Reviews (page 7 of 8)
It has a few okay moments and some really rough moments, pretty painful listen overall.
Not bad, but a style I don''t care much for. 2.5 stars
Yet another pointless rock album.
One or two good tracks, the rest average American 80s rock, not the best genre
Wasn't what I expected at all. I'd heard the name before but between that and the album cover I was expecting some sort of synth pop, rather than funk-metal jams. Definitely worth a listen, and certainly good playing, but not really my cup of tea I'm afraid.
The musicianship is top notch, but it has the emotional and political messaging subtlety of Zack Attack from Saved by the Bell
Honestly had some good tracks
Cult of personality is a fucking banger, the rest is quite 80's phil collins vibe which just isn't my cup of tea..
Maybe he is a glamour boy?
Pretty generic. Maybe at the time this would have sounded different, but a lot has happened in the last four decades.
En sämre version av huey Lewis/faith no more
This may be an album that's important "for the time" but overall it's just meh.
After "Cult of Personality"-- it loses a lot of gusto... just same old.
boring as can be
What in the 1980s, Miami Vice, cheese rock is going on here? Respect to the vocalist as he can sing right enough.
All'inizio pensavo di dare 3 stelle, ma per la fine mi son ricreduto. Non è male, però molto anonimo e ripetitivo, l'album in se è stato abbastanza piacevole, ma non lo riascolterei. La mia canzone preferita è stata "What's your favorite color?"
This is soulless, generic imitation music. In fact, if this hadn't come out in 1988, I'd suggest it was AI generated slop. Have you ever had a person you know try REALLY HARD to fit into your friend group, but they just don't because they're trying too hard? Like, if they'd just be themselves, they'd fit in and be very likeable, but because they seem so fake and in the uncanny valley, they make everyone unsettled and awkward-feeling. Ultimately, they come off as an empty shell impersonating a human. That's Living Colour; fake and plasticky. Who the fuck are these guys, really? They always sound to me to like they're making the music they think people want them to make, not the kind of music they actually want to make. These guys are OBVIOUSLY skilled musicians, which frustrates me ⭐⭐
Did not enjoy
90’s pop rock, nothing special
5/10 An odd one that didn’t really work for me. Hopping from genre to genre, from more pure hard rock/metal, to funk rock with fretless bass, to really mainstream pop rock and even hints of nu metal and grunge. The only stuff that actually worked for me was the more straight down the line stuff, that was where the more serious vocal delivery style and band were most in sync. Best: Glamour Boys
Much like this past year’s Summerslam, everything went downhill after CM Punk’s entrance. 2.5/5
Hearing Cult of Personality for the first time in 1988 was such an incredible breath of fresh air, I still can hear Reid’s riff as something like “the future”. Alas, the bulk of Vivid never did much for me then and still does not today. CoP lyrically is a bit of a mess, but my sense is they had something hot with that riff and worked the song into shape super fast to get it out, so its political valence might not be as profound as the music makes it sound.
Great for it's time. Aged awfully though. Too much up tempo, needs light and shade
Fine enough but blurred into one and felt too long.
No me gusta
mid unfortunately
Do you wish you could hear the worst parts of 80s and 90s rock but combined? I have good news for you…
This album feels to me like if Tenacious D was a real band. I have to give them credit for rocking out so hard, but aside from exhibiting comically corny pure 80's hard rock ethos the actual music didn't really do much for me.
Great start with 'Cult of Personality' (shoutout to the GTA San Andreas soundtrack), but jeez Vivid is a huge mess. The lyrics are atrocious - obviously apart from the Talking Heads cover - and the funky hard rock elements are laughable at times. 1 extra star for the nostalgia trip.
Living Colour are lucky “Cult Of Personality” is such a strong opener. Vivid is most often just silly and in search of something sturdy to lean on. Muzz Skillings’ bass tries delivering that, but it’s not enough in its own.
Not what I would expect
not significant
Cult of Personality is so good, but the rest just doesn't catch me and retains too much 80s rock.
One great song
I acc kinda fucked w it. So 80s but guitarist is so cracked
A real mixed bag. A handful of good tracks and some nice guitar at times, interspersed with the forgettable, the cheesy, and the downright awful. The album never recovers from the whiplash of opening with Cult of Personality, only to lead into the truly dire, NKOTB-esque "I Want to Know".
plaah
Not for me.
Not good
I loved this album when it came out, but cannot listen to it today. Aged very badly. 2 stars given it was once great.
Definitely not my bag, baby. Knew it wasn’t for me about 15 seconds into the first track. Not sure why this would be considered an album anybody “must” hear - sounds exactly like tons of other stuff from that time period and that genre. Corny vocals, guitar solos that go on too long and sound like they’re being played full whack through a Line6 on Insane setting, every song sounding more or less the same. Ended up skipping most of the longer tracks or turning the volume down so it was just background music. ‘Funny Vibe’ was alright, that’s about it. Heard it, don’t need to hear it again. Glad it’s out the way - 1.5/5 bumped up to 2/5 for good musicianship and as I’m sure there will be a lot worse albums in this list.
Didn´t like it, wasn't able to listen much
Fine
2 cheesy 4 me. I can't deal with the splonky bass, gated drums and phazed guitar solos. Every song sounds the same. For some reason I thought Living Colour was a new jack swing-style group. Somehow I dislike this even more.
Meh
Ugh. Generic American rock
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🖍️🖌️🖼️ Production: 👊😎👍 Music: 🔥⌛🥱 Rating: 🎨🎨/5
Cult of Personality is 2018 LeBron in this album.
I was hoping for an album that would be a forerunner to 90s rock; instead, "Vivid" is more like end-of-the-80s rock. The album features really great guitar throughout and a couple of solid tracks ("Cult Of Personality" and "Glamour Boys").
Cult of personality album. Mostly just great rock and roll guitar. Very 80s coded rock. Not funky but has a funk cadence to it. Middle man and Open Letter standouts aside from cult of personality.
Not great. Cult of Personality was the only semi-good song on this album to me. The guitar shredded though. 3.5/10
The album stopped playing about twenty minutes ago and I have already forgotten it.
More rocky than I remember, but wouldn't listen to the album again.
Definitely a little dated as 80s metal but the playing is really solid and thematically it touches on some interesting topics.
Rigtig 80’s rock. Kendt for at være nogle af de første rock n rollers. Har sådan funky basslines osv, det lyder lidt som Mario kart.
too 80s
Algo inconsistente, y fuera del tema inicial, poco y nada voló. Nota: 2.1
A vivid look into the dated sounds of late 80s hair metal, for sure. I've never cared for this album, and what's worse, it's one of my dad's favorites. I'm afraid at this point I should just expect a lot of albums on this list to be included due to their one memorable track.
Music from MTV. While not actually bad it's strangely unmemorable. A 2.5 but not a 3.
A couple of okay tunes, but some pretty routine filler too. Lyrics away from okay to not great at all. Like the sound of a lot of it, feels live in the room to me. But still, not holding up great.
Meh
1st track on GTA soundtrack maybe? Album not great.
The very essence of meh and fully representative of a microgenre that it's safe for all of us to forget about now.
Not my jam
Got some Red Hot Chili Peppers vibes from this, especially on 'Cult of Personality'. I wonder if they influenced each other. While this wasn't exactly what I'd call "bread and butter rock", it was pretty damn close. The only real song that stood out to me was 'Cult of Personality', the rest just passed me sort of. In summary I'd say it was pretty boring, frankly. Strong 2.
This album was a bit all over the place. Sometimes you have a heavy metal, hard rock tracks like "Cult of Personality" which could've been a Van Halen song. At other points cheery pop songs like "Glamour Boys" which sounded like Phil Collins with distorted guitars. I was honestly not a big fan. 80s drums, generic rock songs and some odd pop-songs just failed to interest me.
Stock 80s rock.. Favorite track: cult of personality other picks: glamour boys
Not really my thing - some of it a bit too close to eighties hair metal - but I'd be lying if I said there weren't aspects of this I liked. A high two.
public enemy cameo...
Didn't do it for me. It's perfectly harmless but very of its era. Light 2.5
Not my vibe! Hard rock but not hard or groovy enough for mine and not a huge fan of the vocal tone. Can't really knock it beyond taste! Two and a half. Fave track: Cult of Personality
I don't like Cult of Personality, automatic 1 star deduction. Not terrible, but I didn't like it.
Call me crazy, but I've always disliked "Cult of Personality." I think maybe because the local rock station overplayed the hell out of it in the 90s. The opening riff does indeed rock, but I find the song annoying. I was curious how I'd feel about the rest of the album. Well, as it turns out, more of the same. There are some solid riffs, and I found myself in nearly every song going "ok this is great," but there was so much of the album I didn't like...mostly related to vocals or being repetitive. I do appreciate how they brought together many different sounds from hard rock to create something more diverse and interesting but, to me, it only holds up in a few songs.
It’s okay, but I am not a big fan of rock music
I like "Glamour Boys" but could take or leave the rest of the album
I don't like 'cult of personality even on a good day. The rest of this isn't as good as that song, and that song isn't great. 2/5
I didn't much enjoy this
1001 albums that sound horribly dated. 1001 albums that faded into insignificance because they are insignificant. This dreck is top 10 on both of those lists.
Oh man, funky metal, I very well may have enjoyed this more had it been released in my early teens and I was already familiar with it. Gave it a second listen to give them a fair shake but nah there’s not a ton of substance here. I see what they’re trying to do and respect it but when the lyrical content is a bit thick, Open Letter could easily be the track played over a pg13 movie montage where the kids are saving a senior home from a condo builder or some shit. I tried man, I liked parts of it bc there’s still a 13 year old in there somewhere but fuck this was kinda lame. 2 stars
One hit wonder
2.5
Generic rock without anything special to it. A few songs that were above the rest, but mostly just extremely forgettable and bland. Honestly almost a 1 star.
Couple of good tracks, but not sure why it's made the cut.
Cult of Personality
Ok
I knew about them but didn't pay much attention to them. Now I know why. Obviously BIG fans of Prince, but more so on his guitar prowess and it's a nice quality to imitate but not enough to keep my interest.
cant even lie this sounds so dated. first track is ok/good to me, but the rest just feels so meh to listen to. could possibly be because of the 80s production that’s dragging it down; sounds like part of a soundtrack to a cheesy 80s movie or commerical music. after a little of side a, i just started skipping around and wanted to get this over with. overall, didnt enjoy it but not the worst. 2 personal favs: cult of personality
Next
I think you had to be there
STANDOUTS: Cult of Personality OVERALL: 2/5; that song ^^ is 90s dad
Too angry for my gentle soul. 😉 Obviously not my genre… so…
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.
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 ⭐️
Wasn't what I expected at all, fun but seriously outdated
ugh 80s rock power ballads .
Dull, not made for me
Instruments were nice.
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)
It rocks but not much else
ziemlich hard, aber die Texte sind zum Teil recht gut. Und singen kann der Leadsänger auch.
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.
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.
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.
(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
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.
That was a random mix of songs. Very weird. Some rap and funk. Wtf was the glamour boys song. 2.5 stars
Inte särskilt bra men samtidigt inte så katastrofalt dåligt som jag hade förväntat mig.
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.
not my style but kinda fun
classic rock and hard rock do nothing for me anymore
It feels like I'm listening to a personality disorder
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.
For some of these tracks, I would have enjoyed reading the lyrics more than listening to the actual songs
frekar leiðinlegt. 2,5
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.
not good and nothing special
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.
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.
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.
zzzz
Good for its time but not my kind of thing.
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.
Too many overlong jangly guitar solos. Level 42 mixed with any indeterminate heavy metal band.
'C o P' is great but the rest of the album doesn't have it.
The idea of Living Colour is much better than the reality.
naja - ok
Very, very unmemorable. Quite boring MOR rock I'm afraid, as I'd been quite looking forward to it. Ironically, neither colourful nor vivid.
Not a huge fan of this album, I can respect its place in rock history, but overall it was a meh experience.
Not my favorite. One or two good songs. Couldn't play it through.
The first song is great. The rest is horrible.
Cult of Personality was a cool song at the time but the album sounds dated and overall meh. 2.3
Not for me. Sounds like they threw in the kitchen sink and random words and pine to string up some songs
Just ok
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
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.
One good song
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.
Probably more of a 2.5. Favorite track: Memories Can't Wait
This album is to music what Wonder is to bread.
Not my kind of music
I’ll grant it some cultural significance. And co-produced by Mick Is pretty cool. The lyrics are decent and the sound is fine, but the whole sounds dated and lacks.
Sounds like the corniest hip hop group of all time really got into Jane’s addiction. Great Tony Hawk Pro Skater music, will probably never listen to the album again. 2.5/5
Fun fact, I did a presentation on fascist dictators in Social 30 and played the Cult of Personality music video. I wish the rest of this album was as awesome as the video. I struggled to get through the rest, just not my cup of tea. 2.2 rounded down.
1.7. If someone ever asked me what 80's music is like, I will point them to this album. It's got every genre going on at once. I hope for their sake no one asks me that question
Not for me
How the fuck do you go from Cult of Personality to the rest of this album? CoP is one of the biggest bangers, cool time signature stuff, cool guitar playing, great singing....and then you make the rest of this album.
Nja
CULT OF PERSONALITY WAS SUNG BY A BLACK GUY? FUCK YEAHHHH ROCK N ROLL BABY!! They guy who made this list must love Flava flav 😂 Pretty much nothing good after cult of personality, shame
The lead track is great and no doubt highly influential. But the rest of this album is mediocre; that the production value of every other track doesn't come close to matching that of the single shows that the producers knew it too. This is not a top 1001 *album* by any stretch of the imagination.
Waiter I found a hair in my music.
2.5
Slitsom vokal..
Love the writing but not the sound, it just doesn’t capture my attention. Taking on interesting themes is certainly cool but it sounds like 90’s mall sounds to me instrumentally. The version I listened to had a remix of Funny Vibe at the end that made it sound like a Tribe song, that is way more my speed.
I enjoy Cult of Personality, the rest was one and done for me
80's Huey Lewis style soft rock.
Cult of Personility was the best song on Guitar Hero 3.
2 A decent listen (already knew Cult of Personality, obviously). A good style and sound and I mightlisten if on the radio or out or whatnot, but not worth buying myself for repeated listening.
With the exception of the iconic "Cult of Personality", it's repetitive and forgettable, but they perform decently for arena rock. A highly energetic performance with cool riffs and a lively vocalist. We get some unique funk tracks like "Funny Vibe" and "Whats Your Favorite Color" (why is that spelled American?) and a cool Talking Heads cover "Memories Can't Wait".
not my thing
Cult of Personality was always ringing in my ears from the radio growing up, so the concept is something that I've been aware of for a long time. Given the added context of my adult life and the goings-on of 2016-2023, these lyrics hit different. I like the 80s reverb/slap going on. This feels like the vocal is really treated as theeee main portion of the mix. "I exploit you, still you love me. I tell you one and one makes three." "you gave me fortune, you gave me fame. you gave me power in your god's name. i'm every person you need to be, oh i'm the cult of personality" multiple guitar solos...that's missing from modern music for sure.
I knew a couple of songs. Cult of Personality was the biggest hit. I didn't really get into it.
I don’t really like the mix of funk and metal it’s just really weird to me 2/5
I know Living Color is objectively “good,” but I do not enjoy their sound.
Meh…I don’t even care much for their hit song
I really tried to give this album a fair shot. And I think maybe I’m still not doing that, but I really didn’t like this album. The b side in particular is not my vibe. It falls neatly into the the preachy 80s music that I’ve lamented previously. Coupled with that glam rock style, it’s a lose-lose for me.
this runs into the issues a lot of these types of albums from this era do, where it all feels a bit fake, but unlike those other albums this didnt even have the incredible guitar to drag it up. a solid meh from me
T'was alright, nothing exceptional, but also nothing bad to say. The colors were certainly vivid, but the tones lacked subtlety. Two buckets of paint out of 5 🪣🪣
it’s ok
I tried this one a few times but couldn't crack into it. Cheesy without being camp and amusing; over produced, uncompelling - just not a bit of me really although nothing truly offensive. Generic American rock album. All the tracks in the usual places. Forgettable
Outside of Cult of Personality, there isnt much here
Good playing. Awful songs
I am very familiar with the song "Cult of Personality", it is truly a great song. However, I was very disappointed with the rest of the album, it didn't match the energy or quality of that song. I may give this another chance later down the road, but my initial assessment is meh.
Um... Well obviously Cult of Personality is a stone cold banger that's reverberated down the ages, welcomely popping back up in Grand Theft Auto (Vice City??) and again smashing it as CM Punk's entrance music. So, the rest. I did worry it was all going to be shit after the second track. Well it's not baad bad, I'm just not sure why I'm listening to it. Desperate People is probably the only song I'd be interested in if CoP didn't exist. Late shout for Glamour Boys. It says here that the album has aged well, that's debatable I think. The vocal style is incredibly of its time, cock rock/hair metal, maybe except on Memories Can't Wait, where he's trying his best to ape Mike Patton (without his ridiculously wide vocal range). I get why it's here, and I like that an all black 'metal' (it's not metal is it, let's be honest, who is calling this metal? I'll accept hard rock) band broke through in the 80s, and the messages in the lyrics. But aside from that one great song this isn't for me.
I used to love this band when I was in middle school but it has not aged well.
Used to really get into this album when it came out. Didn't age well. Glamour boys sounds like it could have been done by Boy George. Standouts: Cult of Personality, Others: Glamour Boys The rest is pretty bad by today's standard. 2.5
During a time where hair metal dominated the charts, this record was probably a nice change of sound. However, listening to it in 2022 proves that it did not age well. The sound is very dated. There are some good tracks on here, but not enough to keep it interesting.
enjoyable, a few i liked. was nice!
Eh. It feels dated. And bland. And inoffensive. I'm not sensing any stand-out tracks throughout. Metal / Hard Rock.... eh?? Who's picking these classifications? Is this what passed for hard rock in the 80's? I feel like this is the kind of thing you put on at an American prom to get the kids to have a bit of a boogie. Mr. Strickland is roaming the floor making sure there's no inappropriate touching, and keeping an eye on the fruit punch so it's not getting spiked.
Insipid.
Surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did.
And that's only for "Cult of Personality"
Eh.
Ensimmäinen biisi lupasi paljon, mutta loppu lässäytti. Poprockia, isoa yleisöä kosiskelevaa, vaikka sanoituksilla "yrittää kohauttaa". Se glamour boys -biisi vain ärsytti. Petyin.
I always wanted to hear more of this band, be careful what you wish for. Cult of Personality is obviously a jam, a bit corny, but a jam. The rest just didn't do anything for me. Very disappointing.
2-
Blew it with the worst power ballad ever put to tape.
It’s actually fucking fascinating that every single song on this album has an interesting hook. And every single song overstays it’s welcome. It’s bad in a very frustrating way
It sounded like Footloose with guitar solos. Funny Vibe was the only stand out song for me (that didn't sound like Footloose or the Ghostbusters theme...)
This is the first band I saw in concert. Cult of Personality had just come out and tickets were $12. The instruments are full of life and production is good on this album. Although don’t think it is worth of the 1001. The second song sounds a lot like something Kiss would put out.
A bit too much hair and rock for me
I enjoyed the opening track, but not much outside of that
2.5 ster denk ik, niet helemaal mijn kopje thee. Wist niet dat should i stay or should i go van hun was
Niet lekker voor tijdens het studeren. Prima gitaren, flinke rifjes, afwisseling tussen rauw en feestelijk
Living Colour fand ich damals schon eher verzichtbar. Sie beherrschen ihr Handwerk, aber auch der innovative Sound und die guten Arrangements täuschen nicht über das bestenfalls mittelmäßige, uninteressante und generische Songwriting hinweg. Die Texte sollen tief sein, sind aber banal.
A historic mistake.
Not for me, not bad at all tho
Dad rock in all the worst ways. I feel like I'm being hit by 5 different genres at once in some weird mashup. It might have been cool listening to this when it came out but not so much in 2022.
Really glad I know about this band now. Sounds like they lay important groundwork for lots 90s bands. But I don't like listening the music much. 80s red hot chilli peppers kind sounds similar but better. 2ish (disappointing)
Per discussion, Butt rock.
It's an interesting amalgamation of genres, but it made it hard for me to really get into it. 2/5
There was some incredible songs on this album. Funny vibe has such an interesting collection of sounds and changes butttttttttttt a lot of the songs were just awful. I skipped quite a bit which was a bummer. They seemed trapped in the moment of making an album that was hair metal and progressive grunge. I was pretty bummed but I will listen to a couple of those songs again.
Not bad but not good
Hooky and thrashy, but super repetitive and not all that interesting. "Broken Hearts" isn't bad, a nice break from the overdone heaviness. "Funny Vibe" is neither. "Glamour Boys" would be good save for more heavy-handed axing. "What's Your Favorite Color" shows how they coulda/shoulda leaned into funk instead of sinking into the mire of metal-y sludge. Decent vocals but the little broadcast snippets add nothing and feel totally tacked-on. Nothing special here and if not imminently forgettable, then at least mostly so.
Kind of generic & boring apart from the first track
Had this on tape as a kid. I suspect Q Magazine is responsible for me picking it up. Doesn't hold up
This is happy metal. Nwobhm but it's in major keys. None of this is a compliment.
One or two “ok” songs for the late 80s/early 90s but nothing that stands out other than Cult of Personality.
Honestly could’ve quit listening to this album after cult of personality
Dehär skite fucking suuuuuuuuuger maaaaaaaaan Även om de sku ha vari gjort typ 1930 å vari den första musiken nånsin sku ja ha sagt att de stinker!! De hade några helt fine tracks dock
Our long civil engagement with 80s music gives or takes influence from a few familiar bands- chili peppers, Soundgarden, Faith no More to name a few. Not awful, but not a huge fan of this album
Ihan ok. Aiheutti kyllä loppua kohti vähän samaa vitutusta kuin RHCP, mutta lievempänä.
2.4 - decent album, but just not a huge fan of this sort of heavy glam rock.
Should I Stay or Should I Go doesn't really make up for the rest of the album
Average
Notes of early REM. I thought I would like it more than I did.
Aged badly
Never heard this before. Found this interesting at times it sounds ahead of its time and other times it’s very 80’s rock. The vocals just reminded me of all the rubbish hard rock/Nu metal that was around in the 00’s, that put me off it. Really isn’t an album I’ll come back to, but appreciate why it’s on the list.
Quel mélange étrange...drum assez métal, guit glam rock, bass funky chanteur et tounes trop pop pour le son du band... quand c'est plus funk ça se tient plus (what's your favorite color genre) Première toune quand le chanteur entre on dirait du soundgarden😄 Clairement ils ont influencé beaucoup de band à venir genre RHCP, RATM, Primus un peu et le grunge en général. Les tounes sont bien écrite, c'est pas juste un loop de groove, c'est surprenant à plusieurs endroits. Broken heart c'est hilarant: gros beat de drum full reverb ds l'snare pis un solo de bass un peu too much😂🤣😂La ŕealisation est soignée mais un peu victime de l'époque (Mick Jagger à l'harmo ?!? WTF?!?!) Est-ce que c'est le fun à écouter? Une fois peut-être. le réécouter ? J'irais pas jusque là... il y a du solo de guitare 80s à la pelletée, un peu too much tant qu'à moi... pis que dire de la bass slap? Tout le monde aime ça c'est certain😆
C’est un peu drôle. C’est comme un band d’afro-Américain qui font de la musique de blancs qui font de la musique de noirs. Ça a biaisé positivement mon écoute. Peut-être parce que la partie « Funk » de l’affaire est moins loose. Les gars sont bons, mais le son vieilli vraiment mal. Le propos est important et pertinent par contre. « I want to know », on dirais « New Kids on the block » avec de la disto. Il y a quelques bon riffs (Desperate people). Bon petit solo de bass sur « Broken hearts ». Le remix de « Funny vibe » est meilleur que la vrai. Je me souvien que lrsque j’étais au Cégep, Will Cahloun était partout dans les Modern Drummer. J’était donc allé écouter ça et j’avais trouvé ça vraiment mauvais.
J’aime le métal, moins le funk. J’entends sur cet album du Faith No More, du Mr Bungle, du Primus et même du Rage Against The Machine, donc sûrement une grosse influence pour ces groupes. Les musiciens sont bons, mais j’ai de la difficulté avec la façon de chanter. Cult Of Personality fonctionne bien.
Yeah, ok. Not bad, good energy, not my favorite.
That's not bad but it's not the kind of music I like. There is a cover of The Clash's song.
God, this didn't age well at all. The overall sound (gated drums, clean distortion on guitars, reverbed vocals...) is everything you can criticize about the eighties, and the crossover fusion compositions are hackneyed and cliché. That's too bad, because the socially conscious lyrics are very interesting. But the music is just awful. During those years, hip hop was starting to become what Public Enemy's Chuck D named as the "Black CNN". Of course, Living Colour were not so far from that objective themselves when it comes to their lyrics. But If you want to feel the true power of political messages uttered during those days, coupled with powerful sounds of Black America looking for true emancipation (even if some of those hip hop sounds also admittedly sound a little dated today), go to Public Enemy, BDP, the Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, The Goats and other bands like this instead. And if really you want to delve further into rock-funk-rap crossover landmark albums with a political agenda, maybe go a few years later, when the genre was finally out of its awkward infancy with stuff like Rage Against the Machine or Body Count. You can't blame Living Colour from trying to open doors that had not been opened before (apart by Parliament/Funkadelic, maybe) But sometimes, beginnings are not the most interesting moments of an overall story... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 967 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 13 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 7 Albums from the list I will *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 11 (including this one)
Vivid by Living Colour (1988) This is an album that’s not exactly bad, but it’s far from good. The only song that rises (slightly) above average is the opening track “Cult of Personality”, and the only performance that shines is the multidimensional Hendrix/Santana-influenced guitar work by Vernon Reid. He shows real talent. But the band Living Colour would not have had much success if not for the backing of one Mick Jagger, who provides very minor cameo harmonica hooks on “Broken Hearts”. Meh. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s greatest virtue was displayed in the (somewhat opportunistic) fortitude he demonstrated in his 1956 “Secret Speech”, where he denounced the “cult of personality” that had developed around three-years-dead Joseph Stalin. One may justifiably wonder where Khrushchev’s fortitude was when he was climbing his own ladder to power by doing Stalin’s evil bidding in Ukraine during some of the Soviet tyrant’s worst years, but the charge of a “cult of personality” caught hold, resonated, and propelled Khrushchev to global recognition. (I highly recommend the delightfully funny movie The Death of Stalin, where the “cult of personality” is satirized, and the part of Khrushchev is played by Steve Buscemi.) But in the opening track of this album (“Cult of Personality”), Living Colour harnesses recollections of Malcolm X, JFK, Gandhi, FDR, and Mussolini to put a moral question mark on the concept. As political philosophy, the song is clunky, incoherent, and impotent, but safe. The marketing guys would have had no problem with it. Nor would sugar daddy Mick. It was harmless enough to win a Grammy. The eclectic remainder of the album is all over the genre map, from hard rock “I Want to Know”, “Middle Man”) to thrash metal (“Which Way to America?”) to rock/thrash/funk (“Funny Vibe”) to . . . well, you get it. A conveniently skippable record if you’ve got more important things to do. 2/5
Vernon Ried was a guitar guy in the '80s haven't heard from him since. This is okay but maybe not my cup of tea anymore
Desperate People and Open Letter are the shining, glowing spots on this late 80s, cultural wannabe metal/funk hybrid - bits of Faith No More, Pearl Jam and lots of RHCP - but generally it's forgettable
Eh some good bits quite a lot of very meh bits
Generic feeling. Bass was nice, vocals made me stop the album and go listen to Genesis.
Not my cup of tea. Interesting band and great musicianship, but I didn't find the songs to be all that catchy. 2/5
not my thing.
I feel like I don't understand who this band is at all. It felt all over the place.
Voy a ser sincero, no he acabado de escuchar este disco por lo que la nota va a ser totalmente irreal, pero las tres primeras canciones no las he disfrutado. Seguro que algún día lo volvere a escuchar y diré : ah, está guay. Pero hoy no será ese día.
Oh no. This is the dumb wrestler's entrance music. Oh no. No wonder that song has over 82 million plays... This has colored this whole album... 80s rock isn't quite for me.
First few tracks had me leaning toward a 3, but by 2nd half I was over it. Other than Cult of Personality, +1 for Desperate People.
Ohne
Glamour Boys oft gehört, wohl gute Festivalband
usch och fy
Spretigt. Mest klassisk hårdrock men även en del funk, metal osv. Något med rösten som jag inte gillar.
Not really my kind of music
Cult of Personality and jaunty late 80s rock. If you get a chance, check out the music video.
I was surprised by the opening riff of “Cult of personality” – to put immediately in mind of a sort of post-cock rock, sedate Killswitch Engage was not what I was expecting. A ripping solo later and, in spite of my better judgement, I’m ready to throw some horns up and worry about authoritarianism with LC. And then it comes crashing in, for better or worse, my better judgement. The record starts to ask me if I’ve wondered what “Sussudio” would sound like with Iron Maiden stood in front of Phil’s kit – and I just haven’t. I have never wondered. There are a couple more jams in there: “Funny Vibe” is like a less nauseating this-era RHCP, and “Which way to America” moves at precisely the same tempo as my pool’s pump (I was guiding the creepy crawler around by this stage of the album) – fun! But then there’s “What’s your favorite colour?” – sidebar: grammatical inconsistency is sort of Living Colour’s thing; a British-English U in their band name, but not in their song titles; a question mark when asking about colour, but not when asking for directions – a question the band answer in the song … yes, Living Colour, or “Glamour Boys” which sounds suspiciously like the inspiration for “Under the sea” from the Little Mermaid. There’s nothing to dislike here, really. Tight, accomplished musicianship and a well-committed to bit. But dear me must the world have been ready for grunge by the time “Vivid” had finished with it.
Very 80s vibe. Not bad just not for me
Although it varied throughout, was just too 80s rock for me, i didnt enjoy the lead guitars or the vocals
Bog standard rock, lyrics were interesting but cant get excited.
Este grupo (o este disco) me parecen una mezcla de Aerosmith + Guns & Roses + Dream Theater. La música no me pareció desagradable, pero tampoco me pareció particularmente notable.
Meh. Really not my cup of tea. I checked out their more recent albums, and they were better.
Bro, we live in a society, with guitars!
This is the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a butterfly-esque scenario where they decide to throw everything away and hire a discount version of Bon Jovi to parade around as a frontman. Meh.
It has a serious tone problem. One second you'll be listening a hard rock song then the other it'll turn into a 80's pop song. The lyrics don't have this issue as they're all just political lyrics or words about societal problems. I generally liked both sides of this album's spectrum; I just wished it picked a sound to stick to. It took away from the lyrics, which is what I thought they wanted the focus to be on in the first place. Favorite track: Open Letter (To a Landlord)
Most songs are pretty lacking of substance. Another album that is just plain and doesn't belong on this list. Highlights: 1, and 2.
There's nothing terrible here, but also nothing that pricks my ears up. I'm not really sure why it's even on the list to be honest, it's pretty much like 90% of rock bands sounded at the time. Nothing earth shatteringly new.
Not for me. Guitar wankery in EVERY song.. 2 🌟
eh
2.5
Cool riffs and Cult of Personality is a classic, but aside from that it was a bit boring.
loving the beginning. voice is okay? reminds me of someone kinda annoying but i can't place him. lyrics are meh. music is insane though too bad i don't love the vocal part. well this applied to all songs. 2.5.
There are some highs here...but the lows are LOW. A bunch of cringe on this album
1 half decent song rest not worth listening to
// Favs: Cult Of Personality Score: Strong 2 to Light 3
One good tune does not a good album make! Opening track Cult of Personality is a certified nosebleeder! Rest of the album is certified meh. Disappointed in all honesty.
Very interesting. Didn't especially like it, but interesting. Too much guitar pyrotechnics - 'shredding' at the cost of musicality, a pet hate of mine. Very clever but it sounds terrible.
I imagine this is what it would sound like if Huey Lewis tried to do a metal album. 6.1/10
I really enjoyed Cult of Personality, mostly since I already know the song, and that’s about it.
Nope
Ungute Mischung aus Pop und Heavy Elementen
It was a good album. I don't have much to add mainly because it isn't the sort of album that appeals to me at all. I'm sure the content was really meaningful, but it was just packaged in a way that I didn't like. Meh.
2/5
The problem that 2nd (&3rd & 4th) generation hard rock bands are faced with, from my POV, is that by the time they hit the scene, Jimmy & Richie & Tony had taken all the good riffs. These guys have salvaged some passable riffs, the vocalist is good, I like the funky twists, but my anti-commercial radio radar went off way too many times, esp. on songs like "I Want to Know." And the first thirty seconds of "Open Letter" is cringeworthy. I don't usually like covers, but I DO like the cover of "Memories Can't Wait", or I should say I liked the first half: it transforms the song into a party anthem, which it is in a weird kinda way, but then they take two minutes to wind it down. Sheesh.
Rock duro metálico. Esto no me va a mi.
could be better
I agree with MG's assessment. Black guys rocking out is a nice change of pace, but it gets tiresome pretty quick.
instruments are neat, vox are quite corny. 3/10, not feeling this one
Not at all what I was expecting when it said metal album. confusion out of 5
Not a huge fan of this one. A bit too loud for me in places but there are aspects of it I liked.
Wow this was very samey and in your face. Wasn't a fan
Eh, not so much.
Not bad but not that into it. I thought "Funny Vibes" was a disaster of a song until I looked them up and found out they are a group of all black men, then the lyrics made more sense. Got Huey Lewis and the News vibes at certain points, but Living Colour is more hardcore. The moments when they fused hip hop in were somewhat intreguing. Overall didn't do much for me, was tired of it by the end of the album.
Not timeless
This had some good rhythm, some nice guitar and a good sound but over all it just felt a bit flat. Felt like it was trying to copy a lot of better bands in the same genre rather than being something different.
was ok - felt like songs that would be used at the end of an 80s film about a battle of the bands, with everyone cheering afterwards and carrying the band out of the arena on their shoulders
Good start, getting a mix of Kiss/RHCP vibes as we go along. Moving into a little ballad-y jam? Not my fave, nothing wrong with it but just not really connecting with this.
Blended together, classic rock.
Nope 1
Dåligt 80tal, nåt försök till att vara lite mer groovy än annat 80tal men lyckas förstås inte. Får mig att tänka på Electric Boys, man väntar bara på att Svullo ska dyka upp och gapa "För fet för ett fuck"
Att Mick Jagger står som medproducent på den här funk metal-smörjan säger mer om Jaggers dåliga omdöme än om skivan.
Det här var det vidrigaste jag hört på länge.
🎧Good lord this music is lame
Derivative and dull
Horrid
Not sure how this made it onto the list! It's not awful, but won't be listening again
Bit of a struggle but quite enjoyed some of the more disco / funk bits
Unusual choice. Not unlistenable but far from essential
New to me. Not absolutely unlistenable, towards the middle of the one stars. Tom.
How did Mick Jagger work on this? He should've told them all the songs were ass and to give up.
Best Song: Cult of Personality