From the Vault...

03/11/2018
#1611

info
Seventy Times Seven
"97 + 99"


© mp3.com Records

Year of Release: 2002
Rating:

track listing
  • Thundercloud
  • All Things To All Men
  • Hear My Prayer (2002)
  • Can I Deny
  • On Your Side
  • Stars Alone
  • Bless The Lord
  • May The Spirit Guide
    Your Steps
  • Hear My Prayer
  • Childhood
  • Creation
  • I've Got Jesus
  • Cold Rain

  • WSVNRadio Archives
    A B C D E F G H I J K L M
    N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

    Seventy Times Seven related sites:
    Seventy Times Seven Website

    No page on Wikipedia
    Previous Review: #1610
    Various Artists--Jazz For A Rainy Afternoon
    Next Review: #1612
    Reba McEntire--Love Somebody
    Seventy Times Seven
    "97 + 99"



    From the Seventy Times Seventy website:


    Bio: Seventy Times Seven reaches out to the world with contemporary Christian music that witnesses to the glory of God. The band performs a repertoire that includes over 60 original CCM songs and more than 300 of the most popular Christian songs ever written, ranging from classic hymns to modern praise and worship choruses and CCM hits. Worship leader, keyboardist and songwriter B.J. Collins is backed by a group of gifted musicians, including his son, Bo Collins, on bass guitar and vocals, Shawn Opfer on guitar, and Al Mosovsky on drums. 70x7's live concert performances are powered by the Word of God in scriptures adapted to contemporary music. 70x7 partners with church ministries throughout the region in both the concert and worship settings.


    Seventy Times Seven was founded by B.J. Collins in 1996, and began publishing RealAudio and MP3 recordings on the 70x7.com website in 1997. The band's songs have been heard by listeners from all over the world, and there have already been over three million downloads and streams of the band's music from online music websites like Amazon.com, iTunes.com, Jango.com, eMusic.com, Mp3.com, ReverbNation.com, Spotify.com, Soundclick.com, SoundCloud.com, ArtistLaunch.com, and Mp3.com Australia. The songs of 70x7 have risen to the top of the Christian charts on several indie music websites, and the band enjoyed several weeks as the #1 Christian rock artist on the ReverbNation chart shortly after the release of the Born Again and Again… album in 2012.


    Over the years, 70x7 has served a variety of audiences, including an opening night worship concert at the 2000 Creation Festival... 70x7 has partnered in ministry with many churches and faith-based organizations of all denominations.


    70x7 founder B.J. Collins leads the Saturday night band at Central Highlands Community United Methodist Church in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, and he also leads the praise band at New Stanton United Methodist Church in New Stanton, Pennsylvania on Sunday mornings. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, B.J. served as conference worship leader for the Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Annual Conference, along with 70x7's Bo Collins and Shawn Opfer and musicians from many other churches.


    70x7 co-writer and bassist/vocalist Bo Collins is the worship leader at Upper Room Worship in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania where he leads a young team of dedicated musicians on Sunday evenings at 6:00.


    The Meaning of 70x7: The name 70x7 is synonymous with God's eternal forgiveness. Matthew 18:21-22 in the new King James version of the Bible reads: Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."


    Jesus isn't telling us to forgive our brothers 490 times, or 70 times, or 77 times. He's telling us we should always forgive our brothers when they have sinned against us. God in heaven has forgiven us all of humanity's sins. How wrong it would be for us to deny our brothers and sisters a similar forgiveness for much lesser matters. Back in the book of Matthew (18:23-35 NIV this time), Jesus tells a parable:



    Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. "Be patient with me," he begged, "and I will pay back everything." The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.


    But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. "Pay back what you owe me!" he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, "Be patient with me, and I will pay you back." But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.


    When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. "You wicked servant," he said, "I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.


    Christian band Seventy Times Seven (or 70x7) is part of our WSVNRadio Hall of Fame series. Their song "Childhood" is originally from 99 + 97, and on our Hall of Fame, Volume 2.


    The 99 + 99 album is extremely exceptional. Most of the songs have a late 1960s approach: If Sixites groups such as Jefferson Airplane and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ever went Christian, they just may sound like Seventy Times Seventy. "Thundercloud," "All Things To All Men," "Can I Deny" have a "Jefferson Airplane meets Christian" sound. Even the rocking "On Your Side" has that comparison. As for CSNY, there's "Stars Above" and even a bit on "Bless The Lord." A more laid back, and folk sound gets "Hear My Prayer (2002)."


    If you're familiar with another spirtual-themed (and popular) song, "Many Rivers To Cross", this gets compared to "May The Spirit Guide Your Steps." (The "Many Rivers To Cross" version by Eric Burdon & The Animals is the one I am most familiar with.) "Hear My Prayer" gets a bit comparison to Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah's "Lake Shore Drive." This LSD song is not really one of my favorites, probably because it used to get the heck played out of, since I am from the Chicago area, and LSD was intended for Lake Shore Drive, and not the LSD drug that most rock and rollers back in the late '60s and '70s were experimenting in.


    "I've Got Jesus" gets a little funky, and the "good feeling Christian Rock" on "Cold Rain" ends the album.


    No doubt, Seventy Times Seven's 97 + 99 is a great Christian Rock album. It's an album you will enjoy listening for the first time, and listening to it again and again. The leader of the 70x7, B.J. Collins introduced me to the parody Christian band, Apologetix. They call them the Weird Al Yankovic of Christian music. Thank you, Mr. Collins, as I have experienced Apologetix's music, and looking forward in reviewing their albums when available, here at WSVNRadio.net


    70x7's latest release is Born Again And Again. As I posted on my Facebook that I was enjoying listening to this album reviewed, Mr. Collins informed me that I needed to get their latest CD. Therefore, when we do receive it, we'll review it, and expecting another positive review, and inspiring Christian music to enjoy, once again.


    Once again, we proudly present another talented group, that being Seventy Times Seven, as part of our WSVNRadio family! You can learn more about them at their website, 70x7.com.


    © WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of mp3.com Records and is used for reference purposes only.


    Previous Review: #1610
    Various Artists--Jazz For A Rainy Afternoon
    Next Review: #1612
    Reba McEntire--Love Somebody