Rachael M. (Emunah) from SANTA FE, NM Reviewed on 2/24/2011...
I won't go into my unabashed adoration for The Call, but this particular album is a nice one to have even if you own all of their other albums already. It has acoustic versions of a couple of songs from their To Heaven And Back album, one of which has Bruce Cockburn on guitar (whom I also adore). It also includes the cover song Michael Been did of the Mark Heard song, We knew Too Much. However, I would not recommend this to someone who isn't familiar with The Call because it doesn't have any of their really excellent songs (like Even Now, Oklahoma, etc) that make you fall head over heels for them :-)
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CD Reviews
Into the Woods
K Warner | Colorado | 01/01/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Call is a band that demonstrates a genuine ability to make sense out of some of the world's issues and issues of the heart. They have this magnificant ability to find truth and make beautiful music out of it. This truly is a righteous band. The music that they make speaks so individually yet at the same time universally to anyone who can appreciate it. This band has never made a bad album, they are for humble people who want so much more than noise out of their music. The Call's music comes with a message and when you hear it you will not be disappointed. If you know of any upcoming reunion's please let me know."
The most powerful underrated bands of the 80's and 90's!
K Warner | 01/05/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Why the call never had more commercial success is truly a mystery. Once heralded as one of the best up and coming bands by Rolling Stone for its work on Reconciled (although this was their 4th album), The Call remained in the background over the years, continuing to produce wonderful music for its lucky fanbase. This "best of" compilation ranges from their first commercial MTV hit "The walls came down", through Michael Been solo projects, to their covered hit "I still believe" fron the movie The Lost Boys. Their song "Everywhere I go" is certainly a masterpiece, although my favorites are Michael's powerful ballads which showcase his strong vocals and dynamic range. This compilation surely belongs in anyone's collection. You will not be disappointed!"
The Best of the Best
Dwight Buhler | Toluca Lake, CA United States | 03/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are about 3 "best of"s for the Call. The first was "The Walls Came Down", covering only their early Mercury recordings.
Then "Best of the Call" which has only one track from the early years (Walls Came Down) but has the best of the later years plus a track that they recorded for a tribute to Mark Heard (We Know Too Much... a great song and a better version than Mark's, IMHO) Also included are a couple tracks from a Michael Been solo project that has never seen the light of day (and possibly was never completed). These songs eventually came out on "To Heaven and Back", but these versions are better as he had some help from some top noch players (ie: Bruce Cockburn, Jim Keltner).
Finally,The Best of the Call - The Millennium Collection. This is more representative of their releases on major labels, but ultimately I believe is not as enjoyable a listen as the previous release. Unfortunately, this seems to be out of print. So hopefully you can get it used."
Excellent compilation of their work - an enjoyable album.
"Many have not heard of this bluesy/rock group but give this cd a listen. After you have heard "Uncovered", you will seek out every album they have ever done. They just recently released a new album which is also pretty good. I have all the albums they released on cds but bought this "best of" because its been so long since they released one! Buy it and you will be hooked."
One of the best unknown bands of the '80's
ericlarson@webtv.net | 12/20/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While driving to ND in 1987 to visit my girlfriend, I heard "I Don't Wanna", and I've been a fan ever since. That song is on every one of my compilation tapes made for friends. You cannot go wrong with this CD!"