Customer Reviews

Disappear

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

PFR have returned! I waited expectantly for this new release despite the fact that I couldn't wait! Now, expectations sometimes spoil the taste of a new album. Not so here. What I expected was more great songs from one of the greatest, most underrated bands ever, and that was exactly what I got!

On their previous album, Them, PFR embraced a rockier sound, with driving, four on the floor grooves, and wailing distortion, with Hanson's superb voice soaring above the tight rhythm section.

More of the same here. That is to say, if you liked Pour Me Out, Line of Love, and also Last Breath from Great Lengths, you'll love this album.

Amsterdam opens with a thick groove before clearing out for a flowing verse, then rocks back into a catchy chorus. The next song, Gone, has a hook the size of Texas, and is backed up by Hanson's earnest vocal, or is it the other way around?

Other great moments include the album's longest track, Missing Love, a moving prayer, All Ready, a loping, 6/8 groover that just screams, "We're back and we love it!" Well, I can't list the high points or low points, as both are non-existent. PFR simply puts out good stuff. They don't rehash old melodies or hooks, as the music just flows out of them.

Get it ASAP! Find out what you're missing! And if you already know what you're missing, what's taking you so long?

I, like so many others, was disappointed at PFR's split in 97. Of course, this was marked by periodic reunions (the Phoenix benefit concert, "Kingdom Come", etc.). So, finally, the band reunited to do an album.

What to expect? Well, expect PFR...like many bands, people expect an artist to simply redo the previous album. And like the greatest bands, PFR wasn't content to record "Them - Part II". Every PFR album has been totally different from the others, they are a band willing to experiment. But mostly, this album reminds me of a more alive version of Great Lengths. It's the music of a PFR that has aged well.

Problem is, the album is impossible to find. For some reason or another the label, Squint, put this out of print very quickly. If you want this excellent CD, you'll have to check with used places ...

1997 was not a great year for those who like good Christian music. Rich Mullins died in a car accident, and PFR announced that they would soon stop recording together to pursue individual projects. At the time, PFR was possibly the most original, most musically talented band in Christian music, and their decision was heartbreaking for their many fans.

You can imagine the excitement when the new album DISAPPEAR was announced and then released. The original music PFR fans had been longing for was here!

The album itself is very, very good overall. The musical traits that endeared PFR to their fans are here in abundance: achingly tight vocal harmonies, strong pop hooks, ear-crunching electric guitar, and a slow ballad or two to show the emotional connectivity PFR has always had with their listeners. There are some new traits here, though, evidence that in five years the band has done some living and, possibly, some growing in maturity through all the things that life might hold.

"Amsterdam" is a typical PFR rock tune, but a good one - distorted guitar, tight hooks and harmonies, catchy chorus. One of the best songs on the album. Another real gem is the second track, "Gone." This is one of the tracks that makes the listener wonder exactly what's been happening in the time between the last album and DISAPPEAR. Emotionally, this song and track 4, "Missing Love" seem more scarred and yet hopeful than even the most heart-wrenching PFR tunes from the past. "Falling" is another worthy offering on this CD, more great PFR sound like their fans have come to expect.

The only complaint many listeners have regarding this album is its length - 35 minutes of music just doesn't seem like enough! And knowing that this album is not a reunion album, per se, makes the listener hunger even more for what may lie ahead for PFR. Hopefully more albums will come in the future, but if not, one can be very happy with DISAPPEAR, since that seems to be exactly what PFR is NOT going to do...

Five years is a long time to wait, but then again I never thought I'd ever hear a new PFR song. The wait was well worth it. In those five years, PFR has obviously matured, as reflected in 'Disappear'. The music and lyrics have been honed and polished to near perfection, like a fine piece of art from a passionate craftsman. In contrast to their last project 'Them', 'Disappear' highlights the three musicians true artistic abilities without the distraction of guitar effects such as feedback and fuzz. Maybe I've matured also, and maybe that's why I like this CD so much. I pray for more PFR.

I think that this is the only album that I went out and got the day that it was released. And I'm so glad that I did. This has to be PFR's best album yet! The lyrics are deeper than in the past but not too deep. They still seem to include Christ in every song and let the world know that they are Christians. They certainly met their goal of having this CD sound as though they had been playing together for the last five years. You can still hear remanents of their old sound though. You can tell it has been a time of maturing for them. Joel's voice sounds better than it has on the last five CD's. If you are an avid PFR fan this CD is a must and even if you aren't go and get it anyway. It's not a disappointment!

Prf is one of the greatest christain music artists today. After listeing to this album only twice i could here the old pfr sound. This album is as good as all there other albums, it is awesome

When my wife switches on WLAB, there aren't many songs that capture my attention and quite a few that elicit a violent response to the utter lack of artistry for the sake of "THE MESSAGE" (Yes Virginia, there is something worse than The Backstreet Boys). One of the very few exceptions is the music of PFR. Five years ago, this talented trio broke up to get off the road and spend time with their families. But the road has a way of luring one back and these gents have recorded their fifth studio album. I must admit, this one took me the longest get. I was initially disappointed, thinking that they had lost whatever magic they previously were able to create. But it seems that PFR wanted to make the album that they would have made today had they stayed together these many years. It's taken a while to grown on me but is has grown and while I don't think it's their best, it is most definitely a solid album. So what do they sound like? Imagine Jellyfish scrubbed clean of innuendo by a wall of gritty alternative-rock guitars set among Beatlesque vocal harmonies and the ability to write a great power-pop song. PFR gets on the radio with their soft ballads, but they limit these to two or three per album. The rest of the songs are aggressive guitar feasts for musicians. "Amsterdam" and "Gone" are most like PFR's last album, which was the best guitar rock album of 1996, Christian or otherwise. Expect gutsy rhythms, tasteful distortion, upbeat tempos that swing, and some gloss-perfect production. As a bass-hound, the first thing that struck me were the many bass sounds present, each one painfully full and rich, making me burn to know how such a sound was captured. The final song, "You" begins in a mesmerizing wash of flange before being interrupted by a fuzzy guitar before settling down to vibes and a long vamp featuring a crying, emotive violin. Lyrically there are the Christian references required for radio airplay... on the ballads. The upbeat, rockier songs are much more creative and thought-provoking, settling more on the non-cliched spiritual themes one might find on an early U2 album. My only beef is that after waiting half a decade, PFR only gives us thirty-five minutes of music. Very good, but very short.

this band from ,MN - i.e. marcyplayground, is dear to me, esp. the lps of GREAT LENGHTS and THEM. i like apx half this 2001 cd(5 of 10)just for the music of these rockballads alone like: "gone, even a whisper, fallin, me, you". im very glad there were listnin tabs to these or i may not have bought it in vg cond.-really like new, wow. the jamz sound like a mixture of sean lennon, u2, muse, p. floyd?, ra...head? b/n these songs i picked i liked. now ill start hearin the lyrics. i thought their last lp was "late great" or "them"-glad i gave em another look by now on this amazon. the other tracs r ok like "amsterdam", "closer" is ?-but my sis likes it. anyway, long live pfr---and in heaven w/ us all, all? - 1john.

I love PFR. They are my second favorite band. Obviously I must be biased in my opinion, but I will tell you what I liked about this album and what you will probably like as well.

The album starts off with the song "Amsterdam" which has somewhat the same driven beat and feel (though not the same sound) as U2's "Beutiful Day". This album seems somehow simpler than PFR's other albums. But it is not monotonous, nor is it boring, but actually quite original and somehow intriguing, though songs (i.e. "Me") sound like some of the strangest things I've ever heard. If you're going to check out songs off this album, definently check out (in this order) "Gone", "Closer", "Amsterdam" and "Language of the soul". If you like those songs, you'll probably like the rest of the album. The lyrics are very cryptic, which somehow makes the album all the more interesting. If this is the first time you're looking into buying a PFR cd, I would actually reccomend not getting this one. Get PFR's greatest hits, entitled "The Late Great PFR". Then you will have a general feel for their sound and style. If you want to know what I thought was their best cd, I would say "Great Lenghts", but their greatest hits includes most of the best songs off that album. Just check them out. With 5 albums, you have to like at least some of their songs B-)>

After making "Them," PFR broke up in 1997. This cd could of been better had it had some killer rocking tunes like "Them".
Remember Pour me out & Daddy never cried. There aren't any great stand out tunes.This album reminds me of pink floyd and beach boys. Its really mellow with good harmonies. Basically if you are hard core PFR then it be a good purchase, but lets say they've done better. Contains some good interesting tunes though. I hope that when these guys come bach they totally rock out... atleast on a few songs. Cause they can really rock and roll!