The Petra Zone

Mountain Man wrote:Wake Up Call is one of Petra's best and a great rock album in and of itself.

+1

You guys are nuts. Wake Up Call is one of Petra's best and a great rock album in and of itself.

I wasn't saying I disliked Wake-Up Call...quite the opposite. I love that album. It was just a feeling I got when I heard it, that changes were coming. Then I found out John Lawry left. Then a couple years later, Bob "retired". Then the revolving doors began.

Mountain Man wrote:

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.

Haven't we already completely exhausted this subject? I'm looking forward to hearing something new from CPR in 2017!

In the meantime, here's a picture of Kirk Henderson on guitar leading worship at my old church (circa 2000). Worship was always rockin' back then!

Mountain Man wrote:

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.

I totally love the sound & vibe on WUC, You can actually hear Louie playing and the bass guitar separation from the bass drum shows high end quality. Unlike most other Petra albums(exception of JAH) WUC sounds different and a great stand alone album.

Mountain Man wrote:

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.

I listed my top five favorite Petra albums. Of those five, two of those, No Doubt and God Fixation, did not have Bob in the band photos/album covers. I am fully aware that Bob played on Petra albums after he retired...I can read album credits too, you know. Where in my post did I say that Bob never played on No Doubt or God Fixation?

In fact, when I saw Petra on the Jekyll & Hyde tour, I asked Bob and John to autograph my God Fixation album. Bob looked at the CD with a quizzical look on his face, and I said, "Well, you're not on the cover, but you did play on it and write most of it!". Bob laughed and said "That I did!" and signed it.

daffyduck7 wrote:

You guys are nuts. Wake Up Call is one of Petra's best and a great rock album in and of itself.

I wasn't saying I disliked Wake-Up Call...quite the opposite. I love that album. It was just a feeling I got when I heard it, that changes were coming. Then I found out John Lawry left. Then a couple years later, Bob "retired". Then the revolving doors began.

In my ideal version of reality, the band would have hung it up after Wake Up Call and then came roaring back a decade later with Jekyll & Hyde and continued from there.

St_Augustines_Pears wrote:In fact, when I saw Petra on the Jekyll & Hyde tour, I asked Bob and John to autograph my God Fixation album. Bob looked at the CD with a quizzical look on his face, and I said, "Well, you're not on the cover, but you did play on it and write most of it!". Bob laughed and said "That I did!" and signed it.

That's funny, and a classic Bob response.

Going back to CPR: After all these years I've never seen this video. I don't quite understand what the vid has to do with the individual songs because they don't seem to have anything to do with the lyrics, but GXV's early solo work was great. Mike Schmitz is a very talented writer!

sue d. wrote:Going back to CPR: After all these years I've never seen this video. I don't quite understand what the vid has to do with the individual songs because they don't seem to have anything to do with the lyrics, but GXV's early solo work was great. Mike Schmitz is a very talented writer!

That old promo video? Lots of shenanigans going on there. The golf cart scene is very Monkee-esque.

Interesting to see some CITAS clips in that promo video. Even more surprising to see John L and Louie in the studio clips during Break Out of the Trance (1:53 - 2:03). I knew that John played on the album (but not on that song) but had never seen Louie's name associated with it. It's probably just a matter of "I need to have a drummer in this video clip that we're filming tomorrow. Hey Louie, are you free?"

brent wrote: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.

Rusty wrote: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??????

I just don't understand this logic. Was it "The John Schlitt Band" because some of the guys were part of Schlitt's band or because Hartman wasn't touring? Even if Hartman wasn't touring, he remained as the main songwriter and played guitars on the albums. But moreover, all the new members (Pete, Lonnie, and Kevin) were heavily involved in the songwriting process, according to Hartman. I read an interview with him where he said that they all sat down to work on the lyrics and the music together. I mean, John Schlitt isn't even involved in the songwriting, pretty much ever, so I just don't understand calling it that.

The logic is quite simple. None of those guys were a part of the history of the iconic Petra. They were not a part of creating the brand. Most people had an interest in Petra because of what they had been. John was the link to the historical Petra along with Louie. John hired and fired the other members. Some of them left by themselves. That is part of the reason as to why you can call it John's band. If some of the guys had stayed for a longer period perhaps they would have been associated with the band to a higher degree. But I don't believe there are many Petra fans who are here because of what Lichens, Orta, Quinton Gibson or some other temporary guy i haven't heard of have done.

You could ask yourself if you would have considered the guys on God Fixation to be Petra if they had continued without John. I mean it was apperantly Petra without Harman to you.

That last paragraph is spot on. What if Louie started his own band and called it Petra? You would have another band like Ratt, but it wouldn't be the real deal.

curt wrote:The logic is quite simple. None of those guys were a part of the history of the iconic Petra. They were not a part of creating the brand. Most people had an interest in Petra because of what they had been. John was the link to the historical Petra along with Louie. John hired and fired the other members. Some of them left by themselves. That is part of the reason as to why you can call it John's band. If some of the guys had stayed for a longer period perhaps they would have been associated with the band to a higher degree. But I don't believe there are many Petra fans who are here because of what Lichens, Orta, Quinton Gibson or some other temporary guy i haven't heard of have done.

You could ask yourself if you would have considered the guys on God Fixation to be Petra if they had continued without John. I mean it was apperantly Petra without Harman to you.

Of course it was Petra, even if Hartman wasn't touring or on the album pictures. For those that say it wasn't, I would ask if during those years you kept listening to Petra's music without ever seeing them live, what would be the difference? John was singing, Bob was playing, Louie was drumming.

But even if someone left the band, as was the case with Louie, it would continue to be Petra as long as its members considered it to be Petra. Did Petra stopped being Petra when Greg Volz left? When founders Hough and DeGroff left?

I suppose it's all subjective, but that's how I see it. As subjective as asking what is the "iconic Petra"? Who defines it? What is the Petra "brand"? The answer might be different depending on when you started listening. I just find some people's dismissal of certain "periods" and/or "members" of the band as foreign or "not Petra" to be odd, especially considering we're talking about a 40+ years band that has had 20+ members through its duration. It's not like we're talking about Rush that has had the same 3 members for the last 40 years.

Thief wrote:

curt wrote:The logic is quite simple. None of those guys were a part of the history of the iconic Petra. They were not a part of creating the brand. Most people had an interest in Petra because of what they had been. John was the link to the historical Petra along with Louie. John hired and fired the other members. Some of them left by themselves. That is part of the reason as to why you can call it John's band. If some of the guys had stayed for a longer period perhaps they would have been associated with the band to a higher degree. But I don't believe there are many Petra fans who are here because of what Lichens, Orta, Quinton Gibson or some other temporary guy i haven't heard of have done.

You could ask yourself if you would have considered the guys on God Fixation to be Petra if they had continued without John. I mean it was apperantly Petra without Harman to you.

Of course it was Petra, even if Hartman wasn't touring or on the album pictures. For those that say it wasn't, I would ask if during those years you kept listening to Petra's music without ever seeing them live, what would be the difference? John was singing, Bob was playing, Louie was drumming.

But even if someone left the band, as was the case with Louie, it would continue to be Petra as long as its members considered it to be Petra. Did Petra stopped being Petra when Greg Volz left? When founders Hough and DeGroff left?

I suppose it's all subjective, but that's how I see it. As subjective as asking what is the "iconic Petra"? Who defines it? What is the Petra "brand"? The answer might be different depending on when you started listening. I just find some people's dismissal of certain "periods" and/or "members" of the band as foreign or "not Petra" to be odd, especially considering we're talking about a 40+ years band that has had 20+ members through its duration. It's not like we're talking about Rush that has had the same 3 members for the last 40 years.

With all due respect to the guys who lived the worst years of the band, and laid the ground work, nobody really cares or knows about that version of the band because Petra really began, as far as the industry and the success is concerned, with NSD and MPTY band. The big success of Journey, Rush, Foreigner, Van Halen, Def Lepard, etc did not include all of the founding members (and most people don't know who they are).