Description
Never Say Dinosaur is a multi-artist tribute album dedicated to the music of the American rock band Petra, released on StarSong Records in May 1996, distributed by Chordant Distribution Group. Featuring 11 revisions and re-imaginings of classic Petra songs and one original composition by Kevin Smith of DC Talk. The album features an eclectic lineup of artists: Audio Adrenaline, The Walter Eugenes, Galactic Cowboys, Sarah Jahn, MxPx, Jars of Clay, Kevin Smith / Passafist, Sixpence None The Richer, The Stand, Grammatrain, Caprill And My Sister’s Garden, and Plank Eye.
Petra was one of the first Christian rock bands to achieve serious commercial success at both the radio and sales levels. They defined an era musically, the transcended it with amazing longevity. Hearing their great songs re-interpreted by the most popular, cutting-edge, alternative, rock and pop artists of modern Christian music is an incredible event.
Darrell A. Harris, President, Star Song Records [CD liner notes]
I must have missed the memo outlining the purpose of tribute albums. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with them; it’s just that they seem to have conflicting reasons for existence. Are they supposed to highlight the greatness of the original artists or the immediate heat of the bands covering the material? Do they focus on songwriting or performance? Or do they just prove there’s no such thing as an original idea anymore?
That said, consider the material on ‘Never Say Dinosaur’, the new Petra tribute from Star Song. All of the tracks are pre-1984, pre-‘Beat the System‘, pre-John Schlitt – meaning the current crop of Petra fans were barely into single-digit ages when these songs were originally recorded.
An eclectic, not-so-Jurassic lineup recorded this project: Audio Adrenaline, Walter Eugenes, Galactic Cowboys, Sarah Jahn, MxPx, Jars of Clay, Kevin Smith with Passifist, Sixpence None the Richer, The Stand, Grammatrain, Caprill Champion & My Sister’s Garden, and PlankEye. Save for Passifist’s Caruso twins (Dave Perkins and Lynn Nichols, who also serve as the album’s executive producers), none of these folks were even near the music biz when these songs first came out.
So, what’s offered here? Great songs? Obviously, or they wouldn’t be here in the first place. Great performances? Sure, notably AA’s take on «Taste and See», new Warner Alliance signee Sarah Jahn on «Yahweh Love», the always impressive Jar boys and Sixpence with «Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows» and «Road to Zion» respectively, and the Smith/Passifist original «Louie’s Solo», a cut so wonderfully esoteric my only response after the first listen was complete silence, something that doesn’t happen very often. It definitely makes a statement; I have not one clue what that statement is, but it makes one.
All the tracks on ‘Never Say Dinosaur’ are strong, highlighting some of the best new bands in Christian music. Whether the material presented is improved upon is something the listener must decide. But if the collection does nothing else, it proves that great songs, handled with care, can truly live on forever, past the undeniably bright futures of these bands, and even past the seemingly indestructible force known as Petra. [Lucas W. Hendrickson, CCM, June 1996]
Those stalwarts of Christian rock, Petra, get the tribute treatment. A selection of their early output is highjacked by a variety of American modern rock and pop acts and in some cases (this is really going to offend the purists!) their songs are improved with interpretation. Galactic Cowboys give us a funky grungy «Not Of This World» which makes the original sound slightly tame. Meanwhile MXPX deal out what can only be termed a raucous «I Can Be Friends With You». Caprill & My Sister’s Garden took «The Colouring Song» and turned in a distinctive vocal performance so high that my pet dog smiled. Sixpence and Jars Of Clay make strong contributions, new artist Sarah Jahn’s acoustic flavoured «Yahweh Love» has more bounce than the original and Grammatrain will rouse the neighbours with their pounding «Wake Up». Outstanding though is DC Talk’s Kevin Smith teamed with the genius of Dave Perkins, Lyn Nichols and a sampler called John Elliott who’ve turned the whole thing inside out, taking samples of a Louie Weaver drum solo, a snatch of opera, some rocky guitar riffs and a passionate vocal from Smith. Brooding and brilliant with a sort of early Faith No More feel. Worth getting just for this track! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, October 1996]
CD tracklist:
01. Audio Adrenaline – “Taste And See” 3:35
02. The Walter Eugenes – “Judas’ Kiss” 4:33
03. Galactic Cowboys – “Not Of This World” 5:29
04. Sarah Jahn – “Yahweh Love” 5:12
05. MxPx – “I Can Be Friends With You” 2:43
06. Jars Of Clay – “Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows” 4:17
07. Kevin Smith / Passafist – “Louie’s Solo” 5:32
08. Sixpence None The Richer – “Road To Zion” 5:42
09. The Stand – “Pied Piper” 3:28
10. Grammatrain – “Wake Up” 3:44
11. Caprill And My Sister’s Garden – “The Coloring Song” 4:01
12. Plank Eye – “All The King’s Horses” 5:47
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by StarSong Records.
A full-page advertisement for the Never Say Dinosaur tribute album was featured in the June 1996 issue of CCM Magazine.
Artist’s comments, track by track:
01. Audio Adrenaline – “Taste And See”
When I was a kid, I found out about Christian music, but I couldn’t find anything very cool. One day, I saw the coolest album cover in my whole life. It was the More Power To Ya album with this wild looking spaceship guitar on it. I bought it right away, and it was the greatest thing I’d ever heard. – Bob Herdman
02. The Walter Eugenes – “Judas’ Kiss”
Thanks for all the great show, the many, many years and a great song. – The Walter Eugenes
03. Galactic Cowboys – “Not Of This World”
If we were Petra, the song Not Of This World might have been a song we would have written. But hey, we’re not Petra. We did, however, enjoy twisting it around and putting our own brand on it. – Ben Huggins
04. Sarah Jahn – “Yahweh Love”
In my growing up years, hearing Petra songs on the radio had an impact on me. I claimed the words of faith and devotion as my own, and I sang them to myself during times of uncertainty as well as times of thankfulness. – Sarah Jahn
05. MxPx – “I Can Be Friends With You”
We wanted to got at it as: “What would Petra sound like if they were our age, in 1995, playing punk rock music in a band with three members called Px, and had lots of tattoos?” – MXPX
06. Jars Of Clay – “Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows”
Many members of Jars Of Clay grew up listening to the early Petra records. When the opportunity arose to cover a song from our childhood, we couldn’t resist. Besides… PETRA MEANS ROCK!!! – Jars Of Clay
07. Kevin Smith / Passafist – “Louie’s Solo”
For all the unsung heroes… – Passafist
08. Sixpence None The Richer – “Road To Zion”
I am so thrilled with the way the song turned out. Road To Zion is an incredible composition. We’ve played it live quiet a bit since the recording and the response has been really sweet. With the first few chords, the crowd immediately recognizes it and hands are almost immediately raised. That’s really awesome to see. The just love Petra! – Leigh Bingham
09. The Stand – “Pied Piper”
A few songs were thrown our way to choose from, but the urgency of Hartman’s lyrics in Pied Piper thrown together with a song we wrote a while back was so smooth… in the same artistic vein as The Stand. The mesh is the mess. Enjoy. – The Stand
10. Grammatrain – “Wake Up”
In my loneliest years of high school, when the Christian kids were judging me and my old friends were mocking me because I found Christ, I found comfort in the message of Petra’s music. They pointed me to Jesus, where I found the desire to keep living, and the love that healed my broken, confused heart. – Paul Roraback
11. Caprill And My Sister’s Garden – “The Coloring Song”
For all of those “blue hearts” who feel as if God has lost His box of crayons… – Caprill
12. Plank Eye – “All The King’s Horses”
We are excited to be a part of this project alongside great bands all giving respect to a band like Petra, who played such a great role in the development of Christian music. We respect Petra for their leadership and integrity and for using their music to impact people’s lives. – Plank Eye
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