Vivid

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

started off strong, middle was a little pop-ish for my rock taste, ended strong. never heard of this band but overall a fun listen, though not a favorite.

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

Meh.

Vernon Reid is underrated as a guitar player. This album was released in 1988, and I actually think it was a few years ahead of its time; Cult of Personality certainly rode a wave into the late '90's. Open Letter is a personal favorite. Living Colour is also a terrific example of making a statement with your music in a good way. 3.5 - 4

Lots of funk but a little dated which hurt the fun factor a little.

I had heard of Living Color before, but I hadent ever heard any songs aside from Cult of Personality. The album is solid- I like their unique style and the politically active lyrics. I found a lot of the songs to be a little repetitive musically. Overall- decent album

Big noise in the late ‘80s. It was, it seemed about time. Unfortunately a lot of it sounded the same.

After the aural turd that was The Joshua Tree yesterday, it was nice to have a rock album that had bits I actually enjoyed on it. There are some parts where it gets quite funky and Cult of Personality is a good song, but there's still not enough to make me care about listening again. One nice point though is that, despite being American, they've spelt colour correctly, so well done for that guys.

Good, but not really my thing. Should listen to it more. Cult is great tho. 3.5/5

Another pretty decent Rock album on here, 80s rock (or rock in general really) just isn't my thing though, or at least not often. I enjoyed it and it was a fun listen but I doubt I'll revisit many of it's songs. Was by no means a bad album though!

This was definitely a pleasant listen without any songs truly standing out amongst each other for either being great or really poor. I probably wouldn't listen to the album again, but wouldn't turn off any of the songs individually if they were to play at random elsewhere. Overall, I would give this album a 3.5/5 however, it would be bumped down to 3 as it didn't separate itself enough.

Beter dan verwacht

Een wat ruwer klinkende Genesis. Althans die delen die ik oppik. Het is allemaal prima, maar het vervliegt naar de achtergrond. Ik zet het halverwege opnieuw aan, met hetzelfde effect. Voor de vorm laat ik hem nu doorspelen, maar tja....dit wordt een 3.

The production is (predictably) shaky, but I appreciate the stylistic diversity and especially enjoy some of the more melodic moments. "Open Letter (To a Landlord)" is quite effective, and in general, Reid's lyrics are excellent. Much better than most mainstream rock from 1988. 3.5/5

I did not use a private session for this one. I had this on CD, purchased not long after it came out. I listened to it a lot, because I was poor and didn't have a lot CDs. It was interesting to listen to and see how it held up. At the time, I didn't realize there was a Talking Heads cover on the album. It's rock, verging on metal, but the dude can sing so they featured that and the other dudes can play, I especially noticed the guitar work. Anyway, the album holds up, but I also understand why I gave my CD away to my friend Shawn.

Great rock album, a couple great tracks, just okay overall. But was running around listening doing chores. Crazy good for a debut album!

Wow, I forgot this was a late 80’s release. I remember when it came out it being considered so cutting edge and genre blending. I thought I would like it more overall, but outside of the classic opener it fell mostly flat to me. Rounding up for the impact of the one hit and creativity. 2.5/5

I remember this cassette circulating in high school. It seemed to have come from left field, and at the time was a breath of fresh air. A different sound for sure. And while the intentions were good with the spirit and messages being delivered (especially songs like Open Letter and Which Way to America), outside of the banger Cult of Personality…it really doesn’t hold up. Revisiting this many years later I was pretty surprised at how much 80s cheese was here surprisingly. Rating up based on musical ability and the ubiquitous Cult of hit.

Such a weird blend of styles. Worked for Cult of Personality and maybe a few others were okay, but overall this just didn’t come together for me. Dude was slappin’ da bass though. 2.75

Was Glamour Boy the original fuck boi? 2.75/5

This felt like fairly generic 80s hard rock with some funky bass lines. A couple tracks on the second half felt almost like early nu-metal influences. Overall, it was fun, but it's not really for me.

Twas ok. I appreciated it though it was out of my normal repertoire

Jamming beats to this

Never heard of Living Colour but I thought this was pretty cool overall, just a bit all-over-the-place. Generally very 80s rock without veering too much into power-ballady territory. After a couple of goes through, only the opener really stayed with me but I liked the whole experience enough. May revisit again in future.

It starts with a certified banger, and then drags for too long on some unremarkable songs. I won't lie, this album was a letdown. Still an underrated hard rock band though.

This wasn’t bad…but I didn’t love it either. I was completely unfamiliar with this band, and I think maybe if I had heard them back in the day, I may have liked it better then. In any event, I give it three stars.

Alright, let's talk about Living Colour's Vivid. I'd give this album a solid 3.5 stars. It's a great album, no doubt about it, and a huge part of the late 80s rock scene. Corey Glover's voice is just incredible; he's got so much power and range. And the band itself? Super tight, amazing musicianship all around. They can really play. The thing is, Vivid definitely sounds a bit dated now. The production is just too polished for my taste, especially listening to it today. It lacks a certain grit that I think would really make it pop. It's a fantastic listen if you want to take a trip down memory lane, but that overly clean production holds it back from being truly timeless for me. Still, it's a powerful statement, and because the band is so talented, I'm definitely going to check out their newer material to hear what they're doing now.

Bueno

Znam cult of personality, reszta średnia

I knew more of this than I expected! Some bops.

solid

Solid jammers

Knew Cult of Personality, really nice 80s rock song. Memories Can't Wait was also solid - but I believe it is a Talking Heads cover. Other than the band being quite different from most other 80s rockers, I found the record overall rather generic.

Fun album, Cult of Personality is one of the hardest hitting mainstream rock songs of the late 80's. Besides that the album is just fine. Has some good politically charged songs in it, but I feel its a little ''80's overproduced''. Not every song on here is as big of a hit as well and there's quite a few forgettable songs here.

It was a decent listen, head rocking at some points but wouldn’t actively seek out this album.

like it. should've listened twice. funky rock

I love what they’re trying to do. Trying, in my opinion, a little too hard. The production seems to wash away the real heart within these songs. Nevertheless, there are a few standouts: “Cult of Personality” and “Which Way to America,” both of which remain relevant this long after the Reagan Years. Their cover of Talking Heads’ “Memories Can’t Wait” made me want the original back. Same with their cover of the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” although I believe that is a bonus track. It only goes to show that Fishbone’s “Truth & Soul” is a monumental achievement. That funk/rock/soul fusion is untouchable…. Check it out next and see if you can’t help but agree. Not a bad album but reminds me of some

Hard Rock with an occaisonal touch of Funk - nothing special. Would this album be in this list if the band weren't all black? I'm not so sure.

Cool album love the big f u to the white rockers

Decent.

The album cover feels like the moment you've just cracked open a shrink-wrapped copy of first gen Photoshop and the art director says, "Go nuts" — and yet somehow, it's still not Vivid enough. Living Colour had been around for a while, but this was the record that broke through. And just two years later, a seemingly unrelated TV show In Living Color hit broadcast TV. Much of America in the late '80s and early '90s wanted to break out of tradition, to rupture the norms, but the social structures were more resilient than we kids knew. This album reflects that tension: there are moments that still sound fresh and boundary-pushing, and others so plodding and conventional you have to wonder if someone else hijacked the session. The first two tracks "Cult of Personality" and "I Want to Know" embody this divide. It doesn't take a genius ear to hear which is which. There's undeniable musicianship across the album, but too many of the songs lean on tired '80s hard rock tropes. It feels tempered by format. It's not entirely an album divided. Some songs like "Letter to a Landlord" live in the in-between where they're leaning on more conventional songwriting but manage to go somewhere meaningful. Overall and in retrospect, this record is more product than artistry and what once felt bold now plays like a debut too tangled up in the America it's wrestling with. Still not Vivid enough.

A pleasant listen. Sounds a little like a commercial rock album. Very upbeat. Cult of Personality is definitely a hit

Not bad

Starts with an absolute tune. The rest is solid to good but can't live up to the first song.

I imagine only guys who watch a lot of football, drink beer, and never get off the couch listen to this. Is that the fan base?

Interesting to find a black rock band I didn't know about, but to me sound a bit too 80s. I liked "Memories Can't Wait" more than the other songs

Un peu générique à mes oreilles, mais je me doute que c’était précurseur en son temps et que ça annonçait le rock des années 1990

It’s ok

I like the message in their lyrics.

More evidence that metal bands have some of the most interesting music. Lacks a bit of a hook here and there though.

3.5 Cult of Personality carried this one.

War okay, aber Rock ist oft nicht mei nDing

Dated sound but a fun album I remember listening to them in my friends brothers truck in junior high

It was okay

Interesting, fun, but clearly of it's time. Never really sold on Living Color though. I didn't hate it, and it's clearly streets ahead of Morrissey. Three stars.

Good stuff. Very good at playing the instruments. Not my cup of tea but good anyways

Man, what a mix of emotion about this album. First of: Cult of Personality is an absolute banger, which is, I think, a problem for this album. The intro track is so good that the rest pales in comparison. The bass sounds great throughout. The guitar licks on a lot of the songs are lackluster and ok’ish. Buddy has a great voice with, sometimes, corny lyrics. Drums are good. I just don’t know where to land this one. It’s like 80s metal fused with 70s funk in places.

# Album Name: Living Colour # Artist: Vivid # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Pretty Average. Good opening track and that was that. # Top Tunes: Cult of personality # Would I listen to it again? No

Cult of Personality is great. Rest of album is pretty good.

Pretty meh late 80s glam metal. Not too interesting.

I remember liking this stuff when it came up and I think it still holds up.

Nem rossz apuka rock

2,5

3/5

Fun listening but I don't like it that much

I’ve never heard of them and will listen to this again, this must have inspired the early RHCP and sounds a lot tighter and more polished than them

an all african american group is pretty rockin but this album wasn't

It's like metal but with funk vocals instead of screaming? Can’t be terrible. Favorite Track: Cult of Personality

Solid rock album but I don't see much special in it.

eu sou mto fã de cult of personality de resto é issai nem ruim nem ótimo

cult of personality é um clássico do guitar hero 3 tirando isso, é uma grande mescla entre rock oitentista e noventista. definitivamente um album.

Great album, I have never heard the whole thing and I really enjoyed it. Excellent mix of musical styles, there isn't any other band quite like this. Would be good to listen to when you need some hype.

The only Living Color song that I'm familiar with is "Cult of Personality," which I think is a really great song. If “Cult of Personality” is any indication as to how the rest of Vivid will be, then I have really high hopes that I’ll enjoy this. Overall, this album was fine. I thought Vivid was at its best when Living Color had some social or political commentary, like on “Cult of Personality,” “Open Letter,” and “Funny Vibe.” Sometimes the delivery of that commentary could be a little bit cheesy, but the critiques that the band vocalized sill had plenty of merit. The guitar playing on this album was really great and enjoyable to listen to, and there was a wide variety of sounds and influences to take in. I enjoyed the vocals as well, and it was a nice surprise to hear Chuck D and Flavor Flav pop up on “Funny Vibe.” Vivid has that distinct late eighties sound, where various influences are melded together, and while a lot of the songs on here didn’t make a lasting impression on me, there’s a fair amount of fun to be had here. “Cult of Personality” is the standout track on this album. Out of everything on Vivid, it’s the one song that’s weathered almost forty years to still be a notable moment in rock music history. This isn’t the type of album I’d listen to again often, but it would be fun to have on by the pool on a hot summer day.

Unavailable, sad, I know it’s good stuff.

Okay but not notable for me.

01) Cult of Personality - 6,5 02) I Want to Know - 6,0 03) Middle Man - 6,0 04) Desperate People - 5,5 05) Open Letter (To a Landlord) - 5,5 06) Funny Vibe - 5,5 07) Memories Can't Wait - 6,0 08) Broken Hearts - 7,0 09) Glamour Boys - 7,0 10) What's Your Favorite Color? (Theme Song) - 6,5 11) Which Way to America? - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,14 (61/100) Current ranking: 383/499

This has some decent skill and sound. I'm enjoying a dash of funk in the songs. Not the deepest but a good debut album and well executed.

This isn't working for me. Comes off like a really solid local bar band. Not thrilled by the opening track being a wrestlers theme song. Some good energy and a pretty cohesive album.

In 1988, Living Colour burst onto the scene with a mix of hard rock, funk, and social commentary that was as bold as their neon-colored album cover. At the time, I was far too young to hear it. I later discovered Cult of Personality through a Grand Theft Auto in-game radio station—a track so powerful and immediate that it felt like a wake-up call. Fast-forward to today: I listen to plenty of heavy music and have a soft spot for funk, but the hybrid of funk-metal has never been a natural fit for me. There is no denying that Vivid is an ambitious, high-energy fusion of hard rock and funk, powered by Vernon Reid’s intricate guitar work—an unpredictable mix of shredding, jazz phrasing, and groove-heavy riffing—and Corey Glover’s powerhouse vocals, which swing between soulful grit and full-throttle belting. Even after all these years, Cult of Personality remains a monster of an opener, anthemic and razor-sharp, but the rest of the album oscillates between moments of brilliance and a kitchen-sink approach that doesn’t always stick the landing. Funny Vibe careens between manic slap-bass funk and straight-up speed metal, a wild juxtaposition that’s exhilarating in concept but slightly disjointed in execution. Glamour Boys, on the other hand, leans into pop with ska-inflected verses and a bright, almost jangly guitar tone—a stark contrast to the heavier tracks but emblematic of the band's refusal to be boxed in. In comparison to other genre-blending, funk-leaning rock of the era, Vivid stands apart in its political urgency and raw intensity. While Faith No More’s The Real Thing (1989) had a more sardonic, theatrical approach to genre-mashing and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Mother’s Milk (1989) leaned heavily on party-starting funk grooves, Vivid felt more confrontational. It tackled race, identity, and power structures head-on, something few rock bands of the time were doing so explicitly. If there’s one thing that holds me back from fully embracing Vivid, it’s the production. The album is unmistakably ‘80s, with its glossy, gated drums and occasionally over-polished mix that dulls some of the raw energy. Still, it’s clear why this record is considered a landmark. It shattered expectations for what a hard rock band could look and sound like, pushing boundaries in ways that echoed through later acts like Rage Against the Machine and Sevendust. I’m glad I finally gave Vivid a full listen. It’s a landmark album, no doubt. But will I ever wake up and think, “Yeah, today’s a Living Colour day”? Probably not—and that’s okay.

Funky

Peaked at #6 in 1988. One of the most popular albums but actually 2nd most popular band. Houmous & Chutney were #1-5. That in itself is a record that’s only ever been repeated by Houmous & Chutney. In ‘90, ‘91 and ‘01. 3.1

Past Cult Of Personality it’s pretty mid

Cult of personality is a great song, remember bopping to it on the game GTA San Andreas. The others are avarage 3/5

This one shocked the music world and MTV when it came out. African American hard rockers, outside of Hendrix no one had seen that for decades. Instant hit, we all went out and bought it because of "Cult Of Personality" which is a kickass song and still getting airplay to this day. Influential, for sure. Popular & talked about, for sure. Bu only one huge hit with a couple minor ones ("Open Letter" & "Glamour Boys", neither of which you'll ever hear on the radio today) but overall it wore out quickly as the songs weren't that great from top to bottom. Songs like "Funny Vibe" and "Which Way To America" don't sound great today. It didn't age gracefully. It was kinda good at the time but it doesn't hold up well today. 3 stars for impact in the late 80's and influence but the quality of the product is subpar.

Great singer. They obviously knew what they were doing. I'm sure it sounds exactly the way they wanted. I don't hate any of the songs. However, they sit in that uncomfortable spot where it's not high enough energy to be high energy music and it's too high energy to be anything else. Favorite song: funny vibe.

As an important precursor to some of my favourite music, I'm not surprised that there are elements of this that I thoroughly enjoy. But there are also parts that sound pretty dated, especially the vocals. Definitely enjoyable, but I'm not sure this will be where I return when I'm looking for something in this space.

Trailblazing rock that did not age well. Not classic

appreciated how funky it was but idk if i'd come back.

a little more technical/proggy 80's dad rock/hard rock. Cult of personality is a classic. I also enjoyed open letter to a landlord and funny vibe but got bored otherwise during

A couple of good tracks cult and middle man, I think it's the lyrics they sound very angry 15 year old very obvious with little suitably Polymath

“Cult of Personality” feels like a well-deserved hit for 1988. But I can’t judge Living Colour based off of the nostalgia of that song’s ubiquitousness on late 80s rock and pop radio (or it’s second life as CM Punk’s theme song). What else does “Vivid” have to offer? I kept wanting it to show me something besides the one-note wailing hard rock. Then they did with “Broken Hearts,” and I quickly regretted my desire. They never hit that same note again, for better and for worse. First the worse comes with “Glamour Boys,” but by the end they find a blend of styles that works better on “Which Way to America.”

I feel like their hard rock songs carry the album more so than the funk inspired stuff.

I fear that during the first half of this album I was, dare I say, a little sick of the guitar instrumentals. The last few songs were much better in my opinion and I might go back to some.

What’s Your Favorite Color? is an indisputable BOP. The rest of the album is alright.

3 st

Instrumentals were pretty good, most of the lyrics not so much

Starts off with the MASSIVE “Cult of Personality” and tails off almost immediately afterwards. Basic rock and roll by numbers but if it’s good enough for CM Punk, then it’s good enough for me!

Didn't really enjoy this at first, I thought the second half was better. On second listen I liked it more - but I think this just might not be my genre. I quite liked Memories Can't Wait, especially the ending. Cult of Personality is good as well. 3

Living Colour delivers quality funk-metal riffage and stands as a crucial breakthrough for Black artists in rock's white-dominated landscape, even if the album’s quality is less vivid than its importance.

Not bad. Sort of a weird hybrid version of hard rock. Reminds me s little like The Tubes. A bit of pop, glam, and hard guitar. Vocals heavy. Not my thing, but didn’t make me cranky either. That’s a win.

3.5

A ton of energy, blistering guitar, blistering politically-charged lyrics, grooves, a dose of humor, and range. Love it. I saw them in concert in 1989 and they totally ripped. Vernon Reid’s guitar and Corey Glover’s vocals are standouts. A 3.5 in my new rating system - I like it, even a lot, but don’t feel the need to go back to it.

A petty good opening song, nice classic rock music from 90s. The rest of the album is a little bit underwhelming, it's just too bland and average. Whole record passed through on my headphones without me noticing anything out of the ordinary. But again, cool opening song.

ez szerintem kevésbé érdekes az előzőnél zeneileg, cserébe sokkal jobban szerethető. három és felet adnék neki, ha lehetne.

It's like a time capsule taking me right back to my childhood. Cult Of Personality is still a certified banger! A lot of the album is kinda generic for the time it came out (I mean that in a positive way), but they manage to throw in something exciting here and there like the wild syncopated drums towards the end of Open Letter, the driving and funky bass lines throughout the whole album, to the almost country tinged Broken Hearts. Then you have songs like Glamour Boys which is the second most streamed song on the album but feels like a ill advised attempt at a Fine Young Cannibals song. All in all, it's a fun listen but not sure I'll intentionally be coming back to it. If it comes on, I'll be tapping my toes and bobbing my head, but I don't see myself playing the whole album on purpose. I'd give it a 3.5/5 if I could

ok different kind of rock 3/5

De zanger klinkt een beetje als Lenny Kravitz en vreemd genoeg ook Phil Collins, de band klinkt een beetje een glammy Red Hot Chili Peppers. Ik denk ook dat ze niet helemaal onbekend zijn met het fenomeen Prince. Prima drums met uiteraard dikke 80s reverb, een funky en lekker aanwezig basgitaartje, de gitarist mag iets te regelmatig z'n momentje pakken, maar de zanger is prima. De jaren 80 druipen er wel vanaf en 'Funny Vibe' is voor mij op dat vlak ook geen hoogtepunt, maar ik probeer me er tegenwoordig wat minder aan te storen. Dikke shoutout naar die graflelijke albumhoes wel. Tering jantje. Alle elementen zijn er voor een goede score, maar iets houdt me toch tegen om een 4 te geven. Theoretisch waardeer ik dit album meer dan praktisch. Ik ga dit nooit meer aanzetten. 'Memories Can't Wait' is ondergewaardeerd.

I really like Vernon Reid’s playing but the songwriting is ok. Probably a 3.7 for me.

3.2 I knew the opener from guitar hero 3. The next couple of songs were all ok, bit Pearl Jam-ish which given these were a couple years earlier is a big compliment. The second half of the album seems to go off piste, the funk bit doesn't work as well as in my opinion. Sounds dated and, well, a bit shit. Shame as I was tapping along to the first half but then by the end I was relieved.

"Vivid" is good enough example of heavy funk rock. You can see them being incredibly cool in the 80s. It's still a good album, but it doesn't exactly stand above the crowd, save a few songs. "Cult of Personality" is still undeniably catchy. The two songs that are oddly missing from Spotify ("Desperate People" and "Broken Hearts") are some of the stronger tracks. Dig into the album credits a bit and you'll find some surprising names like Mick Jagger and Chuck D, further suggesting that this band was pretty big during their heyday. But a lot of the album feels like its shine has dulled by the passage of time and doesn't really hold up today. I accidentally let the album continuing playing into the bonus tracks and found a remix featuring Prince Paul to be my favorite song. There's still something kind of great about Living Color, but I think it's more nostalgia (and one very strong single) than anything now.

Cult of Personality is definitely a banger. The rest is very enjoyable but it all seems a bit outdated so I probably won’t put it on anytime soon

#473. Starts out very strong, but isn't able to maintain that throughout. 3/5: acceptable.

Probably a 3. Not bad but not worth another listen.

La mitad del álbum es vibrante, no más.

I always thought cult of personality was a faith no more song. Guess I need to learn not to white wash my bands. It feels like listening to a lot of these pre nirvana alt bands they are very much looking for the single and the album is just whatever is left over. Might just be me though? It's solid and some of the songs at the end really start rocking.

Pretty generic solid rock outside of that opening track... Cult of Personality ups this to a 3, what a ripping song

Cult of Personality is a PHENOMENAL song. Never heard the rest of the album. It was fine. Had I been a bit older when this came out in the late 80's, I probably would have worn this out. Now it's just "of its time" and probably not something I'll listen to. But...thank you for reminding me about Cult of Personality. That's gone straight to my "liked songs" play list.

Enjoyable listen.

Probs would have loved this at the time, but I never got round to buying it. Not really my thing now, but it's a perfectly decent late 80s rock album.

Apprehensive at first as started off very hard rock, like the change in tone throughout the album.

Lively album, love the riffs in it, with a couple of hits that I’d recognized. 3.0

the first song is false advertising for the rest of the album

Overall solid rock. 1st track is the best!!

I remember these from back in the day, the fuss being “wow black rock band” people obviously forgetting Jimi Hendrix and Phil Lynott methinks! Still sounds pretty good all these decades later. Enjoyed it.

It started off strong, but then dwindled pretty quickly by the end.

One absolute banger, the rest meh

I’d never listened to Living Colour outside of the big opening track before. I liked it - a good mash up of styles, though all the additional tracks at the end I should have skipped as they brought it down a tad.

Fun 80s pop/rock with the classic "Cult of Personality" - highly enjoyable

slightly funky, metal/hard rock, plenty hooks, political in places, too. very much of its time

Not bad. Enjoyed it in the 90s 3/5

3.5/5

The hits are great and the rest is only ok. It has an 80s sound but it works well compared to other albums I've heard.

Always enjoyed parts of this album and skipped others Cult of Personality, Open Letter to a Landlord and Funny Vibe are great Glamour Boys is a weird but fun song. The rest is fair to middling at best

This record deserves 3 stars just for Cult Of Personality. One of the greatest songs ever written. The rest of the songs were ok, but none of them can raise to the level of that one.

Idk what I expected but this was fun.

It's a band and an album that I haven't known before this challenge. Musically it's quite good, not as heavy as I thought it would be. The songs are not too memorable but not bad either. The late 1980s production sounds dated. It is a 3.5 rounded down to 3.

A bright and heavy rock album with some funk influence mixed in. Nothing special, but a fun listen. Best song: Cult of Personality

Cult of living colors

I kinda like this. It's fun! But none of the songs are wildly memorable. It's just good background grooves.

never had heard of this band but enjoyed the sound on this one. not necessarily my thing but well done.

really cool sound, i am disappointed that ive never heard of them before. definitely have to hear more from them!

Cult of Personality will forever be linked in my mind with Guitar Hero 3 (no bad thing; what a game, what a soundtrack). There’s nothing else on the album that matches CoP but overall it’s a decent listen. I enjoy the plentiful riffage and the metallic, serrated edge sound of the lead guitar parts. I also appreciate that it distinguishes itself from the 80s hard rock world by exploring more disparate lyrical and musical ideas. Having said that, when it strays *too* far from rock (i.e. into fully fledged funk), I’m not the biggest fan. 3.5

Cult of Personality, but not much other than that.

dislike the majority of the vocal performance and there's an extra-80s sheen to how this sounds that i don't fuck with but the instrumentation really goes

check back later

my favorite color is orange

It's their debut album. The very first song is a banger. Their Spotify profile somewhat says they are a one-hit-wonder band. But the other songs are simply enjoyable for my taste. It sounds fresh and right in time for 1988.

I was surprised how many songs I recognized on an album that I've never listened to.

Decent rock, but nothing special. Voice felt kinda soft to the music perhaps or something about it did not hit the spot for me.

Never got into this album

Dated. Bit flat.

Mostly average rock on a foundation of funky bass here and there. ~2.5

It was pretty fun, but I'm sure there are a lot of bands doing this but better

I’m shocked I’ve never heard of this before. I thought I ventured into every crevice within the 80’s rock genre there was to explore, but this record is about as 80’s as it gets. Which has its good and bad of course. I like the solos and prowess, as well as the introspective lyrics I wouldn’t expect from the time. However, it is still just your pretty unoriginal blob of guitar and drums packaged into a collection of hits sent off to the audience of adults who miss “the good stuff” or the kids who also for some reason miss “the good stuff”. That is to say, it’s fine.

Pretty average tbh.

Interesting mix of music styles

I always thought this was a hip hop band. :shrug: Didn't expect a rock sound. Didn't hate it either.

3.5 rounded down why are these guys called living coloUr if they’re american.. highlights: cult of personality, desperate people, funny vibe, which way to america? (feb 26 2026)

Some absolute classics, some less solid tracks, but a good vibe overall.

Highlights: Glamour Boys, Cult of Personality, Which Way to America

Sweet album, cult of personality is a clsssic tune. Always feel like I want a bit more funk and less classic metal in this funk metal band though. Felt myself tuning out at points.

When the album started I my initial thought was: oh no not another 80s hard rock album. But actually after the first 3/4 tracks this was so much more than that, infusing funk into the mix and having more interesting lyrical themes. Was NOT expecting a talking heads cover which was very cool. However I’m giving only a 3 because it was a little bit bland

Yeah real weird mix, thoroughly enjoyed though

I hadnt listened to that in full in decades. More stylistically diverse than i had recalled. Solid. The singles are fantastic.

Los vendieron como los RHCP negros y eso ya creo que te fastidia progresar o seguirlos, te deja sin personalidad en el grupo. El disco empieza con el "Cult of personality" que es su mega éxito con diferencia y solo por escuchar rock desde el lado afroamericano merece la pena conocer este disco.

Fresco, piacevole. Sul fine estate mi smuove bei ricordi.

Riffien riffi... Noh.. Kii nosta tollaset albami aika napakka jos silenceä ennen bonus trackkeja respectiä

mid

I know many people who love Living Colour and I have never really listened to them. Somewhat surprised at how many of these songs I recognized. Super fun record, cool to finally check it out.

I was mean and called this "unflavored rock music" when I was talking about it while listening. There's much more to it lyrically than I gave it credit for, but the nature of the music is .... rock .... and a whole album of it was too much of the same thing. 2.5

good and I enjoy it but I wish it was More

who's coming to Orillia with me to see these guys at casino rama on sept. 27th?

Has its moments

Have always loved Cult of Personality and the band themselves are brilliant, but the songwriting generally is average

Flirted with a 4, but it takes some wild turns in the home stretch. Glamour Boys, I’m looking at you

Not bad, but gets a little repetitive and kinda boring by the 4th track ("desperate people"). 3/5

Remarkably varied throughout. Kept on surprising me.

This was ok in a mediocre way. “Broken Hearts” was what I liked best.

Great album.

Such a powerful opening track. I vaguely remember owning this album back in the day. Vernon Reid shreds on guitar, but he does it in a way that's somehow melodic, and not just a bunch of fast noodling notes, which is unlike many lead players of the time. Props to the solid rhythm section too. Having said all this, other than the songs listed below, I don't see myself revisiting this. The musicians and messages are great. It just doesn't move me. Liked songs added: - Cult Of Personality - Funny Vibe - Funky Vibe Mix

"Cult of Personality" is a classic. The rest of the album just falls flat unfortunately.

Pretty unremarkable funk rock. There are better versions of this type of thing - give me Faith No More any day.

Couple of tunes missing, but overall fairly decent. Few good tunes, easy listen. 3?

Massive talent in the guitar and bass department, but without the songs to back it up. Still, an easy listen. 3/5

I appreciate the energy and the Talking Heads cover, but it’s just a bit too cheesy for me.

Very mid for me. Nothing offensive, nothing particularly exciting.

Surprisingly fun. Had never heard of them.

It’s just “okay.” I was never a fan of this rock production style even back then.

decent enough album. i felt my interest in this one waned as the album went on. nothing here was bad, just strictly down the middle for me. i'm not sure i totally enjoyed the sound of what they were going here for - funk-metal? i guess? sounds pretty corny and not totally for me. but that being said, still listenable.