Customer Reviews

Not of This World

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of my all-time favorite Christian rock albums. It still holds up well. I just listened to it again recently.

"Not of This World" begins with a heavily layered synthesizer version of the "Doxology," called "Visions," which flows into the title track, "Not of This World." These two songs are reminiscent in style to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album--mysteriously slow tempo, acoustic guitar, multi-layered synthesizers, and straight-up bass and drums. The melody and vocal harmonies are hauntingly beautiful.

The next track, "Bema Seat," is an exciting, up-tempo rocker that really draws no comparisons to mind. It is uniquely Petra's style.

The fourth track is "Grave Robber." This is a beautiful acoustic-rock song that has very powerful lyrics, especially for anyone who has lost a loved one.

The fifth track is "Blinded Eyes." Great medium tempo rock riffs along with interesting high-hat rhythm on the drums. During a tasteful bass solo break the background sounds remind one of old '70's R&B (e.g. "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"). Incredibly, vocalist Greg X Volz stretches his tenor voice to soprano range(again)!

Track number 6 is a catchy gospel message to walk by faith, "Not By Sight." It makes effective use of stop time, not normally heard in rock. Good medium rock tune.

The next track, "Lift Him Up," is a mediocre pop tune, but works in the context of the rest of the record.

Track 8, "Pied Piper," is another good fast-paced rocker. To anyone familiar with Petra's "Never Say Die Album," it sounds similar to the song, "Chamelion." It is difficult to draw a comparison to this song with anything in the pop/rock genre, since it has a distinct Petra sound.

Track 9, "Godpleaser," is a nice, medium-tempo with a happy sounding melody and spiritually uplifting lyrics and a motivational message. It works well on this disc especially near the end.

Track 10 is a reprise of the "Visions/Doxology."

This is definitely worth having in your collection. It takes one on a mystical musical journey from start to finish. Buy it.

Well, that's a heady statement to make, I realize. And I must admit I've not followed the genre closely for a few years. Still, I would easily rank this up there with anything by Degarmo & Key, Larry Norman, Carman, etc.

Petra's style at the time of this release (1983) was straight-on mainstream rock'n'roll, and you could possibly make a case for comparing their style to Kansas, Styx, Foreigner, etc., of the same era. But it's not quite fair to say "they sound like so-and-so," because Petra clearly had an original sound that keeps them from being so easily pigeonholed. My wife, the lucky bird, got to see them in concert when this recording was brand new. I could have too, but was far from God at the time and was totally uninterested. Such is life.

There is not a weak track on this CD, either lyrically or musically. I just relistened a few days ago and currently "Blinded Eyes" is looping through my head. Very nice. The tunes are all full of memorable hooks and inspiring lyrics, including possibly my favorite Petra track, "Graverobber," a song about the Lord's return when he'll open the graves and reunite the bodies of the saints with their souls and raise them up to meet Him in the air.

If you like your rock solid with a pop edge, and are always happy to hear such a sound being presented with a clear gospel intent, this is a must-own CD.

This in my humble opinion is the best Petra album of the Greg x voltz era. His vocal talent really shines on this one. This is a must have for any petra fans.

The only thing I did not like was the fact that it was really not a band effort.

Louie Weaver did not play on this one. I dont know who else didn't, but I do know that not everybody in the band was apart of this. Or had very little to do with it.

Bob did tell me though that since Louie was a live drummer he played relativly few albums. But dont let that stop you from buying this album in anyway

Personally, for me this is the best record ever unleashed by Christian Music's perennial rock act - the band Petra, which serves as their worthy follow up for their grand classic album MORE POWER TO YA, that forever laminated the band in their premiere status, stretching their career to a thirty year plus lifespan.

Packaged as the third one to appear with their spaceship-guitar mascot of sorts (this time all set up flying over into space in full ignition (first appearing on their fourth LP, the similarly Black Sabbath LP titled Never Say Die, wherein the Guitar-ship is flagging up not to totally sag down)), going on the similar vein as that of Queen's A DAY AT THE RACES (also a certain follow up LP to another monumental classic album A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, and also there's Aerosmith's PUMP) it is one of those albums which comes as a semi-concept album, containing a track which closed its entirety by the same portion which started the LP - in this case a good rendition of the traditional church tune Doxolgy by PETRA's then-unsung keyboard wiz John Slick, who sadly left the band after this effort.

A leverage of indispensable sound is found entirely on this album incorporated within its melodic rock delivery, that matches the equally insightful and powerful lyrics within each song, being that an improved quality (production-wise) is made possible due to a more expensive budget that's been made affordable from the success of their previous release MORE POWER TO YA to this one -- which claims in retrospect a straightforward thematical structure of christian messages, that are found from the initial title track that'd segued from the introduction of Slick's Doxolgy rendition, to the album's closer "Godpleaser" with its clear crystalized perspective of keeping a keen insight on eternal values within its scope. The band also lambasted matters regarding personal motives with the hard-rocking track "Bema Seat" with a no-holds-barred delivery, just as it suddenly clicks from the relaxed ambience of the very thoughtful title track, and drove again into the similar vein with the song "Grave Robber" - which peculiarly may have been among one of those songs which are intended to the memory of one among Christian music's finest the late Keith Green, who've died on a plane crash accident just a year before this album's release (along with Petra's then-co-STAR SONG label mate Twila Paris' "Do I Trust You"). Then it moved on to end its first side with a carrion call for those who 'do not see' with the track "Blided Eyes"; which afterwards turned to open up the platter's other half with Slick's "Not By Sight", continuing the band's awesome energizers by their lyrical structures for christians to continue on the path. What's outstanding as well is the track "Pied Piper" which speaks of so-called preachers who are more on the interest of propagating corporate means than for those matters with spiritual value.

What's really apparent in this album is Petra's sonic sincerety not only for what christian ideals they try to propagate, but also in their sheer integrity as a solid rock format unit for what they are packaged in at the time. It's a surprise that by the following year Petra pale-out quite instantly with their album BEAT THE SYSTEM - which is an attempt (I bet given by some unknowledgable executive's concept) to change their format vying for the so-called new-wave sound that was then prominent at that time, perhaps driven as well by certain ideas of certain religious communities ... but obviously that's just not what the band should've dealth themselves into, winding Petra to gradually progress to move on as a band in their continuity, but perhaps only just for the sake of making it so, if not for the better as a result.

However, Petra's NOT OF THIS WORLD is just about the simplest hard-rock album and yet undoubtably heavy when it comes to its impact of message and musical clarity.

A real classic.

Fantastic from start to finish. Early Petra is awesome! Probably the best Petra cd, next to "More Power to Ya." Songs like Grave Robber, Lift Him Up, and God Pleaser are some of the best Christian songs, of any style, Ever!

This is a classic Petra album, and deserves a listen if you like the genre. I think it's one of their best from the Greg X. Volz era of the band. It was the final of the 3 'flying guitar' albums they put out featuring guitars that looked liked space fighters on the well-designed album covers. This album features some nice hard rock offerings with such titles as 'Bema Seat', and Blinded Eyes. (and there's that really cool sitar-sounding instrument--prob. synth generated--in places on that song.) Then there are some nice anthems here in such songs as "Graverobber" and "Godpleaser". The recording begins and ends with a early-synth infused instrumental called "Vision". The whole thing is very classic Petra, and it's classic Christian rock at its best!

There was a later CD version released of this album.

This is an awesome CD! We played "Graverobber" at my son's funeral. He loved Petra because the words to their songs are straight from Scripture. I also printed the words to "Graverobber" in his program for the joyous celebration of Bobby's life.
Thanks, Bobby's Mom

This album starts and finishes with an instrumental track but other tracks are quite good songs. "Not of This World" and "Grave Robber" are the most famous ones in this album. They are quite good but very peaceful. Greg X Volz has a great but different voice from two other singers Petra has had. The style was more peaceful but still they had such rockin' songs as "Blinded Eyes", "Pied Piper", "Lift Him Up", and "Not By Sight". Still, some songs sound too plain for me, like "Occupy" and "Godpleaser". The next album, "Beat the System" was very different from this one...
Stars: Grave Robber, Not of This World, Not by Sight

I still have my original Album that I bought back when this was released somewhere, but I just ordered on CD. This has my two favorite Petra songs on it - Bema Seat and GraveRobber. I'm amazed that Bema Seat did not make it onto the greatest hits album. Really can't figure that one out. Anyway, I enjoy many of the other songs as well. I also liked the More Power To Ya album by Petra as well.

Now this...this has the Holy Ghost annointing all over it. Each and every song on this album has such wonderful Word-Inspired lyrics. Songs like Grave Robber and God Pleaser are timeless testaments of Bob Hartments commitment and dedication to God's Word. This is one if not the greatest Christian album I've ever had the priveldge of hearing.