Reviews (page 4 of 8)
From the title and cover art I did not expect this to be a heavy rock album. From the era I did not expect this late 80's heavy rock album to have aged well. My expectations have been proved resoundingly wrong. This is a hugely enjoyable album with well constructed songs, catchy choruses, faultless musicianship, a variety of styles (arena rock, metal, funk, soul, rap) and interesting themes. 4/5
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Cult of personality, I want to know, Which way to America
This was a solid, fun to listen to album. Like probably a lot of people, I'd heard 'Cult of Personality' before but nothing else by these guys. A pleasant surprise to discover that the rest of the album holds up to that standard!
Terrible album art but this was alright.
Love this album. A cool mix of rock, blues, fun good shit.
Having been aware of Cult of Personality for half of my life this far, I went into this album with high expectations and they were exceeded. Elements of this album remain relevant and impactful thirty plus years on and is thus essential listening. Favorites: Cult of Personality, I Want to Know, Desperate People, Broken Hearts and Glamour Boys.
Look in my eyeeeeeeees what do you see? This was actually an awesome album. They are more than a one hit wonder and his voice grew on me with every song. Great stuff to start the year.
Kom stórkostlega á óvart. Las mér síðan til um bandið. Frábær skilaboð. Ekki verið að syngja bara um sólarlagið heldur texta og lagasmíðar með bit!
I really loved this, it was a few songs shy of being a ten out of ten for me
Hard Rock, quindi mi piace. Bella 'Cult of Personality'. Anche 'i Want to Know' continua sullo stesso, piacevole stile. Arrivato a 'Open Letter (to a landlord)' posso dire che l'album mi piace molto, ma gli manca qualcosa per fare lo scatto definitivo a masterpiece. Bello però, un 4 pieno.
Solid
Better than I expected!
Enjoyed Middle Man
This band. What a sound. Corey Glover. What a voice. Fuck yeah. This album gets double horns. \m/ \m/
Rock animado.
bella scoperta molto glam
I've heard a couple of songs on this album before but had no idea what band sung them. The albums great - I listened to a couple of the songs multiple times!
Genre defying: metal/funk/hip-hop/rap. An eye-opener!
I listened to it, it wasn't quite my cup of tea, not bad though
I really like the "groovy funk" feel of songs like Middle Man. Then the heavy drums of songs like Desperate People. Seems weird to me that as much as I loved Cult of Personality in my youth and the rest of my life, I don't think I ever heard this whole album before. And lots of powerful lyrics like in Which Way to America.
281121 14:48 4
Good album - thoughtful lyrics
So, I loved this band when they first came out. I generally preferred Time's Up, which I thought had stronger songs across the board. But listening again, it does have Cult of Personality, Glamour Boys, and Middle Man, all of which are very strong. Some dated production choices aside, it still sounds great. Everyone's playing at their peak. Contemporaneous live recordings by the band tend to cut loose a bit more, which is wild. It has the advantage of a metal album that incorporates other influences (most notably funk, which was pretty fresh at the time, if later to become cliched) and not-dumb lyrics (occasionally a little heavy handed, but forgivably so). Politically aware, energetic, heavy. Still a great listen
Second great album in a row from 1988 (got Tracy Chapman's ST yesterday) and man Vernon Reid is a monster! I still dig a lot of this, obviously Cult of Personality is great song with a classic riff. I had forgotten about Chuck D and Flava Flav popping up in Funny Vibe. Open Letter To A Landlord and (Talking Heads cover) Memories Can't Wait are also highlights.
3.5 | En realidad no conocía mas que Cult of Personality y no tenía bien idea de qué esperar. En mi opinión el disco llega a su pico de manera inmediata con esa canción y nunca llega al mismo nivel, sí es un caso en que la canción y el sencillo es lo mejor que tiene que ofrecer, sin embargo no es para decir que el resto sea malo, quizá solo que es demasiado estandar. Por letras en realidad nada que poner atención, todo lo esperado y sin cosas notables. La música bien hecha, hard rock/pop noventero que suena muy correcto, a veces un poco más pesado, a veces más baladesco, un poco de funk, metal... suena bastante a RHCP pero sin sentirse forzado ni copia... simplemente es la manera en que hacen canciones. Buen disco , muy sólido pero lo realmente brillante es esa primera canción.
Después de reconocer Cult of Personality no tenía grandes expectativas pero fue una grata grata sorpresa. Los solos bastante atascados y los poderosos riffs hacen de este disco una chulada. Mi único pero son las dos últimas canciones que siento son los tracks más flojos del disco pero en general, gran sorpresa. Songs: I want to know, Middle Man, Memories Can't Wait, Cult of Personality
Dope album with some really inspired tracks. Totally worth the time.
Oh, those late 80's vibes, the 90's were just around the corner and things were taking a good shape. Love how these guys would mix several influences into their brand of groovy hard rock.
Rocking, social commentary, catchy. I had heard Cult of Personality a million times on GTA but really enjoyed this listen. Blunt. Aware. Cool. 4/5.
I have listened to all of this album before. I liked it enough back then, that I listened to the next album too. I like "Cult of Personality" and "Glamour Boys" enough that they are on my 'I will listen to this again' list (5 stars). As a whole, my opinion of the album is still the same as it was when the album first came out. I like some tracks very much, but most of the album is okay (3 stars). With rounding, I guess the album gets 4.
Nice. Pretty good rock album.
Unexpectedly enjoyed this!
Fantastic album. Brings all the songs of yesteryear back to me.
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas let’s goooo!!!!!! Really enjoyed this one - full on late eighties nostalgia - the sound is so crisp and clear! - and the playing is incredible, especially Vernon Reid’s funky guitar solos and Muzz Skilling’s amazing melodic bass. A funk rock fusion to savour- just blast the album and enjoy musicians doing their thing.
An excellent album that I haven't listened to in far too long.
Very solid debut from this quarter of NYC music students. Some classic songs here, with just a little bit of filler(“What’s Your Favorite Color” in particular never landed for me). But it has aged well, and the performances and production are both fantastic. The band’s next album, Time’s Up, is their masterpiece imo.
Reminds me a lot of mother love bone. Had a few listens of this just on in the background. Think it needs a proper listen. I'll revisit it but going high and giving it a 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.
Sequência de riffs que verdadeiramente arrebata.
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.
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.
Solid jams, songs are a little repetitive but the sound is good so it's the worst thing.
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.
Creo que está un poco pasado de moda pero se deja escuchar.
I liked that
Finde es tatsächlich n gutes Album. Vereinzelt echt gute Lieder!
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.
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 😁
Awesome album! Not quite a 5/5 but close!
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.
Really good album beginning to end
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.
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
4 exactly. hard to put cult of personality as the first track and be able to follow that up
Funky metal
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!
apparently cult of personality comes off a woke bop of an album
Enjoyable album great rock and hip hop inspiration at points 3.8
Good stuff! Luv
Metal/hard rock with clear singing. Some songs stand out, most others are solid
Can't believe I've never heard this before. Great album.
Cult of personality!
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
Love the variety here, great album
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.
i was excited about this album when it showed up and i'm FEELING it!!
Heard this album a fair few times, it's funky and metal and just fuckin cool 4/5.
It's not exceptional rock but it's pretty good and above average in my opinion
Some good tracks on this one, and some really good guitar skills on display. Some of the social commentary is pretty good, and sadly as true today as it was then. Flava Flav was a nice, if not minor, touch.
Just okay
Nossa, quanto barulho! Também achei datado em alguns momentos, mas legal saber que esse projeto existe.. eu acho...
I like the attitude and creativity. But the songs don’t do much for me. They’re mainly just vehicles for Vernon Reed’s guitar. He’s got a sound, but it’s not my style. A 3.
I’d listened to Cult of Personality when I was younger because it is CM Punk’s theme song lol. Listening to it now some lyrics are kind of corny but still good. Rest of the album is fine.
I don't even remember this album and I'm in the middle of listening to it. 3/5.
enjoyed listening, prolly won't revisit.
Nothing special, it was a fine listen though.
Duller than I remembered
I never really understood the idea of comparing Kennedy and Stalin in “Cult of Personality,” but the song rocked. The rest of the album reminds me of Fishbone.
Cult of Personality is an all time great. The rest has its moments especially when they let Vernon Reid off the chain. Corey Glover is a respectable lead vocalist.
Sick opener. Great energy.
Honestly this isn't my favourite sound, but I do think it's a good version of what it is and I can hear the influence of a bunch of different genres within this album, which is cool.
Cult of personality was honestly all I thought was worth listening to. Nostalgic song due to me shredding that shit on Guitar Hero 3.
really fascinating look at the state of rock music pre-grunge, a combination of the earnestness of 80s stadium music with things rawer and heavier, as well as the genre's Black music roots. the band takes a lithe, driving approach to social-issue songs, and while some can drown in their own riffage, the highlights are incredibly purposeful and clear. the songs do get a bit samey after a while, and it's too bad that the genre experiments don't work quite so well given the band's funk roots. i've heard subsequent releases are angrier, more raw, and i'm intrigued by that, given the very genuine fury of this record's closing track - i wonder if the band finds their own weird outsider path, smashing the mirror they here hold up to friendlier rock music of the era. i hope they do!
Was surprisingly decent but felt like a parody hair rock band from a comedy movie set in the 80s
Great record! These guys kill it live. Cult of personality a cracker tune. But plenty of other bangers here!
Eclectic album that does a lot, just not many things very well 3/5
I really liked Love Rears It's Ugly Head -the single from the follow-up album- when I was a kid. It's quite a cynical message for a 10-year-old to enjoy but it's got a swing and I think it possibly reminded me of Paula Abdul, the video for Opposites Attract features singing cat which was very much the sort of thing young me was into. As to this record, Cult of Personality is cool and all but 80s guitar shredding just isn't my thing and has dated pretty badly. They do try to expand the musical palette a bit as the record goes on but it feels a bit aimless.
I'd only ever heard "Cult of Personality," which is no wonder because it's the best song on this album. Personally, I wish there was a bit more pop to this album, as I'm not really enthusiastic about this style of heavy metal. Respect to these dudes for being outrageously talented, and I can see how this influenced a lot of bands who followed.
The way Cult of Personality just transported me to playing guitar hero legends of rock in the early 2000's is crazy.
More hokey than I thought it would be, but fun overall
Knew "Cult of Personality," obviously, but I forgot "Glamour Boy" was also in pretty constant MTV rotation way back when. I thought this was a pretty good listen, and Vernon Reid is very talented. Was kind of blindsided by the Talking Heads cover, but it's good. Don't think this will hit my regular rotation, but I liked it.
Imagine if more New Wave evolved into this instead of Synth Pop. I like the mix of funk and metal. I feel like metal is the musical equivalent of what salt or vanilla or lemon juice are to cooking... a little bit helps enhance all the other flavors, but too much will overwhelm everything else. I think they got it right here (at least considering how popular metal was in 1988).
Dated 80s alt metal mixing but I love the energy. I see the RHCP comparisons.
I liked the second half better than the first half.
What a great album. Cult of Personality certainly shines against the rest of the album - but there are other highs on the album. Some of the basslines were amazing.
Kind of a top heavy album. The playing is good throughout, but most of the songs don't come close to the quality of "Cult of Personality". 3/5 Might listen again.
i had never heard of or listened to this group before, it definitely has a uniqueness to it that i appreciate. theres a freshness to the classic rock vibe. it has insane guitar riffs and vocal elements that you wouldn't expect. great basslines too. the vocals are incredible and have such great tone. i can't believe i have never heard any of them before but i'm glad i got to experience this now!
I feel like outside of Cult of Personality this album is very meh. 3/5
I now understand why I only know them for the one song, amazing on it own but the album as a whole was just *okay*
I'm pretty ok with it, good guitar hero memories Will I listen to again: 39%
Only knew the one hit. The others sounded about what I would expect from them, not in a bad or good way. Just in how similar it sounded.
Bit corny but amazing musicianship. I love the influences that came from this album.
One of the so many average albums on this list. Quite nice but nothing special and nothing more.
Corey Glover has the perfect pipes for music like this, damn. What a clear, powerful voice. I’ve heard the immortal “Cult of Personality” many times before (it rips), but the rest of the album was unfamiliar to me. There’s a streak of hair metal through this that really works. Instead of being corny, it imbues the record with a bright popiness that (in my opinion) makes it more gripping than other metal albums of its time. That also means that it sounds a little dated, but, hell, it was 1988. That sonic palette really sticks to things. Strong three.
te bien, quizás se pueda hacer un poco repetitivo, pero esta bueno
I've been acquainted with Cult of Personality for about 20 years now, since Guitar Hero 3 (I played a ton of San Andreas too but almost exclusively listened to K-Rose). But I don't think I've ever listened to the entire album in all of that time. I was a bit nervous the album would have no edge from I Want To Know and become pretty poppy, I don't think I would have enjoyed the rest that much if it was like that. But there's still punch in tracks like Funny Vibe and Middle Man A good funky time. 3.5 Highlights: Cult of Personality, Middle Man
Ihan ok funk rockia. 3/5.
Kicking off with Cult of Personality sets a bar that's hard to top, and this record kinda fails at that. It's a fun and consistent listen. I didn't find any bad songs, although some of it sounded like fairly generic 80s metal. The middle of this dragged a bit, and overall it felt like a curio rather than a proper record
Got that 80s American hard rock vibe with funky bass lines thrown in. Never heard of them, glad I came across them. 3.5 stars.
Not my genre of music
Had me, lost me, got me back 3.5/5
3 or 4
My wife and I were listening to “Glamour Boys” and she said she thought they were saying “I am the river boy” and I said they were saying “I am Banana Boy” like a fruit-themed superhero’s sidekick. Mango Man and Banana Boy. https://tenor.com/mYK0EXm9hU6.gif
It's CLOBBERING TIME
#382 / 1089 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I remember when this came out. I was kind of disappointed, because from the hype I expected proper metal album, but was greeted with a hard rock one. Took me quite a while to appreciate them, especially since in '88 I was already elbow deep in thrash and death metal. Their hard rock is sort of bouncy, fast to tun into another direction, but also very familiar, of the same era it reminds me of Joe Satriani's "Surfing With The Alien" record, while not as guitar centric. It's not bad, but it holds so much skewed nostagia that I'm not really shure if it's awesome or not. I'm torn between 2 and 4/5, so 3 it is. 3/5
I’ve heard Cult of Personality hundred - if not thousands - of times before, but pretty sure this is the first time I’ve listened to the rest of the album. It’s still very late 80s, but some of it is way more Huey Lewis sounding than I expected. I hear the mid-80s melodies and late-80s bass drums. I certainly appreciate their impact on 90s music much more after listening to the complete album.
This album is basically Cult of Personality under different disguises. If that’s all it takes, that’s fine. Not a great album but it keeps the tempo up from start to finish. Choice cut: Cult of Personality
fierce
a good listen but wouldn’t be a go-to for me.
giving this album one extra star just cause the cover art. #weloveagoodalbumcover
yeah i know the lyrics and themes of most of the songs still holds up this many years later due to the trump administration but its just so... ok. 3.5/5
A Heavy but very funky albums . and that’s cool to listen to once. I rate. Would be cool live . Bass tone is very mmmmmm tho
This is definitely a fun album; the funk metal is actually a great combination. Cult of Personality is definitely the best song on the album, but the final two tracks are pretty good. Especially, Which Way to America, which sounds like an INXS song (not the screaming part ofc) in my mind (I can't believe they aren't on the list).
por favor lo que pellizca ese bajo!!!!!! no conocía esta banda pero sin lugar a duda pasa a estar en mis playlists
very very ok. only worth listening to cult of personality.
This was a fun album to listen to.
Lo escuché mientras caminaba y hacia lo de morfo
Cult of personality I want to know Middle man Broken hearts
This album doesn't really do anything to break the mold, but still somehow feels unique and fresh which I believe is a testament to how well made the tracks are. The tracks sound diverse while still managing to form a cohesive album. It's also surprising that this was made in '88. The album holds up very well and does not sound dated. Unfortunately, most of the tracks aren't really my kind of music. I liked "Cult of Personality" though.
It grew on me over the day! Hard rock with funky elements that reminded me in the base lines of early Chillis. Also, Cult of Personality has such strong guitar hero memories.
Ok black rockers!
Not what I was expecting. Shades of RHCP and Faith No More. It probably won't see repeated play from me, but I didn't mind hearing it.
That was hard rock—pretty heavy at times and surprisingly funky. Overall, it was nice to have given this album a listen. But I don’t think it’s really my cup of tea. I won’t be listening to it again anytime soon. 3/5
It was just alright. I feel like ive been unexpectedly bored by the metal albums ive rolled so far. I did like some of the funk elements in here.
Better than I expected, but still not my cup of tea. Sounds very dated.
Cult of Personality = certified banger Open Letter is a powerful, beautiful song Glamour Boys is fierce (hahaha) Would have like to see this band with more staying power
There’s some filler but this was fun. Glamour Boys is a bop.
Pretty fun. Cult of Personality is the obvious standout, but the rest is decent too.
When rock and roll first came onto the scene, recording technology would naturally have this distortion and slight roughness to sound. By the mid to late 60s you could get a really crisp sound and the expanding genres that encompass rock really took advantage. My first thought when listening to this album is that rock really did in a roundabout way return to that roughness, but on their terms, to continue to develop the genre.
Lowkey fiery.
Me gustaaaaa. Es raro, versatil, creo que tier bastante de (nonme sale la palabra de probar cosas nuevas)
Wouldn’t call it metal but would call it solid early 90s rock with some sleeper social messages. Really loved Cult of Personality and Letter to a Landlord.
better than i expected. not a big fan of heavy metal so not my kind. but it's not a bad album.
i enjoyed it.
Ok, put "Cult of Personality" on a 1001 Songs list, it's genuinely one of the great songs of the 80s, but ugh, the rest of the album... nope. "Cult of Personality" was a sound no one else could imitate, but then the rest of the album, with occasional exceptions felt like imitations. It often feels like 80s hair metal, but a bit funkier, a bit cheesier, without the sex & drugs swagger (definitely a plus), and with a better vocalist and a much more interesting guitarist (also a plus!). Yes the songs are less formulaic, too, but they sometimes get awkward without a formula. Does it belong on the list...? The one song really was a big deal and was part of the recovery of rock without the hair metal pose, but... probably overall, nah, but I give it 3/5 mostly on the basis of its high points. "Glamour Boys" was just an awful single to follow up "CoP" and that kinda sums up the album.
This is about the safest, middle-of-the-road 80s music you can find. Nothing to hate here, but not much to love either. I wouldn't say you're likely the regret the 45 minutes or so you spend listening to this, but three or four days from now, you're also not likely to remember much of it.
Very dynamic and fun, vocals are money, but starts to become uninteresting towards the second half
The album had one hit. The rest were mediocre
Background music
I thought this was actually pretty solid. They’re kinda doin too much tho you can tell. This is a 3.5 but rounding down to 3
Rating 5/10 Best Song - Memories Can’t Wait
I liked the one that sounded like it was from Rent
3.1 2x i've heard cult of personality 100s of times and never realized they were black. decent album for sure.
Jaajaja Gar nüd speziells Tres puntos
29# Not a single idea to what this will be, the hope real. This has energy, its clever on its lyrics on the opening track which is the best. Nothing much to add, didn't really have the time to hear it with much attention. That's the thing with an album a day, some won't have the amount of concentration that is deserved. I like the mood this leaves me in, gives me energy and motivation. The context about this being a hard rock band formed of black guys is interesting.
Exciting, frantic, a little too much. This was fun, but really outstayed its welcome fast. Would be fun at a party.
Cool album. Cult of Personality is obviously great.
Rating: 6/10 Fun,cheesy, and funky late 80's hard rock and protest music that just barely veers the line of metal. Not my favorite thing cause it never hits the heights of the first song and starts to overstay its welcome a bit, feeling a bit samey. But it's not bad. Cult of Personality got stuck in my head the rest of the day and now it's stuck in my head again writing about it.
Starts strong with "Cult of Personality," a perfect 80s rock single... great even when you can hear him trying to wring every last drop of juice out of the words "cult of personality" near the end. Unfortunately, the rest of the album didn't have much that spoke to me. When they say "glamour boys" I hear "grammar boys;" that could've been a good Sesame Street bit.
it was an interesting mash up of styles and genres. didn't hate it but didn't love it. sounded like a bunch of bands all rolled into one!
starts off with an amazing song and then its kinda just like that
I enjoyed listening to this one.
Standouts Cult of Personality Middle Man
I didn't think I liked them much when I first heard them, but this sounds pretty good today.
Obviously “Cult of Personality” is the standout, but the rest of this slapped.
On their debut, Living Colour swing for the fences, cramming hair metal flash, P-Funk grooves, deep soul, and a dash of thrash into a sound that feels as ambitious as it does overstuffed. Vivid is rarely boring, even when it could use a tighter edit; ideas spill out of every track, sometimes all at once. There are moments where the glossy punch of the production oddly foreshadows the arena-ready churn of Pearl Jam’s Ten, even if the band’s politics and chops set them on a different path. “Cult of Personality” remains a bona fide classic, all serrated riff and arena-sized strut, while “Middle Man” rides some satisfyingly nasty guitar work. “Open Letter (To a Landlord)” fakes you out like a power ballad before crashing in with muscle and purpose, and “Glamour Boys” grooves hard enough to suggest a heavier Culture Club with better amps. Not every experiment lands—“Funny Vibe,” with a cameo from Public Enemy, aims for rap-metal camaraderie but comes off more awkward than explosive. Still, even when Vivid stumbles, it does so loudly and with conviction.
Interesting.
I tried and failed to get into Living Colour in the 80's, so I was looking forward to this excuse to revisit. Sadly, whilst good moments in places, the album largely passed me by. I was expecting it to be more 'metal'. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Disappointing ★★★☆☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 229 Already owned : 52 Purchased : 12 To buy list : 2 Nope : 163
Fun!
Vibrante
“Cult of Personality” is a certified banger, and “Open Letter (To a Landlord)” shows some promise, but the rest of the album is mostly forgettable. A couple strong moments surrounded by a lot that just doesn’t stick.
this is just a good album. not much else to say, just good
After the banger opener, this album really turns into B-tier cringe pop rock. Every other song has no rock edge at all and they all have a saccharine happy tinge to them. It's as if they want to play rock music and are doing their best to emulate that as well as they can. This is a corporate executive produced rock equivalent album. Not good enough to be real rock & roll, but you can play it in the background of an elevator or grocery store and it won't offend anyone. I applaud the musicianship and the bold choices on some of the tracks (Funny Vibe/Glamour Boys/What's Your Favorite Color), but they still just end up missing the mark for me. These guys are at the door to the rock & roll mansion and feverishly playing their "best" stuff to try and gain entry, but it will never be enough to get a foot in the door. 3 for the opening track and no other points awarded for the rest of the album.
тяжеловато, но зато неожиданно что они не белые (наверно менее неожиданно когда вместо риффов начинается фанк). в целом не моё
Meh rock
Bom disco
Some high energy punk and roll with some mellow rock centered around politics and class struggles.
A pretty good album. Cult of Personality is a triumph. The rest fails to really reach that high, but isn't too bad for the time.
Really great band, lousy songs. No wonder they fizzled after Cult.
CULT OF PERSONALITY!!!! Häftigt album o vilka trummor alltså, så vill jag kunna spela också! Roliga låtar och vocals. Sen 80's rock. Kommer definitivt lyssna om den någon gång Axel hade fun-fact om att de var 3 i bandet från början, interesting. 6/10
Better than the RHCP
Good and fun record that goes beyond their hit "Cult of Personality".
Groovy and fun record that always put me in a great mood. Love it!
No los conocía y me ha gustado el rollo y el sonido, aunque ninguna canción me pegó fuerte. 7/10
Die Mischung aus Funk, Metal und politischen Botschaften ist ambitioniert, aber oft zu sprunghaft. Abgesehen vom starken „Cult of Personality“ fehlt es vielen Songs an Tiefe und Wiedererkennungswert. Ein Album mit Potenzial, das sich in seiner Vielfalt verliert.
This is a funny album to rank. It's fascinating as an album that I need to hear before I die, but I just don't think I would enjoy listening to this in entirety again. I'm really glad it's on the list and that I've heard it though. At least it's a unique perspective on hard rock - This is fine. Just some rock noise - Skipped the popular song. Not a great start - Okay definitely doesn't suck. Not going to be a 4 but I don't hate it - I get that if this is your jam, it's great music. Maybe in a different mood I'd be more into it but I'm just so tired of rock - I appreciate the variety of grooves and riffs
This was a new to me band. Favorite songw was Glamour Boy. Not sure if I will seek them out to listen to but this was good to have on while doing chores around the house.
Not too much for me after Cult of Personailty. Heck of a bad though and they’re still together.
alright i guess.....
Remember this coming out, quite the hoo has about it. Not aged well for meeting, although not my sort of music to be fair
la pochette est trop belle je rajoute un point pour ça carrément je suis hypnotisée
Parts of this sounded like musical theatre in kind of a crazy way but when the guitars got going it was great stuff. Disappointed to have not liked open letter (to a landlord) as much as id hoped but a great sentiment fuck those guys.
I listened to this at work and it made me want to DANCE! Loved the theme song energy within What’s Your Favourite Colour? Why should it only be Jason Derulo that gets to put his name within his songs (I’m sure there any many more examples of this). I really liked I Want to Know and think I am going to come out this listening project a bigger rock fan than expected
Unfortunately I think Living Colour are suffering here for the number of 80s/rock/80s rock we’ve had recently. I found that this album just kinda sounded like all the others and I was tuning out. I did enjoy the sprinkling of hip-hop in “Funny Vibe” and I definitely preferred the back half of the album - “Glamour Boys” was fun! Don’t think I’ll be returning to this one :(
The opening song is banger and then the album just fizzles out.
I was expecting 80s synths, I was NOT expecting this. Some unreal guitar solos !! Wasn’t prepared for the hip hop track in the middle? Fav song is ‘Middle Man’.
This was a fun listen. I forgot the songs as soon as they were over, but I wouldn't mind hearing this out in the wild
Didn’t listen to all of it but it was ok
love the lyrical content much more than other rock bands, I don't think classical rock music is a genre I enjoy very much
It's funny, I listened to this album without looking up any general info into it, obviously know Cult of Personality as it's a great song and absolute classic.....and I never had any thought about race until Funny Vibe and thought wait......are these guys black? The algorithm isn't random. Only yesterday I had Public Enemy's album, and today I get Living Colour, with a song featuring Public Enemy. I love that it's a PE style song done with Living Colour's heavy metal influence. This song calling out the racist action of "crossing the street to avoid the black man." I'm not sure if Living Colour is the first, or most popular heavy rock/metal black band, and after guys like Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix etc helped pioneer rock music, I wonder why there weren't more prominent black artists throughout the heavy metal golden age. It went from rock, to psychedelic rock......to not much representation? Really weird. A little disappointed that the album goes from heavy rock to more pop pop/funk at the end of the album. I wish they stuck with the heavy metal theme. It's a good album that kind of fades on B-Side for me.
This definitely rocks, but is held back just a bit by some lyrical & musical cheese. It sounds VERY 80s. Pretty cool, though.
A couple of bangers.
The talking heads cover is by far the best track on here. But cult of personality certainly hits harder today than ever.
I’m just not a metal guy. The influence from some other genres helped make this more listenable, but it’s still not my thing
Sounds so contemporary for a record from 1988.
Gewoon een leuk album. Vrij gemiddeld. Het verveeld niet. Klinkt wat als Lenny Krevitz. Maar dit is ouder
It’s a difficult one. Conclusion: I don’t think it works for me. On the surface, seems very good. It has good energy, nice production (2023 remastered), singing is really really good, arrangement is both experimental and diverse. I don’t like the choice of chord progression. Too much unusual tension without solutions. They build the tension and then shift to a completely unrelated key or a dissonant chord. They tried not following the “pop/rock” standard when writing music. But I don’t think my ears are trained to enjoy this yet. They did a good job opening the door for me to step into a more jazzy world, but I’m good thanks I’ll close it just for now.
Forgot to rate this one after I listened to it. From what I remember, it slapped and had that classic rock sound from the 80s, but also had lyrics that repeated themselves way too often. Would definitely listen to this one again, but maybe not the entire way through.
I am undecided on this one, the percussion is a bit harsh, but over all, it is OK
31/12/2025 It was an okay album, with one really good song. Spotify listeners: 1.4 million
C M PUNK! C M PUNK! C M PUNK!
This is the band my mom saw when they were beefing with like axel rose or some hair band jerk. They’re pretty good, interesting, pointed lyrics and unique songs. Not going to become my go-to music but still quite good
Good rhythms and beats throughout. Like the instruments and the vocals. Overall a good time. Some thought-provoking lyrics at times. 6/10
It starts out with one hell of a bang, and then turns into one hell of a stagnation. Favorite Track: "Cult Of Personality".
Non-white front man for a rock band that crushes. Cool to read about him being on the forefront of that.
I remember Cult of Personality on the radio as a kid, but didn’t know much else about the band. I can appreciate their message and vibe but it does feel quite dated now. But a Talking Heads cover! Not super great, but cool that they’re represented here!
Fun album, nothing that stands out, but it's fun.
Sometimes shaded into something I liked but mostly left me cold. Just FYI Glamour Boys is from Look Who’s Talking 2.
I almost gave this a 2, but I think it deserves a 3. It wasn’t bad, but I won’t be revisiting.
After the opening couple of bars I was not feeling optimistic - 80' hard funk/rock not really my bag. However once the chorus kicked in things became more poppy less funk and rest of album more or less followed suit with a bit of reggae thrown in.
Geri tekstai, man gal trūko įdomesnių ritrmų.
3.5/5
textlich sicher besser als viele andere bands in der richtung, musikalisch gut aber not special
Solid, cult of personality
Pretty good
Hard to deny how (unfortunately) relevant "Cult of Personality" is. Also hard to deny how hard Vernon Reid rips it up. Singer Corey Glover has a great voice. Sonically this album sounds amazing. Great production. The sound is very late 80s/early 90s, but nevertheless a good example from that era.
Not my bag of tea.
This bounced me around a lot. Cult of Personality is a classic, and feels very 80s rock in an Aerosmithy kind of way. But then there's some funk thrown in (Favorite Color), but also some new wave Huey Louis type stuff that doesn't hit for me. None of it's bad, but none of it is coherent. Ultimately solid given great bass parts and classic rock instrumentation, though not as much of a viewpoint as I'd like.
I know that one song from rock band. Other than that…ok
Late 80s alternative funk rock for your mind and soul.
Das Debüt von Living Colour wurde in New York aufgenommen — unter anderem in den Skyline Studios, Sound on Sound und Right Track — und klingt wie eine direkte Verknüpfung von Rock und Funk mit ausgeprägten Metal-Elementen. Die Band stammt aus den USA; die Mischung aus prägnanten Gitarrenriffs, treibendem Groove und klarer vokaler Präsenz prägt den Ton des Albums. Bekannte Titel sind „Cult of Personality“, „Open Letter (To a Landlord)“ und „Glamour Boys“, die sowohl Eingängigkeit als auch politische Ansagen des Quartetts zeigen. Musikalisch bewegt sich Vivid im Umfeld von Hard Rock / Funk Metal mit Anklängen an Alternative- und Funkrock. Insgesamt ein solides, eigenständiges Debüt, das die Band mit klarer Handschrift vorstellt.
Kvlt of Personality
Don't like metal but some of the best metal I've heard
This was quite Vivid. It had a Funny Vibe, too.
Late 80s hard rock. Debut. Really decent, strong 90s feel.
Dont think I have heard most of this before. I have grown up on many similar iterations of glam rock and many become dated or sound overly pop tastic. I think its a credit to this slightly odd album that they remain fresh enough. They use different music forms to keep this album from going stale and while I love the over the top guitair I think the highlight is the powerful vocals but importantly they are really clean so avoids becoming strained or annoying. I enjoyed this and would rate some songs a 4 and others a 3. Hard to place it. Going to be harsh for now...
It's classic rock but enthused with Americana and a dash of funk. There is also an eighties flavour running through, sometimes reminding me of Phil Collins. You can tell this is a band who had some stuff they wanted to say, as well as make some music. JFK, Stalin, and Mussolini make an appearance in the first track which immediately sets it outside the pop norm. The lyrics slip into being a bit preachy here and there but there are some good guitar riffs, solos and a funky baseline underneath a lot of it. A lot of the right ingredients are there, so I was left wondering why this album didn't really click with me. Its mostly ok, with some minor lyrical cringe, but none of it ever moved me. It seemed a bit caricatured, perhaps a bit shallow. Like a rock margarita pizza.
A bit torn on this one. Overall, I really appreciated many of the lyrical themes tackled here, especially in songs like 'Cult of Personality', 'White Way to America', and 'Open Letter (To a Landlord)'. But musically, I felt it was way too boilerplate for its own good. Not bad by any means, but it clearly leans too heavily into early '70s hard rock nostalgia, and the punk and funk fusions aren't particularly standout or deep. The '70s throwbacks work fine at times, especially on the soulful cut 'Glamour Boys'.
Decent listen.
Fun band and fun album. One of the better examples of 80s hard rock, and the emphasis on funk is cool. Great performances all around. Only knock is that the hard rock/glam metal sound is tired and I'm bored of it. However, like I noted, the funkiness helps. 3.0/5.0: Good
this album was pretty disappointing for me. i went in only knowing cult of personality and had high hopes for the rest of it. by no means is the album bad, but it doesn't come close to living up to the banger opening track. overall its well played funk rock that i think leans too much into pop to be truly great.
Anhörbar! Energydrink mit Kurzzeitwirkung.
The impact that this band had on metal can not be understated. Funky but heavy
some pretty good songs on here, but there is admittedly some filler as well.
When a novelty song is your second most known song, it’s not good.
liked this! big fan of cult of personality as a history nerd (this is my niche). cool album!
Track one, Cult of Personality. Not sure how many Living Colour songs I have heard but this is one of them. Pretty good song. Note: I'm listening to the Vivid remaster on YouTube Music and it sounds like shit right now. Adjusted my eq a little and it sounds better. Still quite thick sounding though. Sort of muddy on the low end. My first impression of track two, I Want To Know, isn't good. Lyrics are total foolish love nonsense. It sounds like a boy band song played by a rock band. Not for me. Track three, Middle Man. I bet this would sound sick live. Great rock song. Cool guitar solo near the end. Track four, Desperate People. It's just ok. Another decent guitar solo. Track five, Open Letter (To a Landlord) opens with a really soulful vocal part. Cool bassline follows. I can't say that I'm into the socially conscious theme of this one. Track six, Funny Vibe. Strong funk feel. Classic line -- "No, I'm not gonna rape you". Another socially conscious track. I'm not saying that it's a bad message, I just don't care for it in this format. I fully understand that they were a rock band in the 1980's comprised of black members and that songs like this were a way for them to express race struggles of the time. Track seven, Memories Can't Wait. I like this one. The playing is really great on this album. I'm just not into a lot of the songs for some reason. Track 8, Broken Hearts. It's a ballad with a country sound. I don't like it. Track 9, Glamour Boys. Way too happy sounding for me. Track 10, What's Your Favorite Color?. Short funk inspired number. Track 11, Which Way to America. Good closing track. Honestly, I'd probably give this album a 2.5 or 3 out of 5. I also gave Van Halen - 1984 and Aerosmith - Pump a 3 but they are actually more like 3.5 stars for me. For me, this Living Colour record wasn't nearly as enjoyable as those two.
Cult Of Personality and the Memories Can't wait cover are outstanding. A few other decent tracks and then the rest is forgettable.
Innovative sound and band for their time. Cult of Personality is a good alternative rock hit, the rest of the record is more of the same to lesser effect.
Completely fine.
3.5
Call it Guitar Hero 3 bias but opener Cult Of Personality is the only real crazy cool essential tune here and everything that follows just doesn’t live up to it. Funky and fierce in spirit but constrained by fusty and fumbled songs and production except for one bit of magic at the start. 3 stars because of how awesome Cult Of Personality is.
Very cool. Clearly a super 80's sound, which is not usually my jam, but I liked this.
What if '80s cock rock weren't completely douchey?
Dad rock
Nice to get a bit of rock for a change, but I got nothing out of this.
Was good, I liked the opener the best obv
didn't know this would be rock. fun
Well made, not my kind of music however.
Sauceometer: Borderline Vibe: Reading theory (cool style) What was I doing: taking a subway to go see Yin Yin/showering in the morning Favorite Song(s): Cult of personality Blurb: Cult of Personality is a top 100 rock song of all time but the rest of the album sounds a little samey but overall all good!
Pretty rad!
Surprisingly good.
6.5/10
2.5 stars
Feels like pretty generic rock music to me - aside from the social commentary, which, while interesting and important, is pretty on-the-nose. The drums sound great, at least in the remastered version. Cult of Personality slaps.
Cult of Personality is a real banger and there are some decent tracks peppered throughout. This one didn't do much for me beyond the one song I knew.
That opening track hits hard these days. Sounds a little dated, but the amazing vocals and great guitar work carry this album.
Eighties man
great album and great band
Vaguely remembered them … didn’t know any songs but was a perfectly fine 80s rock album.
Has its moments.
Pretty fun rock album, great basslines ans it is quite funky.
Potente, entretenido, en linea con Faith No More y Fishbone pero mejor producido
j'aime vraiment pas les 3 premiers sons on dirait beaucoup trop le generique de ghost buster mais en moins bien
This is a good album. Honestly musically, they are incredibly tight. Corey Glover‘s vocals can be incongruously soulful, but that often works really well in a rock setting. See Soundgarden/Alice In Chains. But listening to the whole album at once made me realize that they were lyrically a little sophomoric. It wasn’t a lot of pros or depth to what they were saying. Which you don’t always need. Because there are definitely some hits. But when you listen to a song like Landlord or Funny Vibe, there is a lot in there. Some of the pieces like their cover of should I stay or should I go really makes you want a lot more punk out of this band than what you get. All in all, not bad.
I like parts of this! "Cult of Personality" obviously but enjoyed "Middle Man" and "Glamour Boys" as well.
Good album
It's decent fun, I've never liked Cult of Personality that much but past the first few tracks I got more into the album, it was a turning point listening to Letter to a Landlord when my brain called it "Huey Lewis goes Def Leppard"
"Cult of Personality" is a great song, but otherwise I think this album is a bit of a one hit wonder. The rest of the album isn't bad, it's just not great. I will say that the guitarist is incredible and probably deserves to be talked about in lists of top guitarists (Hendrix, Van Halen, etc).
Album 890 of 1089 Living Colour -Vivid (1988) Rating : 3 / 5 I came in somewhat familiar with “Cult of Personality” from its 80s radio run, and I had always filed them away as just another typical 80s band. Turns out, they’ve got a lot more going on than I gave them credit for. What impressed me most was how many different grooves they managed to hit across the album, and how solid they were at all of them. Metal, Hard Rock, Funk, Alternative Rock. Strong playing, strong songs, and plenty of energy throughout. Definitely not a one-hit band, and I’ll be glad to dig into them further.
This is way less hard than I remembered.
To be honest I'm still listening to Jurassic 5... This is a band I always wanted to like but could never really get down with. Something a little corny about the songs, maybe?
This album aas ok, I enjoyed some tracks but not all
I enjoyed this. I loved the single, “Cult of Personality,” obviously. But I never felt like investigating further and I feel sort of justified in that. I like the sound - it reminds me of early Chilli Peppers - that particular funk punk of late 80s America - but it doesn’t really have anything as hooky as “Cult of Personality”. I like the guitar sound. But, yeah, it’s alright.
Enjoyed this
Anyone growing up when this album was first put out knew Cult of Personality and for good reason. I remember when I started learning to play electric bass I was determined to learn it. It didn’t happen: it’s pretty tough. I never really listen to the rest of this album until today. I actually really enjoyed it and I’m sorry that it took me an additional few decades to get here. Doug Wimbush‘s bass playing is really solid and I don’t know why he’s never come up on any top bass player list. Corey Glover‘s vocals are also so unique and smooth. Key songs for me of course include Cult of Peronality, which is just a classic, But also Glamour Boys, which was very enjoyable and the song Funny Vibe was funky and eye-opening simultaneously. For me, Living Color was the first black rock group I had ever seen, followed by Body Country. It surprises me that LC didn’t have a bigger influence. Was it the rock culture itself or the advent of Rap’s Golden Age that made it so we wouldn’t see prominent black artists in rock until the late 1990s?
I wish my memories were still as such.
I’m aware of LC only through _Cult of Personality_ and especially since it was on Guitar Hero 3, so I was glad to hear it included here and it got the album off to a great start, brilliant song that it is. Unfortunately, nothing else really lived up to it. That’s not to say it was bad, but it was a high bar by which the rest of the album falls short. I think this is another one that probably hits different at the time but its fusing of styles into a hard rock aesthetic feels fairly primitive in today’s musical landscape as potentially revolutionary as it was then. Nowadays this sounds like fairly traditional hard rock /funk metal of the time. Another one that I’d have no problem listening to but not one I’d choose to put on.
The guitar riffs in this album are strong. There's nothing really to complain about, and yet it's missing a certain something that could elevate it from good to great. 3/5
The first track is pretty cool
That was pretty cool. Nice guitar sound.
wow i know these people from my drumming grades woah
Some pretty straightforward rock type shit
3/5
Huge opener that was an iconic anthem of late 80s rock. But the rest of the album struggles to hold that line. In fact, it doesn’t.
3.5 stars
Not outstanding
Starts off good then becomes something else entirely
Well that was better than I expected. Quite rocky, and listenable. Not too much more I can say though, but worth a 3.
Good album