Third Classic Petra Album - All New Songs

[Preacherman777]

I think BTTR is decent as well and the funny thing is most of the time when I hear of someone hearing this who is not a die hard Petra fan and doesn't know that this was one of Greg's solo songs, they say they like the song and sometimes even as the better of the two new ones.

[Jim Hunt]

I think all the buzz is great!! Another classic hits album. Then a new complete album. We better enjoy the ride while we have it!! These guys won't be around forever. God has kept them all in good health and "More Power To Ya". Keep the music coming Boys!!!

[executioner]

I don't like the new songs.

I like TBTF alot as a middle of the road rocker, but BTTR just seems so secondary and also sounds like its coming from someone who is a very green author(first song ever written) type.
All I'm saying if these two songs are saying anything about what we have to look forward too in an album of all new tunes then I would prefer them to continue remaking the classics. I think the classics that have already been remade are excellant and have breathe new life and and a fresh perspective on the legacy of Petra.

[CatNamedManny]

I think the new songs are decent enough, but they're easily the weakest on the album, and I think that has more to do with their sound than anything inherent in their construction. Neither is really a full-on rocker in the vein of "Angel of Light," "Bema Seat," "Clean" or some of the others on the album. And with three ballad/balladish songs on there already, they needed heavier songs to round out the disc, I think.

Also, I think the songs would have played better had they been mixed in with the remakes, instead of tacked on to the end.

[Mountain Man]

I think a lot of you have your nostalgia ears on when you saying that the new tracks aren't as good as the remade classics. I think your familiarity with and fondness of the older songs makes you prefer them over the new ones even though from an objective standpoint, I daresay they're just as good. "Back to the Rock" even sounds like a throwback to Come and Join Us or Washes Whiter Than, which I really can't say is a bad thing.

[gman]

Compare the new songs to anything from Jekyll and Hyde. Nuff said.

[zak89]

Not for me - to my guitar oriented ears BTTR shares a lot with J&H - I presume you disagree?

[bjh]

On BTTR as a whole, I find that the guitars share a lot with J&H... not sure about the title track. BTTR is a tad longer than J&H, too... by 20 minutes or so, I think... 'bout time. . Ok, biggest beef with J&H is that it was way too short. "Guys, let's do this in one sitting so we can turn out the lights and go home." Maybe that was just the feeling I got after the weariness of "This Means War" from Double Take.

I do tend to like Too Big to Fail over the title cut. But like Double Take, the new songs get lost in the remakes of the old... at least for me.

[Preacherman777]

Compare the new songs to anything from Jekyll and Hyde. Nuff said.

There's no reason to do that. This isn't that Petra and it's not trying to be. This is Classic Petra, so it only makes sense to compare it with other Petra from the classic era.

[brent]

You guys are getting waaay ahead of yourselves here.

They have a record deal. They have money. They have a small machine behind them. All they need now is NEW music that picks up where BTTS left off.

[zak89]

You guys are getting waaay ahead of yourselves here.

They have a record deal. They have money. They have a small machine behind them. All they need now is NEW music that picks up where BTTS left off.

I presume you meant BTTR? Or perhaps BTS?

[Boray]

YATPAAAABHTU!

(Which means Yes, All These Petra Album Abbreviations Are A Bit Hard To Understand...)

[zak89]

Actually, BTTS is the one Schlitt album I think Greg could sound good on. Which makes sense, seeing it was produced around the same time as BTS and was John's first album.

[brent]

Nope. I mean Back To The Street, the last Volz record. That record was written for Volz.

Here is the deal. The band is not going to be able to stay in the past forever. This will stay hot for a year or so. If they make the mistake of making more classic CDs, they will have to compete with themselves again. I think it would be counter productive to sound like the past when the whole goal is to not sound dated. New material is needed.

That said, I would hope that they get JDB back in the fold, who could be objective, and help modernize them a bit, without sacrificing what makes them Petra. I hope they get someone outside of the band to write, preferably someone that is a big fan. Judging by the comments I have been reading, people are not open to the folky stuff as much as the other tunes.

[Preacherman777]

Personally, I would not have much interest in Petra music written by someone else. Petra, for the most part, has always just been the conduit through which we enjoy the music of Bob Hartman and I would not want it any other way.

As for the sound, I like the sound of Too Big to Fail, I just hope that when they do the album of all new material, that we will find they have something heavier in the tank as well.