Year : 1974 (Girder Music Records Edition 2024)
Style : Melodic Christian Hard Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 80 mb
Bio:
Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock". Though they disbanded formally in 2006, incarnations of Petra have played reunion shows in the years since and released an album in November 2010. In 2013, the band returned from retirement with a new drummer Cristian Borneo and recorded a new song titled "Holy is Your Name", as well as going back on tour.With a style initially similar to The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Petra's sound evolved into a more energetic, driving rock sound in the early 1980s akin to Foreigner, Styx and Journey. Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, Petra was one of the world's most popular Christian rock bands, with each of its albums during that period selling hundreds of thousands of copies while the band sold out arenas and regularly placed songs at the top of Christian radio charts. With its lyrics, music and style, Petra influenced numerous other artists at a time when Christian rock experienced strong opposition from many conservative pastors and churches.In more than three decades, the band experienced numerous lineup changes yet released 20 studio albums, as well as three Spanish-language and two live albums, selling nearly 10 million copies while being nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning four, and winning 10 Dove Awards. Its biggest hit, "The Coloring Song," reached the top position on three Christian radio charts simultaneously, and at its peak, the band's tours rivaled Amy Grant's in popularity among Christian audiences. Petra was the first rock band inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the first Christian band whose memorabilia was included in the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain.The band announced its retirement in 2005, launching a farewell tour that was recorded for release on CD and DVD. Petra's 33-year career ended with a performance in the early hours of January 1, 2006, in Murphy, North Carolina. However, the band has continued to perform sporadically since then. In November 2010, an incarnation of the band's mid-1980s lineup surfaced under the name Classic Petra. They released a CD titled Back to the Rock featuring two new songs as well as re-recordings of hits from that era. The band released a companion live CD and DVD in 2011.
Album:
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. 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.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.
Line-Up:
Bob Hartman - guitar, banjo, vocals
Greg Hough - guitar, mandolin, vocals
John DeGroff - bass guitar, guitar on "Lucas McGraw"
Bill Glover - drums, percussion, bass on "Lucas McGraw"
Production:
Recorded At – Milam Studios
Remastered At – Bombworks Sound
Designed At – NoLifeTilMetal
Published By – Monya Music
Manufactured By – The ADS Group – 25260-CD-0373
Copyist – John Delaurentis
Engineer – Terry Jamison, Thom Byler
Executive-Producer – Greg Hays
Layout, Design – Scott Waters (2)
Music By, Lyrics By – Bob Hartman (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 10), Greg Hough (tracks: 4, 8)
Producer – Billy Ray Hearn
Remastered By – Rob Colwell
Tracklist:
01. Walkin' in the Light (03:16)
02. Mountains and Valleys (02:48)
03. Lucas McGraw (03:24)
04. Wake Up (03:40)
05. Backslidin' Blues (04:30)
06. Get Back to the Bible (02:21)
07. Gonna Fly Away (04:55)
08. I'm Not Ashamed (03:02)
09. Storm Comin' (04:31)
10. Parting Thought (01:32)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
