Reviewed by David Cranson Oh, brilliant I Thought, another unplugged album – how original …I was right, and wrong.
Like – only a wee bit like – the ‘Ampendectomy’ album by Resurrection Band, this has its moments, only not as many as its peer. Whilst ‘Amp…’ works most of the time, this one doesn’t. It’s what they’ve done with the songs that’s the problem. To these ears, which have heard a LOT of Petra, they’ve got most of the arrangements wrong. Too negative in fee, too minor rather than major. The strings lend a depressive feel to the tracks they appear on. The only tracks which really work are the two new ones, probably written with a “live in the studio…sound” (quote, unquote) in mind; especially “The Longing”, very good and reminiscent of the quieter feel on the “No Doubt” album. I remember “Beyond Belief”, “He Came, He Saw…”, “Beat The System” and “Dance” etc the first time round; they were uplifting and inspiring, now they’re flat and very uninspiring. “This Means War” was a battle cry, now it’s boring and repetitive. Even “Just Reach Out” is not quite what it once was. If they set out to redefine old songs, they’ve done it. If they set out to positively redefine old songs, they’ve failed. Sorry.
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I have to agree with Leah on this one. This album is excellent and totally worthy of the Grammy award it recieved.
I personally am a great fan of acoustic music. And this album is packed with it right from the start through to the end. All of the tracks are reworked very well indeed, and all are suitably different in flavour from their originals. And for me, a large percentage are even better than the originals. Dance always was an incredible rocker, but here one can easily Dance to it all the stronger, as the arrangement is totally fitted to "dancing"! This Means War was another thundering classic, which here takes on a more impacting and inpsiring edge, especially with the new words in that crisp and wonderful riff. The Colouring Song is another track that seriously impressed me. Breathe In was good in the lyrics department, and for the fact that Pete Orta actually took on lead vocals for the track. And it works so well. The Longing is just continuing the long line of memorable Petra ballads. Praying Man and Just Reach Out are both better here than on their original album Wake Up Call, simply because the acoustic work is excellently done! This is a very unfairly maligned record.