LETS HAVE SOME REVIEWS ON "VE"

[carol d.]

BriGuyPEI wrote:

If you really want to hear a change, you should start with some Head East stuff, back when John was just a young'un.

That's exactly what I said to my husband... ! I only have Head East on vinyl and my record player is, uh, unavailable. I'm thinking about buying Flat as a Pancake, at least, on CD.

It's great to meet another Head East fan, even though it shows my age.

[BriGuyPEI]

What I did though was burn the Farewell album, and then burn the two live songs from VE and insert them in where they were in the live concert. I love it. It's not perfect, because I can't (or don't know how to) edit the crowd noise to make it fit exactly right. Don't worry, the burned CD is for personal use only.

I just finished doing the same thing, although I trimmed down the beginning and end of a couple of tracks to make it fit better. Still, it's not perfect since the production is different. Incidentally, it sounds like they really tried to 'beef up' the crowd for Farewell compared to the more natural sound of the new tracks. Total running time is around 70 minutes.

[Edward]

Did anybody noticed that they fade out the songs just as John and Bob start letting loose? To me it's really silly. It seems like the Revival syndrome.

Otherwise PETRA IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fade, that is the way real records WERE made. You don't hear much of that any more. This did several things.

1. It makes you want more, which is perfect.
2. Indicated what you might hear in concert.
3. Allowed albums to maintain continuity and flow.

[fcollazo]

I still don't like it when they do that beacuse I love when John goes on the high notes and Bob solos. The best repreesentation to me of John as we know him is on "Lord Reign in Me", I love their version so much because John is really rocking on that one. I love all the others too and theay are what i have been listening for the past 2 weeks straight.

Revival had the problem that the guitar solos were buried in the mix as well as John's high parts, like if they would damage the outcome of the record. Great waste indeed. I would love to hear Revival re-mixed like a real Petra record, it would definitely rock.

Then the jam at the end of the Medley in Petra Praise II was cut just when it was getting interesting, AGGHHH!!!!

I am still very thankfull and feel very lucky to have a new Petra album in my CD player, I have always anticipated each new one with great excitement since 1987 amazed by how well they could blend and change with the times and sound better than anything secular.

Thanks Bob and John!!!!!!!!

We love you, please keep those projects coming.

God, Bless.

[sue d.]

If you follow these passages, it's not that much of a stretch to understanding "dancing on the mountaintops."

Follow me here -

Dancing in praise of God IS biblical:

Psalm 149:
�2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
������ let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

�3 Let them praise his name with dancing
������ and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

�4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
������ he crowns the humble with salvation.

And my guess about the reference to mountaintops may have come from Jesus' ascension into heaven:

Matt. 28:16
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

and

Acts 1:
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

"Will come back in the same way" is the key to the mountaintop reference...in other words, thinking that when He returns on the clouds - His people will be ready for Him, dancing & praising Him at one of the highest points on earth - a mountain.

[Edward]

Revival is a praise record. Typically, most praise music puts the emphasis on the content, condusive to worshiping God, not the performers and performance. In that context, and listeing to the CD
(reluctantly I must say), the mix is what it is, typical for that genre.

You also must remember that solos and soaring high notes/harmonies have long since gone out of style. So they are typically played lower and simpler, as to not be offensive the masses. When mixing PW music, that is a balancing act.

If you listen to any pop rock record with soaring/belted/screamed high notes, it is always thickened with harmonizers, delay, chorus, reverb...something so that it isn't so thin, and tucked in the mix. Now days, most people cannot record without some pitch correction like Antares Autone, Waves Tune, Melodyne, etc. There are digital noise artifacts when this is used. Pushing it back in the mix aids in obscuring these artifacts.

[executioner]

Revival is a praise record. Typically, most praise music puts the emphasis on the content, condusive to worshiping God, not the performers and performance. In that context, and listeing to the CD
(reluctantly I must say), the mix is what it is, typical for that genre.

You also must remember that solos and soaring high notes/harmonies have long since gone out of style. So they are typically played lower and simpler, as to not be offensive the masses. When mixing PW music, that is a balancing act.

If you listen to any pop rock record with soaring/belted/screamed high notes, it is always thickened with harmonizers, delay, chorus, reverb...something so that it isn't so thin, and tucked in the mix. Now days, most people cannot record without some pitch correction like Antares Autone, Waves Tune, Melodyne, etc. There are digital noise artifacts when this is used. Pushing it back in the mix aids in obscuring these artifacts.

Actually soaring high notes and guitar solos are now back in. Skillet, FireFlight, Pillar, DayOfFire, and many others in CCM are all using that style in their latest releases and are all selling like hotcakes.
All these artists have had #1 singles this year and are touring very heavily. In fact Skillet has a spring tour that will be in arenas. There will be one in Dallas in March and they have already sold out Reunion Arena for the show; That arena can hold just over 20K for concerts.

I highly recommend Fireflightrock.com they are a great group with a solid message.

[Edward]

I was talking about going out of style by the time Revival hit.

While solos are somewhat coming back, music will never be what it was in the late 60s and 70s.

[crossways]

I was very sceptical when I bought it. But I thought, "hey it's Bob and John, so I gotta get it."

WOW

I'm not trying to be overly dramatic here, but I really think this might be there best cd in several years, and I'll explain why I felt this way.

I have enjoyed all the Petra cd's. I have found someting to like in every one of them, and usually didn't have to look too hard.

I love the sound of J&H, the depth of Revival, and I could go on.

Now the songs on VE are not cutting edge, however, I swear I think they picked everyone of my favorites. And I don't think this is the best production. There is a definite rawness to it - I don't charaterize that as a bad thing at all.

But what I do hear, at least in John's voice - is PASSION. I swear I can HEAR him smiling!!! He has always been cheerful, but I have sensed that in the last few years that has been forced a bit. At least that's my humble opinion.

When I met John back in the early 90's the guy was so joyful that it was spilling out everywhere and you couldn't help but get caught up in it.
It seemed like the most recent times that I have had an opportunity to see him in person he was still joyful but, I don't know, different about it, gaurded maybe?

In this cd I can hear the old John--- maybe the voice is aging, but the Spirit of the Lord is OVERFLOWING!!!!

I do have few questions related to the cd.

I wonder why Bob didn't do the whole thing at his studio? Is it not equipped for drums, bass, etc? or was it a time managment thing?

Do they use a band on the road with IIGfP? I was pleasantly surprised that it was recorded with one.

VERY COOL CD!!!

Bob and John --- keep it up!!

[petrabandca]

Vertical Expressions is AWESOME!

The day I got it I played it and had it on repeat in iTunes and I've played it a lot! I really don't get tired of it and some of the songs I didn't recognize by title, but once John started singing I would remember the song and love the album even more.

I got the same feeling I would get when Petra would release a new album and I thought I would never get that feeling again.

Very happy to have this in my "Petra" collection.

James

[Corval]

my Copy has arrived today!!!!!

IT IS BEYOND BELIEF!

FANTASTIC.
This albuns shows what is PETRA: SIMPLICITY to GOD!!

The songs are divine played.
John's voice, Jim's BGVS and Bob's guitar!

The messages of the lyrics are strong!
It is a beauty PRAISE ALBUM!!!!

I AM VERY HAPY TO LISTEN JUDAS KISS LIVE BONUS TRACK

SUE...

THANK YOU FOR ALL
Give thanks to John and Bob - I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!

MY FAVOTITE SONG IS GOD OF WONDERS

But - HOW CAN I FIND THE LYRICS.
IT IS NOT IN THE ALBUM!

tHANK YOU!!

[Michael]

MY FAVOTITE SONG IS GOD OF WONDERS

But - HOW CAN I FIND THE LYRICS.
IT IS NOT IN THE ALBUM!

http://www.guidetopetra.com/ve

But to say "Dancing on this mountaintop TO see your kingdom come" - doesn't make sense. Dancing won't bring about the kingdom. Am I the only one who finds this line odd?

I agree... kind of weird lyrics. I think maybe the point is that you're doing a happy dance in anticipation of the coming kingdom. I don't think the point is that you're dancing to make it happen. But that's just my interpretation... I guess you'd have to talk to Reuben Morgan to find out what he meant when he wrote it. I suppose you could ask the question via email through his Web site.

[Corval]

Thank you for all, Michael!!!

I have take it.

[p-freak]

I still haven't received mine.... and I ordered in January 28th. Where has my VE-CD gone????? I want it...

[Shell]

[quote="crossways"]I swear I can HEAR him smiling!!! "

I can hear that too, you're not the only one who feels that way. I finally had a chance to sit down and listen to VE all the way through the other day (school keeps me busy) and they're all very good songs. My favorites are "Trading My Sorrows"--It's such a happy, upbeat song, and "Here I Am To Worship" is worthwhile just for Jim's killer BGVs. And of course I'm tickled to death they included "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High" and "Judas Kiss"...It's cool that Mr. Simmons and Mr. Bailey were on a couple of songs.