THE GRAFTING

IN A PHRASE: Petra’s signature voice, John Schlitt, returns for his strongest solo offering yet. 

When Petra retired in 2005, the one thing I thought as I, along with other fans, said goodbye, was that I didn’t want to lose the incomparable artistry and ministry of John Schlitt.  A month ago, my sentiments were confirmed as Schlitt’s latest CD, The Grafting, floated across my desk to land in my player much to my ears’ delight. 

The voice behind cuts like This Means War, No Doubt, and Midnight Oil brings his signature vocals to new cuts produced by his son-in-law, Dan Needham.  After hearing Needham’s productions for the last few years, Schlitt thought it was time to do a family project of sorts which resulted in The Grafting. 

The album kicks off with the most Petra-reminiscent track on Stand, an encouragement for strong faith in difficult times.  The next offering, Keep Your Light On, keeps the rock line drawn musically, while giving a catchy lyrical hook that is sometimes lacking in the genre. 

Only Men follows with a somewhat raw track that majors more on piano overtones than guitar riffs, while Lord Have Mercy, the famed worship track, leans strictly in the acoustic direction.   Face Of God is the most engaging track in relation to how it might play out live. 

The title track, The Grafting, is a song close to Schlitt’s heart whose family has experienced the impact of adoption.  It’s a great song that tells the story of a boy whose life was impacted by the gift of adoption from his earthly family and his heavenly Father. 

First Song and Gravity bring the CD to its close with straightforward rock offerings, while the final track Carry On brings back the piano and majors on Schlitt’s unique vocal tones. 

My final word…

Schlitt’s gift is not lost to the industry and the world that desperately needs an artist whose life, as well as his songs, are unashamedly written to promote not the voice but the message of our Savior to the world. 

Until Next Time…

The J Man