The Call: Tom Ferrier (vocals, guitar); Michael Been (vocals, guitar, bass); Jim Goodwin (vocals, keyboards); Scott Musick (vocals, drums).
Additional personnel: Robbie Robertson (guitar); Jeff Bova, Jimmy Bralower (programming); Jim Kerr, Peter Gabriel (background vocals).
Recorded at the Power Station, New York, New York.
RECONCILED is one of the Call's finest albums. The band's previous outings had flashes of greatness, but were frequently inconsistent. It all came together here, though. Michael Been's passionate, emotive vocals, thundering bass, and skilled lyricism meshed with the hard-driving beat of drummer Scott Musick, the colorful keyboard work of Jim Goodwin, and the powerful riffs of guitarist Tom Ferrier to make RECONCILED a new wave classic.
Been's lyrics expertly walk the tightrope between personal and sociological politics, with an underlying sense of spirituality always present making for a fully realized worldview. "Everywhere I Go" could be mistaken for a love song, but seems more of a declaration of faith in God. "I Still Believe" makes no bones about its theme of spiritual commitment, while the angular, biting "Blood Red" is a scathing indictment of America's hypocritical foreign policy. The raging, transcendent "Oklahoma" takes things to another level entirely, with a mysterious, possibly allegorical account of supernatural happenings. RECONCILED stands as not only a fine Call album, but also one of the most impressive recordings of mid-'80s alternative rock.
