The Call is a band I’d found out about in the oddest of ways. It was the mid-to-latter 90s. WBIR produced a self-promotion ad, I want to say it was about a minute long, mostly featuring b-roll of stories they’d covered. Plus there was just a lot of random footage of East Tennessee. They ad was set to “Let The Day Begin.” Of course this was still in the relatively early days of the internet, and there was no way to Google what the ad used. I think it was even before Google was a thing. Luckily I had a buddy, Big John, who was about 10 years older than me, and a massive music nerd. The minute I mentioned some of the lyrics, it was almost immediate: “Oh, that’s The Call’s ‘Let The Day Begin.’ They’re U2’s favorite band.” Turns out he was a huge fan. Also turns out that the song was a big hit in 1989, reaching #1 on the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock chart.
I’ve seen them referred to as U3, as lead singer Michael Been was also a christian that worked out some of his issues and thoughts on faith in his lyrics (I didn’t know U2 had religious leanings until Big John shared that info with me). Normally I’m about 70% more interested / appreciative of the music over the lyrics. But Been’s lyrics are so well crafted and dense, they are hard to ignore. For the most part, as deep as the lyrics may be, their music is big and anthemic in nature. Though “Uncovered” sneaks up at the end, is an ambient song that I assume Been is speaking to god.
I enjoy how the drums and bass are at the forefront on this album. At a time of tinny production, it’s good to hear those elements shining through. It’s also a testament to how strong they are in that they’re able to punch through the treble-heavy-laden production.
Makes the playlist: Let The Day Begin, You Run, When, For Love, Communication, Uncovered
