The Petra Zone

Alrighty. Starting this one early this week, after my little mishaps the last couple weeks.

With the recent ending of Petra's 33 year 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!! Stop watching that Farewell DVD. Listening is NOT optional!!!

Voting for last weeks album "Unseen Power" has completed.

Here the results...

Dance [6]
Sight Unseen [6]
Destiny [5]
Who's On The Lord's Side [3]
In The Likeness Of You [3]
Ready, Willing, And Able [2]
I Need To Hear From You [2]
Hey World [2]
Secret Weapon [1]
Hand On My Heart [0]

This one was a tighter race with "Dance" almost doing it's celebration victory at 6. "Sight Unseen" snuck in with a tie at 5 votes. "Destiny" made an appearance but unfortunately was destined for 2nd place with 5 votes..

Moving along! Next Up! "Wake Up Call" released in 1993.

Here are a few tidbits for those who care..

1) Last album before Bob stopped touring with petra.
2) Bob said this album, like the one before, was a bit rushed.
3) I believe Petra was nominated (and won) a dove award for this one.
4) Ronny Cates wrote the music on three of the songs.
5) Out with "John and Dino"
6) In with new producer "Brown Bannister" in hoping to mix things up a little.
7) Some people think Petra's downhill spiral began right here.

Enjoy and go for it!

Note: Corrected the results. I forgot about an absentee cast vote.

Ooh! I was the first one to vote! hooray, I guess. (nah, who cares?)

Me voted fer El Aceite de la Medianoche (Midnight Oil) - it's such a adrenalizing rocker. Listening to it makes me wanna run around and jump like crazy till I have to stop to catch my breath.

Wake-Up Call is my 3rd favorite Petra album. Though I really like their hard edge during 1987 - 1991, I think it was good for them to go a different direction for a change - a "fresher" kind of hard edge for 1993. Nothing released after WUC tops it in my opinion. But Farewell comes very close.

WUC also dons my most favorite of all Petra album covers. The illustration of the band members rocking out in spotlights on a globe, with that big P E T R A on top and the title "Wake-Up Call" printed sideways - and an outer-spacey blue background. It's beautiful - I just looourve it.

My favorite song on the album, hands down, is "Underneath the Blood". I'll never forget the first time I heard it. It came on the radio, they didn't yet say who the artist was, but as soon as I heard the opening riffs, I just KNEW it was Petra! And with the thundering bass, I was wasn't a bit surprised to find out that Ronny wrote the music.

I think "Just Reach Out" is probably my second favorite song on there. It's such a great ballad. I said in the Unseen Power thread that "In the Likeness of You" is my favorite Petra ballad. Actually, I think "Just Reach Out" is. I was very impressed with John's songwriting.

"Praying Man" was always a concert favorite. I really dig the Beatle-esque harmonies.

"Midnight Oil" has my favorite Bob Hartman guitar solo. It's blazing hot!

I'm with our Japanse translator. Midnight Oil is an all out rock tune that gets the fist pumpin' and the head a bobbin'.

This album isn't on my list of favourites. The sound seems to go back to that synthetic sound of the early 80's with way too much production in the studio. It seems unnatural compared to earlier projects. It has an almost updated Beat the System sound. Guitars are out front, so it has its plusses.

Another interesting note. I recently read through the liner notes and Googled any names there. Although I ws led to believe that this hasd less outside influences thnn other projetcs, there is still 4-6 studio musicians who "contributed" to this project.

I like the songs on this one, but would bet that the live versions were a heck of a lot better then the studio.

Can anyone here who saw this tour enlighten me?

Underneath the Blood gets my vote on this one, with Midnight Oil a very close second. Sleeping Giant is another good rocker and of course Just Reach Out will always be a classic.

Like Wake Up Call when I first heard this album I liked it and disliked it. Overall I think it's a good album. I mean when you use the word parousia in a song, how can you go wrong.

Sleeping Giant gets my vote here. Great classic Bob guitar riff here. I love Bob's riffs in the verses of the songs.
When I first heard WUC I was disappointed because it seemed to lack the power of the last few albums but I've really grown to like it more and it's a top 5 for me. I always felt the drums really shined on this album. I like how the snare really feels dry but solid. I've been told that Louie played alot on this album so because of the strong drumming on this album I've often wondered why he wasn't used more in the recording process over the years. Very solid proformance IMO.

Petra Fan Canada wrote:I'm with our Japanse translator. Midnight Oil is an all out rock tune that gets the fist pumpin' and the head a bobbin'.

This album isn't on my list of favourites. The sound seems to go back to that synthetic sound of the early 80's with way too much production in the studio. It seems unnatural compared to earlier projects. It has an almost updated Beat the System sound. Guitars are out front, so it has its plusses.

Another interesting note. I recently read through the liner notes and Googled any names there. Although I ws led to believe that this hasd less outside influences thnn other projetcs, there is still 4-6 studio musicians who "contributed" to this project.

I like the songs on this one, but would bet that the live versions were a heck of a lot better then the studio.

Can anyone here who saw this tour enlighten me?

Behind BB this tour was probalby my favorite. The songs off WUC sounded very strong rock wise. If I remember correctly these are the ones they played:

Midnight Oil
Good News
Praying Man
Underneath the Blood
Sleeping Giant
Just Reach Out

Well I'm kinda speculating here but go read the Jonathan David Brown interview on TheGuideToPetra and you will see that JDB was a big drum player himself. Which probably explains why he was so picky about the drums. He did admit that by BTS that Louie was ready for studio work but then Petra switched to the Elefante brothers who, from the sound of it, like to replace the drums with sound samples (or something like that). When they did J&H, peter fuhler who produced it is a drummer.

So the poor guy just never got a chance from the sounds of it.

This is just my opinion. But I've never liked Brown Bannister as a producer. Any album he seems to get his hands on, to me, sounds just bland. WUC is not an exception, but WUC is actually one of his better mixes. He may be known for award winning records but I'm not sure how he does it. One of White Hearts better albums was produced by him, but I absolutely hate the mixing on that album.

This is one of my favorite albums, and has been from the first time I tore into it and threw it in the player. As I've mentioned before, the real draw was the sound had an absolutely pristine quality to it.
The songs were pretty strong almost throughout. And it contains the truly great slower song of the Schlitt era-Just Reach Out. The disonant yet triumphal sound of this song is very powerful.

However Midnight Oil is totally my song and choice in the poll. How can you not love it?

I also saw them in tour for this album, but darned if I remember what they played. Executioner's list sounds about right, but I don't recall them playing Just Reach Out. I do specifically remember Underneath the Blood though because of the vox box thingy Bob used (that being what my brother told me it was anyway ).

My vote goes for "Just Reach Out". Yeah, it's a ballad (I know how some people are when it comes to Petra releasing ballads as singles), but it's such a good song.

Too bad John Schlitt wasn't able to contribute more to Petra's songwriting (yes, I know...Petra is Bob Hartman's baby). Maybe that's why John released two solo albums while still singing for the band...he needed a creative outlet.

My vote went to Just Reach Out. The lyrics "get to me." I don't dislike any of the songs.

My vote was for "Marks of the cross": Pure & biblical word of God. I always show the lyrics of this song to the people who dissagree with Petra's ministery. The conclusion is: "Maybe you could be dissagree with the music, but no with the message"

And reading the posts, I doubt about: "Some people think Petra's downhill spiral began right here"

Just Reach Out

blod6ett wrote:My vote was for "Marks of the cross": Pure & biblical word of God. I always show the lyrics of this song to the people who dissagree with Petra's ministery. The conclusion is: "Maybe you could be dissagree with the music, but no with the message"

And reading the posts, I doubt about: "Some people think Petra's downhill spiral began right here"

I actually think that Petra's downward spiral started with their worst album "No Doubt" So many diehard Petra fans were turned off by this one. WUC was very well received sales and critics wise.

I dunno.. I've just heard a couple mention WUC as the beginning of the end.

This album does slow up a bit (4 of em). I've always liked it myself.