Flashback Friday: 30 Years of Power

More Power To Ya, when you're standing on His Word, when You're trusting with your whole heard in the message you have heard

More Power To Ya, when we're all in one accord. They that wait upon The Lord, they shall renew, they shall renew their strength

The music world is a fickle world. It makes no difference whether the music is mainstream or Christian, longevity is not the norm. Ten years from now most of the hot music of today will be on the "where are they now" pile. By 2042? It takes an exceptional band to defy current trends and actually create a following. To paraphrase the great Steve Jobs "people don't know what to listen to until we play it."

Petra is THE BAND that shattered the mold. On July 3 Star Song Records released the 30th Anniversary of More Power To Ya. More astounding than that, the band is still active and touring, in two different configurations. There is Petra a four piece outfit consisting of Bob Hartman, John Schlitt, Greg Bailey and Cristian Borneo, who is listen as guest drummer on the Band Website. There is also Classic Petra, which is a five piece outfit which consists of Bob Hartman, Mark Kelly, John Lawry, Greg X. Volz and Louie Weaver. For more information on the band in all their various lineups, I would encourage you to read my original Flashback Friday post on the band.

What is more amazing than the fact that the band has a 30th Anniversary Album out this year, is that isn't its first album. Come and Join Us is the bands Sophomore release, and it is quietly celebrating 35 YEARS. In 2014 the eponymous debut will celebrate 40 YEARS. I fully expect Petra to be around to support it.

More Power To Ya was the midway point of Volz's first tenure with Petra, and it set the bands final "sound" as the Christian answer to Journey or Foreigner. For a Christian Teen in Public High School in 1982, the words of the album put spiritual steel in me, and a lot of other teens. The album was released at the height of the "Backward Masking" crusade, where hidden messages from Satan could be found by playing the vinyl record backward on the turntable. The advent of the Cassette Tape, CD, and iPod frustrated the demonic horde, as the messages can only be discovered on vinyl. The most famous of these messages was "Turn Me On Dead Man", which could be found by playing The Beatles "Number Nine" backward. Petra decided to have fun with the crusade by putting a 3 second gibberish at the beginning of Judas Kiss. When played backward on vinyl it said "What are you looking for the Devil for, when you ought to be looking for the Lord?"

Never afraid to turn their songwriting on a complacent and at times hypocritical church, Petra followed that song with Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows. From the opening bars of Mercy Drops, it was obvious that the organized church would be scandalized.

V1. Another sleepy Sunday, safe within the walls. Outside a dying world in desperation calls. But now one hears their cries, or knows what they're about. The doors are locked within, or is it from without.

C. Looking through rose colored stained glass windows. Never allowing the world to come in. Seeing no evil and feeling no pain. Making the Light as it comes from within so dim...So Dim.

V2. Out on your doorstep lay masses in decay. Ignore them long enough maybe they'll go away. When you have so much you think you have so much to lose. You think you have no lack, but you're really destitute.

(Words and Music my Bob Hartman)

CCM Magazine wrote that "no group before or since could put a Bible study to music like Petra." I agree with the sentiment, but not with their ranking of it as #98 out of the 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music. I would put it at around #65 for impact.

Spiritually insightful lyrics, tight harmonies, and guitars and keyboards par excellence. More Power To Ya is an album that spans the generation gap. Based on its personal impact I would love to give it 5 Emeralds, but more objectively, a rating of 4.5 Emeralds is more on target both for the original and the 30th Anniversary Edition.

Finally, since this is a re-issue and not an original recording, I am unsure whether to include it in the Platinum Vinyl Award pool with the new releases. It would be an interesting experiment to see how it fares against bands whose members weren't even born yet when this album came out. What do you think? I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Night Beat Summer Music Preview

It's Summer, at least in popular thinking. It being only in the 50's and 60's for most of this week here in the Northeast you have to forgive us if we think it's still Winter. Still, we have passed Memorial Day.

While you are out enjoying the warm weather (hopefully), you're going to need some fresh tunes to enjoy on your iPod. Though they aren't as fresh as the ones I will mention in the post, may I heartily recommend any of the Winners of the 2nd Platinum Vinyl Awards (look at 2011). If you want something a bit more Current, these albums will be released throughout the Summer months.

During the Rebecca St. James Transform tour, one of the opening acts was brother/sister duo LaRue (Consisting of Natalie and Phillip LaRue). While Phillip has had a career as a solo artist, we haven't heard from Natalie since the band broke up in 2002. That changes this month with an EP entitled Even Now. It's currently scheduled for release on the 19th of this month.

July brings a bunch of new releases, but none more anticipated by The Night Beat than a pair of re-releases for a new generation. Petra is one of the most well known and loved Christian Bands of all time, and to many could even be called the fathers of Christian Rock. Two of Petra's most loved releases (I don't know of one that is hated, though the first couple were definitely works in progress), More Power To Ya (1982) and This Means War (1987) are being released among milestone anniversaries. You read that right 30 and 25 years respectively. Clicking on the title links will bring you to the mp3 page on Amazon, where you can get some of the best Christian Rock ever made right now on your iPod or computer. The special anniversary Cd's will be released on July 3, right in time for your 4th of July cookout. I will say I got these albums when they originally came out. I know that makes me sound old.

Project 86 follows up their Platinum Vinyl Award Winning Live Album 15.Live, itself an anniversary release, with a new studio release to be titled Wait for the Siren. You'll have to wait for August for that one.

Finally, we will close out the Summer releases with a Plum of a release. Actually that's Plumb (aka Tiffany Arbuckle Lee) and the album will be called Faster Than a Speeding Bullet. Actually, the title itself is somewhat ironic since it has been anticipated for about a year now and is setting vaporware records. When it does come out (and the latest date is around Labor Day) it should be awesome. Nobody can do dance like Plumb.

While that is not the entire list, it is all I will go into detail on. Summer is also the time we will get releases from Toby Mac, P.O.D., The Museum, and Kerrie Roberts. Most of the artists will be on tour at the many Music Festivals throughout the country this Summer. Of course, that's another post. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.