Customer Reviews

To Heaven And Back

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the draw-backs of true fan-dom is a lack of objectivity, which can manifest itself both in an over-praised or under-valued analysis of the subject at hand. Reading the user reviews for The Call's 1997 CD To Heaven and Back, one can see the fervour with which fans have supported this criminally under-appreciated American act. Most consider the album typically good but not up to the standards of its better know works.
But while THAB does not contain the single song as magnificent as Let the Day Begin, as a casual fan who has listened to every Call album from time to time, I think most of the writers below are simply getting a bit defensive after so many years of trying to sell this band to a public who have little interest in what the Call have to offer. Which, as supporters know, is considerable.
Opening with Soaring Bird (and its treated guitar and vocals), the album begins on a positive note of exuberance and the typical combination of melody and intelligence that has been Michael Been's song-writing hallmark. This is indeed a "heavenly" beginning, but as the album's title promises, things come crashing down to Earth in short order.
In Criminal "love stands trial, love stands denied" as the songs shift into a series of relationship examinations that are filled with complex details of happiness and hardship. The beautiful ballad Think It Over and the 50s-ish Musta Been Outta My Mind add nice tempo changes to Been's usual mid-tempo song style.
The album ends strongly with a trio of Been classics: the socially conscious Become America, his best of this type since Let the Day Begin; the confrontational What Are You Made Of; and finally, Confession, which sounds like the greatest unrecorded Joy Division song ever.
I picked this CD up for 2 bucks in a cut-out bin. That in itself is a sad tale. But what's sadder is that even the band's fans seem to be hedging their bets when it comes to supporting the group`s output. This album, like all of their work, continues to showcase the power and eloquence this band has dealt in for over 20 years, even if they and a few die-hards are the only ones who remain rewarded by the experience. Note to Amazon: Please correct the title of this listing.

I love The Call, I love Michael Been ... but I was disappointed with Heaven & Back, for the primary reason that the production was so muddy. Been's plaintive vocals are overwhelmed by the sloppy production. I can't speak for the anthologies, but I'd recommend Reconciled, Into The Woods, Red Moon and Let The Day Begin anytime. Personally, I'd say get Heaven & Back if you want to complete your collection. Ideally, you could give it a listen first before you decide to purchase. I have tried hard to get into this but I have been unable to enjoy it as much as their other recordings.

The original alternative band has returned with perhaps the finest album of the year. Michael Been and company show why they were the number one "cult" band of the '80's all the while not rehashing past hits, but creating a CD that's as fresh and pulsating as anything currently on the air-waves. This is not a money-motivated reunion work; this is,as Peter Gabriel once said, the future of American music. The future is now.

A recording of spirit and beauty. Maybe not there best work but still great which speaks volumes for their other recordings. The lyrics are soul searching. Truly one of the most underated bands of ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!

Leader/vocalist/guitarist of The Call, father of Robert Been (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) as well as the sound engineer for BRMC, Michael Been has passed away at the age of 60. No official cause of death has been announced and all the information we've gotten thus far has been from foreign news sites translated. Here's what we know about this very sad event:

Michael Been, sound engineer and father of bassist Robert Been of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, was unwell Thursday in the backstage area of Pukkelpop. "The first aid was immediately administered by the workers of the Flemish Cross and the doctors present backstage." says festival organizer Chokri Mahassine. "The Medical Emergency Team was immediately on the spot." He was rushed to the Salvator Hasselt hospital where he later died.

Our hearts go out to our close friend Robert, his family & the band.

RIP Michael Been.

I recently purchased this album . . . never knowing it existed until recently. I've been a fan of The Call since I was child and my father would play "Into The Woods." So, as you can see, I'm not a "Let The Day Begin" obsessed fan. Still, when I put this record in for the first time, I didn't understand a lick of "Soaring Bird." It seemed so . . . plain and unemotional. While a good song, it just wasn't The Call to me.

Thankfully, other songs on the record are more true to the band's previous form and the emotion shines. Yes, this is not their best album, but I would easily rank it above "Red Moon" and beyond that I don't think it matters. For me, The Call have never been about their albums, per se, but the intensity, musicianship and lyrical content of their individual songs.

That said, this album has it's ups and downs. The aforementioned "Soaring Bird" is a good song, though it doesn't stand up musically. It drones. "Criminal" kicks in and could have been put on earlier albums, sans the production on this album (which I initially found atrocious). Meaning, the song sounds like The Call of old. "Love is Everywhere" is a nice enough song, though the lyrics remain a bit trite in my opinion. I find myself really connecting with "When Will America . . ." message-wise, though, again, musically I don't find it all that enthralling. It's a nice call to remind ourselves that the dreams of our father's have not been realized and we still have a lot of work to do. A call to arms as it were.

Without detailing each and every song, I'll just sum it up by saying, if you're reading this review or looking at this album, then you know who the band is. Buy the album, you will find something here that you like, if not love. No, it's not likely to be what "Let The Day Begin" was to you twenty years ago, but the energy and emotion of The Call was still alive when they made this album.

This is probably my favourite Call album, although they're all pretty good. I particularly like World on Fire, Love Is Everywhere and Compromise. Excellent! I Just hope they keep on going.

This is a good collection of music by The Call. If you are a big fan of the band, it's a "must buy" CD. If not, there are other CDs by the band, like "Into the Woods" or "Let the Day Begin", that I would recommend before this one.