The Petra Zone

Tried to find an appropriate thread to dig up but could not find anything that seemed like it would fit. So I just started a new one.

Was listening to this one (again) the last couple days and just got to thinking. I've heard alot of live recordings (and I mean ALOT) and to me the Farewell CD just "feels" different. I cannot quite explain it.

A few comments and a question.

Hearing it for the third time I think Greg's voice is fine. At first I thought it mighta been a little strained, but then I was comparing it to CITAS which I must have heard a million times.

Paul simmons sure likes to use rolls (or whatever the technical term is).

I really like the alternate way they play for the songs Dance, Amazing Grace, Creed, and Beyond Belief. It's kinda hard to explain. Sometimes its the timing in certain parts, other times it the guitar effect used, or Bob plays his part differently.

Not really related to the CD. But after "seeing" this concert on DVD I can appreciate the mellow melody better. I think the Cello idea was cool. Musta been nice that Greg Bailey could play one.

It's weird how John talks during a concert, at least compared to how he talks like say in an interview.

Since most of you were there. Who sang "Judas Kiss" during the filmed/taped concert? John or Greg?

Wish I coulda been there but found out too late (as usual). My life story... One step behind.

I think that is about it. I was brainstormin' today and got a few ideas I wanna try out.

Signing off..

Since the fact that "Judas Kiss" was left off the CD and DVD (which is a particular pet peeve of mine), I will telll you that John sang it. It was a regular part of every show. In fact, they had to do some skillful editing because in concert, "Judas Kiss" followed immediately "Creed." When I say immediately, I mean as if they were the same song.

On another note: A friend of mine who is always late and I (who used to always be broke) thought about having shirts made up to wear together. Hers: A Day Late
Mine: A Dollar Short

greenchili wrote:I really like the alternate way they play for the songs Dance, Amazing Grace, Creed, and Beyond Belief. It's kinda hard to explain. Sometimes its the timing in certain parts, other times it the guitar effect used, or Bob plays his part differently.

This is a personal taste issue, obviously, but I was a little disappointed that they didn't make more use of keyboards on some of the songs (I have the DVD but not the CD). In particular, Creed, Dance, and It Is Finished could have made good use of them, and I was scratching my head wondering why John Lawry wasn't in on these songs. Why didn't Bob play the lead riffs during the verses of It Is Finished as on the original recording?

Speaking of It Is Finished, I REALLY liked the way they played the ending on guitar and bass. I audibly said, "That was cool!" when I was watching it the first time. Wonderful, one of many highlight moments on this DVD.

I have to say that Bob Hartman sounded really good; he was playing quite clean throughout. It was also neat to see/hear him singing the raspy lead vocal accompaniment on Right Place. I remember them talking about that in a radio interview when it was released. Side note on that song: I sometimes think that Bob challenged himself to get as many pop-culture cliches for being in trouble as he possibly could into the lyrics of that song. He did well!

Amazing Grace was wonderful. I wasn't too familiar with this song, and I've found myself singing it to myself an awful lot lately. Very pretty, especially John's vocals (his best performance on the DVD). Bob's guitar solos only made it better. This might have been my favorite song they played in this concert.

Enough rambling for a first post...

-Victor Bruhn
Vancouver, WA

Gusset wrote:This is a personal taste issue, obviously, but I was a little disappointed that they didn't make more use of keyboards on some of the songs (I have the DVD but not the CD). In particular, Creed, Dance, and It Is Finished could have made good use of them, and I was scratching my head wondering why John Lawry wasn't in on these songs. Why didn't Bob play the lead riffs during the verses of It Is Finished as on the original recording?

I agree on the keyboard part but I kinda classified that as nit-picking. It woulda been nice to see lawry do keys on those. I think their tour was mostly designed to take into account the lack of a keyboard player so they just went with that.

Yeah I missed the lead riffs on It Is Finished as well, but I just assumed they went with the "heavier" sound. But then I also miss the drum fills in Beyond Belief and there were a couple other little odd bits and pieces. With it being live though I prefer they do something "different".

Speaking of It Is Finished, I REALLY liked the way they played the ending on guitar and bass. I audibly said, "That was cool!" when I was watching it the first time. Wonderful, one of many highlight moments on this DVD.

Yeah that was neat.

Side note on that song: I sometimes think that Bob challenged himself to get as many pop-culture cliches for being in trouble as he possibly could into the lyrics of that song. He did well!

I really like the lyrics to Jeckyl & Hyde. They do a good job discussing the war between the old man and the new man. Something that is gonna be a constant struggle until Jesus comes back.

Enough rambling for a first post...

N/P and welcome.

I would say the keyboards were not featured because this was meant to be a record of the modern Petra sound. At the concert I attended a few days before (last trip I took with my dad, that) there were no keyboards whatever. This is simply how the last incarnation of Petra sounded, like it or not.

Welcome to the fray, gusset.

Yeah, Bob and John didn't want the new guys to be upstaged by former members. As I understand it, the live album was made as much for Greg Baily and Paul Simmons as it was for the fans.

Really... having John Lawry in their certainly would not have hurt, but to call back Ronnie Cates and Louie Weaver (as much as we like those two) would have been a detriment to Greg and Paul's devotion to the group towards the end.

They shoulda done like the newsboys did and had a drummer showdown between Louie and Paul. You know, battle of the drums!!

j/k

greenchili wrote:They shoulda done like the newsboys did and had a drummer showdown between Louie and Paul. :lol: You know, battle of the drums!! :D

j/k

Nothing against Louie, but he would have lost. Louie Weaver is a very skilled and competent drummer, but Paul Simmons is simply amazing. Just listen to how he works that kickdrum at the end of "Amazing Grace".

I'll agree with that...I will always love Louie, he's a wonderful drummer, but Paul is so much fun to watch and listen to. I wish I'd been able to go to a few more concerts, sigh.

If you've ever seen it the drummer showdown the newsboys did was more a friendly fun thing. Peter fuhler is a drummer himself and when he took the lead vocals they got someone else to play the drums. So they were doing this showdown thing just for kicks.

Anyways unfortunately I've only seen Paul play on the farewell DVD so I don't know much, and the did not really show him that much on that DVD.

yeah, that's PF on drums for the simple man video.

I could be wrong on this but, even though Louie's playing style live might be different from Paul's, I'm thinking he could match Paul note for note. He was smoking on WUC, and his timing was excellent.

I didn't notice any timing issues when seeing Paul live, but for the recorded show I saw, the timing did drift now and again.

petrafan1 wrote:is that peter furler on drums in the simple man video?

You better believe it!

Boy are you digging into the way back machine!

The newsboys sure had some weird videos didn't they?

Peter Furler was drummer while John James sang lead. All the way up to "Stepping Up To The Microphone" in which the Earle left and Peter Furler took lead vocals.

I saw the Newsboys at WinterJam in March and during their show, they actually hoist their dummer about 20 feet in the air, put him and his set at a 90 degree angle and spin him, while he is playing. It was the coolest thing I have ever seen and he never missed a beat.

greenchili wrote:If you've ever seen it the drummer showdown the newsboys did was more a friendly fun thing. Peter fuhler is a drummer himself and when he took the lead vocals they got someone else to play the drums. So they were doing this showdown thing just for kicks.

Anyways unfortunately I've only seen Paul play on the farewell DVD so I don't know much, and the did not really show him that much on that DVD.

You think that's crazy. When they played at the Rock -n- Roll hall of fame On a couple songs Peter was standing on a rotating platform. If I did that I woulda puked. M. W. Smith had one as well where he would sit on his piano while it rotated.

On a side note. My wife and I saw them open (either for smitty or steven curtis chapman) and she always remembers the shiny suits. It was during their "Going Public" tour. She used to call them the "shine boys".

speaking of the way back machine,

how many of you remember the days when Peter would strap in to his chair, the drum platform would lift up in the air, and he would go upside down; doing a 360? I think he even did it with a double bass kit.
Gimmicks like that got them more attention. But, you still have to have good music because the popularity of the gimmicks will fade. They are one of the best.