The Seventy Sevens
May 18, 2006
Pseudo-new-wave excess – and bad new wave at best. The music sounds as cool as the album cover looks. The heavy-handed evangelism doesn't help either. Call it a recording exercise for the boys. At the time of recording, the group was called The Savage Young Scratch Band. Changed the name of the group to The 77's as record was being pressed.
In fact, the group really had no intentions of being a serious band until they started recording – prior to that, they were a praise & worship group at a local Sacramento youth center.
EXIT records was a San Francisco area company whose primary mission it was to get Christian groups that showed promise a record deal, then search for the Big Time record deal. The 77's were one of the feature groups on EXIT along with Vector, Charlie Peacock, and Steve Scott.
Similar artist :
christiannewwave.wordpress.com 
Ummm…no.
How deep beyond the early years did we go into the history of this group?
What album cover? I don’t see one. But then again I’m probably not inhaling the same paint fumes that prompted the writing of that band bio.
The anonymous idiot who wrote this garbage is a frickin’ moron that doesn’t know what he’s spewing. The 77’s continue to rock to this present day & just released an incredible DVD. Check out their music for yourself at http://www.77s.com. Don’t go by this gutless wonder’s opinion.
Commenters, instead of attacking the writer, critique the article! You’ll get more credence that way.
The album being described in the article is Ping Pong Over the Abyss which was the 77s debut album in 1982. I think the article’s description is apt enough if you only want to consider this one 1982 album. But that was over twenty years ago!
The 77s have released 13 albums between 1982 and 2002 and only the first two could be considered new wave. The 77s are actually a rock band with blues influences. Evangelistic is also not a word you’d use to describe their albums with the exception of the first two. They write honest lyrics, often from a Christian perspective, but hardly evangelistic.
You can’t base an accurate opinion of the 77s based on just one album released 20 years ago. You need to check out the rest of their discography. Here’s a good place to read about some of their albums:
http://www.banophernalia.com/reviews/music/artists_77s.htm
PS
I just listed to the sound sample. It’s “Someone New” from their second album, “All Fall Down”, released in 1984.
First of all I just want to extend my peace to everyone lest you guys go on firing your gun on me again for an opinion that was made. I apologize if I have offended anyone reagarding The 77’s. It is in no intention of mine to put down the band in any way. The article is regarding the album “Ping Pong over the Abyss” and the comments made were not regarding the band as a whole. I honestly believed without a doubt that Mike Roe and The 77’s are one of the best Christian rock band that ever came out of CCM. I have most of their albums and would admit that they are better in playing blues, hard rock, or alternative. Personal opinion and my preference stated in this site is in terms of “New Wave” musically. This site is simply giving an opinion on the “New wave” genre which they first thread with their first two albums and has nothing to do with the other albums done after that. I appreciate the honest comments posted here and admire the zealousness of defending a particular artist which we love so much. I would probably do the same if somebody made a bad review about 4-4-1 or The Wild Swans which has been done numerous times. I guess respecting people’s own judgment and opinion whether we like it or not would be a good way to react. In the same way, I respect you guys on the negative names and remarks you posted, you are entitled to your own opinions. To end I would love to extend the peace of the Lord to everyone again and may God bless you all.
christiannewwave,
I wouldn’t concern yourself much with some of these comments. Just some overzealous fans that took your opinion too personally.
I agree with you that when considering only the first two 77s albums, they’re not that great. I’ll listen to “Ping Pong” usually as an exercise of curiosity, not genuine appreciation. I do like their cover of “Denomination Blues” on that album. I think it has held up well and I still enjoy listening to it.
But in general, when I want good 77s music, I look to their later stuff.
hey christiannewwave,
You should come join the 77’s message board so the guys can give you a good arse ripping! LOL, I kid of course…good peeps over there and great fans of the 7’s……I too am a fan but I can respect your opinion :) by the way what do you think of Henry Garza from LLB’s? I got an arse ripping for calling him one of the best ever, which I still believe and am entitled to my opinion too! LOL……..God Bless!!!
Jason Says:
July 20th, 2006 at 1:15 am
PS
I just listed to the sound sample. It’s “Someone New” from their second album, “All Fall Down”, released in 1984.
BD Says:
Actually, I think that is the version off Shirley, Goodness and Misery but does it really matter? :p
Hi Jason,
Thanks for the support and the posting. I really love the album “Pray Naked”, has everything from blues, hard rock and a bit of new wave to it . What is your fav 77’s album?
Mr. Magoo,
I’m not Familiar with The los Lonely Boys music but I’ve heard a couple of songs from them. Nice jangly melodic guitars they play I should say.
BD,
You are right, it’s the extended version from the Shirley, Goodness and Misery compilation under Alternative records. and it does matter! : )
To everyone,
Have a great day ahead of you and may Jesus bless you! : )
I just thought I’d spin by again and say that I was just trying to point out that a lot of miles have gone by since the original album. My objection was that it sounded as though the group’s work as a whole was being characterized by the quality and genre of it’s first release, and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then.
Please forgive the loyalists for our protective zeal, CNW.
Hi Marti,
Thank you for stepping up to the plate and taking an initiative to apologize for the whole. Apology wasn’t necessary since I havent taken any offense from anyone at all but I do appreciate the effort. It’s just a simple misunderstanding that prompted everybody to react in different ways. : )
Didn’t mean to be an arse earlier. I just naturally stick up for them when I see something slightly negative. :)
Everythings cool . . . welcome back to the board . . err to the comment page. : p
I personally liked their first 2 albums the best. But to me, that is like saying you like Michelangelo’s Sistene chapel over …..
The 77s albums are all great.
Mike Roe told me he used to used all Pearl guitar pedals back in the day (for the guitar fans out there), and now he uses a vox valvetronix board. MT, there is nowhere else, the lust, the flesh, the eyes….grast songs
I gotta say that I just discovered this site and it’s pretty hype. I also gotta say, as a 22 year old who would kill to have rocked in the 70’s and 80’s, that I dig both the 77’s first albums… alot. The song “How Can You Love” is one of the most hook-laden pieces of ear candy ever to be comitted to vinyl. It’s right up there with 441’s “Mourning Into Dancing”, Vector’s “Only To Fail Again”, Crumbacher’s “Graduating Class”, or the Choir’s “Render Love”. I don’t know that any of that is considered “new-wave” but it’s all good rock and roll.
I agree that the proselytizing is a bit heavy handed on Ping Pong, and that some of the songs don’t come close to what the guys would later produce (“Do It For Love” anyone???), but there are some sweet tunes on the record. Fo sho. And don’t even get me started on All Fall Down. Killer album. In my opinion anyways. Oh man. Haha. What do I know though… I don’t know enough new-wave to compare…
Whatever. Awesome site. I’ll be checking this joint in-depth. Later.
-Joshua
I’ve been a fan of the Seventy Sevens since Ping Pong Over the Abyss and have almost their music short of their most recent works. Ping Pong was the work that first hooked me on their music and is still one of my favorite efforts by that group. Given much of what passed for Christian music at the time, it was ahead of its time.