100: The Call – Reconciled

If I were to have my own School of Rock, I would have my students study certain albums that demonstrate what rock is all about. So I've decided to list the albums over the next 100 days (or so). I'll be counting down to my absolute favorite album of all time.

Kicking the list of rock albums you should own, The Call's Reconciled (1986) stands out as one of my most played albums. This is the album that gave the world the amazing song of faith, "I Still Believe (Great Design)", but it keeps with the overall dark mood of the album. Listening to Reconciled is a bit like taking a walk on a dreary day. You may see beauty and recognize it as such, but you're still in a fog.

My favorite cuts from Reconciled are "Blood Red (America)", "Oklahoma", and "With Or Without Reason". However the whole album is fantastic and The Call's greatest achievement.

Around the time this album came out, The Call was opening for Simple Minds (spoiler: I have a Simple Minds album you'll see in the future). Michael Been, the lead singer, was the primary writer with some assistance from Jim Goodwin, who played keyboards.

The reason this album is important to me is pretty simple: The Call made a moody album with a positive spin, not easily accomplished. 1986 wasn't a great year for rock in general, but this is a standout album and one of the best from the 80s. The songs are well-written and still play well today.  I can hear echoes of this album in some songs from The Killers, Radiohead, and Franz Ferdinand.

Tagged as: 100 Days 100 Albums, Music, My Own School of Rock, Self Absorbed Clap Trap