Petra (album)

Petra is the first studio album by the Christian rock band of the same name. It was released in 1974.

The album features a style bordering between country and southern rock somewhat similar to The Eagles or Lynyrd Skynyrd^[2], which was the band's trademark during its first years.

The band's debut is more raw than later Petra albums, lacking the refined production values of future releases. It was recorded on a limited budget of $1,000 during the span of 2 weeks^[3]. Nevertheless, this first record displays remarkable guitar technique with lots of dual guitar solos reminiscent of the Allman Brothers, Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy, and other bands from the period who employed harmony leads.

Unlike later Petra albums, the band's first release doesn't rely on a separate lead singer. Instead, the lead vocal duties are shared by guitarists Bob Hartman and Greg Hough.

Track listing

All songs written by Bob Hartman, except where noted.

1. "Wake Up" (Hough) – 3:40
2. "Get Back to the Bible" – 2:23
3. "Gonna Fly Away" – 4:55
4. "Storm Comin'" – 4:30
5. "Parting Thought" – 1:31
6. "Walkin' in the Light" – 3:16
7. "Mountains and Valleys" - 2:48
8. "Backslidin' Blues" – 4:29
9. "I'm Not Ashamed" (Hough) – 3:01

Personnel

• Bob Hartman - Guitar, banjo, vocals
• Greg Hough - Guitar, mandolin, vocals
• John DeGroff - Bass
• Bill Glover - Drums, percussion

Production

• Billy Ray Hearn - Producer

Notes