Albums Long Forgotten..

[Petra Fan Canada]

With numerous original albums and even more "Best of", its easy enough to put aside a Petra CD that isn't on our top 10 list, so it isn't listened too often.

Last night, I went for a walk, and plugged in Wake-up Call in my CD walkman. For some reason, I originally didn't like that album. Last night, it was like discovering it all over again.

Certainly, Midnight Oil is one of my fav songs. Hard driving power anthem. Petra at is best. But for some reason, the other songs really connected to me recently. AT one point, I thought the songs were cheezy and re-hashes of earlier work. Last night, i came to appreciate the mucisianship (if thats a word) and production value of the music. Having earphones definately made it a better listening experience.

So the question is, have you ever had an experience like this?

And a suggestion, pull out your least favourite album, listen to it again, and see if your opinion changes.

Good LucK and happy listening!

[Preacherman777]

I find that happens a lot. Not necessarily with entire albums but more often with songs from their albums that I have originally not given much attention, because I saw them as more secondary or filler material. A good example of this is the This Means War album. Songs like You are My Rock, Dead Reckoning and The Water is Alive didn't really hit me until later on down the road as being really good. The same with Last Daze and What's in a Name from Beyond Belief.

[charl]

I find the fact that so many people here have said they originally did not like Wake-up Call interesting. I absolutely loved that album from the day I ripped it out of the package. The album before that (Unseen Power) was one I always considered weaker, or perhaps more acurately not suited to my tastes. It still isn't.

But yeah sometimes a little time can really change your perspective of the songs.

[nacman]

I have found that if I like it at all, the longer I listen to an album, the more I like it. I recently got Lost In Time and Space and at first I thought it was a really poor album, but as I listened more I began to really appreciate it.

[charl]

Captured in Time and Space? I was really disappointed to see the CD re-release of that album is missing a huge section of the recording. WTH? Still annoys me-my tape is old and and busted, being held together with scotch tape and a prayer.

[Jonathan]

I find that happens with Double Take. It collects dust, then I re-discover it, then I love all the songs except Beyond Belief, and then send it back for more dust.

[PDX]

I would have to say that God Fixation is that way for me. For some reason I don't listen to it that often, but when I do I find myself really enjoying the majority of it. When it first came out it was so different from what they had done before, so I continued to listen to classics like This Means War, On Fire, and Beyond Belief and didn't really give it much of a chance. It took time, but it has grown on me over the years.

[Michael]

The problem is that we always have a preconceived notion of what the CD is supposed to sound like before we even spin it. That's why CDs that were "different," like Wake-Up Call, God Fixation, and even Washes Whiter Than were (and still are) underappreciated by fans. And even more so, that is why an album with such spectacular musicianship as Double Take is pooh-poohed by people... because the melodies are different. Holy smokes, how ironic... and hypocritical... for people who supposedly listen to the music primarily for the message in the lyrics! Double Take should be appreciated... or disliked... for how the new music emphasizes, or does not emphasize, the message. For example, I'd say the industrial sounds in the new recording of "Beat the System" highlight the song's theme far better than the original arrangement, although Beat the System is one of my favorite CDs ever.

[LexingtonPethead]

I also did not like Wake Up Call the first few times I listened to it. A good while ago, Michael and Bakersfield (Stephen) challenged some of us to give it another try. I did, and the more I played it, the more I liked it. Now, I like it a lot. I tinkered with my copy of it by encoding some digital enhancements and it made a lot of difference.