The Petra Zone

I listened the whole song through while trying to figure out which No Doubt-song it should sound like. I failed.

I like Third Day, but their music doesn't have much variety. You can listen to two albums back to back and be hard pressed to tell them apart.

Matthew RJ wrote:Not No Doubt, sorry, I should have said, "Think Twice" --- it's the guitar riff I think sound similar.

I didn't misunderstand you. You misunderstood me. What I meant was that I listened to the third day video first, knowing you thought it sounded similar to a track from "No Doubt", but I didn't know which (as I hadn't activated the video yet). And while listening I couldn't figure out which one it would be, meaning: The similarity was not evident at all to me.

I see what you're saying.

I do hear it, but I would think Petra probably had very little influence on Third Day.

I still see the Petra/Third Day connection being made based on a comment from Mac Powell - something to the effect that they wanted to be the "next Petra", which (if I recall correctly) Mac defined as "impact[ing] a lot of people through music".

No offense Mac, but that's about as loose a definition as you can get.

I'm liking TD's "Conspiracy #5" release so far (sprang for it off a glowing review from BackSpinRadio - I figured if a fellow Pethead liked it, it can't be that bad). Probably the only album that's caught my ear (though there's a number of single songs of theirs I really like). Musically interesting, and Mac's voice is awesome, but the lyrics... hmm. I'll have to absorb them a bit more, but the songwriting is definitely not Petra-esque. Unless something really stellar pops up, #5 will probably be the only Third Day album in collection. Great band, great hearts, just not my kind of songwriting.

TD the next Petra? Well...that is an admirable goal and a compliment to Petra. It does not require TD to sound like Petra...thank goodness.

To the musical comparison....I would say that there are only so many notes and only so many chords and progressions rock and rollers can use. It is going to happen. There will be similarities, or tips of the hat.

I just think their style is very simple, bland and ordinary. I liked the first two albums they did, but after that it always seemed like their whole catalog was just repeated itself.

Based on spiritual encouragement and creativity, this is how I would rank Third Day's albums (if based on just creativity, this list would be ranked differently):

1) Third Day, 1996 (their debut; good rock; great message)
2) Time, 1999 (good southern rock)
3) Wherever You Are, 2005 (more CCMish than the previous two, but very encouraging)
4) Come Together, 2001 (creative; with more electronics added to the rock)
5) Revelation, 2008 (great southern rock along with Robert Randolph, Chris Daughtry, and I
think Lacy Mosley from Flyleaf)
6) Move, 2010 (this is sort of like Revelation Part II, but not as good)
7) Offerings - A Worship Album, 2000 (Live previously released third day songs, mixed with
original studio worship tracks)
Offerings II - All I Have To Give, 2003 (same set-up as the previous; also has a good
rendition of Rich Mullins' Creed)
9) Conspiracy No. 5, 1997 (secular grudge/alternative rock tracks; christian rock tracks; CCM
tracks; even though it's number nine, still not a bad album)
10) Wire, 2004 (straight up rock)
11) Miracle, 2012 (rock with a few good, creative tracks, but somethings is missing)

PS-I don't know why my number eight is a smiley face.
PSS-When I state southern rock, I mean southern United States.

Mountain Man wrote:I like Third Day, but their music doesn't have much variety. You can listen to two albums back to back and be hard pressed to tell them apart.

executioner wrote:I just think their style is very simple, bland and ordinary.

I feel the same way. For me, their only song I really liked was Mac Powell's version of "God Of Wonders" (with Cliff and Danielle Young of Caedmon's Call) from City On A Hill: Songs Of Praise And Worship. But they've released albums since 1996, so obviously a lot of people dig them...just not my cup of tea, I guess.

I used to like Third Day quite a lot. I stopped buying their albums after Christmas Offerings because it all became so repetitive.

To me Southern Tracks is what Third Day should sound like. They're not so extremely obvious in their lyrics there and it's the nicest little offering they're ever made. If ever I'm now in the mood for Third Day, I usually listen to this little gem.