Vivid

Hooky riffs and powerful vocals drive an infinitely catchy 1980s rock record.

10/10 absolute hits

Esse é um álbum 5 estrelas! Divertido, enérgico. Instrumentais e vocais entregando tudo de melhor. TRN Conch.

Remember seeing these guys live my freshman year in college. They rocked then, they rock now. You're better off with this album in your life. Some of the best lead guitar and bass work you'll ever hear. Vern and Muzz were just dynamite together. Desperate People and Memories Can't Wait are the deep cuts to try. (The latter being a Talking Heads cover.) It was fun in the late 80's. Still fun now.

Yes amazing album

Killer guitars. Funky bass lines. Catchy hooks. It took me many years before I listened to this album beyond Cult of Personality, but once I did, it was an instant favorite. And it still is to this day.

I know the first song, but I didn’t know the name of the band who’s playing it.

The album is mostly a very strong 3 star album but after hearing Cult of Personality I don't see how anyone can go below 4. It's enough for me to go 5

Shaped my musical evolution as much as any jazz classic. This goes into my Top Ten easy.

One of my favorite rock albums of all time. Just an absolute classic from start to finish! And fuck CM Punk. I refuse to let him ruin this band for me. Lol.

The bar was always going to be high since Cult of Personality is one of my favorite songs ever, but Vivid delivers. No skips.

Didn't know this is who wrote "Cult of Personality"! What a great rock band. Some of the tight vocal harmonies remind me of my favorite band, Queen. The themes of each song are clever, especially the aforementioned track and the "open letter". Of course, the music itself is badass. Love the heavy influence of blues, metal, early hip-hop, and funk. And "Funny Vibe" is wild! No base like 80s base. Great album.

Really enjoyed this, Glamour Boys the best track

Good debut album. "Cult" of course is their anthem but "I Want to Know" is a good one, "What's Your Favorite Color" is right there. "Glamour Boys" is a fun one to rock to, and it is always funny to sing along to "Funny Vibe" ... The cover of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a good one.

When I was a teenager I listened to "Cult of Personality" and thought it was one of the most boring and overrated songs ever. And I lived with that prejudice for decades... I was so goddamn wrong. This is, so far, the best album I've heard during this challenge.

Terrific debut! Vernon Reid's guitar work puts him in league with Alex Van Halen and his lyrics are as timely as Elvis Costello's

Absolute powerhouse of musical chops across the board. Not much like it before or since. Vernon Reid is a god

Big guitars. Big drums. Big Bass. Big vibes. What a strange little bridge between 80s hard rock and 90s alternative this turns out to be. It punches like metal but sings like pop, and works better than it should. There's something theatrical about it, and slightly cheesy, but not in a corny way if that makes any sense at all. Honestly kind of refreshing. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions: - Cult of Personality - Glamour Boys - What's Your Favorite Color? - Which Way to America - Should I Stay Or Should I Go

Oh man, this will take me back to the Easter of ‘89 when my mom got me this tape and some baseball cards. Yeah, my mom was awesome! The only knock on this album is that their take on Memories Can’t Wait loses the haunting feel that the original Talking Heads version has.

one of the most consistent, cohesive rock albums i've ever heard. every track jives with the one before it both in vibe and sound. really rad vocal melodies, and the instruments absolutely fuck.

5/5 - excellent - whatever happened to these guys?

I’m glad to see that Vivid by Living Colour made this list. This is such a great album. When this came out back in ‘88, there was really nothing else like it. It kind of blew my little fifteen year old mind. All these years later and Vivid holds up like a champ. I listen to this album regularly. There are no bad tracks or funny vibes either. I feel like Living Colour should’ve been a bigger band too. Vivid is an easy one to rate. This is a colorful, slamming, and glamour 5. With a wicked guitar solo to boot! 5/5

Loved it

A classic. Opened the world for Living Colour and I still listen to this all the time, possibly only bested by Times Up, the next release

Funk!!

This album is so much fun. Opens with a song that could be mistaken for Alter Bridge covering Nickelback, then flies straight into Rush had they written a song for the GTA Vice City soundtrack. It's forgivably cheesy, isn't trying to be something that it's not and even the weak songs are vey listenable. An easy 4, but a somewhat worthy 5

With the exception of Body Glove shorts, I was all-in on Living Color's Vivid and even moreso Time's Up. This was released just before height of my adolescence, still living at home, but working two jobs and staying out all night. There are two things that make this album special, Vernon Reid's guitar and Corey Glover's voice. I saw they were playing a casino about 90 mins. from my house on a school night and I seriously making the trip.

I'd forgotten how much I loved this group. Thanks for reminding me!

Vernon Reid is one of rock’s underrated guitar heroes.

Haven't started yet, favorite from my teen years. Love the commentary from black voices, it's great having it present in hard rock from this era. Big thumbs up from me personally, I'm still just a visitor when it comes to sick guitar licks, but Cult of Personality's been close to my hear for many years and more to come

Absolute masterpiece

I was afraid this one wouldn't be much more than just Cult of Personality, so happy I was wrong. More great riffs, great drums, and just a great energy all around

Good rock, would listen again

Concious rock that rocks as hard as it hits

A band I discovered through guitar hero - like many others I expect. A great album, which sounds like a band who have been going for years (rather than a debut from a bunch of new artists).

5/5. This is awesome. It's got a strong Aerosmith vibe, and although that's not my favorite, the soulful vocals and distorted riffs and solos make it stand out. Plus the lyrics of anti-politics, homelessness, the removal of the third place, housing prices, the black experience in Amercia, creates a more powerful album than just heavy music, it's heavy lyrics. I think it is important to note that all members are black. If anyone's got a right to be angry about way life is, it's them. The guitar riffs really shine here, inspired by Rush and Motorhead as well. Just feels like a culmination of every good thing about heavy rock in the 20 years leading up to this made into an album. It rocks. Best Song: Cult Of Personality, Middle Man, Which Way To Your America?, Open Letter (To a Landlord)

Oh yes oh yes! Ooh a talking heads cover oh my this is good. Oh it's over. This album made day go faster by being really fun! I will return for this album! I fully like this album a lot!

A breath of fresh air in a world of big hair. 5

ENERGY

A little dated but pretty awesome honestly. Part Huey Lewis, part Faith No More/RHCP funk.

A unique sound with tremendous playing. Definitely seek out “Desperate People” on YouTube because it isn’t on spotify. It’s one of the best tracks.

Cult Of Personality is a great track. Desperate People is great. Which Way To America is killer. I loved this.

This album goes HARD. I knew 1-2 songs, but it took listening to the whole album to realize how unique this sound was for that time period.

One of the best albums I've got in the past couple of months I'd say. Was familiar with Cult of Personality from tearing it up on Guitar Hero 4 but the rest of the album absolutely blew me away.

Living Colour were far ahead of their time and show how much more dynamic they were and are as a metal band with this album and its myriad influences. Not only do they show their ability to shred with "Cult Of Personality", but there are other genuinely pretty sounding melodic songs on the record as well like "Glamour Boys" and "I Want To Know". Both of these styles are on full display with Corey Glover's epic vocals, which are among the best in rock and surely metal history. Not only that, but one thing that strikes me on many songs on this album is the band's use of rest notes for guitars with the rhythm section still keeping emphatic time. The space between riffs and hooks only make them more impactful, and it's effective throughout the record. Like I've said with other highly-rated albums on this project of mine, this album beautifully blends gorgeous melodies with heavy rock, so this album hits that upper echelon for me. Living Colour is an all-time underrated band in my opinion. Notable Tracks: - Cult Of Personality - I Want To Know - beautiful melodically - Middle Man - Desperate People - Glamour Boys - What's Your Favorite Color? - my favorite funk-forward song on the album 9/10

A rare perfect album. Than you 1001albumsgenerator. I loved every second.

this is almost... pop metal. it's very bold, brash... there's absolutely no doubt it's the loudest craziest metal you've heard but it's very uplifting and oozing with a certain kind of cheese that only the 80s could have. it's like if phil collins wrote rock. it's kickass.

Let's Rock :-)

There's music that sounds cool, and artists that exude cool. Living Colour does both here. Every song is full of personality. Like, an entire cult's worth. 🤭 Standouts are Cult of Personality, Middle Man, Open Letter (To a Landlord), and Funny Vibe.

This album was incredible. I loved the energy. The Talking Heads cover, yeah so much energy. Incredible album and musicianship all around.

I loved this. So fun, great energy, really unique. Another banger from 1001 albums I wouldn't have found on my own!

i only knew cult of personality going into this (thank you guitar hero 3) but i ended up really enjoying this album. it's funky, it's metal, it shreds hard, and has a good message. these guys have serious chops and a cool sound that's somehow simultaneously very unique and very 80s. favorites: i ended up liking all of these on spotify. of those, the favorites are probably cult of personality, open letter to a landlord, what's your favorite color, which way to America, and should i stay or should i go

I honestly really enjoy this. Cult of Personality is a banger of an opening track. Open Letter (To a Landlord) is cool as well. It's all great stuff and I'd love more of it.

Class

Sumarið 1988 hjá mér í hnotskurn. Ein af mest spiluðu plötum í vínilsafninu mínu. Elska þessa orku frá upphafi til enda.

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.

good

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

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.

great!

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 ⭐

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

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

love Vernon Reid the guy just shreds

Great pace, uplifting 80's hits

Extra points for unexpected Public Enemy.

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.

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!!

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.

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!

fuck yes i really enjoyed it

sonzeira, metal com grooviezao mt bom

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

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 😘👌

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

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.

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

Fuck yeah

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.

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

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!

just for cult of personality it’s automatically 5 stars

Good album

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

cool

Hard, funky and soulful.

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

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.

This album is awesome.

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.

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

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.

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!

Brilliant! Loved every song!

Good album.

I had no idea. Amazing.

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.

Obrigada por apresentar esse album, agora vai está na minha lista

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

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"

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

Back to being young again!

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.

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

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

Tellement bon , un classique vraiment 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.

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

Great

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.

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

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

Second half funk metal took me by surprise, as they say don’t judge a flip by its flop

Proof positive that writing songs is hard. These guys have talent to burn, and roughly half of this album is an absolute banger! The other half is a little less so, enough to cost them a star.

Touching on a plethora of rock genres, this album piques one’s interest and keeps it there, without the synth sounds that defined the decade.

7/10

I liked this alot, all except 2 songs. Solid 4 stars

Love this. Catchy tunes, great playing.

I’m not sure why a black group playing hard rock/metalloid rock should be such a unicorn, but given how many folks have followed in their footsteps (like, none?), I have to give them their due. I’d say the album is good not great. Vernon Reid’s guitar is good and I like Corey Glover’s voice. The songwriting is a mixed bag. “Cult of Personality” is a great song, as is “An Open Letter (to a Landlord)”; some of the others not so much. I hear Robert Christgau complained at the time that they sounded too much like Megadeth; yeah, Megadeth with a guy who can actually sing. 3.5 stars, rounding up.

Forsangeren lyder som Eddie Vedder, bandet lyder som tungere RHCP/Faith No more. Lidt forud for sin tid. Interessant hvor mange forskellige inspirationer der tydeligvis har været

Criminally underrated.

I had forgotten how fantastic this album is. It's nice to be reminded and reacquainted with the music. While "Cult of Personality" lives on via Classic Rock radio and playlists, the rest of the album has been mostly forgotten and deserves attention.

мужской рок

The Intro track kicked this nostalgia of Radio X and watching CM Punk, rest of the album was excellent too

It’s a real shame that the album opens with Cult Of Personality as it’s such a banger of a track that the rest of the album struggles to live up to. What follows is pretty good overall, some stronger moments sounding a little like contemporaries such as Steve Vai and Faith No More, but falling short by comparison. While the rest of the album is probably nearing 3.5 stars, I am rounding it up for Cult Of Personality just being there.

Incredible vibe

liked this a lot more than I thought I would. cult of personality to start goes dummy hard, definitely the best song on the album. also liked the landlord one

I had very little expectations for what this album would be, and somehow, I was still really surprised. It's also very varied, which was a really nice surprise for an album like this. I think another notable thing about the album is that it isn't obvious that they're a black band. There are subtle ways that it comes out if you're paying attention, but to a casual listener, it's just a good rock album. So, the surface level of this album is a really good and varied rock album but digging into is very much worth it because you can see and hear some of the ways black culture influences their music. Favorite Song(s): Cult of Personality, Open Letter (to the Landlord)

I always liked this energetic blend of hard rock, metal and some other styles (sounds funky at times).

Fun, energetic music to rock out to. Entertaining and catchy with really impressive guitar riffs and bass licks. 4/5

Really good. Plenty of variety, some excellent musicianship on show (particularly the virtuoso guitarist), and great energy. Maybe sagged a bit in the middle, but would definitely listen again.

I feel like this aged like fine wine. Great grooves, fun vibes, heavy but not in your face. Nice blend of genres that had my foot tapping the entire time.

muy muy muy buena música. te hace querer leer la letra.

Highlights: Excellent near perfect album! Cult of Personality, I Want To Know, Middle Man, Desperate People, Open Letter (To a Landlord), Memories Can’t Wait, Broken Hearts and What’s Your Favorite Color? 4.5

Liked this. It is a bit dated, but still enjoyable.

Booof, super ochentero, rockerito en plan bien. Me sirvió para servir en el gimnasio y levantar mucho. Noice!

It was unexpectedly great

This one really grew on me. Great guitars, beats and funkiness throughout!! BOOGIE-ABLE

Very fun album. Strong political and social messaging mixed with fun songs and instrumentals. Some 80s cheese thrown in there.

Fun album full of good energy. Cult of Personality is still a banger. 4/5

eigent ziemlich gut, dad rock mäßig aber noch unteressant

I forgot how much I enjoyed this album. They are great musicians and I love it when you can hear the bass in rock. Especially when it's got some funk to it. Also why are we listening to songs written in the early 90's that lyrically still point out problems we have now? Also how did those problems get worse?! It's very much of it's time tonally. You can listen to it and go, early 90's. I'm not saying it's a bad sound but you can tell. I'd be interested in what folks that never heard this before would say about it. I like this album. I added it to the library and will now listen to everything they did.

My kid LOVES “Cult of Personality”

Pretty fun.

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! 4⭐️

Rv

Gosh, "Cult of Personality" is such an iconic rock song that seems to have transcended all of pop culture. But I must admit, I've literally never heard anything else from Living Colour before today. Everything just sounds full and vibrant (especially the drums), plus it's a little funky and melodic too. Some humor mixed in with the social commentary of it all as well. Just a fun and energetic alt rock album that probably doesn't get as much recognition as it should.

Joseph Stalin reference is an automatic four stars

I put this album off for a bit before listening. I'm really glad I did. I'd only ever heard Cult of Personality, but based on that I figured if I was in the mood for it I would love and I really did. Just great hard rock/metal.

"Cult of Personality" is an all-timer and there is no disputing this. the rest of side A is just kinda fine. then on side B they crank up the eclecticism and it becomes lots of fun.

Had pretty much forgotten, but I guess I had this album because I knew every song. Very solid. And ground breaking for its time.

Great surprise! I was only familiar with the first track but the entire album is fun and funky. Great bass sound!

Very good

I am giving this record a generous 4 because I really like Cult Of Personality and I don't really find anything offensive about the rest.

I rocked this shit in 7th grade and still do.

Mix of hard rock, funk and soul. I dig this mostly, with the exception of the 80s production which is a bit cheesy/dated. Some great riffs though!

Now, I am listening to the 2023 Remaster, but damn this album sounds great. Chunky bass, that glossy ‘80s distorted guitar tone, energetic drums, a singer who absolutely wails — all the hallmarks of that big rock sound of that era, with very little of the extraneous bullshit that often comes along with it. It’s mainstream and accessible sounding but not overly polished. And the riffs and songs are pretty good. It ain’t perfect… but as someone who’s not a huge fan of the genre, this to me sounds like a shining example of it. Must-listen #322.

La lista del rock deberían llamarla. Supongamos que este álbum sí me gustó un poco más.

I've only heard "Cult of Personality" off of this album before. That song is a guitar-heavy, rhythmic stomper of a track that invites headbanging and grooving in equal measure. Most of the rest album is just straight hair metal. It's good hair metal(an oxymoron to some, but not me), with catchy riffs and nice grooves. The lyrics aren't the greatest(even for Cult of Personality), and a lot of the album is carried by the instrumental prowess of the musicians. What this is is a nice, fun AOR record from 1988 that knows what it is and does it well. Don't expect any more, and you won't be disappointed by this.

4.4

Omanlaista käytännössä funk metallia. Hyväntuulista. Cult of Personality tunnetusti bänger. Parhaat: Cult of Personality, Which Way to America, Memories Can't Wait

A truly unique sound/vibe. Very cool ‘80s rock record.

This album still shreds after all these years! Left this on repeat all morning.

4.1

This was a Jeremy junior high Walkman cassette classic, although I think I hit fast forwarded to the hits a lot. Great trip down memory lane listening to this all the way through for the first time since then. I'm glad Cult of Personality is still present in the culture as it should be, notably as CM Punk's entrance music in a very MAGA WWE. Vernon Reid is an all-time top-tier shredder and that's a fact. But a little too silly at times and a few songs that sound like jam session ideas for this to be a 5.

I had no idea that if I stopped to read the lyrics for Cult of Personality, I would find that it is incredibly relevant in 2026. This is a great album. Even if sometimes Vernon Reid's guitar sounds kind of masturbatory, overall it holds up well for me. There were only a couple of tracks I didn't much care for ("I Want To Know", "Broken Hearts"). I thought "Open Letter to a Landlord" was going to be a tedious balled, but it picked up real quick and the lyrics are kind of anthemic. Overall, I was expecting this album to be more cringey, but that wasn't the case. I've added it to my library.

I think heavy rotation "Cult of Personality" on MTV prompted me to pick up Vivid on cassette, and that song, "Open Letter (To a Landlord)," and "Glamour Boys" got a lot of play from me in those days. But I didn't keep up with Living Colour, probably because this style of melodic hard rock wasn't quite my thing. (The Cure and Public Enemy were my faves at the time.) Returning to it now, I appreciate "Which Way to America" and "Desperate People" more than I did back then, and of course "Cult of Personality" is iconic. Still not quite my thing, but well done regardless.

I’ve heard this before, but the last time I listened to it was in the late 90s or early 00s. This suffers from the late 80s production that was common in most major label studios of the time, and you can hear the spandex on all of the guitar solos. Putting that aside, there isn’t much filler in this album and none of the songs sound the same while still being cohesive as an album. There’s metal, rock, blues, hardcore, funk, jazz, and pop influences all over this record, each song leans more toward one of these genres without sounding derivative. Also the social commentary on these tracks still remain relevant almost 40 years later. It’s enough to look past the production and just rock out to it.

so fun

Pleasantly surprised. Really good

Oh yeah! Cult of Personality. I didn't know the singer was a black mun. haha. I've only ever heard this song on the radio. Didn't realize how political the lyrics were. I like the 80s sound to this! Nice funky bass in Funny Vibe!

Favourite Songs: Middle Man Desperate People Open Letter (To A Landlord)

Somehow they sound like a cover band but it's their own music. Very fun album tho.

a great mix of metal, punk and funk that only they could pull off. #johnsCDs

This was super fun! Thought it was engaging and entertaining. "Funk Metal" had me scared for a minute

Great rock album. Nice blend of funk and hard rock. Bassist is so good and singer is great.

A fantastic 80's rock and funk metal album with great production for the time, especially with how the bass pops. Good songs with great messages (maybe glamour boys didn't age too well though) and just overall a great time.

fuck these dudes rock. incessantly gnarly and/or groovy tunes, just some good old fashioned rock n roll. my guitar hero bias might be showing, but there just arent really many skips at all, even the low points string you along with a sick riff or a nasty drum fill. every ingredient of the 4 piece band sounds so fuckin tight. Cult of Personality is electric, but Open Letter (To a Landlord) i think is my favorite. very strong 4

I like the instruments and sound a lot, but honestly the songs felt a little simple. It's like I wanted them to turn into Rush but they never did. Still very good, but not the banger of an album I waited for it to be 7.1/10

Another very good debut. I bought this when it came out, and it definitely holds up!

I love when drums sound like they were recorded inside a cave behind a waterfall. Very cool. Strong start, but doesn't quite stick the landing for me.

One of the best produced rock albums on this list. Bassist and drummer are excellent and sooooo locked in. Great writing and sentiments throughout. Feels like a funkier version of Rush or Genesis.

Fun! High energy! Positive and optimistic while talking about political and social issues head on. I enjoyed the fusion of genres. And liked the hair rock like parts of the music. The album was cohesive, but definitely had a lot of diverse influences. The drums and guitar riffs were great. The vocals soaring and powerful. I particularly enjoyed the vocals on Which Way to America. Sounded very rock and punk. The only real criticism is that the lyrics were very head-on. Not a lot of room for interpretation. However, maybe they meant to be very clear with their messaging, considering the time and themes of the album. It seems like they make their image particularly positive, optimistic, energetic, approachable, and friendly. Without knowing about the history or anything about the artists, I’m assuming that this album or musical project was made as a way to appeal to a general American audience and represent black men in a positive and uplifting way while not backing down from the issues that they faced in their life like gentrification, profiling, and bias. Almost felt like the musical form of an after school special. But I nice fun one. I want to dig more into their work.

8/10

Really liked this one, had only ever heard Cult of Personality. Had so many different influences (metal, hip hop, hard rock, even funk) that I never knew what was coming

8.0/10 This was a big one for me in high school

Great and underrated band but I’d pick Time’s Up personally. Cult of Personality is an all timer though

Like most people my knowledge of Living Colour extends as far as Cult of Personality. Truly a phenomenal song, and can't name you another. Pop this bad boy on, get greeted out of the gate with that track, then lol and behold the rest of the album fucking rips. Whoda thunk? The bass is incredibly rich and punchy, the vocals are just so velvety, and the guitar is some Randy Rhodes shit. I'd heard that this is band is awesome and glad to have heard more. Special shout-outs to Open Letter and Memories Can't Wait

Maybe the most interesting thing about this is how bright its guitars are. With hard rock/metal, you kinda expect dark and heavy guitars, it's just standard procedure. But here everything is so bright and fun, it really makes you wanna keep listening. Favorites: Cult of Personality, Memories Can't Wait, Glamour Boys

So an interesting fact about Living Colour is that Mick Jagger had a huge role in getting them signed after seeing them perform. Now as for the album itself, it really has a lot to offer, especially for its time. It combines rock, metal, funk, soul, and jazz fusion. I also have to admit there were times I didn't want to admit that I enjoyed this album because, although it's very forward thinking and still holds up today, there were elements that I didn't think aged all that well. But if I had heard this back in the day, I probably would have been a huge fan of it. Other than that, it's finally nice to hear more of their music, especially after all the times I've heard "Cult of Personality."

susza ciekawych odsluchow zakonczona dzieki vividowi bedacym pierwszym krazkiem z dyskografii living colour, hamerykanskiej bandy nowojorskiej, krazek jest z 88 i jest ciekawym blendem muzycznym, bo jest to rokowanie ktore ma w sobie tyle z innych gatunkow, ze wychodzi poza ramki gatunkowe, na pewno mial na to wplyw sklad zespolu, typowa czterosooba banda, bo nie za czesto na tej liscie zdarzaja sie czarne bandy, ktore graja cos innego niz r&b czy rap, a living coloursy to dobry przyklad, ze rowniez rokowo czarnosc muzyczna ma w sobie cos szczegolnego, juz otwierajacy kawalek, ktory stal sie klasycznym trakiem cult of personality jasno daje znac, ze albumik nie bedzie unikal ciezkiego brzmienia z jeszcze ciezszymi tematami poruszanymi lirycznie, bo kolejna dziwna sprawa, ze tak malo muzyki swiadomej, czy jak inaczej przetlumaczyc gatunek poruszajacy sprawy problemow spolecznych, mniejszosci czy ucisnionych, pojawia sie na listach popularnych albumikow, ale nie jest to jedyna strona tego albumiku, bo jest tez miejsce dla bardziej funkowego gitarowania zamiast krzyczenia i mniej dramatyczno tragicznych tekstow z zartem czy czyms okolo milosnym, mnie taki blendzik kupil, a zaskoczylo mnie poza kilka ficzurow, na traku funny vibe mozna uslyszec dialog chucka D z flavem z public enemy, no i pan jagger pomagal na harmonijce i woklanie na dwoch kawalkach, co tez swietnie potwierdza stonsowa czarnosc brzmienia z ktora zawsze mi sie oni kojarza, na plejke poza otwierajacym kultem, ktorego juz mialem dodam jeszcze z tego odsluchu glamour boys oraz middle man, ktory urzekl openingiem gitarkowym i ciekawymi rifami w ciagu calego traka

I just found this a very fun and enjoyable listen

We All Need to join the Cult of personality

Like Guns N’ Roses starting Appetite for Destruction with “Welcome to the Jungle,” Living Colour makes things tough on themselves by opening Vivid with “Cult of Personality.” It’s such a huge, explosive track that everything after it feels like it’s playing catch-up. But revisiting the album years later, I appreciate it way more than I did as a teenager. It’s not just a one-song knockout. The band keeps shifting gears—bobbing and weaving—and even songs I used to skip, like “Glamour Boys,” hit differently now. What once felt uneven actually feels bold. What stands out most is the range. In 1988, they were blending hard rock, metal, funk, soul, and jazz into something that didn’t sound like anyone else (except for maybe the Red Hot Chili Peppers). And as a naïve and pasty white kid in the early ’90s, seeing a band of color rock that hard genuinely expanded my view of what rock music looked and sounded like. Vivid wasn’t just a great album—it challenged my assumptions and still holds up as a seriously strong debut.

Extra star for landlord blood-money

Honestly kinda liked it and was surprised

Remembered Cult of Personality from back in the day, but the rest is still pretty decent

Still tocks hard Cult of personality is absolutely amazing What a riff

Never heard this before. I like it!

Great band! I've seen these guys live twice. Both times, they have blown me away with how great they perform. The guitars shred. I love the vocals, too. I put these guys up there with Faith No More of bands rocking the end of the 80's with this style. This album is easily a 4.

This made me laugh which I don’t think was the intention but I had fun

Fire riffs, some killer basslines, COP is a 10/10 song. I've listened to this album before, but this time it stood out. 8/10

Whether you're a wrestling fan or not the opener will get you fired up, the earworm of a main riff and blistering solos dominating the song. The next track is a bit more measured, a bit more glam rock, with slap bass popping up in the mix. Another good groove and good solo. The strong riffing continues into Middle Man and the bass has me moving around. Consistently good vocals. Desperate People starts with maybe the heaviest riffs so far, I am into this big time. Open Letter closes the first half, a calm intro, but the funky bassline kicks in and it's a great power ballad. Onto the back half, Funny Vibe is much funkier and more eclectic at first, it's probably the most technical track in terms of musicianship. Overall, the second half is softer: Broken Hearts is a ballad and Glamour Boys is poppier. The closer is a hard rocker again. Despite the dip towards the end, it's a ton of fun and a strong collection of songs.

A good first album.

Living Colour is my favorite African American metal band. Besides Suffocation.

Powerful. Groundbreaking. Underrated.

Great classic rock album. Love the guitar tone and the vocals.

Decent album

Damn really slept on this one, nice mix of rock, funk and hiphop

this hits harder than I remember. There are some skips but the good ones are solid.

I dig it.

Another of my favourite albums Cult of personality. Such a great riff

Still underrated. Great rock album. Different than others in the same era with more heart. Solid 4.

I don't think that funk and metal mix well together, but this might be one of few exceptions. Tracks are diverse and fun (maybe just a little bit too fun for me). The album feels structured, so it feels like every song here has its purpose, even if I don't like them. The songs I liked most? The one with less funk influences in them. I think it's gonna be a grower, so I will return to it eventually. Maybe 5/5 one day, but for now I can't give it more than 4

I remember when this album came out wanting to fully embrace the inspired funk/metal/rock band, yet while I enjoyed many of their songs, the album always seemed to lack a certain something. Listening to the album nearly 40 years later, I still have that same feeling, and I'm still not sure what it is exactly that prevents me from enjoying this album more than I did/do. I think part of my hesitation is that, even when they broke on the scene and certainly even more today, their social commentary seems far less profound than it could have been with better lyrics and ideas. "Cult of personality" is the worse victim/culprit of this--I can remember singing along as a teenager and feeling like tying together Mussolini and JFK, or Stalin and Gandhi, didn't feel all that accurate or particularly insightful. Other songs do a better job with the commentary aspect, especially "Desperate people", "Open letter to a landlord" and "Which way to America", but I remember feeling like Fishbone did a better job with almost every aspect of their music and lyrics with "Truth and Soul", and was disappointed at the lost potential. But it's still fun to revisit this album and enjoy their distinct sound and style, especially on tracks like "Funny vibe", and lots of credit to them for carving out a interesting niche in the music world, even if no one really followed. (This is one of those albums that needs half-stars, but I'll give them the boost to four stars.)

Great debut, and their guitarist comes out swinging on "Cult of Personality." If only it weren't followed by a few weak songs which, at least, try. I liked "Broken Hearts" which reminded me of Meat Loaf's "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth," and I'd like to hear "Glamour Boys" in some kind of battle with "Buffalo Stance."

Really liked this, funky and anarchist

it's so bizarre that I occasionally cringe at the lyrics because when they came out I was slack-jawed at their bravery. Subtlety is a young artist's game.

This album rocks. I think actually what’s bringing it down to a four is the extended version of it. The live tracks are fine, but I think I would have preferred my first go to be just the OG album. All in all, a fantastic rock album.

Damn, it was nice getting a rock album again! Solid album all around with some sick guitar solos and solid vocals. The back half gets a little more funky. It's a good break up from the more traditional rock first half. Solid album with an all time song "Cult of Personality".

ROCK ON! entertaining

Solid album. Cult of Personality and Glamour Boys are the standouts, but all of the songs are good. Rock on! 🤘 🎸

This is good stuff. These songs, though very of their time, can still hit hard. I like how it straddles the line of many different genres (Funk, rock, metal, etc.)

Hadn't heard Living Colour before, but I really enjoyed this! Got me through the pre-Christmas oven clean easy ready V interesting how the band has the UK spelling of colour in their name, but use the American spelling in What's Your Favourite Color?. Wonder why Songs added to playlist: - Cult of Personality - Open Letter (To a Landlord) - What's Your Favourite Color? - Funny Vibe - Funky Vibe Mix - Should I Stay Or Should I Go

I liked quite a lot several songs, so 4!

Day 124 Really enjoyed this, will be listening to it a lot more 8/10 Highlights Cult of Personality Middle Man Desperate People

I was super into this album as a kid. My dad bought it after they saw them open for Rolling Stones on their Steel Wheels tour. A year or so after that we did a family trip to Disney World, and at one of the shops there we did a music video karaoke thing with Cult Of Personality as the song. This album is still enjoyable. I forgot about the great Talking Heads cover. Honestly, I probably hadn’t heard the original version yet when I first listened to the album as a kid.

Great rock album! I was pleasantly surprised.

Best wel een lekker rock album eigenlijk! Niet wereldschokkend, maar instrumentaal gewoon loeistrak en het gaat lekker door. Ik vind dit best goed te pruimen. Het is wel snelle rock, maar dat mag! Het is tenslotte vrijdag. Wacht is dat Public Enemy op Funny Vibe?? Sowieso valt het me op dat er toch wat meer politieke teksten op dit album staan met Open Letter (To a Landlord) bijvoorbeeld. Instrumentaal is dit echt top, zanger klinkt heerlijk en er zit genoeg variatie op dit album om me bezig te houden. Ja soms is het hard, maar soms herken ik hier gewoon ook hair metal in! Dat is toch goud man! Het is hair metal maar dan wat minder fout, en sorry hoor maar Glamour Boys heeft bijna wat caribische invloeden? Maar dan wel weer met die hard rock gitaar die eroverheen klapt. Dit album, dat is me toch een vibe haha, love dit. 5 sterren? Nee dat dan weer niet, maar absoluut 4 sterren! FAVO: I want to know, Desperate People, Glamour Boys, Which way to America

Una fusión de musica afroamericana con muchas cosas todo a la vez en todas partes. Ha sido muy divertido y dinamico, no sabia que habia una que conocia.

They do a great live show, and their sound harkens back to a very specific time, combining the late 80s vocal style with early 90s hardcore beginnings....

Honestly, hard to follow up after putting the best track forward, but it manages to be a decent album after 'Cult of Personality'.

Heck yeah, another album I am SUPER angry at not experiencing until now. Takes the best parts of metal and grunge and meshes with an insanely great rock n' roll voice!

Sehr starke Riffs und einfach groovy ohne Ende.

War cool, aber nicht völlig umwerfend. Ein Bonusstern für den GTA San Andreas Flashback.

Überraschend starkes Ding, macht viel Spaß

All in all a really enjoyable rock album even if I thought the album did tail off a fair bit. Cult of Personality sets a pretty high bar. Stonking opening with shades of Guns and Roses style bass but with far better vocals (also got GnR vibes from Open Letter). Some nice glam rock stuff to follow - I Want To Know was good fun and elements of Glamour Boys although it did get repetitive. After that, became a bit less memorable - Funny vibe had a nice mix of different influences, all of a sudden then the rest of the album leaned a lot more into jazz and the wider genres. Just about a 4, mainly on the strength of the first half.

Strong guitarwork and the vocals were surprisingly good.

Really enjoyed the first listen but got less excited wit the second one. Still some pretty nice guitar lines and vibes

4.5

I still really dig this album, but the follow up *Times Up* is so ghood this fail in comparison (8.4) ★★★★

I thought this was a really interesting album when it came out. Not only was it from an all black band in a very white hard rock landscape in the 80s, but it really merged a lot of diverse styles. Hard rock, metal, funk, hip-hop, and alternative rock are all present here, and I think they brought some socially conscious lyrics to a genre that was pretty thin in terms of meaningful lyrics. In a way, they walked so Rage Against the Machine could run. The playing is really good here too, especially from guitarist Vernon Reid, but Muzz Skillings and Will Calhoun are a pretty killer rhythm section too. Some of it is a little dated in 2025, but I think there's still some really cool stuff here. "Cult of Personality" and "Glamour Boys" are great singles, "Broken Hearts", "Which Way to America", and "Open Letter (To a Landlord)" are solid deep cuts, and there's a cool Talking Heads cover. 4 stars.

Fun little number. I would have placed Cult of Personality more towards the middle of the album as it is the clearest standout. A little tweaking of the sequencing would have kept the remaining pretty good songs from sounding like a step down after that bold opening. Great vocals, killer band, and very fun live. 4/ 5

Good solid rock, nice, a blast from the past

Cool stuff. I can’t think of anything else to say right now. Enjoyed it overall but probably wouldn’t listen again.

Cult of personality- memories of freshman year JMU ROTC Duke BN video

Fun! I love the fusion of different kinds of rock, funk, and jazz. This is definitely a late 80s sounding album. I love Queen, and I can hear similar type rock styles on Vivid as the Queen late 80s album The Miracle. I think Living Colour is a top notch rock band. Vernon Reid totally deserves his spot on Greatest Guitarists of all times lists, Muzz Skillings' funky bass lines propels the songs forward, Will Calhoun is a kick-ass drummer, and I enjoy Corey Glover's energy and delivery. Favorite Tracks: Which Way To America, Open Letter (To a Landlord), Desperate People, Cult of Personality I'd give this a 4.5 but since there's no half stars it's a 4. I get tired of the late 80s rock sound fairly quickly. I like that sound for a bit then want to listen to other styles. But I'm definitely going to check out more Living Colour albums because I liked them.

I mean cult of personality is as close to a perfect banger as you can get, the rest of the album is a lot of funny but just pales in comparison to the opening track

Amazing album - had this CD when it came out. Besides Cult of Personality, there are some great tracks (Open Letter especially).

The highs are killer, funky fused metal and spastic guitar solos, but there are some mid songs that don't earn the fifth star.

Cult of Personality 4.4 I Want to Know 3.6 Middle Man 3.5 Desperate People 3.5 Open Letter (To a Landlord) 3.7 Funny Vibe 3.4 Memories Can't Wait 3.6 Broken Hearts 3.4 Glamour Boys 3.6 What's Your Favorite Color? (Theme Song) 3.4 Which Way to America? 3.7 Score: 3.618181818

Fantastic heavy metal with a funky bass! There are also some more pop-minded hard rock tracks here. Even a touch of blues. It’s a great stew of influences. Very fun and full of personality. “Cult of Personality” is an awesome song! Listening to classic rock radio as a teenager, this song blurred in with the other heavy metal / pop metal songs (that genre wasn’t really my thing at the time) but man this track is excellent. I also love how Kennedy and Gandhi get mentioned alongside Mussolini and Stalin. The song isn’t just criticizing dictators — it’s about anyone who tries to make themself a symbol rather than just a person. It argues that we should be skeptical of all leaders, regardless of politics. I love that message. Wow! “Which Way to America” is amazing. Love the message, love the speed, love the energy. Living Colour is a great band just in terms of the musical performances, but they also elevate their songs with political and social commentary. I bet Rage Against the Machine cite them as influences. 4.5

"Cult of Personality" alone puts this album on this list and for good reason. It is a high flying epic piece of music that comes in at just under 5 minutes but when you're done with it you want more. I really love this song; it's completely jam packed with inventive guitar parts, evocative vocals, crushing drums that still have finesse, and a bass that bounces between supporting act for the guitar to then being an awesome foundation for the vocalist. It's a super impressive sound, and the small guitar flourishes throughout will forever be little moments that stick in my head. Of top guitarists of all time that I'd love to have some lessons from, Vernon Reid is pretty high up on the list. Exceptional phrasing, technicality, tone, innovation... the list goes on. He's absolutely incredible. There's so much flavor in his guitar parts and I love how out of nowhere he'll throw some really wild shred sections at you and send the energy of a song through the roof. Corey Glover also shines on this album. Sometimes they'll have a cheesy lyric or an overly "acted" vocal part, like on "Open Letter (To a Landlord)", but I don't mind. In fact, usually when I embrace the cheese a little bit on a record it tends to sound better, and it does here. This album is a 4/5 for me, right at a 4.0. It's a solid listen, is very fun, and is packed with energy. "Vivid" is the perfect name for it.

Pleasant surprise. Set the tone with Cult of Personality at the start and it didn't look back. Banger.

Late ‘80s classic

Cult of personality is one of my favorite bangers of the late 80’s. I had also forgotten a few other great songs on here…..Glamour Boys, Funny Vibe, Open Letter…. Great stuff. The pairing of Glovers smooth vocals and Reid’s ripping guitar is so satisfying.

This is always a great sounding, well made record that’s deserving of its classic status. It sounds like a Pearl Jam preview to me musically, and Cult of Personality is a banger. I respect the Talking Heads cover as well, even if I prefer the original. It’s not my favorite record personally, but I can see why some consider it a masterpiece and it sounds fantastic on a good sound system.

Criminally underrated and overlooked band that should have been way bigger that what they were. It's not perfect but this is a solid release with some fantastic playing. (Vernon Reid in particular) The 80s production is bit of a letdown but this is still worth listening to today.

cant believe ive only ever heard the single from this one, the whole album is great

Have never heard of them but it really surprised me. A few I really enjoyed, most I enjoyed enough to save, and only a couple that I didn’t. Some of the guitar parts weirdly reminded me of the Contortions as well. Rating: 4.2

LOVED THIS. How had Living Color passed me by? Much lead guitar, catchy riffs, it's simultaneously so of its time and still fresh and exciting? The rest of the album doesn't live up to the first track but that one is a solid 5/5.

*** 1/2 Wasn't on my radar anymore. But I know it. And I basically like it. Sometimes a bit monotonous.

Hell yes. This band was big but never got as big as they should have. I somehow did not know about Mick Jagger's involvement in this album before today, and also did not know that Corey Glover was in Platoon.

A pleasant discovery

Con sus estridentes ropajes (culotes, colores fluor) e imagen, marcaron una época. Antecedentes claros de los RHCP sin ir más lejos. Sonaban potentes, y la voz de Corey es una delicia. Venían apadrinados (y producidos) por Jagger, pero eso no les restó ni un milímetro de credibilidad, multiplicando su difusión. Mantuvieron el tipo con discos como Stain, algo más duro que este reluciente debut. Virutosos, potentes, con estilo. Sigue sonando igual que entonces. Middle man, Open letter es una de la joyas de su discografía, un grupo que tuvo un éxito fugaz pero que no acaba de mantener un reconocimiento que se merece.

I know them from their Guitar Hero song. Like the melodies.

This was much better than I expected. I only recognised cult of personality and that’s only from GTA.

Not really my thing but do think it's good.

This album reminds me a bit of the Faith No More album we had earlier this week. Partially because they were released around the same time, but also because while they tending to be thrown into the Hard Rock/Metal bucket- they pull in other genres and sounds that make that label feel a bit restrictive. Like Faith No More, this might just be a 3, but I'm inclined to round up.

Gostosin

Random thoughts: * I should have discovered this when it came out. I would have liked the whole album. Unfortunately I only listened to radio for the most part and only knew "Cult of Personality". * The inclusion of this album was definitely to let us all know we missed out on something pretty great. * Cult of Personality still kicks so much ass and is sadly more apt than when it was released. * I'll have to revisit this one when I'm in a rockin' mood.

First time listen. Great rock album. Really well executed. Great lyrics

scale: 1 - instaskip, 2-meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip, 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out, 4 - would listen to again, 5 - must listen "saying the name of the song early scale" (SNSES) Will be accounted for when I can remember. Cult of personality: 7, Guitar hero 3 sends its regards, freaking slaps. I want to know: 3 Middle man: 4 Desperate people: 5 Open letter: 4 Funny vibe: 2 Memories can’t wait: 3 Broken hearts: 4 Glamour Boys: 2 What’s your favorite color?: 3 Which way to America?: 4. Wonderful chaos. Overall 3.73

scale: 1 - skipping if heard it again/actually skipped it 2- meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out 4 - would listen to again 5 - must listen Cult of Personality - 5 I Want To Know - 4 Middle Man - 3 Desperate People - 3 Open Letter (To a Landlord) - 3.5 Funny Vibe - 3 Memories Can't Wait - 3.5 Broken Hearts - 3.5 Glamour Boys - 3 What's Your Favorite Color? - 4 funked up Which Way to America - 4

What a pleasant surprise.. Hard rock? Sounds 80s but also already 90s, I like the basss, the guitars, the voice.. 3.75, I already listened two times... Nice energy. (first time I listen to "Living Colour"). Thanks!

Really fun rock album

Excellent album to be played at top volume. So glad it’s on this list.

Phenomenal guitar work and some cracking songs throughout. Good stuff.

My HM workmates played this to me when it was first released. Obviously I was biased and hated it without giving it a chance. There went my brush with this band. Fast forward to today with the same preconceptions, but with older wiser ears. I loved it! Funky basslines, great guitar playing and excellent tunes. I may have to listen to this again, just to make sure I wasnt in some sort of funny mood!

Rock des années 80, très chouette 👍

A manifesto to reintegrate rock music in the mainstream. Shame we're still having the same conversations now.

My favorite color is yellow

Strong, strong opener, and while the album can't quite keep the steam up, it's good fun.

Awesome debut, awesome band. Still great live after all these years

This is an album for its time. It feels very 80's metal...Aerosmithish perhaps. Its a good listen though, I'll be back to it

Najlepsze w tej płycie jest to, że mam poczucie że oni się bawią muzyką i nie traktują siebie zbyt serio. To bardzo eklektyczny album, widać że czerpią z różnych gatunków i nie boją się być inni. Jasne, część z tych utworów nie przypadła mi do gustu, ale doceniam tę niepohamowaną muzykalność. 7.5/10

Heard of this band but never listened to them before. Absolutely loved it, great vocals, heavy rock guitars, brilliant melodies, meaningful lyrics....

Sweet album. Tons of variation with heavy metal to straight up pop to more soulful cuts. Lots of energy and hooks on here so looking to coming back. 7/10

Strong 7. Super groovy and fun album, used a bunch of 80’s rock stylings with stellar performances. The biggest issue was just that the songs sort of blended together after a while.

Strong. Fav song open letter

This was a strange listen. Loved Cult and Glamour Boys, as well as Open Letter--the Talking Heads cover was awesome and the last 2 songs very cool social commentary. The 2nd and 3rd songs are absolutely terrible and I'm not sure why they are not tucked into the back of the album, but after 15 minutes of listening I was at a 2. The album picked up for sure and I ended up at about 3.5 and I'm bumping for relevance, but man those songs are bad and the thrash/hair metal sound they have is so off putting. Reid smokes on guitar, but if it's all thrashy sounding what's the point? Also, some of Glover's lyrics are ROUGH, haha.

This is an album that had one song that I was super aware of while having never heard the rest of the album. "Cult of Personality" was seemingly inescapable when it was released and is still a song that I hear from time to time. I thought that this album would be more of the same but it isn't and that is a good thing. The remainder of the album has songs that are definitely rock or even hard rock but it also has songs that sound somewhat like 1988 R&B and even Terence Trent D'Arby (in a good way). The musicianship is great and that extends to the bass playing which is front and center on almost all the songs on the album. I will listen again.

LOOK IN MY EYES WHAT DO YOU SEEEEEEEE?! I only know that song since it's the theme song of a wrestler. It's pretty catchy. The vocal is so 80s. Sounds like a mix of Huey Lewis, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins at times. This man can belt out a tune. This is the kind of album I never would have heard if not for this list. I like the various style changes from hard rock to funk. 3.5/5. Raising to a 4.

Never heard of these guys before, which is a shame, because it's pretty nice. A fun hard rock album with good guitar work that's at it's best when it embraces more of the funk elements. What keeps it from being 'great' is that it sounds pretty dated on the one hand, and it's overshadowed by bands who took the same concept but were braver in implementing it. Faith No More sounds like an obvious comparison, who simply did a bolder and more interesting version of funk meets hard rock.

Rechtig typisch ändi 80er Rock. Leider esch i de 80er Rock doch no gross gse. Das füehrt dezue dass mer rächt mues usestäche zom öberhaupt no spannend z si. Ehre Erfolg i dere Ufgab esch vo Song zo Song sehr onderschedlech. T mehrheit esch halt eifach okay. Es ged es Schlagzüg, ei bis zwöi Rockgitarre ond e Stemm. Es ged aber es paar songs wo mer jetzt positiv ufgfalle send wo das ganz klassische chli bräched: Open Letter (To a Landlord) fod eigentlech a wie jedes andere Lied. Denne chond aber de Refrain wo t instromänt plötzlech i de Stemm platz gäbed zom schiine. Das brecht ned nome s moschter sehr guet, es füehrt au e chli Melodie ih ond zeigt sini starchi stemm uf. Funny vibe esch no loschtig wels näbscht whats your favourite colour eitnelch e rock song esch, aber plötzlech extrem funky werd. Die zwöi genres fonktioniered debi erstuundlech guet zäme. Glamour Boys esch öppe mis lieblings lied us dem Albom. Es hed ned nome öppe am meischte Melodie, öppis wo söscht doch e chli sehr rar esch, mer ghört au rechtig wie Living Colour spass gha hed dä song z mache. Är esch also au sehr happy was emmer pluspönkt ged. Schlossändlech sett mer wahrschiindlech no öppe s berüehmtischte lied us em Albom erwähne: Cult of Personality. Das esch eigentlech mega easy, es brecht einigi strukture emmer weder uf was es spannend macht. Au geds ab ond zue verschednigi layers. Es esch aber au e sehr herte song wo i minere meinig hüüfig eifach au öberlade ond z luut esch.

A vibrant and energetic album. A mix of early grunge and punk with lyrics still relevant to today. These guys definitely deserve more recognition.

'Hey kids! Let's go!' Ze hebben er in ieder geval zin in, deze mij verder onbekende broertjes van Aerosmith. De laten jaren tachtig klinken er wel een beetje in door, en de hoes is ook al een product van zijn tijd. Maar het is met plezier gemaakt, en dat is altijd fijn.

Dit album van Living Colour zit precies aan het einde van de jaren 80 net voor de grunge uit, maar het heeft eigenlijk al wel heel veel van die early 90s. Als je de hoes al ziet, zie je ook gelijk die clipjes op MTV, met van die gekke kleuren en letterlijk wazige video-effecten. Ondanks dat het overduidelijk een product is wat je meteen in de periode rond 1990 kan plaatsen (het hitster-kaartje zal niet moeilijk te verzamelen zijn), heeft het wat mij betreft de tand des tijds wel doorstaan. Al zul je dit, helaas, niet zoveel meer horen tegenwoordig. De gitaar heeft zo'n typische distortion uit die tijd, schurend en scheurend, en in de drums hoor je de gated reverb (en nr 2 heeft zelfs een koebel). Wat me wel opvalt, is dat de nummers redelijk lang zijn met veelal 4 minuten plus. Wat ik nog niet wist, is dat Mick Jagger dit album mede heeft geproduceerd. Dat zijn van die grappige dingen die ik weer kan toevoegen aan mijn lijst met nutteloze feitjes. Zelfs zonder dat feitje vind ik al dat dit album in de lijst thuis mag horen. Wederom een dikke 4, waarmee ik weer een lekkere streak heb.

Metal, funk, jazz, punk, alternative - unafraid to be who they are. 1988 was ready for "Cult of Personality", "Open Letter (to a Landlord)", and "Glamour Boys" and Living Colour STILL delivers the goods.

Pretty sweet. Heavy production and a lot of fun.