THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 18, 1994 TAG: 9407160057
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
COLLEGE-ROCK pioneers the Call never officially broke up, says vocalist Michael Been. They just sort of disintegrated around 1991.
``We were such a road band,'' Been explained from Indianapolis. ``We had started in 1983 and we literally lived on the road; we were out seven to 10 months every year. All of us wanted a bit of a break. I don't think we anticipated it would be that long of a break, but for me it was very necessary.''
Now Been and two of his Call-mates have returned to the alternative arena they helped to create with the primal, no-gimmicks rock of ``On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough,'' the singer's solo debut.
Been began penning material for a new album in 1992, after contributing to the Paul Schrader film ``Light Sleeper.'' It was a prolific, productive period for him.
``I wrote a lot of songs,'' the gravel-voiced Been remembered, ``like 35, 36 in a year and a half. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do for quite a while, musically, sonically and lyrically. These finally started coming together about 1993.''
He recorded some demos with a drum machine and guitarist Ralph Patlan, who'd also worked on the ``Light Sleeper'' project, then made the rounds of record company A&R departments. Response was mixed, Been recalls.
``Their reactions were they liked it, but it didn't sound like the Call. Some of them liked that it didn't sound like the Call, others were disappointed that it didn't sound like the Call. So I decided to put it out as a solo record.''
In the course of assembling a band to record the solo disc, Been realized that his drummer of 16 years - Scott Musick of the Call - was simply the best man for the job.
``I tried playing with some other drummers, but I really didn't like it,'' Been said. ``I've played with Scott for so long, I just like the way he plays so much. I had him play on most of the record.''
Hugo Burnham, formerly with Gang of Four and now head of A&R at Been's new label Qwest, took Musick's place on the potent groove ``When You're With Me,'' which also features Dave Allen, ex-Gang Of Four bassist. It was sheer coincidence that Been's and Burnham's paths crossed.
``I had loved the Gang Of Four and Hugo became my A&R man, which was great,'' Been said. ``And I was able to get he and Dave Allen (together). They hadn't played together for 11 years, they just ended up going different ways and doing different things. But they know how special their playing is together.
``In fact, Hugo and I and Dave. . . we may put a band together of sorts, an unofficial band, and do some things,'' Been confided.
One of ``On The Verge'' 's most radio-friendly cuts is a tough update of the Yardbirds' ``For Your Love,'' a soundcheck standby that made it onto the album with Qwest's enthusiastic approval.
The Call - which counted luminaries like Bono, Peter Gabriel and Martin Scorcese among its fans - never achieved the stardom of some of their mid-'80s modern rock contemporaries. So the ``new'' Call honors the past, Been assures, but focuses on the now.
``We do about five - maybe six if I can remember the words - Call songs and the rest are from the new record,'' he said. ``It's a different sound because the keyboard's not there and the keyboard was such a dominant part of the Call sound. It's sonically different.'' ILLUSTRATION: Michael Been is the vocalist for the Call, which performs
Wednesday at the Boathouse.
CONCERT FACTS
Who: Michael Been, alternative
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Boathouse, Norfolk
Tickets: $5 at the door.
Call: 622-6395.
by CNB