Vibrato in Jekyll & Hyde

[zak89]

Is it just me, or is John's vibrato in "Jekyll & Hyde" a bit hit-or-miss? Particularly the last "Whoa!" line. I love the song, but it always seemed like that line was a bit sloppy - almost demo quality. Or is that a new trend that I missed? I can count maybe a half dozen modulations, and to my untrained ear they're not even timed consistently.

I know this is nit-picking (and I still love the song) but I've heard John sing many times since that record and I know he can pull off a spot-on vibrato - it seems like another take or two and they could have had that cleaned up. It almost feels like it was done on purpose - but I can't understand why.

[superfly]

I'd noticed that too, and it's definitely something that the producer coulda said "let's do it again" because John can hold a note like it's nobody's business, whether it's a high rockin' one or a lower smooth one. His singing always amazed me. A lot of rock singers who have that raspy sound and full-throttle volume like John can't hold a note to save their lives even though their voice has a good "sound". John is one of the few who could hit the right notes, hold them, and still be super-cool. Darn it, now I'm in the mood for some petra tunes but it's 8 hours of work ahead of me!

[brent]

John is not the type that likes to do things over and over. Aside from that, from a producer/engineer's standpoint, the performance is never the same past the second take. The song becomes a task, and the voice becomes inconsistant. If you have to "comp" the vocals, you need it all to sound the same.

Personally, the vocals are buried the way that they should be for a rock record like that. For a while, everyone was mixing vocals WAAAAY too far out front and it did not sound good. I am glad the industry is moving away from that and the loudness wars. Anyway, it all sounds more real, more rock and roll. It has a vibe. If it was perfect, it would not be the John Schlitt I know and hear in concert. This record is the closest thing to reality that they have done.

[Dan]

I figured they did that on purpose anyway at the end of the song. J&H could be very well Petra's best recorded rock album, it is well mixed.

[executioner]

I always felt that the JAH album, WUC, and PP2 are the three albums that Petra has made that will never IMO sound dated. The production value of all three are top notch in quality. I also like when there are some imprefections in tone when it comes to vocals and instrumentation; I think it adds to the production and maybe just shows that it wasn't overproduced.
The lead in guitar work on "Test of Time" is a good example also; the tone just isn't quite right but it adds so much to the song.

[bakersfieldpethead]

I always felt that the JAH album, WUC, and PP2 are the three albums that Petra has made that will never IMO sound dated. The production value of all three are top notch in quality. I also like when there are some imprefections in tone when it comes to vocals and instrumentation; I think it adds to the production and maybe just shows that it wasn't overproduced.
The lead in guitar work on "Test of Time" is a good example also; the tone just isn't quite right but it adds so much to the song.

I would also add "Revival" to that list of albums. Even though some people don't like it very well, it's still very modern even today, and it's 10 year anniversary is coming up pretty soon..........wow almost 10 years since "Revival" can you believe it?

[brent]

I always felt that the JAH album, WUC, and PP2 are the three albums that Petra has made that will never IMO sound dated. The production value of all three are top notch in quality. I also like when there are some imprefections in tone when it comes to vocals and instrumentation; I think it adds to the production and maybe just shows that it wasn't overproduced.
The lead in guitar work on "Test of Time" is a good example also; the tone just isn't quite right but it adds so much to the song.

I would also add "Revival" to that list of albums. Even though some people don't like it very well, it's still very modern even today, and it's 10 year anniversary is coming up pretty soon..........wow almost 10 years since "Revival" can you believe it?

I can believe it. It was a mistake. That was not a Petra record.

[bakersfieldpethead]

I can believe it. It was a mistake. That was not a Petra record.

Maybe not to the fans who don't like it. But inpop had a good heart for wanting to bring Petra on after Word just gave up on them. Revival may not have been the Petra album we all wanted to hear, but it did have a 3rd of the dream team, Bob, Louie and John. It did have some new cool ideas in their music, but to hear Petra talk about it they seemed to really like it and they consider it to be a great Petra album. That could have been a front to sell the album, but then again only Bob, John and Louie know how they really feel about it.

I guess we can also gather from the PP2 interviews and the Revival interviews, everytime time Petra comes out with a new Praise album, we can bet that Louie has a new found respect for someone in the buisness. From watching the Revival DVD I thought I was listening the PP2 Radio Special all over again.

[brent]

Well, making videos saying that you do not like the album that someone else has produced and paid for you when you think you are at the very end of your career wouldn't be prudent now, would it? Of course they liked it. That's why they went out of their way to completely distance themselves from it on J&H and in the shows since.

[executioner]

I personally don't like the style of "Revival" only three songs on there had any flow and the finished product came across very bland and every day with no desire or heart from the guys.

[SCJ-7]

It is true that the Revival Album is not the most loved by us but, well at least, it gave us one classic song: Amazing Grace... Yes, we know that Amazing Grace is not a Bob Hartman creation... is a very old but beautiful song... but Petra gave new life to that classic by transforming it into a Masterpiece of Christian Rock. I remember the first time I heard the Revival Album and the first time I heard Amazing Grace in PetraStyle. These were my words: Only Petra can do that... I love it.
By the way, thanks to that not-so-loved-by-many Revival Album, two years later they gave us: Jekyll & Hyde...