This Means War! is the ninth studio album by the Christian rock band Petra, released in 1987 on Star Song Records. This is the first Petra album to be distributed by Sparrow/Star Song Distribution, later renamed Capitol Christian Music Group.
Produced by John and Dino Elefante, This Means War! signaled the beginning of a military motif present in the song lyrics that the band would carry through several of their following albums. The album is best known for their long song titles like "Get On Your Knees and Fight Like a Man" and "Don't Let Your Heart be Hardened."
This Means War! topped the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart with the title song and "He Came, He Saw, He Conquered" doing well on the Christian Rock chart and ballads like "Don't Let Your Heart be Hardened" and "I Am Available" making Top Ten on the Christian CHR and AC charts. Petra earned their fourth Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for This Means War! at the 30th Grammy Awards and were nominated for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for This Means War! at the 19th GMA Dove Awards. In 2012, This Means War! was reissued for its 25th anniversary featuring solo numbers by the band members taken from their 1986 live album Captured in Time and Space.
Track listing on the digital recording
All songs were written by Bob Hartman, except where noted.
1. This Means War! -3:31
2. He Came, He Saw, He Conquered (Bob Hartman, John Elefante) -4:07
3. Get On Your Knees and Fight Like a Man -4:34
4. I Am Available -4:28
5. Kenaniah (Bob Hartman, John Lawry, Danny Kingen) -3:45
6. You Are My Rock (John Elefante, Dino Elefante) -4:21
7. The Water is Alive -3:49
8. Don't Let Your Heart be Hardened -3:44
9. Dead Reckoning -3:25
10. All the King's Horses -4:17
11. Bob's guitar solo (live) -2:27
12. John's solo: The Race (live) (John Lawry) -1:53
13. Louie's drum solo (live) (Louie Weaver) -2:05
Personnel
Petra:
Bob Hartman -lead guitar, additional programming
John Schlitt -lead vocals, backing vocals
Mark Kelly -bass guitar, backing vocals
John Lawry -keyboards, computer programming, backing vocals
Louie Weaver -drums, additional programming
Radio singles
1987 "Don't Let Your Heart be Hardened" -#1 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC
1987 -1988 "I Am Available" -#8 Christian CHR, #4 Christian AC
1988 "Get On Your Knees and Fight Like a Man" -#10 Christian CHR
Previous release: Back to the Street (1986)
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