Customer Reviews

Vivid

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The liner notes on this remaster make references to later-era "rap/metal hybrids" like Rage Against the Machine and Linkin Park. Stylistically, this debut record from one of the most successful all-Black rock bands owes more to the funk and punk and Bad Brains and Red Hot Chili Peppers than to Run DMC or Public Enemy. Here's a song-by-song review:

1. Cult of Personality. Unless you were living under a rock in 1989, you know this signature tune and hard rock classic - the powerful vocals of Corey Glover, the metal/jazz guitar explosion, the Zepplenesque drumming.

2. I Want to Know. If there is a single weak track on this record, it is this very simple pop-rock tune.

3. Middle Man. Although often forgotten, this funky rocker was actually the first single and breakthrough to rock radio.

4. Desparate People. A dose of punk, an lyrical omage to Led Zeppelin, and a whole lotta hard rock make this one a live staple.

5. Open Letter (to a Landlord). This was one of their breakthrough hits, a social commentary backed up by simple balladry versus punk sensibilities.

6. Funny Vibe. On comes the tongue-in-cheek funk with "social commentary" by Chuck D and Flava Flav.

7. Memories Can't Wait. The fact that they would cover Talking Heads on their debut is not so suprising given their CBGBs background, but the blistering guitar work is shockingly good.

8. Broken Hearts. With a little help from their friends (Mick Jaggar on harmonica), the band combines the blues with some hip-hop beats.

9. Glamour Boys. As perhaps the most infectious hit from the summer of 1989, on this one, they combine elements of reggae, funk, and metal and a little help from Mick Jaggar (who contributed background vocals and production).

10. What's Your Favorite Colour? Clocking in at under 2 minutes, this is simply the funky theme song for the band and is just fun filler.

11. Which Way to America? A heavy-handed bass line drives the indicting lyrics into your conciousness as a perfect end to the original record.

Although I am not usually a big fan of remixes, the remix of "Funny Vibe" one, accompanied by additional production of Prince Paul and a horn section, is arguably better than the original. Furthermore, having seen them do this metal/punk laden Clash cover tune, "Should I Stay or Should I Go", on their first tour, I was glad to see it on the first single from their second record and it is a welcome addition here. The other bonus tracks (remix of "What's Your Favorite Color" and live versions of "Middle Man" and "Cult of Personality") are disposable.

Overall, this is a great package, and comparing it to the original CD release, benefits from remastering. I just hope Epic sees fit to do the same justice to their second record, 'Time's Up' (1990), which yielded classics "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" and "Solace of You".

Living Colour is a band whose appearance gets more attention than their music-- being the "all black" heavy metal group seems to be more critical to the press and publicity folks than anything else. Indeed, the cover of this reissue bears a sticker that reads "the groundbreaking rap/rock fusion album", which leads me to believe entirely that the person who put that sticker on there had never actually heard Living Colour before.

Living Colour grew out of the Black Rock Coalition-- an organization started by (among others) guitarist Vernon Reid for black musicians interested in playing rock music. Reid, British born but a longtime New York resident, was well known on the downtown New York jazz scenes courtesy of his tenure in Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society. An guitarist of unnerving technique and speed, he assembled a number of bands under the name Living Colour before settling on this quartet-- bassist Muzz Skillings, drummer Will Calhoun (both graduates of the Berklee School of Muisc) and vocalist Corey Glover (who Reid met at a birthday party and was suitably impressed with a rendition of "Happy Birthday"). In Skillings and particularly Calhoun, Reid had a rhythm section with the ability to express themselves in dozens of forms, and in Glover he had a vocalist who could produce depths of soul or rage upon demand. Somehow Mick Jagger became hip to them, and the result was a deal with Sony and their debut album, "Vivid".

Essentially an album of extraordinarily well executed hard rock music-- with more in common with Led Zeppelin than contemporary "metal" acts, "Vivid" is a fantastic debut. What makes the album is the level of subtlety in the music-- take hit song "Cult of Personality"-- essentially riff-based rock, it's so well executed that you barely notice the rhythm guitar drops out during Reid's solo as Skillings managed to fill the space. But while the opener is a slab of hard rock, the band moves through soulful metal (the unbelievable "Open Letter to a Landlord"), great rock ("Middle Man"), fantastic love songs ("I Want to Know"), funk ("Funny Vibe") and the Talking Heads ("Memories Can't Wait"). Along the way, the band tackles topics as politics ("Cult of Personality"), housing ("Open Letter..."), racism ("Funny Vibe") and the failure of the American dream ("Which Way to America?"). The album's not altogether flawless-- "Middle Man" lacks the energy it'd carry live, "What's Your Favorite Color?" was a spectacularly bad idea, and I'm one of the folks who just can't deal with glitzy pop song "Glamour Boys", but there's so much good on here, it's easy to forget.

This reissue is augmented by a series of bonus tracks-- a couple live performances, a performance of "Funny Vibe" featuring a full rap vocal, and a stunning cover of the Clash classic "Should I Stay Or Should I Go". In addition, it benefits vastly from remastering with extraordinarily enhanced sound.

Living Colour did better albums, but this one is no slouch, and probably the best place to begin examining their career. Recommended.

I have an original 1988 CBS Records version of this disc, manufactured by EPIC Records. It's a great album that I consider a "Classic". When I saw that a remastered version was being offered, with bonus tracks, I decided to pick it up. I appreciate the upgraded sound quality. The lower end is greatly enhanced. Now you can easily hear just how well Muzz Skillings was playing those great, funky bass-lines.

Just to let everybody know, the song What's Your Favorite Color? (Theme Song) has been chopped on the remastered version down to about 1:44. The first time I listened to it, I thought my cd player had skipped to the next track prematurely! The original version was 3:55 and contained twice the lyrics plus another bridge. So... if you buy the remaster, don't get rid of that old copy before you decide to keep it for that one older "full-length" track.

I think this is a great album. I already had the original and bought the remaster hoping to have the sound spruced up a bit. However, it sounds worse than the original. The bass is muddy and overbearing, the highs sound muffled, and its got to be by far the loudest CD I now own. If you have the original, stay with it. If not, then I suggest you find one.

hello!---I have been a very big fan of LC for a long time. I have most if not all of their releases and cd-singles with bonus tracks. the remastering job has improved the sound--the bonus tracks are fine--but basically unneeded. I have all of them on different recording --so it is no big deal for me--but the casual fan will enjoy the additions. a few more pictures and liner notes to help you learn more about the band. I am unsure as to why EPIC-LEGACY wanted to put this product out(GREED) or how many dedicated fans will want to shell out for things they probably already have in their collections(like me). in summation, LIVING COLOUR is a truely talented band with great musicianship, topical lyrics and a knack for writing good songs. those who have never heard of this wonderful inspired work or have never listened to any of LC music---THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS!!!!!

It was 1988. I was a young black man who was a fan of rock and metal. I just bought my first car and the first thing I did was drive to Vintage Vinyl in U.City and buy a copy of Vivid on cassette tape. My life was changed forever with the first rift of Cult of Personality! I never heard anything that powerful, that raw. I blasted that tape, unashamed that I was a head banging brotha, for the rest of that year!!! Living Colour changed the map of rock with this release. The reissue takes it to another level. The added tracks are welcomed, Should I Stay... is a classic. I saw LC in '89 at Mississippi Night, I have been a diehard fan ever since. Buy this CD, it's an incredable intro to a higher from of rock.

I was 18, in the army when I first heard CULT OF PERSONALITY on the radio. I was blown away. I had never heard music like that before and the first chance I got, I went out and got a copy of VIVID. Now this is the third time I have bought this album and I still believe I get my money worths. These guys really know how to play and I think its a shame that they cant get played on the radio today. The songs on this album are so much better than everything in todays music scene. You want great tunes, than this is a great album to start. Beside PERSONALITY, we have the killer songs: MIDDLE MAN, I WANT TO KNOW, GLAMOUR BOYS, OPEN LETTER(TO A LANDLORD), WHICH WAY TO AMERICA, and DESPERATE PEOPLE. This album benefits from being remasted and the sound quality is so great. I can still put this album on and never get tired of listening to it. That my friends is a sign of how good an album is. Even the bonus songs are worth listening to, I enjoy the cover of SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO. If you are looking for good music, than pick up this album. I dont think you will be disappointed.

I first heard of Living Colour when I was in high school and Cult of Personality was getting lots of play on MTV. At the time, most Black musicians were into R&B or rap. A Black rock group was a novelty. I didn't know what to make of this group of rockers back then, but now I can appreciate the genius of their sound. Living Colour is equal parts rock and funk with a bit of rap added in for good measure-- Chuck D. and Flava Flav guest on "Funny Vibe." Their lyrics are full of social commentary and critical thought that is lacking from today's popular music.

Living Colour touched on racism, gentrification, economic exploitation and a whole host of other social issues without being preachy. "Which Way to America?" still rings true today as there are still many folks who lives are not anywhere close to the American dream. "Funny Vibe" is basically about racial profiling -- a bane on the existence of law abiding Black folks. "Cult of Personality," their most widely played single, is about how the masses are willingly played by their leaders who get by on charisma.

For all their social consciousness, Corey Glover and the guys still know how to rock. I love the bass lines and the guitar riffs, and I swear this music forces me to workout harder each time I pump it at the gym. I just wished that I had given this group a chance when they first debuted.

I remember hearing Cult of Personality on Mtv when it was new and I loved it. I bought the album that same week and loved every song. My Fav on this CD is Desperate People. The extras are really good with the exception of the cover of the Clash Classic "Should I Stay or should I Go" I think this has to be the worst cover of an awesome song since Krokus covered Ballroom Blitz! Otherwise the Remastering is wonderful.

When Living Colour released their first album in the late 80's, I remember them being touted as a black heavy metal group. Their first album was released when the whole hair metal thing was in full stride. However, Living Colour was much more than that. Although, this wasn't their best album, it was a phenomenal debut. With radio songs like Cult of Personality, Middle Man, and Glamour Boys and much better songs like Funny Vibe, Desperate People, Open Letter to a Landlord, Memories Can't Wait, Which Way to America, this album presented a good combination of pop, jazzy, funky tunes that you could listen to over and over again. They had a very, very unique sound. Just listen to the funky bassline on Funny Vibe to know what I mean. Instead of only singing about love, sex, and the latest girlfriend, they dove into topics like racism, politics, social justice. I wish more artists would do that today. In fact on their 2nd album, in my opinion, their best, they leave the pop world behind and explore something much more interesting, and in the end, much better. The extras are found on some of their older releases, but they are all worth having.