Reviews (page 6 of 9)
Surprisingly fun. Had never heard of them.
Too angry for my gentle soul. 😉 Obviously not my genre… so…
It’s just “okay.” I was never a fan of this rock production style even back then.
A little dated but pretty awesome honestly. Part Huey Lewis, part Faith No More/RHCP funk.
Great album, felt like experiential or progressive rock and classic rock, but some other stuff like even hip hop mixed in
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.
3 - I really like the first two songs and the first really felt a bit red hot chilli peppers/john frusciante. But felt a bit to jam session in the end for me
I dunno about this. Kinda fun, kinda naff, not sure I'd want to revisit but I've certainly heard worse in the genre. 2.7/5
A unique sound with tremendous playing. Definitely seek out “Desperate People” on YouTube because it isn’t on spotify. It’s one of the best tracks.
Opening up with Cult of Personality feels like both an error, and their only option. It stands head and shoulders above everything else on this album, which is just mid-level 90s lite-metal, albeit produced incredibly well. If I ever listen to this again I expect I'll stop after track 1.
Decent funky rock. Some songs were a bit meh but good vibe with a small cameo from pe. 7/10
One of those records where you have no idea of what to expect, but are insanely good listens and leave something to be desired.
I really didn’t enjoy this but I did listen to the whole thing, mostly to try to pinpoint what I didn’t like about it. And I have no answer. So strange. Nothing stood out as being particularly bad, but I really, really hope I don’t ever hear this again.
Funky and unique 80s hard rock!! A really fun listen!!
One or two songs I enjoyed, but the rest of the album was all over the place. A lot of screeching over the music in parts and it felt cringe Overall bad experience. Won't be listening again 2 ⭐️
Oh, come on.
Unexpectedly good! I wasn’t expecting the funk fusion, nor would I have expected it to work with metal. But it worked, it really worked. Would listen again.
What a weird album. Some absolute bangers. Some experimental stuff. Was hoping I’d like it more.
Funny Vibe is insane. Some of this was good and some of it was so weird.
Very politically conscious band of course. Wasn't really hard rock but then again the classification of what's hard rock never is so simple. Epic records you say. Interesting
This album had lots of highs and lows for me. Cult of Personality has been a favorite since I was a kid, but it’s unfortunately the peak of the album, and only a few tunes were similarly good. I wouldn’t listen to this often as an album, but bits and pieces of it I would for sure spin often. 2.5/5
Fun album. I of course knew Cult of Personality, but there's plenty of other fun things on here. There's also a few songs I thought were just ok. Overall though, I had a good time with this one. 3.5/5
Good shit, hit at the right time as a middle ground between radio friendly alt and metallic but not necessarily metal. “Cult of Personality” is the kind of song you’d be proud to be a one hit wonder for and “Open Message (To a Landlord)” is the perfect balance between anger and sincerity. I don’t love the Talking Heads cover- somehow the least funkiest song on here- but everything else is classic. B… maybe +?
Cult Of Personality is a great track. Desperate People is great. Which Way To America is killer. I loved this.
This album goes HARD. I knew 1-2 songs, but it took listening to the whole album to realize how unique this sound was for that time period.
Wasn't what I expected at all, fun but seriously outdated
ugh 80s rock power ballads .
Dull, not made for me
BANGER. “Broken Hearts” is weak. Bass lines and guitar solos fuck.
Vernon Reid is a genius! I knew the hits off this, but weirdly hadn't listened to the whole thing. Varied, genre mashing. Similar albums from this time have turned me off lyrically - I'm as much into songs about cars and fucking as I was in the 80s. This album had more socially conscious writing, as well as some straight up party bangers. Good stuff.
3.5 Liked this more than I thought it would. Started off a little hard for my taste but there are softer elements from other genres woven in throughout (especially Glamour Boys). The expanded edition I listened to had a cover of Should I Stay Or Should I Go which doesn't count but I still loved.
Walked so Lenny Kravitz could run.
Liked: Cult of Personality, Glamour Boys, Which Way to America.
Instruments were nice.
I don’t know how I’d come to this conclusion in the past, but I’d always written off Living Color as a shitty British new-wave band, like a poor man’s version of Duran Duran. Today I learnt they’re neither shitty, British, nor new-wave. Cult Of Personality is one of those songs I was vaguely aware of but never paid attention to before. Now that I’ve given it a chance: what a rockin’ banger. Followed immediately by another rocker, I Want To Know. I loved the outro to Open Letter. This whole album is 80’s guitar wankery at its finest, and I mean that with all due respect. I’m impressed. Vivid was a true surprise; I went in thinking “ugh” and walked away with 4 well-deserved stars and a determination to seek more of their catalogue. It further invigorates me to continue with this fantastic 1001 albums project.
I did like it more and more as I listened.
More songs about how much landlords fucking suck, please.
One of the best albums I've got in the past couple of months I'd say. Was familiar with Cult of Personality from tearing it up on Guitar Hero 4 but the rest of the album absolutely blew me away.
Funky groovy stuff here, but also without real direction, which I am missing
I like this one more than I expected.
I didn't know the album past the first song. Pretty good.
first listen it's rockin but i ain't knockin
Possibly due to the opener and hearing it 10000’s of times, but this just feels like corny 80’s rock. Yeah it’s got elements and fusions of so many genres but idk. Feels plastic even then. Then I find out McJagger had his hands on these guys getting a deal and it makes sense. (I don’t like any of the bands these guys sound like either)
My favorite color is living color. It teeters on def leppoard vibes but it is nice and funky I like the vocals and the back half while much worse it still sucked me in and I have to say I really really like the guitar work again here. I probably wont visit this but I understand the impact of a black rock band and cool that is.
Hmm... Living Colour. I have always thought Living Colour was awesome. They are a great band. Perhaps now and then a song seems to go a bit retro, but for the most part time has not dulled their edges. I do wonder (without bothering to research it right now) what actually happened to them? They were an exciting new thing for a while, and the songs here reflect that, but they are not exactly a household name anymore? Huh. Anyhow, this album, and band overall, is well well worth the time to give a listen to.
It rocks but not much else
ziemlich hard, aber die Texte sind zum Teil recht gut. Und singen kann der Leadsänger auch.
Cult of Personality is one of my all time favorite jams. The rest of the album didn't disappoint. It's punchy and angry and funky and I like it.
The music is better than the lyrics/melodies. Also, seems a but dated because it's almost 40 years old. I really do love Cult of Personality. I also think it was a very important bridge between the hair metal era and the grunge era.
Whatever type of rock this is, I hate it.
Totally shocked by this one. I enjoyed it from front to back and loved some of the creativity they had with some tracks. Sadly not all the songs were on Spotify, but the ones I was able to listen to were great. Open Letter (to a landlord) was hilarious, and songs like Funny Vibe and Middle Man were just so catchy I couldn't help myself from having a good time. Great blend of rock and funk.
It’s like if Huey Lewis & The News was a hair metal band. Super corny late 80’s rock. Cult of Personality is pretty catchy.
Living Colour were far ahead of their time and show how much more dynamic they were and are as a metal band with this album and its myriad influences. Not only do they show their ability to shred with "Cult Of Personality", but there are other genuinely pretty sounding melodic songs on the record as well like "Glamour Boys" and "I Want To Know". Both of these styles are on full display with Corey Glover's epic vocals, which are among the best in rock and surely metal history. Not only that, but one thing that strikes me on many songs on this album is the band's use of rest notes for guitars with the rhythm section still keeping emphatic time. The space between riffs and hooks only make them more impactful, and it's effective throughout the record. Like I've said with other highly-rated albums on this project of mine, this album beautifully blends gorgeous melodies with heavy rock, so this album hits that upper echelon for me. Living Colour is an all-time underrated band in my opinion. Notable Tracks: - Cult Of Personality - I Want To Know - beautiful melodically - Middle Man - Desperate People - Glamour Boys - What's Your Favorite Color? - my favorite funk-forward song on the album 9/10
Skillful and heavy, it feels like I should have liked this more than I did. Alas, I did not.
A few of these songs hold up pretty well today, but much of the album sounds fairly dated at this point. Given that it came out in '88 that's entirely understandable, but it does cap the ceiling for me. That said, it was an enjoyable listen overall. 4.0
A rare perfect album. Than you 1001albumsgenerator. I loved every second.
this is almost... pop metal. it's very bold, brash... there's absolutely no doubt it's the loudest craziest metal you've heard but it's very uplifting and oozing with a certain kind of cheese that only the 80s could have. it's like if phil collins wrote rock. it's kickass.
One giant hit...but not much more.
I might have heard the album once or twice back in the day, but not for many years. It's better than I expected/remembered. "Now you can tear a building down But you can't erase a memory"
Kinda boring, nothing stood out super hard to me. Not terrible, but very forgettable.
Never was a big fan of Cult of Personality and the rest of the album wasn't really better.
not as good as i remember
Still great
I’m pretty sure some of my tinnitus comes from listening to Cult of Personality too loud.
I only know this for Cult of Personality, which is an absolute banger. The rest of the album, uhhhhh hit or miss. Some things are great others kinda feel blegh.
Let's Rock :-)
6 / 10 Rock facilón de finales de los 80. Tiene algunas guitarras de hard rock que le dan un puntito más.
(1) - in my mind Sammy Hagar sung "cult of personality". (2) - similar sound to early RHCP (3) - worth being on the list but not my thing
"Cult of Personality" is a fantastic track. The rest of the album is good as well. I like Living Colour's style of hard rock. Like many artists on this list, I've never listened to them. I forgot to play this album on Tuesday so I'm reviewing it on Wednesday. "Vivid" gets a 4 star rating.
The whole funk metal thing has never been my area other than a few bands like Primus, Bad Brains, and Fishbone. Living Colour writes good songs with good grooves and solid musical talent. This is hard rock! Guitarist is a shredder in solos and gets some crazy sounds from his axe. Really Strong rhythm section. Powerful vocals. They’re not afraid to be both conscious and silly. I don’t have a lot of specific criticisms of this album, but it’s also just not something I care to listen to much. A few solid songs, just not super memorable to me. Surprising Talking Heads cover.
Fokk þessi tonlist
A landmark album for fusing funk and metal / hard rock. While not the first to approach the genre, Living Colour was one of the more memorable, particularly with the opening track Cult of Personality. Any my god, what an unbelievable track that is! Unfortunately, nothing else on the album quite reaches the same heights as Cult of Personality. While still mostly good, I can't fully get into Vivid. Too bad!
Would I listen to it again: no * Is it a no-skip album: no Do I like it: no * I might check out their later stuff.
There's music that sounds cool, and artists that exude cool. Living Colour does both here. Every song is full of personality. Like, an entire cult's worth. 🤭 Standouts are Cult of Personality, Middle Man, Open Letter (To a Landlord), and Funny Vibe.
A bit Led Zep, a bit RHCP. It's ok.
Obviously, Cult of Personality is a banger. The rest of the album was alright, but nothing amazing. It was a little watered down in some areas and a bit too over the top in others.
Cult of Personality is a fantastic song and even better album opener. Iconic guitar riff and powerful solo. I Want to Know makes me think of Huey Lewis and the News for some reason. Plenty of 80s cheese on Open Letter, but that silky smooth bassline and distorted guitar are fantastic. Elements of it remind me of Umphrey's. Funny Vibe is a loose, seemingly improvisational jam. I dig all of the instrumentals on display and the somewhat punky atmosphere of it all. Memories Can't Wait is another ripper propelled by some excellent bass work. A bit moodier than other songs on here and a high water mark for me. I would say that this album is very eh for me. It has some really awesome highs, but the lows for me were really low and filled with cheese. Clearly talented instrumentally with great vocals, but several songs were actually sort of challenging to get through. 3 / 5
That was a random mix of songs. Very weird. Some rap and funk. Wtf was the glamour boys song. 2.5 stars
Cult of Personality was a GTA staple. This feels like some standard heavy metal/rock, but it oddly has a few songs that feel like pop songs? The bass lines made me think of Primus at times. A fine album.
Cult of Personality is such an ultimate jam which I have known forever, and is the only Living Colour song that I am familiar with. Really hope it's not a 1 hit wonder for me. The first half of the album absolutely rocked. Funny Vibe certainly was funny, but the album certainly took a turn afterwards to much slower. The funk aspects it turned into is pretty nice but I preferred the hard rock more. Ending on Which Way to America to bring it back to rockin was an excellent choice. This album sounded like 2 different bands at times which which cool to show some range. Some was a 3 and some was inching towards a 5. So average a very solid 4
Hell yeah Cult of Personality rules. The amount of times I've played this on Guitar Hero... This album was all over the place. Funny Vibe was certainly a song to put on this album. Honestly reminds me of some older RHCP. Not convinced this is the same band from Cult of Personality by the end. Middling 3.
stabilt
2.5 rounded up to 3. Glad I listened to this but can't see it happening again
I feel like this is incredibly influential to a huge era of music that came after it. Killer stuff
Definitely in the upper half of 80s/90s funk rock I’ve heard in my life. Probably a 2.5, rounding it up because I read the guitarist recruited the singer after hearing him sing happy birthday. That’s a good bit of lore.
Strong 5 consideration but ultimately, I didn’t like it as much as I feel like a 5 should be liked. Still, this was a very impressive album. Cult of Personality is an absolute banger and might be a top 5 Guitar Hero III song. The rest of the album, which I hadn’t heard before, was a wonderful blend of many different flavors of dad-rock. These ranged from Van Halen-esque over-the-top arena rock to grounded and groovy Fishbone-like bass lines which truly gave the album some….living colour
First song is really good yeahhhh. Me hitting on a girl: “what’s your favorite color baby?”
solid, but not rock solid
Inte särskilt bra men samtidigt inte så katastrofalt dåligt som jag hade förväntat mig.
Levyn hittibiisi oli kova ja muuten ihan kuunneltavaa settiä
Positiivinen uutuus itselle. Oikein hyvin viihdytti aamupäivän töissä
i actually really enjoyed this. but so many amazing albums have been given a 3. That this needs to be a 2. But it's a really strong 2.
Living Color made hard rock that was clearly punk influenced. Their clean, technical guitar leads, provided by Vernon Reid, and charismatic vocals from Corey Glover made for a funky version of metal. Their hit, "Cult of Personality" pushed them to pop stardom, and the rest of the tracks on the album made them more than a one-hit wonder band. Vivid is their debut, and the most commercially successful of the band's work.
1. cult of perzonality - 1 2. uuant to knouu - 1 3. middle man - 0 4. open the letter - 1.5 5. funny vibe - 0 6. memoriez - 1 7. boyz - 0 8. color - 0 9. america - 0 10. funny vibe - 1.5 11. ztay or go - 1 12. color - 1 13. middle man - 0 14. perzonality - 1
It's a great blend but felt over produced.
A very fun surprise, ended up liking this album much more than I thought I would.
Love the versatility. 80s metal, pop-rock melded together nicely. Genesis and Metallica vibes at the same time, which in this case is oddly intended as a compliment.
not my style but kinda fun
Cult of personality - looooove the baseline
The musicianship gets an A+, and production a B. It's the songwriting that brings this record down a bit. There are really no GOOD songs here, but we'll played and fun.
this is not it, unless..... wait.. if this is intentional.... the fellas might have been onto something
First two tracks will filter the haters, Open Letter into the back half is so good
Un album qui est un peu contradictoire, car le mélange de sons rock alt et de funk est très propre à Living Colour, mais en même temps ça ne sonne pas tellement original ou innovateur. C'est un peu monotone aussi comment la même formule est utilisée tout le long de l'album. Loin d'être un mauvais album, mais je m'attendais à être un peu plus impressionné considérant le succès de Cult of Personality. 6/10
classic rock and hard rock do nothing for me anymore
Þessir gaurar virðast vera ofboðslega hressir og uppfullir af sjálfum sér sem er stundum gott ef maður hefur efni á því. Þessir eru samt svo mikið miðjumoð að það er engin sjálfsdýrkunarinneign. Ég mun ekki sjálfur sækjast eftir að hlusta á þá en ég myndi alveg hlusta á þá ef þeir væru í útvarpinu eða eitthvað.
It was good. Not my main cuppa, but good.
A few great songs here. Solid rock album that I would listen to again.
It feels like I'm listening to a personality disorder
Some good rock tunes
Meh, okay
mid
Comes in hot, then cools down. Enjoyable time though and Cult of Personality is a joy
The parts of these songs are often good, but the whole mostly stinks. No way this can get above a 2 and at times I thought it might be a 1. Ultimately the musicianship drug it to a 2.
Went into this one a little bit blind. Gotta say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the rocky funky beat.
Cult of Personality is a great track. The players in the band are all good in their own right. But overall I didn't hear much worth coming back for.
Decent music while not being entirely memorable.
Cult of Personality is a bop, and they’re probably doing just fine off that huge hit, but it’s hard not to think Living Colour deserves more. They go so hard, they’re so funky, they could have been, should have been, the biggest band in the world.
This ain’t it chief
This album was incredible. I loved the energy. The Talking Heads cover, yeah so much energy. Incredible album and musicianship all around.
Fun, but not earth-shattering. 'Soundtrack rock'. A few shallowly explored social commentary pieces (Funny Vibe, Open Letter), but seem a bit... lost in the context of the rest of the album.
I loved this. So fun, great energy, really unique. Another banger from 1001 albums I wouldn't have found on my own!
i only knew cult of personality going into this (thank you guitar hero 3) but i ended up really enjoying this album. it's funky, it's metal, it shreds hard, and has a good message. these guys have serious chops and a cool sound that's somehow simultaneously very unique and very 80s. favorites: i ended up liking all of these on spotify. of those, the favorites are probably cult of personality, open letter to a landlord, what's your favorite color, which way to America, and should i stay or should i go
Saw these guys open for The Rolling Stones in 1989. I was working as a stadium vendor, and people assumed I had beer in my cooler, despite me being 17 and looking 12 years old. I made like $15, but got to watch most of their opening, and ALL of the stones. 4 stars.
Starts off solid, then it's kind of so-so. Good groove on funny vibe, giving me Cory Wong vibes in the back half of the album. After cult of personality every song felt very different, did not hate the sound. Highlights: cult of personality, funny vibe (good groove), broken hearts
Giving this a 4 because of how popular it was and how good of musicians these guys are. Cult of Personality is a banger and I liked some of the other funk/metal tracks like Which Way To America. Overall this isn’t my go to music but I do appreciate this album.
For some of these tracks, I would have enjoyed reading the lyrics more than listening to the actual songs
Story time: During Jazz week in NOLA we went to a show that was G.Love and Cory Glover. the show was supposed to start at 1 or 2 am, but it didn't start until 4 or something. (it was light out on the walk back to the AirBnB.) They called the show The Glove Love and they were throwing condoms off the stage into the crowd the whole time. It was the perfect epitome of late night jazz fest and one of the most memorable shows ive ever been to. This record is important, but unfortunately its not the best. the cult of personality would get 5 stars as a single.
4.5/5
I like to think of myself as open minded and that there isn't a genre I can't get with but I'm wondering if 80s/90s funk metal might contradict that. Not quite as heinous as Red Hot Chilli Peppers but still not something I can enjoy.
Had this cassette when I was young. I always thought it was super cool that the case was red. Cult of Personality is somewhat of an iconic song. I remember the video on MTv and was always drawn to the raw, if not sloppy, guitar. I like how the drums and bass lock in in this one as well. Otherwise, I remember the cheesy “Glamour Boys” tune (also from the video). The rest of the album felt brand new. Not in a refreshing sort of way, but more of a “when did they put these songs on this album” kinda thing. I musta missed it. Oh, well. A 3 is a 3.
Great memories, and it still rocks.
Great artist and album. Cult of Personality remains one of my favorite songs. Some other good tracks, but nothing rises to that level.
Funky rock tunes
Cult of Personality is a great opening track, but sadly the rest of the album fails to live up to this early promise.
I’m not a big metal guy, but turns out I am partial to a bit of funk-metal. Simpsons: No
The opening track is a GTA and Guitar Hero classic tune. Rest of the album is enjoyable, but not quite good enough for four stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really good solid rock album, with some funky beats over the top. Wasn't sure whether to give this 3 or 4. Due to cult of personality I went with a 4
I honestly really enjoy this. Cult of Personality is a banger of an opening track. Open Letter (To a Landlord) is cool as well. It's all great stuff and I'd love more of it.
I forgot how fun and offbeat this whole album was.
didnt expect to like this blown away bu talking heads cover. solid record
mnjeh unremarkable
The back half of this wasn't bad, but I didn't really get what makes it special
Class
Urla urla pure... a me non piacerà mai
Cult is amazing. I didn’t find anything else on this album even close to that though.
its pretty much dad rock/hair metal. not terrible but your getting what youre getting. Cult of Personality.
A couple good songs, nice wild yet masterful guitar work. Lyrically I like the themes, they carve a great space missing in Rock but it also seems lacking in poetry, almost the opposite of the guitars.
frekar leiðinlegt. 2,5
Funky 80s rock music. Stand-out: Desparate People
Sumarið 1988 hjá mér í hnotskurn. Ein af mest spiluðu plötum í vínilsafninu mínu. Elska þessa orku frá upphafi til enda.
I loved this album when I was in high school. It's been a long time since I've revisited. Cult of Personality still kicks ass. I remember loving Open Letter, but it doesn't hold the same value for me today. Most of it is a little dated, but it's unique enough to respect. I still like a lot of the tracks and the whole vibe of the album works really well.
Vernon Reid's guitar work has always been too twitchy and nervous for me. I like the big hit from this album a lot, but the rest of it is just too spazzy and uncomfortable for me.
rocks !!
not good and nothing special
Great rock sound, fine guitars, real fun.
Hard rock. I'd never heard of Living Colour before so it's an interesting addition. The music is solid (esp. the guitar playing) but I don't hear a lot that differentiates it from most of the stuff that came out around the same time, except for the lyrics. The song themes and lyrics are definitely interesting with a heavy dose of social commentary and those elevate this band above a lot of their peers.
Cult of Personality if s a banger, but the rest of this album is trash. Dated trash. The people who compiled this list have no concept of what will have a lingering impact or cultural significance, the only success they have are things that have already been culturally established decades before this book came out.
I can respect it, but I don't really like it. 🤷 Poppy hard rock ain't it for me. The hit is decent though. And some pretty cool bass playing. Doubtful I'll ever want to come back to it though. Call it a 2 leaning 2.5.
Cult of Personality is a straight up banger, I love the guitar solo, that triplet drum intro, and the political speech snippets. Sadly the other songs don't really live up to the heights of this song. Nothing is bad, just some songs run a little on the generic side. There is great guitar and bass playing throughout though. Also shout out to the album cover. Some other stand outs: - Funny Vibe is funky, and almost sounds like an early Faith No More Track - Memories can't Wait: I love the talking heads and this is such a unique funky cover. - Glamour Boys sounds like if Sting tried to sing a Sublime song. 3.5 closer to a 3 but I could see it going closer to a 4 on future listens. On second thought I'll just make it a 4
Cult of Personality melted my face off to start this album. What an incredible opener. This album had lots of other highlights to me - going back through the tracklist I also loved Middle Man, Open Letter, Funny Vibe, Memories Can't Wait, What's Your Favorite Color, and Which Way to America. Just a fun, jammy, funky hard rock album that I really enjoyed the whole way through. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
One good song. Rest of album hard to get through
Really didn’t gel with this unfortunately. It’s not technically bad at all or anything, just unremarkable to me. Felt like a safe take on glam metal and hard rock with a lil funk thrown in that didn’t do much for me.
Surprisingly fun! Not earth shattering but cult of personality is amazing, a couple good singles, then some meh. You’ll get something out of this
This was politically interesting
Imagine my disappointment that this wasn’t a Homey the Clown record. Meh at best. Not the worst I’ve listened to, not the best.
Funky metal, slappy bas grootjes
zzzz
good
Pretty good but can't remember too much now.. listed again I guess?
Good for its time but not my kind of thing.
Album 2/1001 I think I went into this album thinking it was going to be one thing and it ended up being entirely different.
Hard rock band with social themes... pretty interesting listen. 3/5
Time for some 80s rock. Album opens strong with the hit Cult of Personality. This song still holds up today as an all time great rock song. There is also a great cover of Should I Stay or Should I Go. The album has a good overall rock sound with some excellent social commentary, and I can definitely hear their influence in bands like Sevendust. That said, no other songs really stood out to me. This is a 4 for me
This is a Mötley Crüe situation where the guitarist is over qualified for the job, except that Mötley Crüe had personality. 3/5
Not a fan of late 80s rock because they always have weird echoey voices and slow percussions. The guitar riffs are really good tho
It's ok
A band I pretty much forgot about. Was happy to rediscover the album.
Another stunning debut album from a band that had a little bit of everything and sounded fresh even back then. This one still holds up. 9.2/10
Not for me. For a rock album it was too overproduced. Everything was so clean sounding. Talented musicians but it felt vapid even when the lyrics were biting social commentary.
This was wild. Hair metal, with extra slap bass and some properly weird lyrics. I didn't hate it but man the 80's sucked.
Such an enjoyable album. Opener track is a certified banger.
No experience with this album other "Cult of personality." Great musicianship throughout. Mix of rock, hip hop, funk. It's got some Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Faith No More vibes.
Enjoyable if instantly forgetable
Too many overlong jangly guitar solos. Level 42 mixed with any indeterminate heavy metal band.
This fall somewhere between two and three. Glamour Boys pushed it up.
I bought this album when it was released and liked it plenty at the time. I'm pretty sure I had the band's first three albums in my collection, and somehow none remain. So I know this album pretty well, though it's been, what? 30 years since I last listened to it. I wasn't prepared for how phenomenal this was. The playing is really really good — Skillings and Calhoun on bass and drums are just incredible. And Vernon Reid... I used to not appreciate his soloing. It seemed to me you could overlay any solo over any rhythm part and it wouldn't matter — like he wasn't even listening to the song. But damn, that was not my sentiment today, and more than that, his rhythm playing and inventiveness with parts is something special. Corey Glover's vocals stood out as another element I underestimated. I mean, I always thought he was good, but I was blown away on this listen. Lyrically, there are spots where they can get a little heavy handed, but that's part of what these guys are all about. I knew I'd enjoy this, but I freakin' loved it.
Unsure how to rate this one. On a personal level, I admire this more than like it. Reid's a killer guitarist, especially when he gets atonal. In fact, the weirder they get the more i like them. (Also, the bassist is great.) But Glover's not a compelling singer, and the lyrics are pretty trite. I dig that they cover a lot of stylistic ground, but it doesn't always work. (Also, the production does nothing for me, especially the drum sound.) So, I'm going with a 3. It seems a little low but I can't bring myself to give it a 4.
I like the idea of Living Colour and this album more than the actual music. The cover is a time capsule for 1988 that did not age great.
great!
very solid 80´s (Funk-/Hard-)Rock with relevant lyrics best-known: Cult of Personality and Glamour Boys similar to the band Extreme
I'm digging this one. Some great tunes I've never heard before. The bass driving groove and guitar on "Open Letter to a Landlord" ... wow!
This is a very decent album, although it’s not exactly my type of music
Surprisingly good. "Cult of Personality" is a banger. Head nodding almost all the way. Really nice riffs and solos. Funky. Metal. Still lacks that certain something and more standout tracks to justify more than 3.5 stars.
p589. 1988. 1 star. Spinal Tap with an irony bypass. WTF is this doing on the list?
I haven’t listened to the entire thing since it came out. But it is just as good as I remember.
The guitars, the bass, and even the drums are really nice at some places. But in general, it gives off a "Pearl Jam lite" vibe.
Damn some classics that I didn’t know lived here. Sonorous and discordant.
This really was not for me. At times it feels like full on wrestling entrance music, all bombast and bluster without much subtlety. I know it has its fans and I can respect the musicianship, but as an album it does very little for me. It is loud, relentless and just not a sound I connect with. That said, I will give it some credit for Cult of Personality. It is a great tune. Big riff, big hook and undeniably catchy. That track alone drags the album up to a two out of five for me. Favourite song: Cult of Personality. A genuinely strong track. Least favourite: The rest of the album does not do much for me. Album artwork: Fairly forgettable. Nothing that stands out in the way the single does
Rap with a Rock twist. Really liked it ! Cult of Personality - loved it I want to know - Van Halen meets rap Middle Man - loved it Desperate People - I'm loving this album Memories can't wait - best track From a band I somehow never heard of... It's a WOW 5 ⭐
That was a struggle
I liked the opener and Which Way To America as a dig at the reality of life in Reagan's America but most of it was a bit too much for me. I can see why it's on the list but I can't see me ever listening again in full.
I missed the initiation ceremony but I see the appeal
This is Rock & Roll's response to the beastie boys. And i love it.
Hard rockfunk metalheavy metal. Rock pop ochentero.
This was a big album back when it was released and seemed to be everywhere. It was the first hard-driving rock that took on racial issues head-on (Rage is more hip-hop/rap). The songs still sound really good, though a bit heavy-handed at times and kind of shouty. Would like to hear them slow it down a bit here and there. This is a proper rock and roll album.
'C o P' is great but the rest of the album doesn't have it.
It was good to hear again. Interesting how they took quite cheesy pop ideas and made them good through musicianship.
vivid is a great descriptor for the album, the grooves and riffs are brimming with energy, the vocals are fun and the drums sound great too. The first two tracks pack a very nice punch. Middle man is decent, It has some nice riffs but nothing really holds my attention which makes me want to return to the track. Desperate is another great track - the group really does a great job balancing the thrash hard rock elements with the softer melody-laden parts. The bridge of desperate people is fantastic. landlord is fine. neither the riffs nor the melody really stuck to me. funny vibe though instantly throws a catchy riff at you and then 1 min in turns into pure funk with a nice groove and it's a great track. i love talking heads and i just couldn't vibe with their rendition. broken hearts is a great hard rock ballad and it has some great writing as well which i really liked. it's a strong 3 from me.
huh..?
great stuff. impossible to categorize, lots of fun
Unexpected variety, not quite my thing but glad I listened
I LOVE this album... brings me back. Great hard rockin' funky stuff. Vernon Reid is great.
The idea of Living Colour is much better than the reality.
naja - ok
The best LC album. Cult of Personality is still great. The Talking Heads cover is great too, just like several other songs such as Broken Hearts. Falls short of 5 stars for me, but a solid 4*: 8/10.
Very enjoyable album. Lots of different influences, but I like them best when it gets funky and heavy.
After a strong opening the album deteriorates, only to revive in the second half.
This was fairly enjoyable, but also a bit forgettable? A bit generic? It didn't blow me away but I did listen to all of it...
Very talented musicians in a hard-driving blend of rock and funk. Be sure to listen to the bonus tracks (remixes).
Meh.
I owned this on cassette and saw them live. Would like to get it on vinyl.
Standouts- "Cult of Personality," "Funny Vibe," "Open Letter (To a Landlord)" Lyrics- 3.5/5 Vocals- 4/5 Instrumentals 3.5/5 Vibe 3/5 Overall 3/5 This was a pretty decent album, with "Funny Vibe" being I think the best track purely for its social commentary. "Cult of Personality" was a familiar song, although I genuinely cannot tell you where I've heard the song before. It was by no means a bad album, but it really didn't click with me like many others.
Great guitar, great bass, great drumming. It's a bit Rush-esque, with much more conventional singing timbre to fit the late-80s "funk metal" style. The opening track, Cult of Personality, is pretty infectious, and the remaining tracks are all good, though many of them sound similar. The three live tracks tacked onto the end are unnecessary, both for runtime and for being repeats of earlier tracks. Still, a very strong showing for an album and band I'd never heard of.
Very, very unmemorable. Quite boring MOR rock I'm afraid, as I'd been quite looking forward to it. Ironically, neither colourful nor vivid.
I've not listened to them for years, a mixture of funk, metal, , jazz, hip hop. Good stuff. I must go and find their other albums, I had a few of them years ago on cassette.
Not a huge fan of this album, I can respect its place in rock history, but overall it was a meh experience.
Very strong beginning, but it fizzles out towards the middle, and then somewhat resurrects itself towards the end. Overall a great listen.
J'ai bien aimé ça, du hard rock avec des lignes de bass funky j'suis toujours down
Pretty generic 80s rock, big snares and cutting guitars. Not too exciting though
Some excellent guitar solos and riffs saves what can sometimes be a repetitive/flat album. The guitar elevates it from okay to good for me. Plus bonus nostalgia points for having a song from guitar hero 3.
Konfuser Funk Rock.
love Vernon Reid the guy just shreds
- Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Not my favorite. One or two good songs. Couldn't play it through.
Good rock album. It had been a while since I've heard it, but I turned it up.
\\m//
outside Cult of Personality I am unfamiliar with this band. whats interesting is how different so many of the songs sound from one another. Glamour Boys for example sounds like something from an entirely different band.
As a die hard wrestling fan I was excited to see this album pop up. Cult of Personality is great! The rest of the album is funky and heavy and for some reason it didn’t really click with me. This is definitely an album I’d like to give another chance
Fun rock, kinda reminded me of Spin Doctors (drums specifically) but a little harder
I applaud their bravery and certainly the attampt to cross the divide. The music however is bland 80s rock. I just can't enjoy it I'm afraid.
Rock on. Surprisingly listenable
The first song is great. The rest is horrible.
Cult of Personality
pretty shit album's weird, like some hippie intro to a kids tv show in the 2000's
3 - because the album is alright but Cult Of Personality is amazing & brings up the whole rating.
What's so outstanding about this album to be on this list? Very generic and dated, the only song that made me feel something different was "Funny vibes". (I don't like numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)
Heard this album many times. Some excellent songs and some that drag
It was fine, but it didn’t particularly engage me. Songs like Which Way to America and Funny Vibe (Funky Vibe Mix) are good, but then you have that followed up by them absolutely butchering Should I Stay Or Should I Go. I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this.
Damn. This is why i am doing this proj. For as many stinkers on the list something will come out of nowhere and surprise you. Was fully expecting to hate this. Metal/hard rock from the late 80s? Hard pass. I was thinking i was gonna have my first double 1s two days in a row. But nay! As i start listening i realize that its like they took all the parts of rock that i like, trashed all the parts i dont, and then injected some funk (which of course makes anything better). Shit had me grooving and moving my whole commute home. Varied, interesting, just plain fun to listen to. There were so many times i wanted to rewind to catch a part that made me go “damn wtf??” but in a good way. Trying to find a flaw but i cant, I love it
hard rock from the 80's, enjoyable only at specific times
Cult of Personality was a cool song at the time but the album sounds dated and overall meh. 2.3
Not my bag, but pretty solid. Isn't strictly metal - covers some other ground. Totally forgot about Glamour Boys (produced by Jagger). 3.5 (star ranking updated)
A decent listen but Desperate People is the only track that gets close to the quality of Cult of Personality, and CM Punk is a cunt so I can't like it as much as I want to.
Great start - Cult of Personality is familiar (think it was on a Guitar Hero game or something?). The rest is just a pale imitation of that, really, it's mostly quite samey but not as good. Decent amount of energy throughout, fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, 3/5.
Rad rock with a few songs with some ska influences
Boring
Not for me. Sounds like they threw in the kitchen sink and random words and pine to string up some songs
A very 80’s rock album but the song lyrics still feel modern.
Just ok
Good fusion rock. 4/5
Didn't know them before. From the description, I was hopeful, but I was disappointed. Most of it sounded a bit Phill Collinsey very 80s and very boring. The second half of the Clash cover was the highlight, but over all, not for me
It really came alive in the second half of the album for me, the first half was a bit of a snore
some bangers, very samey but ok
Pretty forgettable to be honest. Vocalist has a pretty killer voice and the guitarists are skilled but I mean is this really an album YOU HAVE TO listen to before you die? Sometimes I wonder if this list is too ambitious with 1001 albums if it's going to extend to albums like this making the cut. Especially considering it probably excludes all sorts of music sub-genres. (Will be surprised to see anything extreme-metal, or avant-garde in here). All that is to say I don't think this album is bad necessarily. Just utterly forgettable with every song kinda sounding like the guys who wrote Cult of Personality. Surely there isn't a soul out there saying "Vivid" is my favourite album of all time, and I think that's the kind of criteria you should expect from an album you HAVE TO LISTEN TO before you die.
At the time Vivid came out, it was wholly unexpected. There were few, if any, Black people making rock music anymore. Most Black musicians were producing hip-hop, dance music (especially house and acid), and reggae or ska. Rock music? Nope. Rock that bordered on metal? Unheard of! Then, out of the blue, came Vernon Reid, a guitarist playing loud, boisterous, rock. No Black guitarist played like that since Hendrix. Overall, Vivid is a few good songs plus a bunch of filler. The good stuff though is amazingly good, especially Cult of Personality and Glamour Boys. Throughout Vernon Reid's guitar playing is superb, elevating even the filler. After Vivid, In Living Color never reached the MTV level of fame. For that one moment though, America got to see what a Black rock band could do.
I was ready to dislike this. I wasn’t a huge fan of Cult of Personality when it came out, and a lot of late 80s/early 90s rock has production that makes the music sound extremely dated to me; I lived through it, I don’t need it again. But… I liked this. There was great energy and momentum throughout.
Propulsive and raw, unafraid to tackle social issues, with the modern classic “Cult of Personality” kicking things off in explosive fashion. Captures the state of late 80s America perfectly.
Hell yeah. Living Colour was a band I learned about while learning bass back in the day. The bass slaps here, and the singing if really fantastic. What really makes Living Colour stand out though is they are one of the few African-American metal groups out there, and quite frankly makes this an important album.
Не особо запомнилось, но понравилось, было приятно послушать
one of the best debut ever
A mix of hard edged rock and funk that predated the nu metal that came in the next decade it starts with the more distinctly metal classic Cult of Personality and maintains that edge throughout while exploring other soundscapes. Corey Glover's seering vocals with the controlled chaos of Vernon Reid's guitar work with a tight rhythm section makes this a powerhouse of an album. On this expanded edition I really like Funny Vibe--Funky Vibe Mix, but I also like Desperate People and Open Letter (To a Landlord).
One good song
Рок, 1988 Мне нечего особо сказать, но послушал с кайфом. А, ну Cult Of Personality где-то точно слышал. Может, в каком-то сериале? Твёрдая четыре.
On the couple of occasions when they’re rocking, they’re really on it. But the rest of the time? It’s just not good at all. I wanted to like it, but no dice.
A proper mix of styles. Some good music with a message. Quite enjoyed it
3.5/5 Love the guitars.
Todo dia o mesmo estilo, tá difícil Isso estando dito, gostei
Acordar ouvingo Cult of Personality, gostoso demais. mas o resto do álbum é bem esquecível com algumas músicas que salvam
Classic rock. Made me think for the first time ever that rock is mainly white, and that's a pity.
Probably more of a 2.5. Favorite track: Memories Can't Wait
It was okay.
A nice rock album from the late 1980s that shows an eclectic array of influences. Great bass lines throughout.
One great song, but everyone overreacted to the idea of a hard rock band composed of black dudes, and immediately thought they were the second coming of Jimi Hendrix. Turns out, there's only one Jimi Hendrix, and there were and are better hard rock bands with black people. I'm also not sure I'd even call most of this hard rock. But Cult of Personality slaps, it's such a banger that it alone merits this album being on this list. Grading up a notch for the inspired Clash cover on the expanded version.
Good album but got a pretty average vibe from it
Cult of Personality is good, the rest eh
Never heard of them, but I was into it.
Cult of Personality rules.
Impressions: Funk and hard rock can apparently sound good together. The lead vocalist’s voice is so hot! Favorite tracks: Cult of Personality, Open Letter (To a Landlord), Funny Vibe, What’s Your Favorite Color? Rating: 3/5
I'm sure it was great in 88 but doesn't hold up well.
"Cult of Personality" is a great tune and has a great video. Honestly, the whole thing in retrospect is a bit cringy. Living Colour was a rocking band which happened to have black members. In terms of mass market radio airplay, they were definitely trendsetters, but in a way, it feels like at the time they were mostly being treated like they were a novelty act. Of course, this is absurd. One of my favorite bands is Bad Brains, and they are totally out there in terms of energy and uniqueness, but that said, they were never put up as some sort of "wow, look at this" by the record label. Anyhow, really good guitar sounds, wide variety of quality in the songwriting, and sure, I'll give them points for "Cult of Personality" which really said something that needed to be said in Reagan era America, but I hesitate to think that this band would have been huge without A) MTV and B) "wow, look, a black band that plays rock!" The cover of "Memories Can't Wait" is pretty great, though.
This album is to music what Wonder is to bread.
Rock animado. Un 4.
Hard rockfunk metalheavy metal. Rock pop ochentero.
Perfect album, groundbreaking style
Cult of Personality is great! One of the best songs from the late 80s/early 90s alternative scene. The rest of the album is just okay to me. There are some cool funk rock songs and the guitar playing is awesome throughout...I especially love the slap bass. Funny Vibe is probably my favorite of the rest of the songs. This is pretty much how I felt when I saw them in the 00s...killer guitar but only a couple songs that really drew me in. The 2nd best song from the live show was a cover of Crosstown Traffic.
I genuinely love the sounds on this record, but as a complete listen it’s pretty uneven. Fun and I listen to it a lot though
Immaculate production? Check. High-quality playing? Check. Squealy rocking-out guitar? Check. Shame about the dull, corporate American, bog-standard tunes
What the RHCP tried to be
Good, lively, upbeat
Like many, I’ve only really heard “Cult of personality”, but the rest of the album really follows through with the same energy and talent as that. A great 90s hard rock listen!