Favorite version of Grave Robber

[SCJ-7]

With Rose Colored... again... I agree... the original version is the best.

[iceman dave]

I have always preferred the live version on CITAS. There was a energy on this album that resonated in this song. I just find it so powerful. The other versions are great as well, but for me, CITAS just brings it.

[mkepethead]

I'm liking the BTTR version.

[zak89]

Maybe I'm just weird, but so far I'm liking the new versions better than the original, and I can't think of a real exception right now.

Graverobber especially so. IMHO, Greg's vocals are so much richer and fuller now, even though he's not hitting the stratosphere as often as he used to. It's a slightly more contemporary sound (again, IMO), and is easy on my ears. And I love the new strings and lead guitar at the end - I've always though there should have been a guitar solo during the fade out of that song. So for me, the BTTR version is a dream come true.

I'll admit, my ears aren't as finicky about production techniques as I'd like them to be. I notice some things, like overuse of compression and loud mastering, but it doesn't bother me much. In J&H, for instance, the drums are admittedly less than cutting, almost lost in the mix. But IMO, that's the way it was supposed to be - J&H's sound was all about "in your face" - loud, aggressive, powerful. Sure, I wouldn't listen to it hours on end through headphones, but that's not what it's meant for, in my mind.

As far as BTTR, I think it's wonderful. The vocals are richer, and the guitar is more powerful, and the synth work is fuller. To my ears, the originals are "tinny" and almost weak in comparison. Even GR - I listened to the mix posted above, and for me, each successive version was better.

But that's just me.

[neonpachyderm]

I'm with Zak on this one; there are several tracks where the BTTR versions surpass the originals.

I dunno...I've had BTTR in SOLID rotation since I got it. "Rose Colored" was among my least-fave Petra songs to begin with; the BTTR version is superb, IMO.

As for Grave Robber, it's a tossup between the original NOTW version and the BTTR version. (Haven't yet heard the BTTR Live version; waiting for the TBN airing.) The BTTR versions of Grave Robber and Godpleaser are both great jams to crank up in the car. (As is "Too Big To Fail.")

I agree, the mix on _Farewell_ was HORRIBLE. I just figured it was because it was rushed to have ready at Farewell tour shows. (Live shows are notoriously difficult to EQ; you can get something that sounds GREAT live, and the recording will sound horrible, and vice versa.)