Description
Let the Day Begin is the sixth album by the American rock band The Call, released on MCA Records in 1989. The album was recorded by Rob Eaton at American Recording Co. and The Complex in Los Angeles, California, and at the Power Station in New York City, New York; with band members Michael Been and Jim Goodwin producing. Additional recording by Ed Cherney. Mixed by Rob Eaton. All songs written by Michael Been except track B5 co-written with Harry Dean Stanton and tracks A3, A4, B2, and B5 co-written with Jim Goodwin.
After listening to The Call’s brilliant ’87 album, ‘Into the Woods‘, it was anyone’s guess what territory might be stalked out next by lead singer/songwriter/bassist Michael Been. The ’86 album, ‘Reconciled‘ had been as close to a statement of faith as Been had made, but the follow-up was a shadowy trip into the dark night of his soul. Though clearly their artistic watermark, it nonetheless sent chills up the spiritual spine.
Listening to this album, the band’s first for MCA, is a joy unspeakable, as Been has quite clearly seen the light at the end of his tunnel, and has emerged with a toast, “Here’s to you my little love/ With blessings from above/ Now let the day begin.” Fans may be apt to label this work as the signal of a true awakening, conversion or what have you, but whatever the case, these are words of one newly enlightened: “The truth can change a man/ In the wisdom of his days/ It whispers soft but constantly/ You cannot live this way” and “Once I spoke in riddles/ But now I speak it plain/ The tears of God are pouring down/ In rememberance of that day.” It would be altogether appropriate to quote the entire lyric sheet here (Yes, they’re included this time) if space permitted, but you’ll have to discover the riches of this album yourself.
Though they have never achieved widespread popularity, these guys have been touted in the rock press as “the only band that matters.” A strong statement to be sure, but whether you agree or not, it’s safe to say that over the course of six albums, Michael Been and Co. have just about said it all in matters of faith, sight and the human condition. A toast is in order: Here’s to The Call. [Thom Granger, CCM, October 1989]
Henry – pick up the phone! The Call is back with their first new album in two years, their sixth overall, and now they’re workin for MCA. Just in case you’re keeping score, that’s the band’s third record label since they got together back in 1980.
After the release of 1987’s light-selling ‘Into The Woods‘, lead singer/bassist Michael Been kept busy for a while by displaying impressive amounts of facial hair in his role as the Apostle John in the controversial film, The Last Temptation of Christ. He also spearheaded a mostly acoustic tour with Last Temptation co-star Harry Dean Stanton (aka the Apostle Paul), backed up by other members of The Call. Oh yeah, two apostles form a band and take it on the road – that’s righteous!
‘Let The Day Begin’ signals a return to the bold but more commercially appealing stance that characterized ‘Reconciled‘ (1986), turning away from the darker introspection of ‘Into The Woods’. While there’s nothing here quite as perfectly executed as «I Still Believe (Grand Design)» or «Everywhere I Go», that’s no knock against The Call’s latest. ‘Let The Day Begin’ contains more that a fistful of songs suitable for shaking pictures off the wall at home or blasting from your car in heavy traffic.
With the title cut, The Call have come up with an anthem in the tradition of a ‘Beggar’s Banquet’-era Stones classic, «Salt of the Earth», as they raise a toast to the spiritual and the secular. “Here’s to the preachers of the sacred words/ Here’s to the dreamers in the bars/ Here’s to you my little loves/ With blessings from above…” And it’s all driven along musically by a potent blend of synth and slide guitar, courtesy of Jim Goodwin and Tom Ferrier.
In thematic contrast, «You Run» is an indictment, albeit a gentle one, of the yuppie-on-a-fast-track kind of lifestyle. Been writes, “You work until you drop/ But the pressures just don’t stop/ So you run and you run and you run/ But you can’t escape the reach of love.” Hiding from the truth is also a central concern of «Surrender». “The surrender in the garden/ Don’t you run death poet no more…” sings Been as Ferrier coaxes some funky but somewhat Edge-like sounds out of his guitar.
«When» is another strong effort from The Call with its obvious theme of spiritual longing. It also contains one of Been”s most effecting vocals as he asks, “How will I know you?/ What will you look like?/ When will the dream end?/ When will the sun arise?” The more dissonant «Watch» seems rooted in Been’s and co-writer Stanton’s involvement in Last Temptation, with lines like “Watch with me if you dare,” echoing the late night challenge/plea made to a couple of disciples with droopy eyelids.
Good bands don’t come along everyday, and albums as strong as this even less frequently. ‘Let the Day Begin’ is a close- to-fully-realized effort from one of a handful of socially/spiritually aware American bands (e.g. Rainmakers, 10,000 Maniacs, The Choir), all deserving a larger audience. The new album and current tour represent a fresh opportunity for The Call to be heard. Here’s to continued creativity and re-newed success for these guys, “with blessings from above,” of course. [Greg Easterling, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Issue 3, 1989 (Volume 4)]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-the-day-begin/1443844039)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Let The Day Begin” – 3:50
A2. “You Run” – 5:34
A3. “Surrender” – 4:07
A4. “When” – 5:18
A5. “Watch” – 4:18
Side Two
B1. “For Love” – 6:13
B2. “Jealousy” – 5:38
B3. “Same Ol’ Story” – 3:35
B4. “Closer” – 5:00
B5. “Uncovered” – 2:25
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by MCA Records, with both cassette and CD versions featuring one bonus track; “Communication”.
A 2014 tribute cover of “Let the Day Begin” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, a band featuring Robert Levon Been, Michael Been’s son + Simple Minds’ cover of “Let The Day Begin,” Live in Edinburgh, 2015.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.