PETRA Self-titled Debut - 1974 (Vinyl) Remastered, Burgundy Vinyl

Girder Music presents fully remastered audio on both CD and 180 gram color vinyl of the first two Petra albums 1974 and Come and Join Us. It took us years working with Word|Curb records to make these releases happen, but we did it. 

• Fully Remastered Audio
• Burgandy Vinyl
• 180 Gram Audiophile Pressing
• PETRA'S FIRST ALBUM
• Official Word|Curb and Girder Music Collaboration
• Originally Released in 1974
• Girder Music Presents Hype Sticker
• Release Date June 28 2024
• 2-Sided Insert with lyrics
• Limited Run Vinyl™ Series
• UPC: 080688934606
• WD2-883920

Petra founding member Bill Glover, had this to say:

Petra (Self-Titled Debut Album, 1974)

The audio has undergone a complete remastering, achieved through an official collaboration between Word|Curb and Girder Music. Originally released in 1974, Petra's first album comes in a burgundy vinyl, 180 gram audiophile pressing, Girder Music presents a hype sticker and 2-sided insert with lyrics and is part of a limited run vinyl series and is now a collectors dream.

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.

 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

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.

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)

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