This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Vivid

Living Colour

1988

Vivid
Album Summary

Vivid is the debut studio album by American band Living Colour, released on May 3, 1988, through Epic Records. It was one of the most popular albums of 1988, peaking at #6 on the US Billboard 200 chart and certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.17

Votes

10571
Genres
Metal
Hard Rock

Reviews

Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!
Sort by: Top Date
View Author
Thu Jan 21 2021
3

Cults of Personality is a straight banger. The rest feels like a lesser tier of Huey Lewis

👍
View Author
Mon May 03 2021
5

I listened to the heck out of this album in the 90s. It still rocks, if it's just a bit dated. Great guitar and bass playing. Very high energy, hard rock with some other stylistic elements. All very good!

👍
View Author
Tue Jan 04 2022
4

What a blast from the past. I had this cassette and listened to it quite a bit. Gotta remember late-80s mainstream music wasn’t that great, and this was an excellent alternative to hair metal (pre-grunge). Couple of great covers (Memories Can’t Wait!!). Still has bones!

👍
View Author
Mon Mar 15 2021
3

An album that is somewhat idiosyncratic and yet very of it's time. Certainly a unique combination of genres. I want to like this more than I do but I think its the vocal style (and some of the lyrics) that bring it down for me. I am more familiar with guitarist Vernon Reid from his 96 solo album "Mistaken Identify" which I enjoy much more. Even their 93 album "Stain," though generally not rated as highly, is much heavier and more interesting to me.

👍
View Author
Fri Sep 25 2020
5

Listened to half the album, surprised by how much I liked the yeehaw. Will Deff finish the other half soon.

👍
View Author
Fri Mar 26 2021
5

Amazing. From start to finish, this album is funky, rockin' and gets you moving.

👍
View Author
Fri Mar 26 2021
5

Funk-tastic! This is the shit.

👍
View Author
Fri Apr 16 2021
5

It's like they've taken all the bits of hair metal that I like and dropped the bits I don't like.

👍
View Author
Mon Aug 15 2022
5

Living Colour is one of my favorite bands from the 90s. This album is pretty bright, compared to their later albums. I personally prefer 'Time's Up' and 'Stain' to this one, but I understand why they chose this one, as it has "the hit" on it. This album has the song of theirs that I never got into, which was "Glamour Boys". Maybe it's because I'm neither a "Glamour Boy" nor do I consider myself "Fierce." The song seems different, lighter and a little goofier than their later stuff, even with Reid's guitar crunch. But despite that, this album started them on their journey, and everything comes from this album. They've really progressed from here, and you should really check their other stuff if you liked this one.

👍
View Author
Tue Dec 28 2021
4

Opens with Cult of Personality which took me right back to the late 80's. I don't know when I last heard this song but all the grooves are still worn into my brain. The opening riff is worth a star all on its own. I'm not sure how much more I've heard before; I'm perfectly happy to explore further. The lyrics are somewhat hit or miss, though I definitely like the singer. The music has tons of hooks and I find enjoyable to listen to. The song Open Letter is familiar, though honestly a little hokey, but the music carries it. Funny Vibe and Which Way to America are somewhat better. Very fun Clash cover. I like Faith No More and Primus and etc and feel like this is right up my alley. I've told Spotify that I wouldn't mind hearing it again from time to time.

👍
View Author
Wed Sep 01 2021
3

I expected not to want to revisit this.. i don't have great recollections about Living Colour, but Cult of Personality was way better to listen to again than thinking about it. It holds up. Unfortunately, there's a lot of okay content and then the weird funny vibe. Open Letter is also strong and i give them props for what they were doing at the time.

👍
View Author
Tue Mar 15 2022
2

Funky rock like a light RHCP. Very early 90s, like it belongs in some action set piece for a Nickelodeon live action show. break out the zubaz and flat tops. I drags on at points. Extended version does not help. Standout tracks: Cult of personality Funny Vibe What’s your Favorite Color?

👍
View Author
Fri Apr 28 2023
2

A little known fact about this record: Living Color were such fans of the 1987 Martin Short movie Innerspace, that they had their drummer and his drum kit shrunk down and placed inside a tin can to to record his parts, achieving the now famous reverb-laden drum sound on Vivid.

👍
View Author
Mon Sep 05 2022
1

A bad version of Extreme. And that's a low bar.

👍
View Author
Mon Mar 01 2021
5

Well timed on the last day of black history month. Hopefully I’ll see them at riot fest this year

👍
View Author
Fri Jan 22 2021
5

J'aime beaucoup beaucoup. Excellente découverte. Lola aime bien aussi.

👍
View Author
Wed Jun 02 2021
5

Living Colour is something genuinely unique in rock and roll. An absolutely phenomenal album, and featuring one of the greatest rock covers of all times in These Memories Can't Wait.

👍
View Author
Fri Jul 02 2021
5

En general un grato descubrimiento. Escuchar una banda negra con un sonido tan pesado (o sea pesado en el sentido hard rock/metal) es muy refrescante. A reserva de sonar patronising, creo que de las cosas que más lamento de la escena del metal en la actualidad es en realidad la falta de negros. Me la pasé re bien la verdad. Uno que otro momento de vocales muy de la época que no me gustaron pero en realidad, bastante chido casi todo, El final de Which Way to America está loco, solo por eso fue mi fav. Mood: headbanging to funky tunes

👍
View Author
Thu May 27 2021
5

Open Letter (to a Landlord) is a tune and still applicable mostly Which Way to America? is very topical and current still. Memories can't wait cover is excellent, catches the song very well but still made it their own and arguably better. Tasty, tight and short 11 track album. Bonus track: Should I Stay or Should I Go cover was unexpected but very good with double time, small lyric tweaks and no spanish backing vocals which are odd choices.

👍
View Author
Sat Aug 28 2021
5

Tellement bon , un classique vraiment 5*

👍
View Author
Wed Sep 15 2021
5

There's a lot that I should say about this album

👍
View Author
Thu Sep 16 2021
5

the opening track is awesome, really sets you up for the whole album! love it’!

👍
View Author
Fri Oct 08 2021
5

Qué buen y entretenido disco. Conocía la de Cult Of Personality que salía en el Guitar Hero (y que Casper dominaba) pero nunca le había dado play al disco completo. Hasta la versión extendida me gustó. Creo que mi parte favorita es la mezcla de guitarras pesadas con ondas funk y las voces que no son exactamente metaleras y entonces le dan una textura extra.

👍
View Author
Fri Nov 05 2021
5

Yasss. I owned and played this tape until it died. Loved it and never understood why they never achieved this high again.

👍
View Author
Thu Nov 18 2021
5

This album is a revelation for me. Through METAL - funk opened up to me in a new way. It's such a groove and drive! The brightest interweaving in the album of electronic and instrumental heavy music, with hop and funk. Bests - "Whats your favorite color?" and "Middle Man"

👍
View Author
Fri Jan 21 2022
5

what a band and songs with a message or commentary about the times. Great to hear a full album of theirs, it’s been ages

👍
View Author
Sun Mar 20 2022
5

This was great. I remember this leading to a bit of a funk-metal craze at the time, but they were missing the whole free form thing that Vernon Reid was throwing out there. This is still their best integration of all that.

👍
View Author
Thu Jul 21 2022
5

Brilliant! Loved every song!

👍
View Author
Mon Aug 15 2022
5

I remember hearing "Cult of Personality" back when the single was released and rushing out to buy the album. That song has to be one of best singles released in 1988. The rest of the album is good, including a great cover of the Talking Heads' "Memories can Wait." The only thing that detracts from it a little is the production. The mix of songwriting and musicianship on this debut album are so strong though that you can easily forgive that. A sure 5 star album from start to finish!

👍
View Author
Mon Aug 15 2022
5

What a dynamite f'n album. Almost has a bit of that unique rock, funk, and rap feel of Faith No More but even better. Tracks 1-5 are just so full, hard, loud and awesome with such intricate instrument work (and a bit of soaring ballad to boot on Open Letter). I did not realize how incredible a guitar player Vernon Reid is. Yeah, he kills it on Cult of Personality but what he does on I Want to Know, Middle Man, and Desperate People is just as electric. I mean, Muzz Skllings and Will Calhoun are no slouches on bass or drums, but damn the guitar sounds. I also think Corey Glover's vocals are fantastic. Tracks 10 and 11 had a similar pulsing rock vibe (loved Which Way to America) while they seemed to experiment with different sounds a bit more on tracks 6-9. Funny Vibe almost felt like a Rush song with its different time signatures and long bridge to outro. Broken Hearts sounded a bit country. Glamour Boys sounds like a more rocked-up combo of Jimmy Buffet and Gloria Estefan. Whatever the case, I loved this album. It may have just rocketed into my top 25 all-time favorite albums I loved it that much.

👍
View Author
Wed Aug 17 2022
5

I can't believe I hadn't heard of this band.

👍
View Author
Sun Aug 21 2022
5

A few weeks ago (as I write this in August 2022), my wife and I saw Nate Smith and his band play at the Blue Note in NYC (they were incredible; see Nate Smith if you can), and Vernon Reid, the guitarist from Living Colour, hopped on stage with them for the last 15-20 minutes or so and was absolutely incredible. And I can hear it here. And I loved this album when it came out and I love it now. These guys are fantastic.

👍
View Author
Fri Sep 02 2022
5

This is an unexpected 5. Feat. Public Enemy, Mick Jagger, funk bass and occasional socialist undertones. I had Living Colour as UK synth pop in my mind but was way off the mark. A real cool fusion of stuff going on that I’ll have to revisit.

👍
View Author
Sat Sep 24 2022
5

Bangers up and down the track list. What a vibe.

👍
View Author
Mon Oct 24 2022
5

This was a really good one with some absolute hard rock bangers! Enjoyed pretty much every song on the album, there were some amazing solos, and the cover of Should I Stay Or Should I Go on the expanded edition is really good too. Favourite: Cult Of Personality

👍
View Author
Sat Dec 17 2022
5

just for cult of personality it’s automatically 5 stars

👍
View Author
Fri Feb 10 2023
5

STARTS OF GREAT THEN GETS A LITTLE OK THEN ENDS AMAZING.HOW WAS THIS BAND NOT MORE POPULAR.THEY ACTUALLY DO AN AMAZING CLASH COVER!

👍
View Author
Tue Feb 28 2023
5

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Favorite song: I Want to Know

👍
View Author
Wed Mar 08 2023
5

One of my first organic discoveries of hard rock. Living Colour has informed so much of my outlook on life as well as my moral decisions.

👍
View Author
Tue Mar 21 2023
5

Is this a cult? Because I'll sign up.

👍
View Author
Wed Mar 22 2023
5

From the time it was released until this very day, this album has forever been on my list of all time favourite albums. Corey Glover's vocals are incredible, and the rhythm section is to damned tight. I've played this album hundreds of times and will never ever tire of it.

👍
View Author
Wed Mar 22 2023
5

This is fantastic - what incredible talent it takes to write such poignant songs & slap with high energy guitars, percussion, brass & vocals. 5 stars.

👍
View Author
Mon Mar 27 2023
5

Wow what a record. I had known really only of Living Colour from Guitar Hero but this vibe of rock was just what I needed. Driving around in the first sunlight we’ve seen in Ontario for the last 6 months was 😘👌

👍
View Author
Sat May 13 2023
5

Such an incredible rock album. It's amazing how it's the debut album by the band because it's such a strong performance. 5/5. Favorite Track: Cult of Personality

👍
View Author
Thu Jul 06 2023
5

fuck yes i really enjoyed it

👍
View Author
Mon Aug 07 2023
5

This rang no bells for me when it came up, but right away I remembered the opening track Cult of Personality. When this came out in ‘88 I didn’t pay it much attention since I didn’t see myself as a hard rock type person. 35 years later I'm the Ecumenical Enchantress of Music - 10-8 and on the side! This is a fantastic album that I dug from start to finish. There are a lot of interesting influences at play here that had me hooked! There is a ton of talent on display and it is put to great effect mixing rock conventions together seamlessly in interesting ways. I heard hints of everything from Megadeth to Culture Club. These guys have guts and skill to pull that off! I really loved this!

👍
View Author
Mon Aug 07 2023
5

I owned this album back in the day but it's been a long time since I listened. It still holds up! (And listening today reminded me that my bestie and I saw Living Colour on a triple bill with Guns-n-Roses and The Rolling Stones on their Steal Wheels tour. That was a long, long time ago.) Living Colour has a unique melodic hard rock sound that I loved then and still love. Cult of Personality would likely make my list of 50 best rock songs. This was a welcome nostalgia trip.

👍
View Author
Mon Aug 07 2023
5

When this was new, I think I rated it about a 3…not really my thing, but I could tolerate it. If I were listening for the first time today, it would make it to a 4…I’ve grown in my appreciation of music. However, the listen today comes with a nostalgia boost, that can’t be topped!!

👍
View Author
Wed Oct 04 2023
5

Hell yes. This album broke our brains in university when it came out. What pissed me off was that I could never play any of this on guitar right at all. Still sounds as killer today as it did long ago. I try to find a highlight but I literally love every single track on this album (ok: "Desperate People" wins) - melodic rock/funk/prog/thrash/soul... incredible musicianship, great vocals, excellent groove, not over-produced... I think I like it. 10/10 5 stars.

👍
View Author
Thu Oct 05 2023
5

Extra points for unexpected Public Enemy.

👍
View Author
Thu Oct 19 2023
5

Great pace, uplifting 80's hits

👍
View Author
Fri Dec 08 2023
5

Damn. This is why i am doing this proj. For as many stinkers on the list something will come out of nowhere and surprise you. Was fully expecting to hate this. Metal/hard rock from the late 80s? Hard pass. I was thinking i was gonna have my first double 1s two days in a row. But nay! As i start listening i realize that its like they took all the parts of rock that i like, trashed all the parts i dont, and then injected some funk (which of course makes anything better). Shit had me grooving and moving my whole commute home. Varied, interesting, just plain fun to listen to. There were so many times i wanted to rewind to catch a part that made me go “damn wtf??” but in a good way. Trying to find a flaw but i cant, I love it, 5 stars.

👍
View Author
Fri Dec 29 2023
5

love Vernon Reid the guy just shreds

👍
View Author
Thu Jan 11 2024
5

Very talented musicians in a hard-driving blend of rock and funk. Be sure to listen to the bonus tracks (remixes).

👍
View Author
Wed Jan 17 2024
5

I LOVE this album... brings me back. Great hard rockin' funky stuff. Vernon Reid is great.

👍
View Author
Fri Jan 26 2024
5

Rap with a Rock twist. Really liked it ! Cult of Personality - loved it I want to know - Van Halen meets rap Middle Man - loved it Desperate People - I'm loving this album Memories can't wait - best track From a band I somehow never heard of... It's a WOW 5 ⭐

👍
View Author
Fri Feb 09 2024
5

I bought this album when it was released and liked it plenty at the time. I'm pretty sure I had the band's first three albums in my collection, and somehow none remain. So I know this album pretty well, though it's been, what? 30 years since I last listened to it. I wasn't prepared for how phenomenal this was. The playing is really really good — Skillings and Calhoun on bass and drums are just incredible. And Vernon Reid... I used to not appreciate his soloing. It seemed to me you could overlay any solo over any rhythm part and it wouldn't matter — like he wasn't even listening to the song. But damn, that was not my sentiment today, and more than that, his rhythm playing and inventiveness with parts is something special. Corey Glover's vocals stood out as another element I underestimated. I mean, I always thought he was good, but I was blown away on this listen. Lyrically, there are spots where they can get a little heavy handed, but that's part of what these guys are all about. I knew I'd enjoy this, but I freakin' loved it.

👍
View Author
Wed Feb 21 2024
5

Another stunning debut album from a band that had a little bit of everything and sounded fresh even back then. This one still holds up. 9.2/10

👍
View Author
Fri Mar 08 2024
5

Cult of Personality melted my face off to start this album. What an incredible opener. This album had lots of other highlights to me - going back through the tracklist I also loved Middle Man, Open Letter, Funny Vibe, Memories Can't Wait, What's Your Favorite Color, and Which Way to America. Just a fun, jammy, funky hard rock album that I really enjoyed the whole way through. 4.5 rounded up to 5.

👍
View Author
Tue Jan 12 2021
4

Heard this album a fair few times, it's funky and metal and just fuckin cool 4/5.

👍
View Author
Thu May 27 2021
4

i was excited about this album when it showed up and i'm FEELING it!!

👍
View Author
Mon May 10 2021
4

This was really quite good! Not nearly as heavy as I was expecting, given the Wiki article, but still a good combination of different genres imo.

👍
View Author
Fri Jun 25 2021
4

Love the variety here, great album

👍
View Author
Mon Jul 19 2021
4

I thought of this band as a one-hit wonder before today, but that was unfair. This album is full genre-bending goodness. Best track: Cult of Personality

👍
View Author
Sat Jan 30 2021
4

Can't believe I've never heard this before. Great album.

👍
View Author
Tue Jan 19 2021
4

Metal/hard rock with clear singing. Some songs stand out, most others are solid

👍
View Author
Sun Mar 14 2021
4

Enjoyable album great rock and hip hop inspiration at points 3.8

👍
View Author
Wed Jan 27 2021
4

apparently cult of personality comes off a woke bop of an album

👍
View Author
Tue Jan 19 2021
4

This album was so groovy! Not sure if everyone had the live versions or if mine was extended somehow but I didn’t love the live versions. Loved the rest of it though!

👍
View Author
Wed Jan 27 2021
4

4 exactly. hard to put cult of personality as the first track and be able to follow that up

👍
View Author
Fri Jul 02 2021
4

Buen rock, creo que no ubicaba a una banda de rock cuyos integrantes fueran todos negros. Lo disfruté y además lo que tiene de denuncia social fluye junto con lo demás. "Cult of Personality" y "Funny Vibe" fueron mis favoritas. 8.5/10

👍
View Author
Thu May 20 2021
4

I grew up hating the cult of personality. I can't tell you why other than people having different taste but I loved rock and alternative so it's the kind of song I should've liked but I didn't. Skip to today. This album is on my list and I listen to all of them even if I suspect I will dislike it. Wow. Was I missing out. The album starts with cult of personality but this time I'm thinking, "maybe I wasn't very fair with this song. It's not as bad as you thought." I actually kind of liked it. After hearing it a million times maybe it's acquired taste! The rest of the album though I really did like. I was missing out on a great album that was always there and available for me at any time. Can't go back now but I'm glad I listened and changed my mind.

👍
View Author
Wed Mar 03 2021
4

Really good album beginning to end

👍
View Author
Sat May 15 2021
4

In 1988, few heavy metal bands were comprised of all black members, and fewer had the talent or know-how to inject different musical forms into their hard rock sound (funk, punk, alternative, jazz, soul, rap) -- but N.Y.C.'s Living Colour proved to be an exception. Unlike nearly all of the era's metal bands, the group's music has held up over time, thanks to its originality and execution. Living Colour leader/guitarist Vernon Reid spent years honing his six-string chops, and was one of the most respected guitarists in New York's underground scene. He couldn't have done a better job selecting members for his new rock band -- singer Corey Glover, bassist Muzz Skillings, and drummer Will Calhoun -- as their now-classic debut, Vivid, proves. Though the album was released in mid-1988, it picked up steam slowly, exploding at the year's end with the hit single/MTV anthem "Cult of Personality," which merged an instantly recognizable Reid guitar riff and lyrics that explored the dark side of world leaders past and present (and remains LC's best-known song). The album was also incredibly consistent, as proven by the rocker "Middle Man" (which contains lyrics from a note penned by Glover, in which he pondered suicide), the funky, anti-racist "Funny Vibe," the touching "Open Letter (To a Landlord)," plus the Caribbean rock of "Glamour Boys." Add to it an inspired reading of Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait," the Zeppelin-esque "Desperate People," and two complex love songs ("I Want to Know" and "Broken Hearts"), and you have one of the finest hard rock albums of the '80s -- and for that matter, all time.

👍
View Author
Fri Mar 19 2021
4

Awesome album! Not quite a 5/5 but close!

👍
View Author
Sat Apr 24 2021
4

Ja ik mag dit wel. Fantastische stem, en lekker energiek. Duidelijk de sound van eind jaren 80, maar nog steeds goed te pruimen. Beetje oude Chili Peppers maar dan met een echte zanger 😁

👍
View Author
Wed Mar 10 2021
4

Really enjoyed this album...except for the last song. It sounds ahead of its time by about 10 years. It's made me want to check out their other albums.

👍
View Author
Tue Apr 20 2021
4

Finde es tatsächlich n gutes Album. Vereinzelt echt gute Lieder!

👍
View Author
Thu May 20 2021
4

Creo que está un poco pasado de moda pero se deja escuchar.

👍
View Author
Thu May 27 2021
4

It is ironic (not the right word… cosmically aesthetic?) that I got Living Color the day after Rage Against the Machine, since RAtM basically took “Cult of Personality” and “Funny Vibe” and ran with it. But here we are decades later, and these songs are still sadly relevant. Bit more funkay than RAtM, bit less serious. I can dig it. Now I’ll stop before I embarrass myself further.

👍
View Author
Thu May 27 2021
4

Solid jams, songs are a little repetitive but the sound is good so it's the worst thing.

👍
View Author
Thu May 27 2021
4

What an amazing album. I came in pretty cold - had only heard "cult of personality" before. But wow, they sound like a few other bands from the time but have their own distinct twist. And what a varied album, hard rock, pop rock, funk, soul, rap, little bit of country. Memories can't wait is a great cover. Every song is fantastic. Coming out of the gate with a debut album like this, I dunno how I've never listened to them before but I'm blown away. I'm keep 5-star ratings for what I consider to be perfect albums. I would give this a 4.5 but have to round down.

👍
View Author
Thu May 27 2021
4

Was hoping for an aural detox after yesterday’s fiasco. Dare not say the name. And BANG! Hit with a hard rock banger that brings back the excitement of playing GTA San Andreas. Opening track, Cult of Personality. I would have struggled to stay alert for another 1 star album and I’m conscious not to let that skew my review of this album. Style is in line bands of the time. Faith no More, Janes Addiction, RHCP and even Mr. Big. However as the album progresses, there are harder rock and cheesier riffs that drag us back to the 80’s and give off Van Halen feels. Have to remember this album is ‘88. Some very catchy, punchy bass riffs that are keeping me interested and even reminding of Big Country in part. Nice to hear songs I’ve definitely heard before but maybe wasn’t sure who the song was by. “Funny Vibe” could be straight out of RHCP’s Mother’s Milk. It’s interesting to see this band is a group of black New Yorkers and have produced very similar sounds of mostly white LA 80’s funk rockers. Verses of “Which Way to America” is borrowed straight from Talking Heads which is good to see. Very Tina Weymouth with heavier tone. Decimalised ratings would have helped me rate this more effectively. It’s better than a 3 but not quite a 4. I’m not counting any of the bonus tracks included on the Spotify bonus version.

👍
View Author
Mon Jun 28 2021
4

Sequência de riffs que verdadeiramente arrebata.

👍
View Author
Mon Jun 28 2021
4

Two bands helped save the boredom of rock at the end of the 80’s: Jane’s Addiction and Living Colour. Vivid was killer through out and still got something to it.

👍
Load more reviews