If I Could, I'll Go Wherever You Will Go (Camino Palmero - The Calling)

Member Name: DixieChick101

Product:	Camino Palmero - The Calling
Date:	27/08/08 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great band with amazing lyrics, music and vocals.

Disadvantages: Not much

Who is the Calling?
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The Calling is an American rock band from L.A. The band was formed by lead singer Alex Band and guitarist Aaron Kamin when Kamin was dating Alex Band's sister.

In 2001 they released there first album called Camino Palmero which became a hit, here's the review.

The Album
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The album Camino Palmero is named after the street where the two first met. It's full of some of my favourites songs, two of them being my all time favourite.

Track 1: Unstoppable
Track 2: Nothing's changed
Track 3: Wherever You Will Go
Track 4: Could It Be Any Harder
Track 5: Final Answer
Track 6: Adrienne
Track 7: We're Forgiven
Track 8: Things Don't Always Turn Out That Way
Track 9: Just That Good
Track 10: Thank You
Track 11: Stigmatized
Track 12: Wherever You Will Go (live)
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Track 1: Unstoppable
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The opening track to this album is one of the weaker tracks on the album; however it's still a fantastic song, however I don't think it shows of his vocals as well as the other songs do. It's a very decent opener to the album and to the band, and the lyrics are very easy to understand, he's explaining that if he had one night with a girl, they'll be unstoppable. A very good upbeat song which is very enjoyable to listen to.

Memorable Lyrics: "And all this is burning in my soul, it fills up to my throat, It fills up till my heart is breaking"

Rating: 7/10 (Considering this is one of the weaker tracks on the album, it's still fantastic)
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Track 2: Nothing's changed
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One of the darker rocky tracks on the album. The track is probably one of the weaker ones, but the lyrics and his voice really do make up for the instruments not really going too well for his voice. It's a lot better when it's preformed live, however I do still think it's a great track, it just doesn't always seem to work well together in places.

Memorable Lyrics: "An outcast coming home, opinions stay the same, They'll spit them out and spin me right back through the door, The louder that we scream, the more invisible we seem, Is it gonna last forever Now I'm learning the lies, From the skies where they reign, Can't find shelter for myself, And you're all to blame"

Rating: 5/10 (A good track, but something just doesn't seem to fit. Probably the weakest track on the album)

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Track 3: Wherever You Will Go
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Probably one of the most beautiful tracks ever written and preformed. I can listen to it over and over again and I swear each time the lyrics and his voice just make me melt. It's an amazing song and it really showed what this band was capable of. It was the first song released by this band and probably the best ever released song however there is one song on this album that I believe either beats it or is at least on the same wave length. This song is well worth listening to and all of the songs behind it just follow suit.

Memorable Lyrics: "And maybe, I'll find out, The way to make it back someday, To watch you, to guide you, Through the darkest of your days, If a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us all, Well I hope there's someone out there, Who can bring me back to you"

Rating: 10/10 (A fantastic track, definitely one of the best on the album. So beautiful)

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Track 4: Could It Be Any Harder
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Not really like a lot of the songs on the album, it's more of a pop song than a rock song, but the one thing that really shines in this song has to be Alex Band's voice. It's so raw and so mature sounding, and it goes so well with this song. I have heard this song being preformed live and acoustic and I have to say it's just pure brilliance, he really let go whilst Kamin was playing guitar, it was one of the best performances I've ever seen on youtube. A gorgeous song about pain and loss and is just an amazing piece of music.

Memorable Lyrics: "You left me with goodbye and open arms, A cut so deep I don't deserve, You were always invincible in my eyes, the only thing against us now is time"

Rating: 9/10 (A pop song but still an amazing performance by Alex Band, if you ever get to hear it done acoustically do. It's even better)

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Track 5: Final Answer
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Another good strong track, it's got some gorgeous lyrics and his voice really shines through especially at the start. It's a very mid tempo kind of song and not the best on the album, however the power of his voice really does work best when the song is more acoustic kind of style and at the start it begins as an acoustic piece and then livens up. The song itself is beautiful and well preformed.

Memorable Lyrics: "So light me again, cause my heart is turning black"
Rating: 7/10 (A great addition to the Cd, well worth listening too)

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Track 6: Adrienne
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This is a great song, very rocky and totally my kind of style of music. It starts off quite slow, but then goes straight into a typical rock song, preformed brilliantly by Kamin and Band. One of their best on the album and probably ever. It should have been a pop song, I think if any one else ever try's to cover it that is what it'll turn out to be, however with Band's vocals it's a great rock track about a girl called Adrienne who cheats on him, he's singing about how good he was to her but she eventually used him.

Memorable Lyrics: "Spent my money, drove my car, I treated you like a shining star, But in my sky all burnt out you are, And I'll have the last laugh, when I see you walking with some other guy, 'Cause I know you're gone end up all alone, So take these words, some good advice, All you've done gonna come back twice, You never cared how much it hurt, I really need to tell you"

Rating: 9/10 (A great up beat song and a great addition to the album)

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Track 7: We're Forgiven
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This song shows off Alex's raw but velvet tones brilliantly. Like usual the lyrics are perfect but this song is more about his vocals than anything. I read somewhere that the song was about Band passing homless people on the street and not paying them any attention and not giving them anything, but still having all of the fun in the world, however he'll never be forgiven. A great track.

Memorable Lyrics: "So we laugh, and we smile, and we play our games of sweet denial, but don't tell me we're forgiven"

Rating: 8/10 (A very good track and a great addition to the album, it's a bit more bluesy than the others, but is still a gorgeous and easy song to listen too)

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Track 8: Things Don't Always Turn Out That Way
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Not too keen on the start to this track. Kamin manages to get the guitar to sound like a bass, and it goes so well with Band's voice, this would have been so much better if they had kept it like this, but it becomes like every other calling track and very poppy in the chorus which is a shame however that's only for around 20 seconds and then their back to what this track should have stayed out. It should have been brilliant as Band's vocals are amazing and as usual Kamin's playing is fantastic however in my opinion the chorus ruins it. The lyrics are not as powerful as other songs as well.

Memorable Lyrics: "Well he can't sleep at night, And he can't do what's right, It was all because she came into his life, it's a deep obsession, taking up his time"

Rating: 5/10 (A good song about a guy who can't get up the courage to tell a girl he likes her)

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Track 9: Just That Good
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One of the well known tracks on the album, it starts off very slow and the vocals are just pure brilliance like usual but by the end it gets a bit more up-tempo however it's not as good as all of the others. Like most of the songs on the track, it's powered by some fantastic lyrics but most importantly Band's vocals which are really brilliant.

Memorable Lyrics: "Don't hate me cause I'm just that good"

Rating: 7/10 (A great song, not a favourite but still a great track)

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Track 10: Thank You
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This is another great track; if you're a fan of Adrienne you'll like this. It's a lot up-tempo and his voice is really raw in this song. Kamin shines through on this album as the guitar solo is just magnificent. It's not got the most powerful lyrics like all of the others but I think it's one of the songs that Alex's voice really shines in and he really lets it loose. Enjoyable listen.

Memorable Lyrics: "Look around, the writing's on the wall, Don't you think we're all feeling crazed, In a world, where nothing's as it seems, Paved with broken dreams, i found truth, My God, I should know you're right, I should know it's right to say I think you for my days"

Rating: 8/10 (Great track, not very different from Adrienne. One of the rockier tracks on the album with Kamin's guitar playing shining)

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Track 11: Stigmatized
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Probably my favourite after Wherever You Will Go, it's done with just Alex Band's vocals and a guitar and I just think it's the most beautiful piece of acoustic material ever. The lyrics are amazing and the best bit is the rawness of Alex Band's voice, you can feel the pain and all of the emotion in his voice through each syllable and through each lyric. If you like the song Iris by Goo Goo Dolls then you will love this and I hate to say it but I think it's even better. There's a solo in the middle where Kamin is let loose and it's really amazing, and really shows his talents off as well as Band's. I could listen to this song again, just because everything works so well together.

Memorable Lyrics: "If I give up on you, I give up on me, if we find what's true, will we ever be, even god himself and the faith anew, shouldn't hold me back, shouldn't keep me from you, tease me, by holding out your hand, and leave me, well take me as I am, we'll live our lives, stigmatized"

Rating: 10/10 (Such an amazing song, I have nothing but praise for it. If you buy this album just for Wherever You Will Go like I know a lot do, you won't be disappointed with this song)

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Track 12: Wherever You Will Go (live)
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A better version of the original one, it's unlike most Live tracks as it doesn't have the crowd screaming, it's just Alex Band and the guitar singing along to these beautiful lyrics to make it THE best track on the album. Band's voice is a lot rawer and a lot more powerful when he sings acoustically and this track really hones in on that fact. It's a gorgeous recording which is a fantastic addition to the CD, an amazing piece of music.

Memorable Lyrics: "Well I know now, just quite how, my life and love might still go on, in your heart, in your mind, I'll stay with you, for all of time"

Rating: 10/10 (Such a beautiful acoustic version of the song that everyone loves. I could listen to this over and over again and never get bored. Brilliant)

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My Opinion
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I could listen to this album over and over again and never get bored. Two of my favourite songs of all time are on this album and they are just pure brilliance. The one thing that really works for this band is the simplicity of the songs. A lot of the times it's just Band's vocals and Kamin's guitar, no extra music, just them and it works so well especially with the likes of Stigmatized and Wherever You Will Go Live. These are two pieces of extraordinary music.

The vocals are really the thing that shines out for me. I actually remember the first time I watched the music video of Wherever You Will Go back all of those years ago and I remember sitting there looking at this blonde haired, blonde eyed 20 something singer who stepped up to the microphone and was absolutely mesmerized when I heard what came out of his mouth. He doesn't look like his voice actually belongs to him, it's a very deep and moving voice, which can make any piece of music sound beautiful.

The thing that he doesn't do which is quite annoying on this album is let go, he shows what power he has on the live version of Wherever You Will Go and Stigmatized, but the other tracks don't have the same wow factor as those other two. He could sing the yellow pages and I'll still tune in and listen as his voice is just pure magnificence.

Camino Palmero is truly one of the best albums to ever be released and it's a shame that the band's second album, titled II didn't do as well, despite the fact I found myself for some reason having three copies of it, it didn't have the same scope of different genres and his voice despite being still powerful sounded too pushed. He's gone on to become a solo artist but like II it didn't do as well and would never live up to the power that was Camino Palmero.

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The Vocals
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Truly awesome, he has this velvet but still raw kind of tone to his voice which in my opinion demands attention, you really feel like you have to listen to every word he is saying. There are some tracks on the album where his voice seems to be held back which is a real shame as in the last two tracks on the album, he really lets loose and shows everyone the power that his voice has. A truly unique and amazing voice which will touch you to your soul.

Rating: 10/10

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The Lyrics
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Some of the lyrics are just amazing, very strong and very honest. Each lyric however is delivered by such force by the lead singer that I wouldn't care what the hell he is singing as long as he was singing it. Some of the lyrics are just amazing; especially in my favourite track Wherever You Will Go.

"So lately been wondering, who will be there to take my place, when I'm gone, you'll need love, to light the shadows on your face, if a great wave shall fall, and fall upon us all, and between the sand and stone, could you make it on your own?"

Such beautiful music delivered by such a talented artist.

Rating: 10/10

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The Guitarist
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This guy is very talented. The band is joined by other musicians on most of the tracks but Alex & Aaron stay constant and they produce time and time again this amazing piece of music. Aaron Kamin is a very talented musician, he gets a chance to let loose in this album and he even gets a solo every now and then. Brilliant.

Rating: 10/10

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The Album As A Whole
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There are some weak tracks however none that go under 5/10, they all have something about them, whether it's the amazing beat, Alex's vocals, the truly amazing lyrics or the whole thing put together they work so well together. It's such an easy listening album however you do find yourself wanting to listen to each word he says as it's just magical. A truly amazing album, it's a shame it wasn't done the second time around with the second album.

Rating: 9/10

The album is let down but some weaker numbers, however everything just works so well together and they are a truly talented band that you find yourself not caring about those.

Please check out this album as its one not to miss.

Hoped this helped. Please rate and comment, love to hear your opinion.

© Kirsty

Summary: Really worth listening too, some of the greatest songs ever on this CD.