707 were formed in the late 70’s and recorded two superb AOR albums. They came together in the heart of Los Angeles, despite their origins in Michigan.
Written by: Lee South Africa
ARTIST: 707
ALBUM: Megaforce
LABEL: Boardwalk
SERIAL: NBI-33253
YEAR: 1982
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Kevin Chalfant – vocals * Kevin Russell – guitars, vocals * Tod Howarth – keyboards, guitars * Phil Bryant – bass * Jim McClarty – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Megaforce * 02 Can’t Hold Back * 03 Get To You * 04 Out Of The Dark * 05 Hell Or High Water * 06 We Will Last * 07 Hello Girl * 08 Write Again * 09 No Better Feeling * 10 Heartbeat
WEBLINKS: Wikipedia Page
707 Background
707 were formed in the late 70’s and recorded two superb AOR albums. They came together in the heart of Los Angeles, despite their origins in Michigan.
They added a couple of new recruits to their lineup after the departure of Duke McFadden, and preceded to write and record this AOR flagship album.
Come to think of it, nothing less than a classic would have been acceptable with five highly talented songwriters in the band. They could play a bit too.
The Songs
We’re cleared for takeoff and leaving ground with the title track, surely one of AOR’s official flag waving anthems. Tod Howarth’s keys are immediately to the fore during the stirring intro, and continue to support the melody throughout.
The classic rallying cry chorus sweeps us to cruising altitude, setting the tone for the album. Released as a single, it charted at a respectable #62 on the Billboard charts, but deserved better.
‘Can’t Hold Back’ blasts off with a big hook and waves of synth. It develops into another melodic anthem chorus where the superb keys return full force, having disappeared during the verse.
‘Get To You’ is an entertaining study on the elusiveness of the opposite sex, well arranged and very catchy. Very limited keys on this one, but still an enjoyable romp.
‘Out Of The Dark’ slows the pace down elegantly, featuring heartfelt vocals and some great chord changes. Once again, super keys from Tod.
We’re back in powerhouse rock territory with ‘Hell Or High Water’. It brings out some great riffing and a fierce guitar/keyboard duel, not to mention some clever tempo changes.
‘We Will Last’ kicks off side two with a majestic array of keys, and builds into another wonderful anthem. On this one Kevin Chalfant sings the chorus alone. He brings it off beautifully. A tribute to his much loved vocal talents. Surprisingly, it didn’t chart when released as the second single.
Next up is the sultry mid tempo strut of ‘Hello Girl’. You can hear the Frisco influence on this catchy slice of AOR. The unexpected keyboard hook in the middle is a delight, and the vocal duet with Kevin Russell works nicely.
Yet another memorable hook, inventive tempo changes and a very catchy chorus provide the magic on ‘Write Again’.
Opening up with a flurry of drum rolls, ‘No Better Feeling’ develops into yet another feelgood anthem. The focus is on the joys of hitting the open road and opening the throttle. Once again the vocals are shared with Kevin Russell, who did most of the vocals on their first two albums.
The classy west coast balladry of ‘Heartbeat’ returns us safely to the runway for a smooth landing. It showcases a restrained side to the band and yet again, full of trademark 707 melodies and elegant chord changes.
In Summary
Like so many great AOR records, ‘Megaforce’ should have sold platinum but didn’t. This, despite its association with a major film of the same name.
Even more disturbing is the fact that it’s still awaiting it’s debut on CD. 707 fans everywhere are running out of patience. Reissue companies please take note.
[Footnote:] Finally released on proper CD by Rock Candy on 2017.
707 on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
