The Calling (Mary Chapin Carpenter album)
Encyclopedia
The Calling is the ninth studio album released from country music
singer Mary Chapin Carpenter
. It is the follow-up album to her 2004 album, Between Here and Gone
. The Calling was released on March 6, 2007 on Zoe Records
. Carpenter had previously been on Columbia Nashville, this being her first release from leaving the label. Like her previous album, she wrote every track on the album.
From the album, two singles were released. "On With the Song" and "It Must Have Happened", were released, but neither of which charted on the Billboard
Hot Country Songs
. Although Carpenter hasn't had a charting single since 2001s "Simple Life", The Calling reached its peak of #10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
. It is the follow-up album to her 2004 album, Between Here and Gone
Between Here and Gone
Between Here and Gone is the ninth studio album by Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released April 27, 2004. The album reached number five on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, although the album itself produced no chart singles...
. The Calling was released on March 6, 2007 on Zoe Records
Zoë Records
Zoë Records is an independent record label in the United States. It is a part of the Rounder Records group.Zoë predominantly distributes albums by folk rock and alternative pop artists...
. Carpenter had previously been on Columbia Nashville, this being her first release from leaving the label. Like her previous album, she wrote every track on the album.
From the album, two singles were released. "On With the Song" and "It Must Have Happened", were released, but neither of which charted on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
. Although Carpenter hasn't had a charting single since 2001s "Simple Life", The Calling reached its peak of #10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Reception
Thom Jurek of Allmusic said "time will tell, of course, but in The Calling, Carpenter may have her finest moment yet; it also feels like an artistic rebirth. These songs come from her marrow and the conviction she sings them with proves it. Carpenter and her co-producer Matt Rollings should be awfully proud of this one. The album was also given 4.5 stars out of 5.Track listing
All songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter.- "The Calling" - 4:17
- "We're All Right" - 3:47
- "Twilight" - 4:30
- "It Must Have Happened" - 4:05
- "On and on It Goes" - 4:20
- "Your Life Story" - 4:20
- "Houston" - 5:45
- "Leaving Song" - 4:02
- "On With the Song" - 3:58
- "Closer and Closer Apart" - 4:31
- "Here I Am" - 4:17
- "Why Shouldn't We" - 5:04
- "Bright Morning Star" - 4:55
Production
- Mary Chapin Carpenter, Matt Rollings - producers
- Chuck Ainlay - engineer, mixing
- Scott Kidd - engineer
- Bob Ludwig - mastering
Personnel
- Mary Chapin Carpenter - vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Eric Darken - percussion, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
- John Jennings - dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, baritone guitarBaritone guitarThe baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar, with a longer scale length that allows it to be tuned to a lower range. It first appeared in the classical music realm...
, background vocals - Russ KunkelRuss KunkelRussell Kunkel , also known as Russ Kunkel, is an American drummer and producer who has worked as a session musician with a number of well-known artists.Kunkel was born in Pittsburgh, PA...
- drums, percussion, cajonCajónA cajón is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front face with the hands.-Origins and evolution:... - Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
- electric guitar, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, 12-string guitar - Matt RollingsMatt RollingsMatt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
- Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.... - Glenn WorfGlenn WorfGlenn Worf is one of the premier Nashville session bassists. He was born in Dayton, Ohio but grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and has concentrated on the bass guitar since he was thirteen. He majored in music at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Inevitably his talents forced him to abandon the...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Album
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 55 |
Singles
All singles failed to chart| Year | Single |
|---|---|
| 2007 | "On With the Song" |
| "It Must Have Happened" | |