The Petra Zone

Double poll this week guys (and gals ) so be sure to check em both out.

With the recent ending of Petra's music ministry I thought it'd be kind of interesting to start a series of polls on favorite songs. Starting with their first album and working to the last. I figured I'd do an album each week.

So for those interested, get out your petra CD's and start listening. Do it now!! Listening is NOT optional!!!

Voting for last weeks album "Capture In Time And Space" is completed. Seems we lost some more voters. Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead.

Here are the results from the previous poll.

The Praise Medley [7]
It Is Finished [5]
Hollow Eyes [3]
The Mellow Medley [2]
Beat The System [2]
Clean [1]
Grave Robber [1]
God Pleaser [1]
Computer Brains [0]
The Rock Medley [0] (ouch)

This one was a little more spread out than BTS despite the loss of voters. The winna is "The Praise Medley" with a vote of 7, and "It Is Finished" in a strong 2nd place of numero fivo.

Next up we have "Back To The Street" with new lead singer John Schlitt (crowd goes wild). Released in 1986. Considered by many to be a transition album. A few notes:

1) Out with lead Greg X. Volz and producer Jonathan David Brown (see other poll)
2) In with new lead John Schlitt and producers Dino and John Elefante (who did several petra albums).
3) John was the only guy the band auditioned for the lead singing spot. Was he that good? (I think so).
4) Dino and John Elefante contributed to half of the songs on this one.
5) Unlike BTS. Louie and Mark were involved in the making of the record.
6) Back To The Street was very intentionally named. It was the reaffirmation of the band's straightforward approach to the bold proclamation of the Gospel.
7) Petra's final album with a guitar cover. Boo hoo.

This was the first album after Petra hired John Schlitt for lead vocals, and it is also the first Elefante-produced album; although (like BTS) the keyboards are predominant the guitar is also (thankfully) pulled out more towards the front.

This one is a mixed boat for me. There are alot of things I like about it, but then some things I dont. It certainly is not my favorite album by Petra either.

Musically this one seems to make more use of the keyboard (eg the intro to "Back To The Street") but then the guitars seem more mixed to the front so they are easier to hear (compared to BTS). The thing I do like about the album is how some of the songs "change up" a little (like "Another Crossroad", "Whole World"). I also like what I call "atmosphere" songs like "Shakin' The House" where a whole atmosphere is built up between all the instruments.

The album came out the same exact year CITAS did, and two years after BTS. But I cant help but wonder if the songs on this were originally intended for Greg. I'm not sure exactly when Greg departed or how much lead time petra had after picking up John.

I remember reading some comments by Bob on this album about how John's voice was still a little raw and loose. Well if this is raw and loose, wow... I played this album once for a friend to show how much range John has.

Apparently DeGarmo & Key, and Geoff Moore opened for Petra on this tour. They musta not been at the concert I saw..

I gotta go with "Whole World" I've always loved that one, although "Another Crossroad" would be a close second. I like the lyrics on "Run For Cover" as well, and if I ever voted for ballad's "Thankful Heart" would be right up there.

I've read mixed reviews/opinions on this one. So it oughta be interesting to see the comments.

OK. Have at it!

I voted for Shakin The House. I like all the others as well. For a long time I didn't really like Run For Cover & Another Crossroad, but, over time I've learned to appreciate them.

I voted also for "Shakin' The House" The guitar work is classic Bob; The drums really hit hard on the second verse, and John's vocals are amazing. Unlike most people here I can't here Greg singing on this album. Greg told Bob early in 1985 that he was out; CITAS was done because Bob had a recording contract with JDB for one more album IMO. BTTS was recorded without lead and background vocals in aug-sept 1985, but BTTS was never intended to have Greg on it. I think one thing is funny is that BTTS was recorded before CITAS with different producers and later with a different lead singer.

���Fool's Gold!! That's a diamond in Petra discography.

I voted for Whole World. It's a great song, and for me, the most rocking on the album. Shaking The House is a good song, and I like it, but something always seems to be lacking when I listen to it.

Fool's Gold was a close second. I've always loved the line "I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man than a fool in the eyes of God." An all time classic Petra line for me.

greenchili wrote:Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead.

This post is a bit off topic, but a joke to go along with greenchili's comment about quitting while he/she's ahead.

There was a boy who was born with no body at all, just a head. All he was was a head. As he got older he longed to be like everyone else and have a whole body.

He prayed and prayed for a body, and one day he had a body down to the waist, with no legs. The boy was very thankful for this, and could do many things he couldn't previously do.

However, he watched his friends play football and basketball and other things outside, and he longed to run around with them.

He prayed and prayed to have his legs, and God answered him. He woke up one morning with his legs and a whole body. He was very thankful for this and enjoyed so much playing and running with his friends.

One day though, while he was crossing the street, he was struck by a car, and he died.

The moral of the story: Stop while you're a head.

Where's the gong?!

Shakin the house and whole world. I love both of them.

Did Petra ever have a gong player?

js3971 wrote:Did Petra ever have a gong player?

He's referring to the Gong show.

I say keep yer day time job.

Thanks for the info about John, I guess that leaves the question of whether Bob wrote the songs before or after he picked John as a lead. I'm guessing before.

On a side note in one of JDB's interviews he said "We were stuck with 'guitar' oriented keys, which sometimes made Greg, in spite of his range, have to pull up his shorts. I didn't like the dog whistle frequencies." This might explain the comments I've heard about his voice when hitting higher parts.

Anyways John has such a great range he probably did not have too much trouble keeping up. Good news for Petra I'm sure.

The "Gong Show", what's that? Of course I know what the gong show is. I vaguely remember it being on (don't know if in rerun or not) when I was a kid.

Don't worry, I won't quit my day job. I love it. I teach a cirriculum to K through 2nd graders on self esteem, self control, anger management, etc. I love children, so I love the job. I see approximately 640 students every week.

I know Stryper had gongs. At least on the stryper concert I have.

Well maybe you could help me 8 year old son who has ADD.

He can be a handful sometimes..

Stryper had a gong huh? How bout that.

Just continue to love your son. Think and believe the best about him. Catch him doing good things and doing things right. When he is sitting still and being calm, make a big deal about it. Praise him to no end. Tell him he can do it. Tell him to tell himself he can do it. It's amazing what children can do and what they can overcome when they know without a doubt somene believes in them, and when they believe in themself.

I know that's very general, but I try to go into every class with that attitude about every child, no matter how they are acting, it really makes a big difference. Even when they're acting not so good, I just love them the way God loves me when I act not so good. It's God's goodness that led me to repentence (to think differently about the situation and myself and therefore to act differently). His goodness can lead almost anyone to repentence and real change.

I voted for Shakin the House, easily the best offering from this album. For what the heck ever reason, I always enjoyed the intro to the title song though.

BTW, though Bob did not write the songs specifically "for" Greg, I think he was writing them with a greg-like voice in mind, because they are indeed suited to that type of voice. The Whole World especially. I can almost hear Greg singing this song in my mind's ear, and it would've sounded incredible (not that it isn't good as is mind you). He should have done a cover of it.


BTW, my dad had terrible ADHD (and now that he is sick it is getting worse again) and the best thing for him was external discipline. His dad simply wouldn't let him away with crap (phoned the cops on them once!) or make excuses for him.

That's good Charl. I can remember a specific child I used to work with when I lived in El Paso. At that time, it was just in a childcare or daycare facility. This kid would never listen, never do what he was supposed to. It was a latchkey type daycare that was a part of the school they attended. He got into trouble there also.

One day I was correcting him for something, and he said, "It's because I'm hyper." I told him that's not an excuse for you or for anyone else. You're fully capable of doing what's right. After that I never had a problem with him again, and when I left that place, he gave me more hugs than any other child, and he cried and cried.

Children need discipline, and they want it. But it always must be done in love. If it's done out of anger, the problem will only get worse. Man's anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.