Description
Captured in Time & Space is a double live album by the American rock band Petra, released on StarSong Records in March 1986, distributed by both Word and A&M Records. The album was produced and recorded by Jonathan David Brown. The line-up was Greg X. Volz on lead-vocals, John Lawry on keyboards (formerly of Joe English Band), Bob Hartman on guitars, and a rhythm section consisting of bassist Mark Kelly and drummer Louie Weaver. It was the last Petra album to feature Greg X. Volz as lead vocalist as well as their last to be produced by Jonathan David Brown.
Producer’s note: My excitement about this “In-Concert” PETRA album stems from the fact that we had so few studio corrections to make to the performance; therefore, leaving a truly wonderful live performance mostly intact. Glory to God. It’s my favorite PETRA album. – Jonathan David Brown
Before I could read Isaiah, T.S. Elliot, Kierkegaard, or Tom Robbins, I learned to read from a primer. It taught me the purpose and function of words, the role of syntax, and the delicate relationship of words and punctuation necessary to create meaning and communicate ideas. In this live offering, Petra has created a primer for young Christian rockers.
Presenting a vocabulary of essential theological concepts and language and serving as a guide to the rituals of standardized rock performance, ‘Captured in Time & Space’ also manages to chronicle the band’s ‘Beat the System’ tour, the last project of Petra’s most-successful coalition between founder Bob Hartman and vocalist Greg X. Volz. Featuring no less than seven tracks from ‘Beat the System‘, three (count ’em) medleys, and a few instrumental breaks, ‘Captured’ ultimately does dis-service to Petra’s legion of faithful fans who remember ‘Never Say Die‘ as a continuation, not the beginning. Only the cassette version offers any new material – a John Lowry composition, «The Great I Am».
Keeping in mind Petra’s target audience (high schoolers) and the rather perfunctory nature of any primer, one finds it easier to forgive Volz’ patronizing cheerleading, the stylistically impotent version of the classic «God Gave Rock and Roll to You», and the misbegotten “Hallelujah Chorus” which must have Handel spinning in his grave. I would prefer to have had a live Petra LP focus on the best of the last decade (as D&K did on ‘No Turning Back‘). I had also hoped for hot live versions of «Chameleon», «Bema Seat», and «Blinded Eyes» – and a full-tilt version of «Judas’ Kiss» certainly wouldn’t have hurt.
Focusing on what we do have here “captured in time and space,” it’s hard to ignore Hartman’s knack for hook-ridden power pop; Volz’ soaring, stratospheric vocals; and the band’s tight accompaniment and flashy accoutrements. Mark Kelly and Louie Weaver laid down the bass and drum rhythms while keyboardist Lowry expands cosmic realities with his fingers on the computer chips of the musical future.
One can scarcely speak of Petra without considering the effect they’ve had on the Christian music world. Nowhere is it more evident than here as Petra gives the audience what it wants while educating and proclaiming a life-changing gospel. From start to finish, Petra’s performance on ‘Captured’ is professional, personable, and motivated by a desire to create a world view of acceptance and peer support for Christians – and all this while dishing out the required sights and sounds of the coliseum rock echelon to which the band aspires.
Truly a people’s band, Petra makes music palatable to a variety of tastes, here de-emphasizing their more kinetic rock ‘n’ roll. Brown’s production, although thin at times, does capture the feel and energy of their live performance. Although many of their songs are better recorded in their original settings, ‘Captured in Time & Space’ offers our last opportunity to bring Petra home alive! [Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, June/July 1986]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/captured-in-time-space-live/724702310)
2LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Beat The System” – 4:23
A2. “Computer Brains” – 3:42
A3. “Clean” – 3:02
A4. “Grave Robber” – 4:22
Side Two
B1. “Speak To The Sky” – 4:29
B2. “Hollow Eyes” – 4:00
Rock Medley 6:17
B3.a “Stand Up”
B3.b “Not By Sight”
B3.c “Judas Kiss”
Side Three
Mellow Medley 3:39
C1.a “Coloring Song”
C1.b “Road To Zion”
C1.c “More Power To Ya”
C2. “Jesus Loves You”/”The Race” – 3:42
C3. Bob’s Solo – 2:34
C4. Louie’s Solo – 2:13
C5. “God Gave Rock And Roll” – 2:01
Side Four
Praise Medley 8:23
D1.a “Let Everything That Hath Breath”
D1.b “Without Him We Can Do Nothing”
D1.c “Praise Ye The Lord”
D1.d “Hallelujah Chorus”
D2. “Godpleaser” – 5:06
D3. “It Is Finished” – 4:02
Note: Simultaneously released as a CD, on a single cassette, and as a 12-inch vinyl double LP by StarSong Records. The three editions of the album feature slightly different recordings.
A full-page advertisement for Petra’s Captured In Time & Space was featured in the April 1986 issue of CCM Magazine.
Girder Music Promo, 2022
This Girder Records Legends of Rock™ has been completely remastered. This release come in a jewel case with multi-page booklet insert that includes readable lyrics, photos, liner notes. It also comes with the DVD, making this the an exquisite Collectors Edition with both the remastered CD as well as the DVD. The CD did not contain one of the songs that
Petra left an indelible mark on teenagers all over the world throughout the 80’s. Bob Hartman (founder) and Greg X. Volz and band dropped 6 elite albums from 1979-1986. However Petra’s Captured In Time and Space, which was released in 1986, would be the last for Greg X Volz and the end of an era as John Schlitt would join Petra as new lead vocalist latter that same year.
Usually live albums are not favorites among fans, unless of course you were privileged enough to be in the crowd (then you tell everyone you know, “I was at that show”). However this album for so many of us left an impression not much different from the studio recordings. Everything about it was great. The sound quality is great and it contains all their top hits, a 3-song Rock Medley as well as a Mellow Medley and a guitar, drum and keyboard solo, literally everything you want from a great live performance and none of the stuff you don’t want.
Finding a complete version of Petra’s live album, Captured in Time and Space, which features Greg X Volz, can be a tricky task. The version released on vinyl was a double record set. When the version available on cassette was released, it contained a bonus track called «The Great I Am». This song was inserted between the last two songs, «Godpleaser» and «It Is Finished». When the CD version was originally released, it did not contain the bonus track from the cassette, and the talking in between the songs was altered from the vinyl version and used some of the talking from the cassette version. Interestingly, the UK vinyl version eliminated all talking between the songs «Godpleaser» and «It Is Finished». When the band released the concert recording on DVD it was sourced from the original VHS cassette tape since the masters were lost, and the song «Computer Brains», did not appear. Also, the concept video for «Beat the System», that appeared on the original VHS was cut. However, the DVD version did include «The Great I Am», the bonus track from the cassette version.
The concert was sourced from three shows: Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, Tennessee on November 21, 1985; Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina on November 22, 1985; and Township Auditorium, Columbia, South Carolina on November 23, 1985.
Get ready for a very special Girder Records release: a CD/DVD set that will include the cassette only bonus track, «The Great I Am», and give you an opportunity to fully enjoy this incredible concert with the vocals of the incomparable Greg X Volz!
CD recorded at:
Civic Auditorium Knoxville, TN – November 21, 1985
Memorial Auditorium Greenville, SC – November 22, 1985
Township Auditorium Columbia, SC – November 23, 1985DVD recorded at:
Memorial Auditorium Greenville, SC – November 22, 1985
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.