Customer Reviews

Revival

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After losing their major record deal with Word, being snubbed by much of the Christian Music Industry as has-beens, receiving little if any radio play on Christian Contemporary Radio and having more band member changeover than Destiny's Child, it would seem that if there was ever a reason for Petra's remaining members, John Schlitt and Louie Weaver to call it quits, now was the time.

Instead the band found new legs by first persuading the group's founder and leader, brilliant guitarist Bob Hartman, to join them once again and then teaming up an agressive marketing campaign with their new label, InPop. The result is the finest Petra album in ten years.

How did the band do it? Well for starters, they finally dropped the Elephante Brothers as their producers, who refused to push Petra to experiment and helped lead them from being the biggest Christian rock band in the world to one they had trouble selling out small church venues. Nothing against John and Dino Elephante, they were excellent producers for Petra in the late 80s and early 90s, but they often allowed stale songwriting and poor song structure to keep the band from staying relevant. 1998's "God Fixation" is a classic example of potential cut short.

However, producers Dwayne Larring and Jason Halbert of "Revival" deserve the MVP awards for the album, whose sampling job and production is literally fantastic. Larring and Halbert also pushed Schlitt, Hartman and Weaver to experiment with a more modern sound, rather than use the same formula over and over.

There are numerous highlights on the album, including the gripping "Send Revival", one of the best pure modern rock songs to emerge from the Gospel Music scene since Prayer Chain's landmark "Mercury" album of 1995. Have to admit, didn't think this band had it in them.

The remake of "The Noise We Make" is solid, and "Oasis" and "Prodigal Son" sound like radio hits to me. However, the highlight of the album is the fantastic cover of "Amazing Grace", sure to become a staple of Petra's live shows for years to come. "Meet with Me" and "How Long" are both excellent songs. "Better is One Day" seems a little forced, but the album is a five stars because, Praise the Lord, Petra took the risks and reinvented their music yet again, similar to U2's numerous musical reinventions.

Hats off to this pioneer band in Christian music, one that I have been following since my childhood but had largely lost me in the late 1990s. Like a old friend that has returned, Petra's "Revival" album is sure to bring many old fans back into the fold and introduce their music to a new generation of fans.

_Revival_ is the third of Petra's praise albums, and while it is not a bad album by any means, it is certainly the weakest of the three. _Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out_ was a pleasant surprise by the premier Christian rock band at the time. Petra was so popular in the late 80s that they could afford to take chances, and their gamble paid off when they took some of the most popular praise songs of the day and make them into rock songs. The result was pure gold (literally, in terms of record sales).

By the time _Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus_ rolled around, Petra's popularity was waning, so they played it safe, focusing on making good music rather than pushing the envelope. Again, it worked, and four of the songs on that album ("Song of Moses", "Ancient of Days", "Lovely Lord", "We Need Jesus") are among the best songs Petra has ever recorded.

Now we have _Revival_, which is neither original nor musically excellent. And while songs like "Send Revival, Start with Me" and "How Long" are truly moving, others, like "The Prodigal's Song" and "Meet with Me" are pleasant but never really build to anything. The result is an enjoyable album that plays much better than other Petra albums in the last decade (_No Doubt_, _God Fixation_, _Wake-up Call_) but pales in comparison with such greatness as _Beyond Belief_ and _Not of This World_.

I don't fault Petra for that, however. The album is well produced, with lots of guitar work and excellent stereophonic separation. The cover design is nice (I love the reverse image underneath the CD), and songs are presented in a good order to keep the album rocking almost from start to finish. No, I think the weakness lies mainly in the song selection. So many artists are doing praise albums now that most of the best songs have been taken. So Petra did the best they could with what they had to work with. To keep this review from sounding too negative (I really do like the album) let me put it in perspective: _Revival_ is obviously meant to be a transitional album for the band. Their last transitional albums (_Back to the Street_, _Wake-up Call_) were not very good. _Revival_ is better than both of them combined! I can't wait to see where this will lead.

Grade: B-

I have loved Petra since the beginning. The newest album is a very big change in style; bigger than all the band member changes. They've teamed up with the Newsboys' producer for this album, and I actually am not so sure about their "hipper" sound. I appreciate their willingness to change their style to appeal to a larger audience but I miss the "old" Petra; guess I'm just too 80s for my own good.
On the good side, as fans of Petra will know, their message never changes. The boys continue to praise God and spread His message, and in the long run, that's the most important feature on this album (and all the other Petra albums).

Revival is a wonderful praise & worshp CD which I enjoyed immensely. Petra was THE pioneer for Christian Rock and they truly blazed the trail for the current genre.

I do agree with other reviewers that it would have been great to have all of Petra return to the fold for this one. But times change and I give them credit for trying to inject some "newness" into their music but still hold on to the personna we die-hard Petra fans know and love.

Let's face it though; we're all growing older. In the opening song, Revival, I did hear a slight aging in John's voice (sorry John), not that it made the song bad or anything.

If you like Christian Rock and P&W, this is definitely worth having in your Petra collection. I cannot say it is my favorite Petra CD (and I have just about all of them) but I enjoyed it a lot.

Right now, I'm listening to "Better is one Day" as I write this review. All I can say is... I stand in Awe! This song is very beautiful and John Schlitt's voice is so "Out of this world!" It's awesome.

The openner, "Send Revival, Start With Me" says it all. This album is highly annointed. Having Bob back on the album has put back that sound we used to know, and his guitar solos (although not many of them) show very well here. "Meet with Me" sounds very close to a song that they would have done on "Unseen Power" album and it rocks, especially Bobs little solo.

"Oasis", is just one of those songs that you see yourself performing on stage! Well, that's just me. It just too off the hook!

"The Noise We Make", what more can I say but that's definately a rocker!!

"The Prodigal Song", It sounds so pure!

Then the fun songs, "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" and "We want to see Jesus Lifted Higher" They both get your head start shaking and your feet start walking (hang on, those were words from "Seen and Not Heard"!!)

"Satisfy" has a very nice musical arrangement. The key changes are too cool. And John has never sounded better. "And that you Satisfy"

"Amazing Grace" the petrafied version of the song!!!! This one is too catchy "And your love came down!" see what I mean!

The closer, "How Long" is too good to be true!! I love it.

Thanks Petra for hanging there and spreading the word. Keep on rocking. :) Grade A+++++++ (sorry got carried with "We want to see Jesus lifted high")

The first thing that jumps out at me is John's vocal range; who would have ever thought he could pull this off. The upfront drums that seem to be lacking on most albums today are fresh and very cool.
The songs: There are six songs that I think really stand out on this album; "Send Revival" "Jesus Friend Of Sinners" "Better Is One Day" "The Noise We Make" (it's having to grow on me) and my two favorites on the album "Amazing Grace" and "How Long".
There a couple of songs "Prodigal's Song" and "You Satisfy" that really seem to be bland or not willing to go anywhere; They both have a good message, but they are just there, nothing more.
Overall I give it 4 out of 5 stars for the timely message, great song production, and it being current and I think fresh for this day and time in the music world. This band will continue to move us the way God intended. PETRA is back!

Grade: B+

I must say that after listening to Petra for all these years, they really never cease to be timely. Many of us who desire to follow Jesus Christ with all our hearts find life can be dry at times. With constant attacks and our own sinful natures, we need to be uplifted, revived and renewed.

This CD is great! It sounds like Petra but more reflective and worshipful and restful. The songs are selected with the intention of helping us look outside ourselves to the King of the Universe. It's only there we will be satisfied.

I am listening to "Revival" now and this review is a reflection of what my soul feels. I can best describe this CD as a call to be in Jesus' presence. It's the best of Petra's worship CD's.

Best Songs:
Send Revival, Start With Me, The Prodigal's Song, Oasis, Better Is One Day. All the songs are really great. Just listen to what the Lord wants to tell you.

God bless you guys -

Give Petra credit - they've far outlasted their contemporaries & have consistently proved adaptable to change.

That's not to say this is their best release. Although it is far better than Double Take, it shares some of its faults; songs like "Send Revival" and "How Long" have the same ridiculous production, with Stryper-esque power-ballad vocals screamed out over an acoustic backdrop. Also, the sound lacks originality (aping contemporary bands rather than setting a trend) & some original songs would have been nice, rather than covers.

Having said that, these weaknesses can at times be the album's strength - Petra pulls off a convincing impression of Sonic Flood (Oasis, Satisfy, Amazing Grace, Jesus Friend of Sinners.) "The Prodigal's Song" sounds like Delirious on a good day, also being distantly reminiscent of Radiohead.

Not forgetting that even though they're all over 50, these guys can still rock out. "The Noise We Make," and "We Want to See Jesus Lifted High" hark back to the band's halcyon days of the late 80s / early 90s. A pity that this approach sounds at odds with the more modern-sounding material, making the album feel slightly schizophrenic.

Mostly, the production is top-notch, and there are some class moments ("The Prodigal's Son" is my favourite track, and John Schlitt's vocals still sound as strong as ever (with appropriate production!).

Tips for future releases (intended to be constructive, from a long-time fan & fellow musician who appreciates Petra still being around).

(1) Don't have one foot in both camps - either get the 80s line-up back together (from This Means War, On Fire, Beyond Belief etc) or change the sound completely.

(2) Producers - you have at times done an excellent job with this release, but in future use your ears to judge the sound!

It took a little while, (not too long) but this album has really grown on me. I would say that this is my second favorite of the three praise albums they have done, with The Rock Cries Out being my favorite. This album has a nice mix of praise rockers (which Petra pretty much invented back in 89) and also some nice light rock tunes. The albums weakest songs in my opinion are You Satisfy and Better Is One Day, which really aren't bad songs, but they just seem to be lacking something. The rest of the album I really enjoy and my favorite song is We Want to See Jesus Lifted High. This song really moves and rock and roll has got to move or it becomes a lesser breed if you ask me. I too would have liked to see at least a couple of the songs written by the band, but oh well, I'll take what I can get from this bunch. Any song this band does has a way of getting Petrafied whether it's one of theirs or not so it's still good. I highly recommend the album.

After nearly 30 years of music, you would think that Petra could rest on their laurels & take it easy! With their newest CD, that is certainly not the case! This album has something for old & new fans alike!

While this is not my favorite Petra album or favorite Petra Praise Album (this is their 3rd), it is definitely a GOOD effort! There are a number of REALLY good songs on this one, from the up-tempo (The Noise We Make) to the mid-ranges (Amazing Grace) & the softer ballads (Better Is One Day). While this is one of Petra's 3 "Praise" albums, they are as different sounding as one could imagine. My favorite is still their 1997 release, Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus as it was a TRUE praise & worship album from start to finish.

Their first Praise album, Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out, was unheard of at the time (1989) - the blending of traditional praise & worship with the uptempo of contemporary christian music. Starting with I Love The Lord, you knew this album was going to push the boundries, and it did. It had a vast mix of music from the aforementioned song to tradional praise, to the 50's do-op of "Friends, All in the Family of God".

This latest release has been coined as a "Modern Worship" album, and that is a title that seems to fit. There is a nice mix of music style in this album (though not to the same degree as Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out). This album may have the better balance of songs musically. There are only a couple of songs which I knew of, the others are new to me. I'm not sure if taking this approach is positive or negative, but I do like the musical treatment given to all of the songs. The only songs that appear lacking are Meet With Me & The Prodigal's Son - they never seem to go anywhere, leaving you with a dry taste in your mouth.

The rest of the album is top notch production, though as I mentioned the song selection could have been better. This is their 2nd best praise album & overall is probably in the top 10 of their all-time albums - and when you have 19 studio albums, that is a nice feat. DEFINITELY check it out - you won't regret it! (...)