Call of the West

This article is about the music album. For the television series whose repeats were broadcast as "Call of the West", see Death Valley Days.

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.

Call of the West
Studio album by Wall of Voodoo
Released	September 1982
Recorded	June 1982
Studio	Hit City, Los Angeles
Label	I.R.S. (USA) Illegal (UK)
Producer	Richard Mazda
Wall of Voodoo chronology
Dark Continent (1981) Call of the West (1982) Seven Days in Sammystown (1985)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Classic Rock	[2]
The Village Voice	B[3]

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."^[4]

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.^[5]

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

Year	Chart	Position
1983	Billboard Pop Albums[6]	45

Singles

Year	Chart	Single	Position
1983	Billboard Mainstream Rock[6]	"Mexican Radio"	41
	Billboard Pop Singles[6]		58