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7 Seconds

The Crew (1984)
BYO Records

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Contributed by: Phantom_Maggot
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on February 5th 2006

I remember being a 15-year-old kid going to the famed 924 Gilman St. in Berkeley for one of my first punk shows and being horribly intimidated. My parents dropped me off outside of the club with my friend. I was wearing my Vans skate shoes, Dickies shorts, and an oversized "NOFX is for Kids" t-shirt which I bought at my first concert, which I had attended a few months earlier. I stared in disbelief at all the punks with their hair in liberty spikes, wearing camo, and covered in homemade patches which were either of bands I had never heard of or covered in slogans that all contained words like "slave", "system", or "class war." As professor Henry Jones once said, "We are pilgrims in an unholy land."

Once inside and waiting for the Misfits tribute band I had come to see take the stage, I noticed a huge back patch of the 7 Seconds logo on the crusty punk in front of me. I thought it was the coolest logo I had ever seen. I naturally assumed from the guy wearing it that they probably didn't sound like Pennywise, or the Offspring, so I probably wouldn't care for them and promptly forgot about them.

Flash forward eight years to me wondering around in Dr. Strange Records in Southern California. While looking for a new album, the store's employee put some music on over the store PA. I immediately found myself tapping my foot and nodding to the beat and being amazed I had never heard this band before, seeing as the music was fast, pissed, and melodic, which is just the way I like hardcore punk. When I asked who the band was and he directed me to their section, I recognized the target logo that I had seen so many years ago and knew I had to have the album. That day, I bought The Crew by 7 Seconds and I have been constantly amazed by it since then.

7 Seconds' debut LP, The Crew, embodies what is best about `80s punk. The album is fast, abrasive, and catchy as hell. The songs are all played at a breakneck speed and seem to blend together to almost create the feeling of a non-stop, thrashing show. The musicianship is excellent, as Steve Youth does some amazing bass fills that require God-like dexterity, and drummer Troy Mowat sounds like he is going to pound his set to dust right before he passes out from pure exhaustion. Above all the controlled chaos from the band, Kevin Seconds' high-pitched voice soars, spewing out lyrics that range from talking about a more gender inclusive scene to racism and politics. After hearing the all-inclusive lyrics of “Walk Together, Rock Together” I know that Kevin Seconds would have loved to have had the shell shocked 15 year-old NOFX kid from Gilman at any of his shows. An interesting side note is that there are a few straight-edge songs on the album. Yes, 7 Seconds talk about being straight-edge on the album, but never do they come across as preachy or militant, but rather as speaking about why they chose to live the drug-free lifestyle that they do.

Within the album, the vocal harmonies and gang cheers seem to foreshadow bands like Bad Religion (Brett or Greg had to have heard the track "Trust"), Model American (who cover the track “Die Hard“), and any hardcore punk band today, all while simultaneously channeling early hardcore bands like Minor Threat and Bad Brains. To some, the vocals of Kevin Seconds are too high for the songs, but I find that his voice fits the songs perfectly. The recording quality leaves a lot to be desired, but this is common in early punk recordings, and in the case of The Crew, it actually enhances the energy, sincerity, and rawness of the recordings.

Though 7 Seconds may have deviated from their hardcore roots for a brief time period, there is no doubt that The Crew is a true punk rock classic.

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Anonymous (February 9, 2006)

To the guy below:
so, if the music moves you, then you're game for the giant dildos??????????

BrandonSideleau (February 8, 2006)

7 Seconds rock.........the score is for 7 seconds. Cheer for 7 Seconds...........Jeers for anyone who spends more time "punking" themselves up than listening to music. Now, as a relatively "older" man, when I see kids at shows all dolled up for some sort of "scene" or "group" I almost want to smack them upside the head. It should ONLY be about the music.....NOTHING else. The band members could be wearing clown outfits with giant dildos for all I care......if the music moves me, then count me in!

Anonymous (February 7, 2006)

this is fuckin great

Cos (February 7, 2006)

Yeah, Soulforce Revolution was the one I was looking at. I'll have to check it out. I'm sure I can find it pretty cheap. I thought New Wind would have been included on their "emo" years? Even though I have 1 or 2 of the New Wind songs live, the BYO description always put me off from buying it. I have the rest of their hardcore stuff and love it though. Their song "Heavy Metal Jocks" becomes more and more true every year in the hardcore scene.

--Cos

Phantom_Maggot (February 6, 2006)

The reason I said that they must have influence some BR is that I notice that it isn't unitl the "Back Into the Known" EP released in 1984, that Bad Religion really started using layered harmonies (and even then it's really sparse compared to their modern day stuff). I am not saying that because of this album that Bad Religion decided to use backing vocals...I just think that given they started doing it around the same time as 7 Seconds (and obviously a lot better since Graffin has a much more dynamic voice) so there may have been some overlap. Also, thanks for all the positive feedback about the review!

feeeding5000 (February 6, 2006)

And if this was released in 1984, hadn't BR already formed and recorded "How Could Hell..." ?

feeeding5000 (February 6, 2006)

Great review, great album, great band. The sound quality is a little crappy, but it doesn't detract from the songs. I think their peak was "Walk Together, Rock Together". The studio side was some of their best material, and the live half was...amazing.

givemeamuseumandillfillit (February 6, 2006)

I'm definently getting the target logo tattooed very soon.
My all-time favorite band. I like all of their stuff.

Fuzzy (February 6, 2006)

Kevin's voice is a lot better live than on CD for his solo outings. He does this weird auto-tune thing on it in the studio and it comes out sounding really nasally and obnoxious.

skolarx (February 6, 2006)

this is awesome. im gonna get this and the negative approach on vinyl. didnt kevin seconds do something with matt skiba?

yes, though i'd skip any and all kevin second solo recordings. i bought one a while back and it was horrible, then i got the skiba split because of skiba's part and a 4 way split with kepi and jonah (an another guy i don't know) because of kepi being on it. none of the songs on any of the kevin seconds parts are listenable

Anonymous (February 6, 2006)

Wonderful record, and a fantastic review.

-ObeyYourParents

Anonymous (February 6, 2006)

Good review, great album, even though I probably like 'Walk Together, Rock Together' a little more...

...evildeadalive

TheOneTrueBill (February 6, 2006)

Soulforce Revolution is the one with Tim Armstrong, but all he does is backing vocals and sing one line in one song. That's a pretty solid mid-period album to check out. It has several good rockers like "Satyagraha" and some of their more spacey sounding songs. I don't include New Wind in that period though. I have Ourselves on LP but I've only listened to it once or twice because, honestly, I always forget that I have it. I'll listen to it again tomorrow and report back. Out the Shizzy is more of an "alternative" sounding album where it's distorted and loud but kind of slow. The Music The Message is good and mostly it's pretty up-tempo, but one notch below 'hardcore' speed. It also has really good production, especially on the drums, because that was their major label album.

as you can tell, I'm probably in the minority where I love everything this band does.

Anonymous (February 6, 2006)

Can anyone recommend an album from their "emo"/Cargo years? There's one CD that Tim Armstrong guests on and I've been meaning to check it out.

--Cos

Anonymous (February 6, 2006)

You could review the album like this: "This is the best album by one of those bands you've always heard about but never checked out. If you dig Strike Anywhere, Kid Dynamite, or early Bouncing Souls, you've love this."

Incidently, one of the best shows I ever saw was 7 Seconds, just before their big "return to hardcore" Side 1 Dummy album. I think they did every song I ever loved by them. They even did the rap song from the Crew. Amazing.

--Cos

Nick_V (February 6, 2006)

A 7 Seconds review right under my NA review... Today is a good day. More classics, anyone? I think I'll get back to work...

the_other_scott (February 5, 2006)

ha. i used to have that nofx t-shirt back in the day too. and it was always way too big on me.

7 seconds are pretty sweet.

givemeamuseumandillfillit (February 5, 2006)

Score is for mainland european hardcore bands tendency to always cover "young til i die".

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

7 Seconds - The Crew
Posted by swingline on 2006-02-05 17:27:13

silverstein is better.

hahahahahhaahhhhahahhhhahahha oh shit gotta be a joke post!

FuckYouOiOiOi (February 5, 2006)

this is awesome. im gonna get this and the negative approach on vinyl. didnt kevin seconds do something with matt skiba?

AlmostPunkEnough (February 5, 2006)

nothing more needs to be said.

swingline (February 5, 2006)

silverstein is better.

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

Every Fugazi album w/ the exception of Steady Diet of Nothing > Minor Threat's Discography

-Chinatown

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

The problem with this record is it's mixed like shit, and it honestly took so much power out of it. The vocals are way too loud and the guitars too relatively quiet. Mixing makes all the difference in the world, look at the Minor Threat shit, it's recorded terribly but it's mixed perfect.

The Crew would have been such a perfect record if mixed right. Listen to the songs from The Crew that are on the live album though, that shit is awesome.

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

Dr. Strange has good records.

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

great

gladimnotemo (February 5, 2006)

This and "Walk Together" are probably essential hardcore records, although I know it can't be said about their other work. I like this one the best, but the sound quality makes it really hard to hear things.

TheOneTrueBill (February 5, 2006)

This is such an amazing record. 7 Seconds are one of those bands where I can't even measure the mount of influence they've personally had on me. Seriously, Kevin Seconds is the greatest writer in punk rock, don't even question it. This review was great too. I was expecting it to be another stupid fuckyouoioioi review but thank you.

Testiclese (February 5, 2006)

yeahhhhhhhhh

mcgregor107 (February 5, 2006)

very good review man

rkl (February 5, 2006)

more 7 seconds, less kevin seconds solo

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

The first punk show I ever went to, I was just wearing sweat pants and a striped shirt. You can imagine how much ridicule I was subjugated to behind my back! I still couldn't fit in with the crusties or the street punks, even if I wanted to. I like some of the bands, but as a scene, it's so isolationist and cliquey.

This record is awesome. Good review.

-Will

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

Fantastic record but I have to laugh when I remember that Kevin Seconds was straight edge in those days. He couldn't be further away from that mentality now.

Godfather (February 5, 2006)

great band

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

This is one of the best records ever just for Young Til I Die.

wehavecomeforyourchildren (February 5, 2006)

oh yeah, and the crew is one of my favorite albums.

wehavecomeforyourchildren (February 5, 2006)

the best compliment i ever got while singing for my last band was that i sounded like kevin seconds. really, they were just trying to say i had no range, but i was stoked on it.

maverick (February 5, 2006)

Good review. Keep it up.

-Scott

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

write more reviews

Anonymous (February 5, 2006)

Thank you for your life story. that was very touching. score is for the autobiography.

joeg (February 5, 2006)

this is a classic. one of my favorite bands of all time. nicely done.