Living Colour - Vivid
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Free Music Notes for Vivid
Free Music Review: Their first of two fantastic albums
Hit: 5 Stars
Living Colour released their debut album Vivid in 1988. At this time, the music scene was being dominated by hard rock bands such as Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, and Poison to name a few who primarily pushed the party hearty message to the hilt. Manufactured pop acts like New Kids On The Block and Tiffany were also huge and produced music with similar lyrical content. In addition, there also existed a sameness to many of the popular bands of this era. A rock band was a rock band and they would not deviate or challenge themselves musically. A band needed to come along to shake things up, to not only write lyrics which dealt with real life issues but also mix this with great songs that could combine genres of rock, funk, soul, and punk among others. While bands like Fishbone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Jane's Addiction were doing this with little success, it was Living Colour who would the first to both break down the walls of musical stagnation and attain critical and commercial success. Their breakthrough would change the musical landscape from the "Let's rock, let's party" message that record companies and MTV was jamming down the public's throats.
Vivid is a fantastic album that shows a band that can do it all musically and could speak intelligently of the issues of the day. The opening track "Cult Of Personality" would become the band's biggest hit containing an instantly memorable riff, wild soloing from guitarist Vernon Reid, and lyrics attacking the way some politicians try to manipulate the public. The tracks "Desperate People" and "Middle Man" are the heaviest songs and like "Cult Of Personality" contain killer riffs and a strong message. "Funny Vibe" is equally carried by its anti-racist statement as well as the strong rhythm section of bassist Muzz Skillings and drummer Will Calhoun. "What's Your Favorite Color?" continues in the same funk vein, sounding more like a salute to James Brown with its loud horn blasts. The pop/rock of "I Want To Know", the Hawaiian sounding "Broken Hearts", and the funk-rock hit "Glamour Boys" are also outstanding. "Which Way to America?" is another great track that gets funky during the verses and very heavy during the choruses. The cover of the the Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait" is also very good. Finally, "Open Letter (To A Landlord)" with its Corey Glover's heartfelt vocals, its stellar arrangement, and its lyrics dealing with slumlords, an often overlooked problem in society, is the band's greatest track which still sends chills, especially during its outro. The first of two masterpieces from the band, the other being Time's Up, Vivid is a classic album, not only of hard rock, but of all music. Highly recommended.
Free Music Review: Vivid is Right!
Hit: 5 Stars
5 Stars = Masterpiece
Living Colour came on big time in 1989 with the hit song "Cult of Personality" from their hit album "Vivid." I remember the first time I heard this song on MTV (MTV actually turned me onto many great artists 1988-1993) & it walloped me upside the head & kicked me in the gut! Wow, I had to have the album!! I then went out & promptly bought "Vivid," which became one of my favorite albums of all time!
Living Colour on "Vivid" cooked an intoxicating brew of funk, punk, metal & jazz of the likes I had not heard of since Pat Travers ground breaking funk, metal, and jazz of the late 70's. I was instantly addicted, especially to Vernon Reid all encompassing mastery of the guitar. Reid was just incredible, bringing all his fusion tricks to the table in a flagrant dazzling display of pure guitar genius! The rest of the band chimed in behind Reid right in the pocket. Talk about a killer rhythm section that could bounce of rails, zig zag back & forth, go from a snails pace to the speed of light & back again, all in the blink of an eye, wow! I can honestly say Living Colour played circles around 99.9% of the competition. Singer Corey Glover was the icing on top of the cake, his vocals changing gears right along with the music, from a velvet smothness, to a lions roar, to a moaning cry, with out a hint of strain. I just couldn't help being drawn in to the swirling exotic vortex of melodies, time changes, atonishing guitar, & that voice! Songs like "Desperate People" & "Memories Can't Wait" just blew my mind & ears. "What's Your Favorite Colour" grooved hard, funky & jazzy right in to the center of my brain, making my [...] wiggle & my feet dance. I literally wore the grooves out of the vinyl. "Vivid" bringing me back time after time again to my turntable,& after 17 years, I'm still in love with this masterpiece!
If you want to hear some of the most ambitious & imaginative heavy metal to come out of the late 80's, early 90's, heck, the whole heavy metal genre, reach no farther than "Vivid" & its follow up "Times Up," I think your ears will reward you! Mine did!
Free Music Review: A seminal "black" rock album for the 90s!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Now you can tear a building down
But you can't erase a memory
These houses may look all run down
But they have a value you can't see...
Now this is a MESSAGE. Vernon Reid, Will Calhoun, Corey Glover, and Doug Wimbish tried to send a message in the most vocal and the loudest way they could - through good old fashioned Rock-n-Roll.
Living Colour was from New York, and they tried to make 'message music' popular. They first formed in the mid-'80s, as they first started out at the famed CBGB's. They actually found an unlikely supporter in Mick Jagger, who took the band under his wing, produced a demo for the quartet, and helped them secure a record deal with Epic
"Cult of Personality" was all over MTV, but I think their best work was ignored by the media, even though they took home their first of several Grammy Awards, as "Cult" won Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989, and the band toured with the Rolling Stones' first U.S. tour in eight years.
With such tracks as "Open Letter to a Landlord," "Funny Vibe," among others, they showed they had the goods. C'mon, you have to rock out to this, but LEARN their messages, too.
I remember buying this CD and listening to it over and over, knowing they could really be a force for positivity, yet still make my ears ring!
Please, do yourself a favor, buy this NOW!
Rock on!
Free Music Review: Colour This Great
Hit: 5 Stars
Living Colour exploded onto the music in 1989 with Vivid their powerful debut record. The band explored subjects such as racism, living conditions in the inner cities and the style but no substance lifestyle. Vernon Reid is one of the best guitarists around and he plays in manic, buzzsaw style. Muzz Skillings and Will Calhoun provide a solid rhythm section with Mr. Skillings playing an extremely heavy bass. Corey Glover plays the rock frontman to a tee. "Cult Of Personality" is a monumental rock song with Mr. Reid's guitar work standing out. The song is intercut with snippets of dialogue from political leaders like JFK & FDR. "Middle Man", "Desperate People" & "Broken Hearts' are all great songs while "Memories Can Wait" is an interesting cover of an old Talking Heads song. "Open Letter (To A Landlord)" may be the best song on the album with Mr. Glover really letting loose on it. Mick Jagger shows up as producer on two tracks, "Glamour Boys" & "Which Way To America" and the songs have a funkier vibe. The album was a top ten hit and the band toured with the Stones on their Steel Wheels tour. The band made a couple more solid records after Vivid, but none of them could match its excellent. Unfortunately, the band has faded into obscurity and finally disbanded.Free Music Review: black hard rock classic
Hit: 5 Stars
its probably what got me into rock,and got me to start my own all black female band (read my profile),and it also proove to people black people can do rock just as good as whites if not better(after all we made the genre).a great group that went against the grain of all the pop rock hairband fluff that was playing in the late 80's.
living color camed along and gave us lyrics with real life issues,the singer cory glover was a real singer,i'm talking real singing not chris cornnell type yelling.and vernon reid's guitar playing rivals jimmy page and otherhigh profile white guitarists (yeah i said it).he's also the reason i picked up a guitar and started to rock out.the things he does with a guitar is mind boggeling (listen to his solo cd)
one thing i like about black rockers is that they take rock/metal back to its roots,by fusing,it with jazz,reggae,soul,punk,blues,and even adding modern black music like hip-hop.white bands tried to do this,and some even done it well if you believe that.but living color and other black bands mastered it. either way this is a great album,and probabley one of the best rock albums of the 80's if not THE best rock album of the screw that this is/was the best rock album of the 80's,and what a great way to close it out aswell.