Wednesday, September 10, 2008

7 Seconds - Walk Together Rock Together


For years Kevin Seconds (Lead Singer of 7 Seconds) had been imitating Ian Mackaye's old band Minor Threat. So what happened when Ian produced 7 Seconds in the same studio where Minor Threat recorded? They made the best 7 Seconds album ever recorded, and one of the defining moments in hardcore and punk. Funny thing is, this album doesn't sound much like Minor Threat. It's melodic and upbeat, and way too positive for MT. It's even got the Misfits-like singalongs but without the cheesy goth lyrics. The album is brilliant from start to finish. The production is crisp and live sounding. Ian even sings along in the choruses. 99 Red Balloons is great but the originals are better--In Your Face, Strength, Remains to be Seen, and the extra tracks too--Regress No Way and the remake of their old classic, We're Gonna Fight. The extra live stuff is the much better than the live tracks provided on The Crew.

Hardcore is easy to play but difficult to pulloff without being cheesy or severely mediocre. 7 Seconds for a brief time were one of the best punk bands around--their music was honest and heartfelt. After this album 7 Seconds changed their sound, completely abandoning hardcore for the next decade. If you've never heard them and you're curious, this is the place to start. Highly recommended.--Amazon.com

Genre: Hardcore
Year: 1986

Tracklist:

01. Regress No Way
02. We're Gonna Fight
03. In Your Face
04. Spread
05. 99 Red Ballons
06. Remains To Be Seen
07. Walk Together, Rock Together
08. How Do You Think You'd Feel?
09. Strength
10. Still Believe
11. Out Of Touch
12. Drug Control
13. Bottomless Pit / This Is The Angry Part 2
14. New Wind / We're Gonna Fight

No comments: