, however.

I agree with you daffyduck7. It simply did not make sence to put David Lichens on the cover of No Doubt. He does not play a note on that record. I feel quite sure they regret that decision this day.

I also agree that Wake Up Call did give an impression that things were about to change. Though that records is ok it is quite different in sound and feel than BB and Unseen Power. They were quite good at being that overproduced, compressed sounding and very energetic band. Wake Up Call feels a little half-hearted to me. They wanted to sound more natural, but they did lack the feel and touch to make it personal in my opinion.

St_Augustines_Pears wrote:

John Boy wrote:I agree with Brent. I lost all interest in Petra after Wake-Up Call.

Two of my top five favorite Petra albums were released after Bob retired...

1. God Fixation
2. Revival
3. On Fire!
4. Jekyll & Hyde
5. No Doubt

I guess I'm weird that way.

Are you being funny? He was an active part of the band when On Fire!, Revival, and Jekyll & Hyde were recorded, and he played in the studio for No Doubt and God Fixation (read the album credits). David Lichens and Pete Orta were primarily touring members. Bob Hartman has always been an integral part of Petra, so a Petra album without him (even if it is a spin-off) will be odd

daffyduck7 wrote:As others have mentioned, Wake-Up Call did seem to be where everything started to change, even though it was still the "Dream Team" line-up. I somehow felt things were about to change when I heard that album, just a feeling I had and couldn't explain. I never thought the changes would come as fast and furious as they did, however.

curt wrote:I also agree that Wake Up Call did give an impression that things were about to change. Though that records is ok it is quite different in sound and feel than BB and Unseen Power. They were quite good at being that overproduced, compressed sounding and very energetic band. Wake Up Call feels a little half-hearted to me. They wanted to sound more natural, but they did lack the feel and touch to make it personal in my opinion.

You guys are nuts. Wake Up Call is one of Petra's best and a great rock album in and of itself. After years of the over-processed Elefante sound, it finally sounded like the good old days with real musicians playing real instruments in a real studio. I rank it up there with the classics produced by Johnathan David Brown like More Power To Ya and Not Of This World.