Kevin Russell - Trip To Heaven

1. Firing Line
2. Sinful Woman
3. Make Up Your Mind
4. Never Say Die
5. All I Ever Wanted
6. Cause and Effect
7. Pain
8. Rock 'n' Roller
9. Trip To Heaven
10. Don't Say You Love Me
11. Reprise

Album Cover:

Total Playing Time: 51:15 m:s

Review date: 19/04/2001

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707 were signed to Kiss' Casablanca label in the late 70s/early 80s and played FM Rock. The band at one time featured Kevin Chalfant (The Storm) on vocals. The band toured with REO, John Mellencamp, Rainbow, 38 Special, Ted Nugent, The Scorpions, Judas Priest, Quiet Riot and Loverboy. They disbanded in 1983. Kevin went to play with other rock acts, became a respected blues guitarist and a record producer for acts like Frank Marino & Glenn Hughes.

In the new millennium Kevin reformed 707 to return to his first love - rock music. He is joined by Don Bassey on bass and Denny Carmassi (Montrose, Sammy Hagar, Heart, Whitesnake etc) on drums.

"Trip To Heaven" is predominantly a blues rock album. Many of the early reviews of this album gave it a hard time because 707 were known for a more AOR style. I can't comment because I'm not familiar with 707's earlier work. Given this situation, I think the decision to relaunch the album as by Kevin Russell, rather than 707, was probably a wise one.

The majority of tunes on the first half of the album are bluesy rock tunes, some with a raw edge, such as "Cause and Effect" and some slower tunes, such as "Make Up You Mind" which reminds me of old slow hand - Eric Clapton.

"Pain" has a ZZ Top-style backbeat and rhythm to it. It is the first tune that really gets more than a passing glance from me. "Rock n Roller" follows up with a taste of bluesy boogie. The title track, "Trip To Heaven", in addition to the underlying blues rock, has a 70s-pop vibe. This trio of tracks are the highlights of the album.

Blues rock "ain't my thang" and apart from the trio of tracks mentioned above the rest of the album didn't do that much to titillate my personal taste buds. If you spot the album under the old moniker of 707 be careful - it is blues rock rather than AOR.