Reviewed by Jamie Hailstone

The 77s have a career spanning more than 20 years in the US and this double DVD collects their entire pop video output, as well as live concert footage from no less than 13 different gigs. Some of the videos have aged better than others. Singer Mike Roe admits in the sleevenotes that the 1982 song 'A Different Kind Of Light' was a "first cruel rights of passage". What was cutting edge then is just cringe-making now, and the cheesy "Gospel Gold" intro doesn't exactly help. It's worth watching as a reminder of how bad '80s pop videos truly were. The 77s carry on their descent into '80s new-wave with "Mercy Mercy" which has aged a lot better, which is not to say that it's aged well. Mike Roe's hair continues to grow on the black and white "Ba Ba Ba Ba" and then into the '90s with "For Crying Out Loud". The sound quality on the archive live footage is excellent, although the picture in places is a bit ropey. What's more interesting is how after a flirtation with new wave acts like Elvis Costello and the Cure, The 77s reinvent themselves as a much more rootsy act with later songs like "Snake" and the aforementioned "For Crying Out Loud". Although their line up has changed over the years, The 77s still have plenty of pep in their step.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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