My Amazon Reviews: The Call "Let The Day Begin"

Let the Day Start
4 Out of 5 Stars

Perhaps the best known song in The Call's expansive excellent library was the title song on "Let The Day Begin." It came closest to cracking the Top 40 (that and only "The Walls Came Down" ever charted the top 100, giving The Call exactly two charted singles), and it became the theme song for one Al Gore during his bid for the Presidency.

It is deservedly an anthem from the decade. Yet why couldn't The Call capitalize on all the acclaim? That is a question better left for philosophers and pop trivia addicts. But for some reason, The Call never exploded in the way many of their biggest fans (like Bono, Peter Gabriel, Martin Scorsese and Harry Dean Stanton) predicted they would. Stanton even contributes a harmonica solo on "For Love" and Scorsese would soon cast lead singer Michael Been in "The Last Temptation of Christ."

"Let The Day Begin" is filled with the kind of big songs that The Call is best known for, like "You Run" or the storming "Same Old Story." As usual, Been's lyrics are loaded with Christian allegory, some blatant ("For Love"), some not so much (the beautiful "Uncovered"). His reach was always high, and while his success never seemed to make his grasp, his music rarely missed the mark. "Let The Day Begin" is a big 80's album - and sounds it - standing with The Call's best works.

      

My Amazon Reviews: The Call "Red Moon"

The Call Go Organic  
4 Out of 5 Stars

The last album of The Call's original run was a major left-turn away from the big, anthem filled previous albums. While the songs were still big in sound, the production tore down the walls, hid the synths, and went for something more intimate. In doing so, leader Michael Been rediscovered his soul, and made the most relaxed Call album in their discography.

It's obvious that something's afoot in the opening, "What Happened To You." Instead of Been's usually strident and sometimes accusatory manner, he sings in a gentler voice, backed by a shimmering guitar arrangement. Instead of a lyric that chastises, he asks his love what all the changes are about, and ends up being happy about them. "I like what I see," he cheerfully admits. And when a more Call-like song like "You Were There" comes up, exploring Been's love of Christian parables, it is punctuated by a saxophone instead of a raging synthesizer.
 
"Red Moon" continues in this vein, with richly textured songs and uplift. There's almost a vibe of The Band (Robbie Robertson and one time call pseudo member Garth Hudson both guest) to many of the songs here that never appeared on prior Call albums, and that's to "Red Moon's" favor. I was always confounded why, with three stints on major labels, The Call could never field a bona-fide, hit. I also wondered if "Red Moon" was seen by the band as a last hurrah, as they broke up shortly after releasing an album that was such a departure from their usual operations. Either way, when the sun set on "Red Moon," The Call went out with one of their best.