The Legends of CCM: Petra

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize a legend. Such is the case with our next Legend of CCM. Not everybody gets to wow right out of the gate. Sometimes there are some missteps along the way.

Such was the case with Petra. Formed in the early 70's their pop sound was pretty rough. The first albums bordered on Country and had pretty bad production. I have the cassettes for both Petra and Come and Join Us. The progression is obvious. The debut is very hard on the ears if you are a rocker. The Petra Sound did not develop until album three, Washes Whiter Than and was solidified into Rock with Never Say Die. Of course it is also at that time that they finally found a lead vocalist in Greg Xavier Volz.

The Volz Era was short but extremely sweet. Washes Whiter Than, Never Say Die, More Power To Ya, Not of This world and Beat The System. And the Live album Captured In Time And Space. The one album a year pace took its toll on Volz and he departed to be replaced by John Schlitt. Despite that fact many fans regard Volz as "The Voice" of Petra.
How about our test for legend status? 

• Longevity - Petra has this category all to itself. Run #1: 1972-2006. That's 34 years. Not many bands will come close these days. Even counting the four year hiatus we are now at 40 years. I've seen bands burn out after being in the public eye for 5 years.
• Popularity - Locked up here as well. In their heyday they were THE BAND. Everyone loved Petra. And now it seems that all those people have children and their children discovered the band. It is one of the few bands that parents grew up with that their kids think are cool.
• Influence - Three for Three. Because so many people grew up listening to Petra, the odds were favorable that the ones who followed in Christian Music would be inspired by the band in some way. CCM testimonies usually begin "I was x years old and somebody gave me or played for me a Petra Cassette or vinyl or CD. They have literally influenced the entire industry.

They are the Ultimate Legend. If not for the fact that we are attempting to go Chronologically they would be first. Next up is  a little bit of a backtrack, with Phil Keaggy. Until the next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Legends of CCM: 2nd Chapter of Acts

Welcome to our new series on the Legends of CCM, where we will highlight some of the artists who changed the face of Christian Music. We call them Legendary. We begin "In The Beginning". No, not that beginning. For our purposes we will begin at 1973. That is when our first band was founded.

Never mind Legends, the siblings Matthew Ward, Annie (Ward) Herring, and Nelly (Ward) Greisen could almost be called the Fathers of Christian Music. Before they arrived on the scene Christian Music was pretty tame. By today's standards it was still tame even after they arrived. But by 70's standards, they were our first "Rock Band". 

Legends make you do crazy things. Or in my case make my parents do crazy things. We drove 4 hours one way from Cape Cod to Augusta, Maine, attended the concert, and then drove 4 hours home. Not even sure if we stopped to eat. Maybe we packed an ice cooler. And it was in the 70's with a Honda Civic, so maybe we can add another 2 hours to the drive. A 12+ hour event.

They may fail the legend test on longevity. Officially they broke up in 1988, but by then the industry had moved on. At their height there was none more popular. But influence, just say Easter Song and wait. Some may not know that Annie Herring wrote the song, but they know the song. It is one of five Classic Songs ever one knows.

So we begin. Welcome to the legends of CCM. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

What does it take to be a legend?

A legend in Christian Music (or perhaps Music in General) shouldn't be easy to attain. It should be more than a Rock God. Of course that doesn't mean that it is an unattainable goal. All it means is it can't be attained by just starting a band, though that is the first step in the process. I think there are three main ingredients.

• Longevity: Time to the 10 cent dictionary crowd. You can't be a legend if you quit after a few years. Still, even if you are around for 5o years, that doesn't automatically guarantee legendary status.
• Popularity: To be a legend, people have to know you. That is a cruel fact but such is the case. A band can go on forever in obscurity and they will never become legendary except for the few fans that love them. So Much for ArkAngel.
• Influence: Plainly put, the music scene had to change after their arrival. Perceptibly. It goes beyond we would miss them if they weren't here. You can tell they are a legend either through the number of their "disciples" (copycats) or the fact that they changed or introduced a sound into the scene

Well that pretty much sums it up.  I have selected a baker`s dozen of bands which I consider to be legendary. 2nd Chapter of Acts, AD, The Choir, DC Talk, Iona, Jars of Clay, Phil Keaggy, Petra, REZ, Servant, Randy Stonehill, Stryper, and WWMT (aka The Tribe or World Wide Message Tribe). I have omitted what I would call Legends in the making. If you can think of any more let me know by commenting here, or at Twitter, Facebook, Or Google+, and give me your nominee. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.