The Late Great PFR (1997)This album is a simple and definitive proof that a Christian band doesn't have to suck. There are other Christian bands that I enjoy a lot (Jars of Clay and Third Day, to name two), but PFR is the classic band that paved the way for these and many other Christian rock bands and this album features all of their best music.
First and foremost, of course, what comes through in these songs is the writers' faith in God. Unlike the stereotype of Christian music, though, there are no illusions that the singer is perfect or that life is always easy. "Great Lengths" (one of several new songs on the album) talks about how the speaker has done much to please himself, but hasn't worked so hard on pleasing God and how that has been to his own detriment. "Pray for Rain" turns the notion that rain is a bad thing on its head, speaking of God's healing rain in a dry season of life.
Then there are the unusual songs, like "Goldie's Last Day," the first--and perhaps only--song about the last day the writer got to spend with his beloved pet dog. The melody and arrangement are playful and sorrowful at the same time, with echoes of the Beatles and Queen throughout. The hidden track at the very end of the last song is destined to bring a smile to your face; it's a little country ditty about how they ran over some pigs on their tour bus.
Other songs speak to relationships; "The Love I Know" talks about how love that flows from God can overcome relational obstacles. "Fare Thee Well" is the song they wrote about breaking up as a band; they remain friends and brothers in Christ but the time they worked together has come to an end (they did get back together a few years later, but it didn't last).
I love most of the songs on this collection, but my favorites are "Forever," "Anything," "That Kind of Love," and "Pray for Rain." As a band, PFR (stands for Pray For Rain, by the way) demonstrated to me that Christian bands could have a great pop sensibility with awesome hooks, fun melodies, and premiere musicianship without compromising their beliefs.
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