Login
Login

Call of the West

{{about|the music album|the television series whose repeats were broadcast as "Call of the West"|Death Valley Days}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Call of the West

| type = Studio album

| artist = Wall of Voodoo

| cover = Call of the west cover.jpg

| alt =

| released = September 1982

| recorded = June 1982

| studio = Hit City, Los Angeles

| genre =

| label = I.R.S. (USA)
Illegal (UK)

| producer = Richard Mazda

| prev_title = Dark Continent

| prev_year = 1981

| next_title = Seven Days in Sammystown

| next_year = 1985

}}

Call of the West is the second studio album by Los Angeles rock band Wall of Voodoo, released in September 1982. The album contains "Mexican Radio", the group's most well-known song, which was released as a single and whose video received moderate airplay on MTV.

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/call-of-the-west-mw0000192252 |title=Call of the West – Wall of Voodoo |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=February 7, 2018}}

| rev2 =Classic Rock

| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|10}}{{cite magazine |title=Wall of Voodoo - Reissues |magazine=Classic Rock |date=March 2010 |last=Barton |first=Geoff| authorlink = Geoff Barton |issue=142 |page=95}}

| rev3 = The Village Voice

| rev3score = B{{cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv11-82.php |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |work=The Village Voice |date=November 2, 1982 |accessdate=February 7, 2018}}

| noprose = yes

}}

In a 1982 Trouser Press review, Jon Young said, "[t]hey're dealing in pure hokum, for sure, but Wall of Voodoo has become very good at it. Atmosphere is all in these muttered tales of desperation and weirdness, suggesting Devo on a bad trip of no return. But Call of the West doesn't repel; it's spooky halloweenish fun."{{cite magazine |url=https://trouserpress.com/magazine-covers-8/ |title=Hit and Run |magazine=Trouser Press |location=New York |volume=9 |issue=10 |date=December 1982 |access-date=December 31, 2021 |last=Young |first=Jon |page=47}}

Track listing

All music composed by Wall of Voodoo. All lyrics composed by Stan Ridgway.

;Side one

  1. "Tomorrow" – 3:03
  2. "Lost Weekend" – 4:59
  3. "Factory" – 5:33
  4. "Look at Their Way" – 3:18
  5. "Hands of Love" – 3:54

;Side two

  1. "Mexican Radio" – 4:11
  2. "Spy World" – 2:41
  3. "They Don't Want Me" – 4:31
  4. "On Interstate 15" – 2:44
  5. "Call of the West" – 5:59
  • The original cassette release of the album features a bonus track called "Exercise" at the end of side one, following "Hands of Love".
  • In 2009, Australian label Raven Records reissued Call of the West and the first Wall of Voodoo album, Dark Continent, together on one CD, featuring a full color booklet with liner notes by Ian McFarlane. Both albums were digitally remastered.{{cite AV media notes|title=Dark Continent / Call of the West|others=Wall of Voodoo|publisher=Raven Records|year=2009|id=RVCD-309}}

Personnel

Wall of Voodoo

  • Joe Nanini – percussion, drums, voice
  • Stanard Ridgway – vocals, words, harmonica, keyboards
  • Chas T. Gray – synthesizer, bass, backing vocals
  • Marc Moreland – 6- and 12-string guitars

Additional musicians

  • Louie Rivera – percussion
  • Richard Mazda – rhythm machine programming, bass guitars

Technical

  • Richard Mazda – producer
  • Jess Sutcliffe – engineer, mixing
  • Robert Battaglia – mixing
  • Avi Kipper – mixing
  • Frank De Luna – mastering
  • Stanard Ridgway – cover concept, design
  • Scott Lindgren – cover concept
  • Francis Delia – design, photography
  • Paul Peterson – production design
  • Stephen Sayadian, Genny Schorr – styling
  • Carl Grasso – art direction, layout
  • Marc Moreland – printing

Charts

Album

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Chart

!Position

1983

|Billboard Pop Albums{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/wall-of-voodoo-mn0000191175/awards |title=Wall of Voodoo Awards |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116060152/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/wall-of-voodoo-mn0000191175/awards |archivedate=November 16, 2012 |accessdate=2021-05-26 }}

|align="center"|45

Singles

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Chart

!Single

!Position

rowspan="2"|1983

|Billboard Mainstream Rock

|rowspan="2"|"Mexican Radio"

|align="center"|41

Billboard Pop Singles

|align="center"|58

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20100530110915/http://ravenrecordscomau.melbourneitwebsites.com/cat/index.cgi/shopfront/view_product_details?category_id=3306&product_id=375665 Raven Records page for Dark Continent/Call of the West]

{{Wall of Voodoo}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Call Of The West}}

Category:Wall of Voodoo albums

Category:1982 albums

Category:I.R.S. Records albums

Category:Illegal Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Richard Mazda