The Petra Zone

I think This Means War was beautifully done here, and it's also my favorite track, but I have to give props to Judas Kiss. The original Judas Kiss is one of my faves in their entire discography, but the remake was well done.

Can't think of even one song that comes close to the originals for me. To my ears, they took every great melody and made them flat and lifeless.

"Breathe In"? But seriously, I love that song.

As for the others, I don't think there's a single one that I like more than the originals. And this is coming from someone who is usually more lenient towards the album than the usual fan.

That album is the worst sell out Christian album of all time from any artist. It is sad they released that as a Petra record. Total fail. Your mileage may vary.

Would you have rather had them put out another compilation album like Word wanted to Petra to do? A no frills heard-it-all-before compilation to finish up their contract. That's what you WOULD have gotten instead.

Bob and all didn't want that.... hence Double Take was born.

They were supposed to do a live album and then the record company said: Please, anything but a live album... and we got Double Take. I think I'd rather have Double Take than a live album from that period of Petra's history. Pete, Lonnie and Kevin are great guys, but not a line-up that's exciting enough to make a live album worth it. Even though this line-up was the first time I got to see Petra live, looking backwards, I don't think having these guys in Petra was a good idea. It has never felt like they were committed stick-around guys. I'm glad they found Greg B. and Paul. To me the Farewell line-up has been one of Petra's stellar line-ups and I'm glad we finally got a live album with these guys. Much more interesting and exciting than a live album from 1999.

DT was good for the band, because they got some awards. The awards were not because of the music's popularity with the fans. They were from industry folk scratching other industry folk's back. That is how 99% of the awards work. Some of them are purchased and/or bartered. Nonetheless, the awards sound good to the low-information public.

Sue, I would have rather they not butcher those songs. If a live album was the option, I would have taken a live album from that band. Pete was sloppy and would not play the right chords, punches, solos, etc, but Lonnie and Louie were solid. John was still delivering back then. That band was not any more Petra sounding than DT songs were, but at least the songs would be recognizable and easier to sing along with upon first listen.

The musicianship on DT was good. Production was good. The melodies just make me cringe. It's like they sat down and said, how can we remove all of the melody, the hooks and vibe that made these songs what they are. There is nothing memorable left. The originals WERE/ARE memorable. This Is War as a depressing ballad? Come on. The music must match the message. We aren't marching into war with a whimper. We are marching in with a drumline and backline turned to '11, baby!

Mylast root canal was more enjoyable than listening to DT!

sue d. wrote:Would you have rather had them put out another compilation album like Word wanted to Petra to do? A no frills heard-it-all-before compilation to finish up their contract. That's what you WOULD have gotten instead.

Bob and all didn't want that.... hence Double Take was born.

Thank the Lord for that!

Samson wrote:

sue d. wrote:Would you have rather had them put out another compilation album like Word wanted to Petra to do? A no frills heard-it-all-before compilation to finish up their contract. That's what you WOULD have gotten instead.

Bob and all didn't want that.... hence Double Take was born.

Thank the Lord for that!

I would not have purchased a compilation album, but I would have purchased a live album despite the lineup at the time. I wish they would have done either of these options than make DT, because I felt I wasted $20 on DT.

brent wrote:That album is the worst sell out Christian album of all time from any artist. It is sad they released that as a Petra record. Total fail. Your mileage may vary.

I can't agree with that at all. It's a very well-made album with excellent musicianship, and it won Petra a Grammy, so it can't be that bad (personally, I think Grammys carry more weight than Dove awards which are a joke).

That said, I can't think of any song on the album that I like better than the original, although some I like just as much. My favorites from the album: Dance, Praying Man, Beat the System, and for an original song, The Longing. Everybody goes nuts for Breathe In, but I really don't care for it. For one thing, Pete Orta isn't much of a singer.

I said the production was good. Playing was good. The melodies suck and there is nothing memorable. I can't remember one melody. Grammy's are nominated by industry affiliation. They are bought and sold. So, they look good. They sound good. Someone needed a favor. Grammy's have nothing to do with artist popularity or quality of music. They give Grammy's for recording sound effects and microscopic insect farts.

What kind of industry pull could Petra possibly have had at that point in their career?

The "pull" of the band has nothing to do with it. It's a boys club. Those who nominate, award and win are those who belong.

It could have been label or producer induced. It could have been someone at the label wanted to nominate Petra because it boosted their or someone's portfolio in that category. When you have a nomination and an award, your value, influence and rate card goes up. There are all kinds of benefits. Simultaneously, someone could have nominated the band to say, "Thanks for you time here at the label". It could have been dual purpose. Who knows? What I do know is, music quality and end-user/fan demand have nothing at all to do with the process.

I've always enjoyed "Praying Man" from DT over the original. BTW anyone here Stryper's new live album? It's horrible and a waste of money.