The Petra Zone

My favorite was perhaps Jekyll and Hyde and because of the heavy rock riffs throughout the songs. The song "Clean" from "Wash Whiter Than" is perhaps my favorite song, with "Onward Christian Soldiers" as a close second. What about you?

My top three favorites in order...

1. GOD FIXATION
2. ON FIRE!
3. JEKYLL & HYDE

Funny thing...when I first bought GOD FIXATION, I didn't like it too much. Petra was going for a lighter, more alternative sound (ala Candlebox, Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, etc.). The only three "hard rock"-style songs on GOD FIXATION are "A Matter Of Time", "Set For Life", and "St. Augustine's Pears". Needless to say, it didn't get much play...at first.

When my Dad passed away, I was looking for songs that would help salve my grief. I felt God was directing me to this album. When I listened to "Hello Again", I cried for 20 minutes...it was like a catharsis. Other songs that I had skipped over at first became regular listening...""Shadow Of A Doubt", "Over The Horizon", "Falling Up", "The Invitation".

This album (combined with reading the bible) was, and still is, a source of great comfort. It was like God was telling me, "Don't worry. Your Dad is with Me now, free from suffering and pain, and he can't wait to see you again.".

Edited to add...my favorite song from GOD FIXATION (if you didn't guess by my screen name) is "St. Augustine's Pears". Great lyrics about past regrets, plus some of the best guitar playing ever on a Petra album.

My top 3 is:

1. Beyond Belief
2. Petra
3. Wake up Call

Again, we have two bands thing to work with. With Greg, the best album style was More Power To Ya, but with John it was On Fire.

Top three albums with Greg X Volz and top three songs from each:

1. More Power To Ya
1. More Power to Ya
2. Judas' Kiss
3. Road to Zion

2. Not Of This World
1. Grave Robber
2. Pied Piper
3. Godpleaser

3. Beat The System
1. It is Finished
2. Witch Hunt
3. Speak to the Sky


Top three albums with John Schlitt and top three songs from each:

1. Beyond Belief
1. I am on the Rock
2. Creed
3. Beyond Belief

2. Unseen Power
1. Destiny
2. Dance
3. Sight Unseen

3. Wake-Up Call
1. He's Been in My Shoes
2. Praying Man
3. Sleeping Giant

Now to be honest there are a lot more great songs from other albums and some that I wanted to list from these albums as well. Too many great songs to choose from and too many great albums, but I do get an extra bit of energy when I hear these albums and these songs.

James

Here's my top 3. While I like Beyond Belief everytime I listen to it, there are some songs that I guess are just not good enough for me. Maybe it's that Unseen Power was the first Petra album I discovered on my own.

1. Unseen Power
1. Dance
2. Ready, Willing, and Able
3. Tie: Sight Unseen & Secret Weapon

2. Wake Up Call
1. Praying Man
2. Good News
3. Just Reach Out

3. On Fire
1. All Fired Up
2. Counsel of the Holy
3. Somebody's Gonna Praise His Name


GMan

Too hard to pick just three, but I've always liked this trio of albums from different eras:

Never Say Die
More Power To Ya
Not of This World

and

This Means War
On Fire!
Beyond Belief

I really like the way each subsequent album builds musically build upon its predecessor while maintaining a consistent style within the trilogy.

As for favorite songs, "Stand in the Gap" is my all-time favorite. Don't really have a ranking of favorites beyond that.

Come and join us in the sunlight
you've been sitting in the shade too long.

From the Volz era
Not of This World

From the Schlitt era
Wake-Up call

Mountain Man:
Petra Praise the Rock Cries Out is in between On Fire and Beyond Belief.

charl wrote:Mountain Man:
Petra Praise the Rock Cries Out is in between On Fire and Beyond Belief.

Yeah, I realized that later, but musically, Beyond Belief is a natural progression from On Fire!, so that's how I'm looking at it.