Flashback Friday: The Fab 3 - PFR

Joel, Patrick, and Mark. Maybe it doesn't roll off the tongue as easy as John, Paul, George and Ringo, but that's not to say that this trio isn't in the same rarefied air For those not up to date on things, that foursome is The Beatles, the true kings of Rock and Roll (Sorry Elvis). Joel, Patrick and Mark are Joel Hanson (Guitar), Patrick Andrew (Bass), and Mark Nash (Drums) - also known as PFR. (A little side note: The initials stand for Pray For Rain, which is the actual name of the band. However, before they even got started, they were sued and had to change the name to PFR. More on that later.

Having grown up on both The Beatles (as well as the 70's version, Paul McCartney and Wings), and then experiencing PFR, my mind immediately made a connection. Now the analogy isn't perfect, but there are enough stylistic similarities to brand PFR the "Christian Beatles". They are a whole lot more similar than Love Song, in my opinion. So if The Beatles started in the U.S. instead of the U.K., and they could only round up three members, they would probably sound like PFR.

Like I said, the band was originally called Pray For Rain. Did you know that there was already a band by that name? Yeah, I didn't either, and probably neither did this trio. The other Pray For Rain, the one with high priced lawyers, they do nothing but do movie soundtracks for movies like Sid and Nancy (1986). Alex Cox is usually the director of these films.

During their brief career they put out four albums:

• Pray For Rain (1992)
• Goldie's Last Day (1993)
• Great Lengths (1994)
• Them (1996)

Goldie's Last Day is actually about the death of Patrick Andrew's Golden Retriever, and it has some Beatles homages in it.Next up is Great Lengths and Anything
And finally we end with Wonder Why.
These videos are from their 12 in 2012 "Reunion" Tour. I think you'll agree that they still have got it, and I think a full reunion is in order.

Apart form this work with Deitiphobia and other bands, Nash is also married to Leigh Bingham Nash, (Leigh Nash) of Sixpence None The Richer, which will be covered in another post.

That concludes the first installment of The Real Alternative on Flashback Friday. Next Friday we return to the Commonwealth of CCM when our subject is Delirious? Until next we meet, I am Awaiting Your Reply.