View source for Call the Police (LCD Soundsystem song)

{{Infobox song
| name       = Call the Police
| cover      = LCD Soundsystem - Call the Police and American Dream cover art.jpg
| alt        =
| border     = yes
| caption    = Double A-side single cover art
| type       = single
| artist     = [[LCD Soundsystem]]
| album      = [[American Dream (LCD Soundsystem album)|American Dream]]
| B-side     = "American Dream" (double A-side)
| released   = {{start date|2017|05|05}}
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| genre      =
* [[Post-punk]]
* [[alternative rock]]
* [[art rock]]
* [[synth-funk]]<ref>{{cite web|last= Rolling Stone Staff |title= 50 Best Songs of 2017 |website= [[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]] |date= November 29, 2017 |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-best-songs-of-2017-116129/|quote=  Seven minutes of strangely liberating synth-funk paranoia from the masters of dancing through the bad vibes.|accessdate= November 6, 2022}}</ref>
| length     = {{Duration|m=7|s=01}}
| label      = * [[DFA Records|DFA]]
* [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer     = * [[James Murphy (electronic musician)|James Murphy]]
* [[Al Doyle]]
| producer   = James Murphy
| prev_title = [[Christmas Will Break Your Heart]]
| prev_year  = 2015
| title      =
| next_title = [[Tonite (LCD Soundsystem song)|Tonite]]
| next_year  = 2017
}}
"'''Call the Police'''" is a song by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[LCD Soundsystem]]. It was released together with "American Dream" as a digital double A-side single on May 5, 2017, through [[DFA Records]] and [[Columbia Records]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/call-the-police-american-dream-lcd-soundsystem/0886446500683 |title=call the police / american dream : LCD Soundsystem |website=[[Qobuz]] |access-date=August 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816234617/http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/call-the-police-american-dream-lcd-soundsystem/0886446500683 |archive-date=August 16, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''[[American Dream (LCD Soundsystem album)|American Dream]]'' (2017). The song peaked at number 78 in Scotland and number 26 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Rock Songs]] chart.
==Background and composition==
Prior to the official release of the song, "Call the Police" was first performed live during one of the band's sets at the then-recently opened Brooklyn Steel venue in [[Brooklyn, New York]]. It was performed during the first encore of their April 6 show, where it was known as "Call Police" on the setlist. The band had made a plea to those in attendance at the show, asking them not to film their performance so they could officially release the track the way they wish to do so.<ref name="nme tour">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/lcd-soundsystem-debut-new-songs-first-gig-2017-2037556 |title=LCD Soundsystem debut new songs at first gig of 2017 |last=Trendell |first=Andrew |magazine=[[NME]] |publication-date=April 7, 2017 |access-date=April 7, 2017}}</ref>
"Call the Police" was mixed by [[Dave Sardy]] at his studio in [[Los Angeles]] and mastered by [[Bob Weston]] at Chicago Mastering Service.<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/7784306/lcd-soundsystem-new-singles-snl |title=LCD Soundsystem Will Drop Two New Singles at Midnight, Perform Them on 'Saturday Night Live' |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publication-date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref> The track has been noted as a [[post-punk]] song by some music critics.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a57283/lcd-soundsystem-american-dream-review/ |title=LCD Soundsystem Is Back. But This Is Not the Same LCD Soundsystem. |last=Miller |first=Matt |date=September 1, 2017 |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |access-date=September 1, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/music/2017/aug/31/lcd-soundsystems-american-dream/ |title=LCD Soundsystem's 'American Dream' delivers the sonic punch to drown out the chaos around us |last=Carter |first=Geoff |date=August 31, 2017 |website=[[Las Vegas Weekly]] |access-date=September 1, 2017}}</ref> Eric Shorey of ''[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]]'' felt as though the song didn't deviate too far away from the band's general style of music, noting that "it's not hard to imagine the new jam entering the canon of [[dance-punk]] classics."<ref name="nylon">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nylon.com/articles/lcd-soundsystem-call-the-police |title="Call the Police:" LCD Soundsystem Dropped A New Song |last=Shorey |first=Eric |publisher=[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]] |publication-date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> The track drew comparisons to the work of [[David Bowie]]; [[James Murphy (electronic musician)|James Murphy]]'s vocals were compared to Bowie's,<ref name="usa">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/05/05/lcd-soundsystem-skirts-politics-songs-call-police-american-dream/101324018/ |title=LCD Soundsystem skirts politics on songs 'Call the Police,' 'American Dream' |last=McDermott |first=Maeve |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref> the guitars were noted as similar to those of his song "[["Heroes" (David Bowie song)|'Heroes']]",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/05/lcd-soundsystem-call-the-police-american-dream.html |title=LCD Soundsystem Is Back With Two New Songs, "American Dream" and "Call the Police" |last=Russell |first=Scott |magazine=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name="state">{{Cite web |url=http://state.ie/features/79380 |title=Special: Listen to two new tracks from LCD Soundsystem |last=Ryan |first=Seán |publisher=[[State (magazine)|State]] |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=May 20, 2017 |archive-date=May 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519152339/http://state.ie/features/79380 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Rhian Daly of ''[[NME]]'' wrote that the song "shares the galactic explorer feel of some of Bowie‘s finest work," using his "[[Moonage Daydream]]" track as an example.<ref name="nme">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/lcd-soundsystem-hint-career-best-album-new-songs-call-police-american-dream-2066112 |title=LCD Soundsystem hint at career best album with new songs 'Call The Police' and 'American Dream' |last=Daly |first=Rhian |magazine=[[NME]] |publication-date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=May 20, 2017}}</ref> Comparisons were also drawn to [[U2]],<ref name="spin review">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.spin.com/2017/05/lcd-soundsystem-call-the-police-review/ |title=On "Call the Police," LCD Soundsystem Are Just as Confused as the Rest of Us |last=Cook-Wilson |first=Winston |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref> [[Brian Eno]], and [[New Order (band)|New Order]], particularly their song "[[Procession (New Order song)|Procession]]", the melody of which ''[[Pitchfork (magazine)|Pitchfork]]'' noted "Call the Police" "borrow[ed] liberally from".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/19067-lcd-soundsystem-call-the-policeamerican-dream/ |title="Call the Police"/"American Dream" |last=Sherburne |first=Philip |magazine=[[Pitchfork (magazine)|Pitchfork]] |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>
==Release==
"Call the Police" was released alongside "American Dream" as a double A-side single digitally on May 5, 2017;<ref name="p4k bnt">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/19067-lcd-soundsystem-call-the-policeamerican-dream/ |title="Call the Police"/"American Dream" by LCD Soundsystem Review |last=Sherburne |first=Philip |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/call-the-police-american-dream-single/id1231631142 |title=call the police / american dream - Single by LCD Soundsystem |publisher=[[Apple Music]] U.S. |publication-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> they were made available once midnight was reached in one's [[time zone]].<ref name="av">{{cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/lcd-soundsystem-release-2-new-songs-tonight-midnig-254781 |title=LCD Soundsystem to release 2 new songs tonight at midnight |last=Gerardi |first=Matt |newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]] |publication-date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref> The release acts as the band's first non-Christmas single in seven years (if "[[Christmas Will Break Your Heart]]" is not counted).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2017/05/07/527258105/lcd-soundsystem-brought-its-new-songs-to-saturday-night-live |title=LCD Soundsystem Brought Its New Songs To 'Saturday Night Live' |last=Hart |first=Otis |website=NPR |date=7 May 2017 |publisher=[[NPR]] |publication-date=May 7, 2017 |access-date=May 27, 2017}}</ref> The single release was accompanied by a post on the band's official Facebook page, which also included an update regarding the progress of their upcoming studio album.<ref name="av"/> The band later performed "Call the Police" during the May 6 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''{{'}}s [[Saturday Night Live (season 42)|42nd season]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7785003/lcd-soundsystem-snl |title=Watch LCD Soundsystem Perform 'American Dream' and 'Call the Police' on 'SNL' |last=Tarnoff |first=Brooke |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publication-date=May 7, 2017 |access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref>
==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital release<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/LCD-Soundsystem-Call-The-Police-American-Dream/release/10239876 |title=LCD Soundsystem – Call The Police / American Dream |website=[[Discogs]] |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref>
| total_length = 13:14
| title1  = Call the Police
| length1 = 7:01
| title2  = American Dream
| length2 = 6:13
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Promotional CD single<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/12024299-Call-The-Police/images |title=Images for LCD Soundsystem - Call the Police |website=[[Discogs]] |access-date=December 26, 2019}}</ref>
| total_length = 11:12
| title1  = Call the Police
| note1   = radio edit
| length1 = 4:11
| title2  = Call the Police
| length2 = 7:01
}}
==Personnel==
All personnel adapted from ''American Dream'' liner notes.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=[[American Dream (LCD Soundsystem album)|American Dream]]|others=[[LCD Soundsystem]]|year=2017|type=album liner notes|publisher=[[DFA Records]]; [[Columbia Records]]}}</ref>
* [[James Murphy (electronic musician)|James Murphy]] — vocals, drums, [[Roland Rhythm 33|Roland TR-33]], snaps, bass guitar, guitar, piano, [[ARP Odyssey]], [[EMS Synthi AKS]], [[ARP Omni|ARP Omni II]], Oberheim SEM
* [[Al Doyle]] — Korg Delta, guitar, vocals
* Korey Richey — vocals
* [[Dave Sardy]] — mixing
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2017)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
{{singlechart|Scotland|78|date=2017-05-12|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 16, 2017}}
|-
{{single chart|UKdownload|91|date=20170512|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2020}}
|-
{{singlechart|Billboardrocksongs|26|artist=LCD Soundsystem|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 16, 2017}}
|-
!scope="row" | US [[Hot Singles Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite web | title = Billboard.biz Only Songs search | url = https://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f[0]=ts_chart_artistname%3Alcd%20soundsystem&f[1]=sm_field_chart_type%3A%22singles%22&f[2]=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=2&artist=lcd%20soundsystem&detail=1 | publisher = billboard.com | accessdate = May 16, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| align="center" | 5
|-
|}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{LCD Soundsystem}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:LCD Soundsystem songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by James Murphy (electronic musician)]]
[[Category:2017 singles]]
[[Category:2017 songs]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Dance-punk songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Al Doyle]]