SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: 7SECONDS – WALK TOGETHER, ROCK TOGETHER (DELUXE REISSUE)

7Seconds
Walk Together, Rock Together (Deluxe Reissue)
Trust Records

Punk rock, at its early stage, had two extremes: f.s.u. and straight edge, and they were not necessarily mutually exclusive. 7Seconds is one example of a band whose positive message belied their early aggressive appearance.

The re-release of 1985’s Walk Together, Rock Together, their 4th EP, reminds us that, for this band, the sound is important, but the lyrics are what it’s all about. The title track’s last verse:

“A label is a label
Definition, nothing more
And because of labels we have placed
We live in constant war
Destroy all that tradition
And live before you die
Let’s rock together from now on
And never be denied”

pretty much sums up their philosophy of unity and community. “We’re Gonna Fight” is another clear indication of the guys’ attitude: “We’re gonna fight the narrow minds/ Make our own rules/Live your life and I’ll live mine”.

Their cover of “99 Red Balloons” is also a standout track. Originally released by German outfit Nena, its lyrics describe a world destroyed by war upon the military’s surveillance mistaking red balloons for an invasion: “It’s all over and I’m standing pretty in this dust that was a city…”

Not caring if they were out of step (with the world), these tracks are just as relevant today as they were to the mid-1980s culture of Reagan, AIDS, Chernobyl, the Iran-Contra affair, and the destruction of the Berlin wall, a time of chaos, confusion, and a distinct turning point in world affairs.

Recorded in a 6-hr session in Don Zientara’s Washington D.C. basement Inner Ear Studios, the album was originally released as an EP ut was expanded the next year to full-length.

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