Call My Name made for a reasonably strong 1967 soul LP by the standards of most soul singers. It just wasn't one of the standouts in the career of
Etta James, given the very high standards she set with her best work. It's certainly OK, but it's tilted toward her more aggressive side, with brassy arrangements and without some of the smoldering ballads that were also highlights of her work. As it also features just one R&B hit, "I Prefer You," it might be something more for serious fans than for general soul or
James admirers. Co-producer
Monk Higgins has a big hand in the songwriting, co-writing the majority of the tunes, including a couple of the bluesier highlights, "Nobody Loves Me" and "It Must Be Your Love." A couple of covers of familiar classics, "You Are My Sunshine" and
Curtis Mayfield's "It's All Right," seem a bit like filler. It's certainly a mixed bag of tunes. ~ Richie Unterberger