Customer Reviews

Pray for Rain

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

 

 

When I first heard Pray for Rain -- who later had to change their name to PFR for copyright reasons -- I was blown away. There was no one else in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) who sounded like them. They were kind of alternative and the lead singer's voice was so distinct that I was instantly enthralled. Their first song, which got a lot of airplay, was "Let Go" and to this day, I think it's a classic that everyone should adopt as their mantra. To me, the whole album/CD/project is classic -- from its mellow tunes to rockin' ones, I highly recommend this CD if you like '90s CCM. Long life PFR!

This is not the greatest PFR album either lyrically or musically, but it is by no means bad. Even the songs which I would deem the worst never seem like filler. Basically, this overall album is good for pulling out every few months or so and having a listen once or twice through.

Having said that, there are four songs which I listen to regularly on my computer; after that no other song seems to have that certain listen-to-it-repeatedly quality. You Lord, Do You Want To Know Love, Stay, and Forest all have quite catchy beats and lyrics that keep you thinking. I realize the obvious song left off is Pray For Rain, since (duh) it's not only the title track but has the same name as the band. Over time, though, like the other five songs, it gets to be boring and repetitive. To be fair, songs like Let Go and My Time are decent songs with solid lyrics. However, they are not the epitome of PFR's slow songs, but more than anything they lay a foundation for later, better songs (Fight, Forever, etc.)

Anyway, if you are new to PFR, you should buy another CD first before this one. If you are not new to PFR, you know PFR is a great rockin' band and at some point your collection must be completed....

this band just has great music, this cd was very hard to find, christian book stores could not find this album or order it, not even eBay had it but gratefully amazon came to the rescue and searched for a seller that had the cd i was looking for. this is just a great cd.

musically-1st 2 songs are good/ok but sorta similar n style, trac 4/7 similar, 3/5 similar sorta like 6, 8 is good, trac 9/10-my favs-the best. overall in music q. i rate this lp 6/10. its their worst lp of their 7 releases, 2 of which are greatest hits w/ some newbies. great lengths, them, disappear-their best ones musically and the late great pfr is the best compilation. check out joel hanson-lead singer here, solo efforts. pfr may release another lp? or play live jamz together? c u in heaven.

"Pray For Rain" was PFR's debut album. The lyrics are very simple and straightforward, lacking a certain poetic punch that they developed with subsequent records. The strength of this album is in experimentation, and aggressive, catchy pop-rock. It makes the album feel extremely fresh. Some highlights are "Do You Want To Know Love," "Didn't He," "Pray For Rain" (still a staple PFR song) and "Stay."

Their style is very unique, which is something I appreciate about the band. While they might be compared the Beatles (as are so many bands), they improvise a lot more than other bands who are labeled similarily. The structure and progression of the songs are unexpected and interesting. There are many layers and things happening in the background that make each song a pleasure. The vocal arrangement on "Stay" is particularely diverse and enjoyable. The two weakest songs on the album are the opener "You Lord" and the closer "On And On", both of which are too cliche and uninspired for me to appreciate.

It's not PFR's strongest effort, but it's a great little diddy of pop-rock that you'll find yourself pulling out every few months when you're looking for a fun pick-me-up.