Customer Reviews

On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough

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

 

 

ignore any negatives you read about this record. michael been is the man. all the passion and drive of The Call without the R&B influence...just straight-ahead hard rock with soaring vocals and meaningful lyrics. if you want to hear some 19 year old kid sing (or 'rap') about whatever is on his tiny mind, this record is not for you. if your soul longs for cleansing, powerful, spiritual rock, then pick it up right away. you'll be glad and satisfied.

This album is quite a switch from the traditional Call sound; not so much elusive Southern Rock as their older stuff, and much harsher than subsequent albums-but, hey! It's a Michael Been solo album, so it does not necessarily need to fit into the Call's repertoire. However, it does indeed fit well.
Michael Been's lyrics are, as always, quite fantastic and esoteric, meaning they cause you to think a bit. 'Us' would be a triumphant song for any band, and it is indeed true that Dave Allen from 'Gang of Four' fame does appear on this recording, bringing with him his signature bass style. The album is a bit more rugged than other Call albums, but is quite enjoyable and well done. Certainly not to disappoint any Call fan.

If you have enjoyed all of The Call's albums (except for To Heaven and Back) then this solo album by Michael Been is definitely worth the purchase. Please don't be put off by the few negative posts, you will truly be thankful to own this album. It's all there, everything you have enjoyed by The Call of the past. I agree that it is slightly more modern sounding but disagree that Michael Been's voice is lost in the production. If you can get this at a discount price, then all is even better, but please don't miss out on this one as all the songs are worth the listen and you'll find many favorites within this album. It's like having The Call's unreleased final album.

Appearances indicate that this is a solo album by The Call's lead man Michael Been, but as the Amazon.com review notes, 2/3's of The Call's lineup plays on this record. "On the verge..." sounds like The Call updated for the modern rock era. In places this record sounds harsh on the ears, and I can't help but wonder what it would sound like if they had a bigger production budget with which to work. Even so, you can't help but appreciate an artist who respects his audience enough to write honest, thought-provoking lyrics. A very solid outing.

Wow. Where to begin on this one? I think this record had a lot going for it, like tons of creativity that just didn't pan out that great. I can see where this could be mistaken for another Call record because Michael Been uses a few of the same musical stylings and the same lyrical themes and forms that he used on the Call's records. "Us" and "For Your Love" are the only two songs that I don't have something negative to say about. I guess that the main complaint I have is about the choice of percussion lines. A few other bands were using that particular percussion pattern around that time but, for me, it just doesn't work very well with these songs at all. I think that "Now I Know High, part 2" would be an absolutely amazing song if Scott Musick had just chosen another percussion line. The layout artwork is excellent, the cover picture very interesting. All in all, even though it is obvious that a lot of production effort went into this record, I really wish that Michael Been would remake it. If you are a Call fan wondering if you should get this record, I recommend maybe listening to some song samples from it before you buy it.

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.

The last song on this album ("To Feel This Way") is very beautiful and moving. It was well worth ordering the album just to hear that one song. The rest of the album is just irritating noise.

Michael Been's band, the Call, was compared often to U2 during the 80's. Not so much because of their sound, but because of the approach -- passionate, anthemic rock with lyrics that touched obliquely upon political or Christian themes. Well, if Call albums like "Let the Day Begin" or "Red Moon" were roughly analogous to "The Joshua Tree" or "Rattle and Hum", then this album is Been's "Pop" or "Achtung, Baby".

This is not necessarily good. The Call's albums are full of straightforward, excellent playing, but that was always at the service of Michael's heartfelt vocal delivery. Despite the presence of 2/3 of the rest of the Call and their roadie Ralph Patlan on drums and guitars, Been went for a different way of working here. Like U2's "Pop", the songs are drenched with heavy, distorted guitars which are very grating. Furthermore, the vocals are also treated to effects and distortion which obscure Been's usual realistic emotionalism. His lyrics seem rather introverted and psychological this time aroud, only adding to the dark atmosphere. To complicate matters, a cover of the Yardbirds "For Your Love" is given the same treatment. It adds nothing to the original, and was obviously a desperate attempt to get some airplay -- the only time Been stooped this low.

The contrast between all this and his usual approach comes at the end of the album, with two versions of the last track, "The Way I Feel." The first was evidently recorded two years earlier than the rest of the album, and features a haunting, clear vocal accompanied by a simple keyboard, much like a latter day Call track. Then comes a version with those weird guitars cranking in the background, and the difference is striking.

The songwriting is still as strong as ever, but this attempt to play with alternative rock sounds distracts from Been's articulate, intelligent music. It just doesn't work. It's by far the weakest thing he had yet done, and later made another Call album. Only recommended for real Call-heads. Others should look for "Let the Day Begin", "Red Moon" or "Reconciled" first.