Farewell

Petra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 22, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Inpop
• ASIN: B000BRD7AW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,531 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Capturing a Moment in Time -- The End of an Era, November 22, 2005

By 

Jeff A. Stucker "Jeff A. Stucker" (Eagle, ID United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell (Audio CD)

Petra's final moments are captured in the apt-titled "Farewell" disc, recorded October 4, 2005 at the Nashville stop of the same tour.

Bob Hartman's tight guitar work, John Schlitt's distinctive gritty vocals, Paul Simmon's tight drum work, and bass player Greg Bailey's talent come through loud and clear. A rush to production -- in the hands of fans a month later -- the disc could have spent more time in post-production. The bass and treble are a tad muffled, but with a near-flawless performance, this live album stands on its own next to the studio releases.

The concert showases new hits and old favorites -- featuring recent Jekyll & Hyde hits and the the standard Petra concert "Rock Medley" and "Acoustic Set". In the latter set, former lead singer Greg X. Volz joins the stage for a reprise of songs familiar to fans of the Beat the System tour and prior releases. Keyboardist John Lawry returns for his famous "Jesus Loves You" solo from the Captured in Time and Space live album. (My two-year-old and five-year-old laughed out loud at this fun bit of synthesizer sampling.) Louie Weaver is noticeably absent, but his replacement Paul Simmons has a very similar style with a crisp, clean, driving beat. Also absent is my favorite Petra song of all time, "Godpleaser", but you can't win 'em all.

Bob Hartman, Petra's founder and lead guitar player, exudes the soul of the band. Never have I heard such guitar work -- tight rhythms, punchy riffs, catchy licks, and driving power chords that fill the auditorium. Fans will complain that his guitar solo was only one and a half minutes long.

Truth be told, the musical performance is carried by Bob's guitar; nevertheless, he simply will not step into the limelight and take the attention to himself. Bob's purpose is to glorify Jesus Christ. His lyrics pull deep from Scripture, and point straight up to God. And that's what he did on tour; during the encore set, Bob personally challenged Christians to love one another and live as soldiers in a spiritual battle. He challenged non-believers to take the ultimate step of faith.

You won't hear these words spoken on the CD, buy you'll hear them loud and clear in the lyrics. Once more, Petra delivers a rock-solid message with a rock-solid performance. (Love it and live it, that's the soul of a Petra fan.)

Petra will long be remembered as a pioneer band in Christian rock music. High-energy songs, powerful guitars, soaring vocals, timeless ballads and straight-to-the-point lyrics have been the signature elements of this band going strong for 33 years and now entering retirement.

Farewell, Petra, we honor your work which continues to inspire and energize our lives of faith.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fitting Farewell, November 24, 2005

By 

Ethan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Farewell (Audio CD)

Petra is without a doubt the single most influential Christian rock band ever. A short trip through contemporary Christian music history will demonstrate that Petra deserves that honor.

I have resisted the temptation to turn this review into a history lesson, having edited out several paragraphs hitting highlights of their 33-year ministry. But this album fairly reeks of it, containing hits from as far back as 1981 ("For Annie" and "The Coloring Song", Never Say Die). Performances by former members (frontman Greg X. Volz and keyboardist John Lawry) enhance the retrospective feel even more.

The setlist is generally well-chosen, containing songs from their latest album, Jekyll and Hyde, and a terrific selection of oldies-but-goodies. Since the departure of Bryce Bell some years ago, the band has toured without a keyboardist. As a result, several of the songs (like "Creed", off of 1990's watershed Beyond Belief) have a considerably different feel from their studio albums.

The record has an organic feel, as it should. The crowd is often mixed rather low, but the acoustic feel of the building still comes out with some extra reverb. The intrumentation gets a bit more zing at the expense of John Schlitt's vocals, which lack the polish that usually accompanies a studio recording. To his credit, his range is still stratospheric (after 20 years of fronting Petra) and control fairly impressive.

As long as you're listening to this record on anything but a laptop, you'll begin to really enjoy the performance near the sixth track, "Right Place" (No Doubt, 1995). Though Paul Simmons gets a drum solo a couple songs earlier (at the end of "Amazing Grace"), his drumming capability is most apparent during the later cut. Greg Bailey also gets an extended bass solo between the second and third verses that is quite impressive--he provides his own backbeat for a few moments. This song in particular gives some weary musicians their due; after being cut from studio recordings by Inpop, they can finally showcase their phenomenal talents.

It is followed by a rock medley that hits some older songs that range from 1984's Beat the System to 1994's No Doubt albums. The transitions here could have been a bit more sophisticated, I think, and "Think Twice" could have been eliminated totally. Be that as it may, it's an aggressive track with considerable acrobatics by all players. "Minefield" was a personal favorite.

After a fairly forgettable turn through "Jekyll and Hyde," John introduces Greg X Volz, and the performance takes a turn for the intimate: an acoustic set featuring both John and Greg on vocals, occasionally harmonizing (if subtly). But the real treat is to hear Greg Bailey on cello; it lends an ethereal feel to "Road to Zion" and compensates well in the absence of keys for "The Coloring Song", almost producing a playful feel. He is an incredibly gifted musician, and it is terrific to hear his talents show through.

John Lawry teams up with Greg and the rest for a rendition of "Graverobber" (from 1982's Not of this World). It's a great song and suffers little for Greg's 20-year hiatus from the band. John then gets to reprise his "Jesus Loves You" solo, a fan favorite while he toured. It is somewhat abbreviated here, but the parts retained showcase his speed on keys and capture the essence of this terrific solo.

The performance rounds out with "Beyond Belief" and "He Came, He Saw, He Conquered", both performed extremely well. The latter, especially, is fitting, since Petra's focus through their ministry was the person and work of Christ.


The real power of this recording is that we're allowed--in fact encouraged--to subtract the musicians from the recording. Ignoring who sings and who plays permits us a few precious moments to reflect on Who's really important. CCM historians will treasure a reprise of the songs that literally made Christian music what it is today. Petra fans will finally hold in their hands a live record to bookend the John Schlitt era.

Buy it, and revel.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You Petra!, February 14, 2006

By 

J. Oh "aletheia67" (Auburn, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell (Audio CD)

This is not a review of the album, even though I have it and enjoyed it. It is a personal note saying, "Thank You" for Petra's ministry through the years.

Like many Petra fans, their music and songs have encouraged, comforted and challenged me all these years. God has indeed used them to minister to His people. Their uncompromising Chrisitan faith is clearly expressed in their lyrics and their lifestyle.

There are many songs even now my wife and I listen and still being edified: such as "Grave Robber," "Godpleaser," "Annie's Song," "It is finished," "No Doubt," "How Long?" "Love," etc...

Their songs have left an indelible mark in our lives.

My wife teared when she saw the album, "Farewell." Their ministry will be missed. Their music will continue to echo in our hearts as we remember the journey of our faith.

Petra, thank you....