Callin' All

Performer: The La's
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Recording information: A Stable, Liverpool (03/1988-04/1988); Barry Sutton's Flat (03/1988-04/1988); Chipping Norton Studios (03/1988-04/1988); Devon (03/1988-04/1988); Eden Studios (03/1988-04/1988); Ezee Studios (03/1988-04/1988); Liverpool (03/1988-04/1988); Matrix Studio (03/1988-04/1988); The Town & Country Club (03/1988-04/1988); Woodcray Studios (03/1988-04/1988); A Stable, Liverpool (05/26/1989); Barry Sutton's Flat (05/26/1989); Chipping Norton Studios (05/26/1989); Devon (05/26/1989); Eden Studios (05/26/1989); Ezee Studios (05/26/1989); Liverpool (05/26/1989); Matrix Studio (05/26/1989); The Town & Country Club (05/26/1989); Woodcray Studios (05/26/1989); A Stable, Liverpool (07/1987); Barry Sutton's Flat (07/1987); Chipping Norton Studios (07/1987); Devon (07/1987); Eden Studios (07/1987); Ezee Studios (07/1987); Liverpool (07/1987); Matrix Studio (07/1987); The Town & Country Club (07/1987); Woodcray Studios (07/1987); A Stable, Liverpool (07/1988-09/1988); Barry Sutton's Flat (07/1988-09/1988); Chipping Norton Studios (07/1988-09/1988); Devon (07/1988-09/1988); Eden Studios (07/1988-09/1988); Ezee Studios (07/1988-09/1988); Liverpool (07/1988-09/1988); Matrix Studio (07/1988-09/1988); The Town & Country Club (07/1988-09/1988); Woodcray Studios (07/1988-09/1988); A Stable, Liverpool (07/1989-09/1989); Barry Sutton's Flat (07/1989-09/1989); Chipping Norton Studios (07/1989-09/1989); Devon (07/1989-09/1989); Eden Studios (07/1989-09/1989); Ezee Studios (07/1989-09/1989); Liverpool (07/1989-09/1989); Matrix Studio (07/1989-09/1989); The Town & Country Club (07/1989-09/1989); Woodcray Studios (07/1989-09/1989); A Stable, Liverpool (10/1987); Barry Sutton's Flat (10/1987); Chipping Norton Studios (10/1987); Devon (10/1987); Eden Studios (10/1987); Ezee Studios (10/1987); Liverpool (10/1987); Matrix Studio (10/1987); The Town & Country Club (10/1987); Woodcray Studios (10/1987); A Stable, Liverpool (12/1990); Barry Sutton's Flat (12/1990); Chipping Norton Studios (12/1990); Devon (12/1990); Eden Studios (12/1990); Ezee Studios (12/1990); Liverpool (12/1990); Matrix Studio (12/1990); The Town & Country Club (12/1990); Woodcray Studios (12/1990). Photographer: Paul Cox . Designed as a clearinghouse of all unreleased La's recordings, it goes without saying that the four-disc box Callin' All is something for the dedicated, holding little allure for anybody who doesn't consider the La's lone 1990 album as something mythical. In fact, it's possible, even likely, that the 92 tracks contained on Callin' All may not even be that enticing even to those who couldn't resist such previous excavations of the vaults, such as the BBC sessions and the deluxe reissue that contained the original Mike Hedges version of the album, because none of this is much more than enjoyable ephemera, alternate versions of the same 12 songs you know by heart, alternate versions that aren't all that different. It takes some close listening to discover the odd buried surprise -- most notably the weird, unfinished skronk-blues of "Ride Yer Camel" -- among all the alternate versions, but to the devoted, there is certainly joy in repetition here; there is no more La's forthcoming, so digging deep is the only pleasure to be had, and while that will undoubtedly baffle those who wonder how one classicist guitar pop album could spawn such an exhaustive retrospective, those who know why will surely enjoy Callin' All. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Uncut (magazine) (p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Interest abounds, but with The La's it's not about difference, but how much the material remains essentially the same."

Although it's unfair to reduce a band to a single song, it's difficult not to when the song is as exquisite (and ubiquitous) as the La's second single, "There She Goes." While the Liverpool group's update of classic 1960s guitar-pop from both sides of the pond produced one truly stellar full-length album and a whole lot of next-big-thing chatter, the La's would never meet the commercial and artistic expectations established by the pure jangly perfection of "There She Goes."

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.3

Shipping Options and Policies