EARLY PETRA BUNDLE VINYL, CD BUNDLE (2 CDs 2 Vinyl)

This is a pre-order and will not ship until the release date posted barring any delays at manufacturing. Please place a separate order for all pre-orders if you do not want your in-stock items held up. All items ordered together will ship together and can not be split up after your order is placed. All pre-orders are non-refundable, non-replaceable and can not be modified in any way, no exceptions even if there is a delay at manufacturing. When you place a pre-order, you are agreeing to these terms of service.

RELEASE DATE MOVED
Word records has pushed back the release date on the vinyl.  The test pressing contained the incorrect song order. Manufacturing used the later 1990s release order rather than the early 1977 album track order.  Thankfully we caught it before all the vinyl was pressed.  We've asked that they re-submit it to manufacturing so that it's done correctly.  If it's going to contain the Girder Music logo, it's going to be done correctly, even if we all have to wait a bit longer. Period.  We will update you on the release date change once the new test pressings are complete. We anticipate about 4-6 weeks. 

It took us years working with Word|Curb records to make these releases happen, but we did it. Girder Music presents fully remastered audio on both jewel case CD with 8 page booklet and hype sticker as well as 180 gram color vinyl with 2 sided printed insert with lyrics and photo. All 4 items come with hype sticker and this special bundle comes with a 12"x18" poster and 2x3" Petra sticker.

• Limited to 100 Bundles
• Ships June 28 when the last item arrives
• You'll get 4 items listed below, both CDs, both Vinyl

• Petra - Self-titled 1974 (180 Gram Burgandy Vinyl, 2-Sided Insert, Hype Sticker)
• Petra - Come and Join Us (180 Gram Yellow Vinyl, 2-Sided Insert, Hype Sticker)
• Petra - Self-titled 1974 (Jewel Case CD, 8 page booklet and hype sticker)
• Petra - Come and Join Us (Jewel Case CD, 8 page booklet and hype sticker)

Petra founding member Bill Glover, had this to say:

Petra (Self-Titled Debut Album, 1974)

Petra's debut album, released on Myrrh Records in 1974, coincided with the period when Bob Hartman, Greg Hough, Bill Glover, and John DeGroff were shaping their signature raw, guitar-driven rock-n-roll sound infused with the spirit of rural America. Tracks like 'Walkin' In The Light', 'Wake Up', and 'Get Back To The Bible' resonate with energy, propelled by electrifying leads. Notable is the inclusion of the classic slow blues rocker 'Back Sliding Blues'. While a couple of tracks rock hard,  the hillbilly bluegrass diversion 'Lucas McGraw' has become a fan favorite. The back cover boldly declares "Petra is... Rock - massive - with spiritual overtones", signaling the beginning of a legendary musical journey.  If you missed this album, this is the moment you add this to you collection because now fifty years later, this album still sounds amazing. Classic rock at its best.  

The provocateurs of Jesus rock have enjoyed a long and fruitful career, spanning from 1974 to present, possibly the most consistent and prominent act to record/tour for a five-decade career.  The early years of Petra find them in a more guitar-driven and stripped down 70s rock sound in the vein of their contemporaries The Allman Brothers and Cream. Bob Hartman plays very tasty guitar on their debut, arguably his best soloing on titles such as I Am Not Ashamed, Storm Comin’ and Get Back to the Bible. The song structure on Wake Up take me back to early Santana in its rock fusion textures. And of course, the highly notable Backslider Blues, serves as an early example of blues rock in true form. 

1. WALKIN’ IN THE LIGHT (3:16)
2. MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS (2:48)
3. LUCAS MCGRAW (3:24)
4. WAKE UP (3:40)
5. BACK SLIDIN’ BLUES (4:30)
6. GET BACK TO THE BIBLE (2:21)
7. GONNA’ FLY AWAY (4:55)
8. I’M NOT ASHAMED (3:02)
9. STORM COMIN’ (4:31)
10. PARTING THOUGHT (1:32)

Come and Join Us (Second Album, 1977):

Experience the progression of Petra's musical journey with "Come and Join Us," their second album released on Myrrh Records in 1977 (Myrrh MSB-6582). Expanding upon the groundwork established by their debut, this album delivers a blend of loud, hard-driving Jesus rock, with a subtle shift towards a classic rock sound tinged with rural influences. Greg Volz makes his debut, unveiling his remarkable vocals on tracks such as 'Woman Don't You Know' and a rendition of the Argent anthem 'God Gave Rock & Roll To You'. 'Holy Ghost Power' and 'Sally' introduce funky grooves and gritty rhythms, while 'Where Can I Go' and 'Without Him' emerge as robust rockers brimming with energy. The album is adorned with impressive guitar licks, complemented by a standout drum solo featured on 'Woman Don't You Know'. Amidst the fervor, only one ballad, the closing anthem 'Ask Him In', filled the void for many Christians that were encouraged to discarded secular albums.  

1. GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU 5:37
2. HOLY GHOST POWER 2:27
3. WOMAN DON’T YOU KNOW 3:41
4. SALLY 4:26
5.  COME AND JOIN US 4:39
6. WHERE CAN I GO 3:52
7. WITHOUT YOU I WOULD SURELY DIE 4:27
8. ASK HIM IN 3:31
9. GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU (REPRISE) 2:50

The First Two Petra Releases

Petra began as a band in 1972, recording their first album in 1974. Very few bands have made an impact and lasted as long as Petra, fifty years to be exact. Many fans didn't hear or even know about Petra until they had already won their first Grammy in 1990 for Best Rock Contemporary Album for Beyond Belief. Real Petra fans were following the band long before the masses jumped on the bandwagon. Many of us followed them from the beginning, or so we thought. After all, wasn't "Washes Whiter Than" and "Never Say Die" the band's first albums? Many of us "real fans" actually thought so because it wasn't until "Washes Whiter Than" and "Never Say Die," and great promotion from Star Song as the go-to Christian rock label of the day accompanied by great distribution, that many of us became real fans. Truth be told, Petra released these two milestone records in the '70s long before the band's '80s era of high-tech sounds and futuristic guitar spaceships adorned covers. Bob Hartman, Greg Hough, Bill Glover, and John DeGroff were crafting raw, guitar-driven rock 'n' roll very reminiscent of CCR, Allman Bros., and even Cream.

One of the greatest things about these first two early Petra albums is the progression of what it actually brought us. When so many of us were discouraged that we couldn’t find rock ‘n’ roll that was anywhere close to the counterpart that was available on a secular scene, these albums closed that gap. There were a few bands that changed that mindset for us Christian rockers, and at the top of most people's list was the band Petra. Although these first two early albums were not as well-known, they are just as good. If you are a true Petra fan, these are not only must-haves for your collection, but you must put them on and play them. You'll realize now, 50 years later, how great these albums really are. Back in the day, in the mid-'80s when there were flying guitars and spaceships on the album covers, we often mocked classic rock as being not as rock ‘n’ roll. If you didn't have long hair and leather pants with a flying V guitar, you weren't cool. However, looking back now, we realize not only were these albums great, they were also defining moments for the Christian music scene. These albums stand alone as a testament to what great classic Christian rock should be, yet few accomplished.

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What Doug Peterson Had To Say:

Revisiting their self-titled album has been pure bliss. Honestly, the vocals on this debut, a good many from Bob Hartman himself, are not strong rock vocals, nor polished. The album tracks are solid but nothing grandiose. And there were no songs that charted from this album. But …. what stands out overall is a band with buckets of talent, playing gritty rock with great joy and expectation. It is a fine example of Jesus rock in its truest form. With Billy Ray Hearn at the production helm, the songs got exactly what they needed. Now they can be heard again, remastered on both CD and Vinyl. I am extremely excited to spin this one! It has been worth the wait.

--Doug Peterson, music critic and general good guy

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