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 "Back To The Street" has completed.

Here are the results from the previous poll.

Shakin' The House [7]
Whole World [5]
Thankful Heart (#1 single) [4]
Another Crossroad [3]
Fool's Gold [3]
You Are I Am [3]
King's Ransom [2]
Back To The Street [1]
Alter Ego [1]
Run For Cover [0] (I always liked the lyrics for this song)

And the winner is! Drum roll please. "Shakin' The House" with 7 votes and "Whole World" at 2nd with 5. All the rest were close relatively speaking.

Next up we have "This Means War!" Released in 1987.

This is Petra's 2nd album with John Schlitt on the leads as well as being the last petra album with Mark Kelly on bass. It still keeps the pop/rock sound we found on Back To The Street.

I don't have much info on this one.

Petra started something called the "Prayer Warriors" campaign. Apparently the album is themed around prayer.

I think Bob said John's voice is/was a little tighter on this one. I cant remember.

All songs were penned by Bob except for Kenaniah which was co-wrote.

The TMW tour marked the first time I had ever been to a live Petra concert. (Yes I have never seen Greg live). It was at PKD. I remember running into a high school friend there. She thought John was cute.

I actually have the sound track for "Get On Your Knees And Fight Like A Man". Although I woulda never sang it, I just thought it was cool to have.

If I was a ballad kinda guy "Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened" would be right up there. It doesn't hurt that it is based on one of my favorite chapters.

My vote went to He Came, He Saw, He Conquered. This Means War and You Are My Rock are right behind as favorite "rockers." Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened is my other favorite, but, I like all the other songs , as well.

I went with All The King's Horses, but the first three songs are both a close second. Also a strong points were You Are My Rock and Water is Alive. I felt the ballads were especially weak on this one; I never really cared for either. I remember Bob saying that they almost called it quits after this one; He talks about it in his MPTY book he wrote.

Ditto the sentiments from executioner.

Can you imagine what we, and they, would have missed if they had called it quits.

To me, this was the beggining of the John Schlitt era; edgier songs, more up front guitars and getting away from the pop rock genre. This is one of my favotite albums (this week anyway ).

I like all of the songs pretty much the same on this album, but I voted for "Get on Your Knees" because it has my favorite guitar solo in it -- plus, I like the message.

Aja, I'm agree about the weakness of the ballads in this Album. I vote He came... cause always has been an anthem to me. But TMW (song), Get on your kness..., All the King horses, Kenanias, are close.

Sweet avatar.

You Are My Rock always reminds me of who God is.

What a great album! You have to be dead not to get pumped up after listening to this CD. It's hard to pick a favorite over another, but I'll go with He Came He Saw He Conquered. Keneniah, This Means War, All the Kings Horses, Dead Reckoning, You Are My Rock, are all very close 2nds.

My favorite Petra album, containing my favorite Petra song of all time... "He Came, He Saw, He Conquered". That song sums up my whole realization of what Christ did for us. It is also the one song I truly remember from the night I actually became a Christian (at a Petra show in 1997).

I listen to this album more than any other of my Petra CDs, although I often skip the ballads. My other fave is "The Water Is Alive", but if you are driving down the street with the windows open and music blasting, nothing beats "This Means War"!!

Jen

Kenaniah! Kenanyuh! We will sing my favorite song!!

executioner wrote:I went with All The King's Horses, but the first three songs are both a close second. Also a strong points were You Are My Rock and Water is Alive. I felt the ballads were especially weak on this one; I never really cared for either. I remember Bob saying that they almost called it quits after this one; He talks about it in his MPTY book he wrote.

I'm surprised at the number of people that like "All The King's Horses". I've always liked that song for alot of reasons. I think I'm gonna order MPTY tonight. I found a place that has it. I put it off for a long time because I was not really interested. Just found out today that that book was written after Bob started touring so it should have alot of good stuff about the heyday of their ministry.

Anyways I just had to pick "This Means War". That song just rocks too much and is one of the few songs that talks about the fall of satan, his ego, how Christ overcame death, the ongoing battle between the darkness and the light, and the eventual outcome. Cool stuff.

It's hard to single out a song from this album. It works as a distinctly cohesive unit with a layered dual concept. With it working smoothly on so many levels, I would say this is THE concept album of concept albums.

However....As with the other great conceptual album (Not of this World) the second song on the second side does not fit! That was the only weakness of the whole album, and really The Water is Alive is still a good song-better than the sore thumb of NOTW, Lift Him Up.

Kenaniah was always one of my favorites in regards to theme, and I did feel it defined Petra's own ministry in a way, but in the end I had no choice but to go with He Came He Saw He Conquered. This is quintessential Petra.

I voted for The Water is Alive. I always liked the vocals on that plus the bass. IMO this recording has strong vocals (harmony) throughout.

Executioner....how sad would it have been if they would have called it quits after this recording! How lucky we have been.

I remember when I got TMW on cassette. I listened to it a lot. Never one of my fave Petra records though-too many ballads that did nothing for me. My vote for favourite song would be The Water is Alive. I have always loved the harmony and lyrics of this song. A very close second is All the Kings Horses. The song's lyrics bring tears to my eyes as I anticipate what is to come. I also like Keneniah, You are My Rock and the title track, although I like the version on Doubletake better.

There are only two ballads, certainly no more than what has appeared on other Petra albums.