Call of the West

Call of the West
Studio album by
Wall of Voodoo
ReleasedSeptember 1982
RecordedJune 1982
StudiosHit City, Los Angeles
GenrePost-punk
LabelsI.R.S. (USA)
Illegal (UK)
ProducerRichard Mazda
Wall of Voodoo chronology
Dark Continent
(1981)		 Call of the West
(1982)		 Seven Days in Sammystown
(1985)

Call of the West is the second studio album by American 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.

It was the final Wall of Voodoo album to feature drummer Joe Nanini and frontman Stan Ridgway, who both departed the group along with subsequently-added keyboardist Bill Noland the following year.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star
Classic RockStarStarStarStar
The Village VoiceB

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."

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

Personnel

Wall of Voodoo

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1983 Billboard Pop Albums 45

Singles

Year Chart Single Position
1983 Billboard Mainstream Rock "Mexican Radio" 41
Billboard Pop Singles 58

References

  1. ↑ "former Wall of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgway touring (dates)". BrooklynVegan. July 31, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  2. ↑ Wall of Voodoo - Music Publishing - Concord
  3. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Call of the West – Wall of Voodoo". AllMusic. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  4. ↑ Barton, Geoff (March 2010). "Wall of Voodoo - Reissues". Classic Rock. No. 142. p. 95.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (November 2, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  6. ↑ Young, Jon (December 1982). "Hit and Run". Trouser Press. Vol. 9, no. 10. New York. p. 47. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ Dark Continent / Call of the West (Media notes). Wall of Voodoo. Raven Records. 2009. RVCD-309.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. 1 2 3 "Wall of Voodoo Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2021.