Reviews (page 8 of 9)
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.
Brilliant! Loved every song!
Not bad but not good
Really enjoyed it!
Very decent. Not quite a 4 but better than a three. Lets see how I feel tomorrow when I rate it
This was kind of cool, but nothing stuck with me that much. May need another listen.
A cool, unique brand of soulful funky glam metal. Props for creativity. I did think it was too cheesy for my personal taste. It’s one of those albums I admire but don’t super enjoy
Wat glam-metal/rock is meestal wel leuk om naar te luisteren. Al vond ik deze ondanks de goede bas-riffs niet echt een uitschieter
Fun groovy rock album. Top songs are “i want to know” and “cult of personality” Trailblazers in the 80s mainstream music industry for being a black rock group. Ok kings!!
There are points when this album just makes me want to like it - but while all the tracks show promise - the band tends to favour virtuosity over style. And lyrically it feels weak after the cutting bluntness of the hip hop canon on the politics of race and poverty. So after many unnecessary solos, slap bass, jazz drumming and lyric restraint, it ends up being a mediocre record in all.
Always enjoyed driving around San Andreas listening to ‘Cult of Personality’. Rest of the album is pretty good too
Really enjoyed this album. Why aren't there more Black rock bands? Started out mid-level but as the album progressed I loved the diversity of Genres they played with. Early tracks reminded me of 80s Hair rock, later tracks reminded me of Barenaked Ladies. Some ska, reggae, metal, and even rap in there. FUN. GOOD JOB GUYS.
This is an absolute riot - noisy, rocky, with some great moments of samples and beats, and finishing on a wild cover of Should I Stay Or Should I Go. I'll be going back to that one I bet.
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.
Glamm-y mess
Kind of generic & boring apart from the first track
A lot better than I thought it would be. Cult of Personality is an absolute banger of a track that I remember being on GTA: San Andreas. So it's a classic for me for sure. Outside of that I wasn't super familiar with any of the other songs on here.
Had this on tape as a kid. I suspect Q Magazine is responsible for me picking it up. Doesn't hold up
Pioneers of funk metal! This album is definitely of it's time
Fun. Good guitar playing.
Help me
This is happy metal. Nwobhm but it's in major keys. None of this is a compliment.
My heart bursts with semen every time I hear this record. It's like the first sunshine of the summer, or a rousing Nazi rally...just really tugs at the heart strings. Its beauty is so exquisite that it can make a grown man put his own cat in a blender and wank as it liquidises in front of his stupid crying face.
Not as good as ham.
Funky rock n' roll. Hey Red Hot Chili Peppers, over here 👋. Listen and learn, it can be done without sounding shit.
One or two “ok” songs for the late 80s/early 90s but nothing that stands out other than Cult of Personality.
they had a talking heads cover
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
Decent
Helt ok!
I put this at a 3.5 mainly for Cult of Personality. The rest is ok
A couple of good songs, incredible guitar licks. Unfortunately, every Living Colour (Coloür? Never noticed the umlaut before) song loses steam half way through. Like they had a great idea for a song, but then had another great idea before they could put all the finishing touches on that song and so they wrap it up and start on the next one.
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
Just a fun rock album with some great guitar.
It's such a strangely straight down the middle of the road rock album. Fave: Open Letter (To a Landlord)
Great album. Cult of Personality and Glamour Boys lead the charge of a solid set of songs.
Jättää avausraidan jälkeen aika kylmäksi. Vähän tällästä itsestäänselvää kitarakaahausta. Ihan jees. 3/4 mut lähempänä kahta pistettä
Ihan ok. Aiheutti kyllä loppua kohti vähän samaa vitutusta kuin RHCP, mutta lievempänä.
Eh, ihan jees räminää. Avausraita on klassikko ja oli siellä muutama muukin hyvä, tosin Glamour Boys vähän rasittavan puolelle menevä renkutus. 3/5
Cool
tuneful but not very memorable, like much in 1988
I had heard of Living Colour but had never listened to them. Their brand of socially conscious funk metal fused with R&B and soul is certainly interesting. The music is punchy and was a lot of fun to listen to. The biggest issue for me was just how dated a lot of it sounded. It was quite enjoyable though.
Je n'ai qu'un vague souvenir d'une entame plutôt rock et d'une conclusion assez funky. À moins que je confonde cet album avec le précédent, ce qui ne m'étonnerait pas un seul instant étant donné ma personnalité très tête en l'air.
Ce groupe m'a bien berné. Je pensais avoir affaire à un album très sympathique, mais plus les pistes défilaient, plus je me suis mis à detester cet album. C'est donc sur des pensées confuses que je propose cette note de 3 sur 5.
3.6 - Despite some sophomoric political posturing (e.g. "Open Letter (To a Landlord)"), this is an aptly named album with lots of colorful guitar work. Obvious standout: "Cult of Personality."
Cult of Personality is a masterpiece, carries the album but the rest is solid.
Appalling 80s plod rock, only improved by some slap bass, which ISN'T an improvement. Go away.
The punk indie rock worked sometimes but other times I didn't get it. I hated how it sounded on the cover of 'Should I stay or should I go' but liked it on 'Broken Hearts'.
2.4 - decent album, but just not a huge fan of this sort of heavy glam rock.
A bit bland for me, and the heavy rock aspects definitely not my thing.
Funk metal shouldn't exist.
Nunca los escuché, por alguna razón nunca me topé con ellos. Supongo que su mezcla de rock y funk no era tan popular en Chile, pero lo tiene todo para serlo. Incluso dos hitazos de la época
Not as good as I remember it from the time.
Rock ochentero. Desconocimiento sobre el tipo de música que hacía este grupo. Alguna canción un tanto más cañera, otra más comercial. Se puede escuchar, tiene ritmo
Cult of Personality is better than it has any business being. This album kicks though. Good riffs, some cringy 80s style posturing on social issues instead of 70s style, outright, protest style commentary. But, hey, at least they're trying. I will keep this album in the short list of decent 80s rock and roll.
I forgot how much I loved this album when it came out. It was one of the first heavier bands I ever listened to. I always admired their mix of punk and metal. So much energy, so much rage.
Not worth a second listen.
Shite
A new album for me. Particularly enjoyed "Funny Vibe", "Memories Can't Wait", "Which Way to America" and the guitar in "Broken Hearts". Very close to being a 4 for me and maybe it will be after a few more listens.
Should I Stay or Should I Go doesn't really make up for the rest of the album
Yeah fine. A bit samey after a while but fairly pleasant.
Good indeed
Average
Notes of early REM. I thought I would like it more than I did.
This was a pretty good glam album with a unique sound. First song of course is the biggest hit and sounds very arena rock, while some other tracks have kinda of easy going reggae-voice like sound. 7/10.
Reid and the crew take a detour just too far into camp for my taste, but Vivid should still live forever. It's a wonderfully accessible album, with performances that balance fun with virtuosity, gracefully-aging social criticism, a collage of genres, and excellent basslines.
They are Glamour Boys!
Good album.
loved the first song, the rest kind of blurred together
I had no idea. Amazing.
I liked it but nothing that stood out, however it's just good overall classic rock
Younger me really should have bought this album when I loved Faith No More and Extreme and all those bands. I can appreciate it now, but I think it would have blown my tiny mind back then.
Aged badly
Hmmmm... kind like Faith No More with about 50% more glam metal. I didn't hate it, but it didn't really grab me either. Fave track - "Broken Hearts", I reckon...
Hidden gem! I've never heard of this band before, but I'm really digging their sound. I love the lead singer's vocals, and I love the funky rock fusion. I'm guessing this group has never come up before for me because they were marginalized black voices at a time where there was no room for anyone but white male bands e.g. RHCP or Faith No More. And that means no airtime on MuchMusic. But I'm sure glad I've become acquainted with them now, will definitely revisit! Also, I like that the album art looks like it was designed in MS Paint.
This was great. I remember this leading to a bit of a funk-metal craze at the time, but they were missing the whole free form thing that Vernon Reid was throwing out there. This is still their best integration of all that.
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.
Great album - 90s hard rock
Funky rock like a light RHCP. Very early 90s, like it belongs in some action set piece for a Nickelodeon live action show. break out the zubaz and flat tops. I drags on at points. Extended version does not help. Standout tracks: Cult of personality Funny Vibe What’s your Favorite Color?
Yeah, ok. Not bad, good energy, not my favorite.
Better than I remember, but you might have been biased back then
Cult of Personality is obviously the main draw here. The rest of the album is fun enough, but nothing really lives up to the opener.
Funk and glam make for a surprisingly tasty treat.
Nothing against them, but seems middle of the road rock. Not bad though and would listen again. I already own another of their albums
Þessi fellur á milli 2 og 3 stjarna, en ég leyfi henni að njóta vafans. Fínt hart rokk, fagmannlega flutt og af innlifun, sum lög eftirminnileg meira að segja. Söngvarinn er samt ekki að gera mikið fyrir mig, og þyngri lögin eru ekki að gera mikið fyrir mig.
Really love their funky vibe! Over all a good album but the hit stands out
Just tällasten toivossa aloitin tän haasteen! Voi pojat, mitä musiikillista iloittelua. Jos oisin viitisentoista vuotta sitten gh:n myötä tutustunut cult of personalityyn tarkemmin, niin olisin löytänyt herkkuja. Se oli tosiaan kipaleista ehkä vähiten kiinnostava, mutta kaikki muu olikin sitten priimaa. Tekstit kantaaottavia, kitarointi puhdasta, kuivaa ja funkya. Genrejä ainakin rap, rock ja funk. Muistuttaa paikoin hyvin paljon rhcp:tä kasarilla. Tutustun tarkemmin!
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)
Heavy heavy funk
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
i feel the album doesnt really know what it wants, its a mix of glamrock, 80s rock some hip hop all while song by a very 80s sounding singer. Its not bad per song but as a whole its a bit confusing
I remember this from early teens…. OMG.
I've never went far beyond they're hits, so a lot was new to me. They've always been one of those bands I knew had a much denser back catalogue than they're singles led on to, but I just never took the time. They really hit with some great, heavy topics (especially "for the time"). It all, of course, leans a little too 90s rock-funk? But they're more Fishbone, than Chili Peppers, which is a positive, for sure. One of these days I'll continue through they're discography to really get a feel for how they progressed. Not today, but someday...
I liked the album the start of the album was the best bit but a good sold rock album
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
It was ok. I remember this from Guitar Hero Favorite song: Cult of Personality
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
Obrigada por apresentar esse album, agora vai está na minha lista
The vocalists voice is very grating, the lyrics dumb, the instrumentation very bland
Eh some good bits quite a lot of very meh bits
Wow, this is solid 😝🤘
Technically good but not for me musically.
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.
Just lacks the swagger and melody of similar late 80s rock bands.
From the title and cover art I did not expect this to be a heavy rock album. From the era I did not expect this late 80's heavy rock album to have aged well. My expectations have been proved resoundingly wrong. This is a hugely enjoyable album with well constructed songs, catchy choruses, faultless musicianship, a variety of styles (arena rock, metal, funk, soul, rap) and interesting themes. 4/5
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Cult of personality, I want to know, Which way to America
Album started off good and then it was just non-stop filler. Thought I was enjoying it and then it just dragged on. It’s a shame because there are some really cool parts and gems hidden within, but overall just boring
I feel like I don't understand who this band is at all. It felt all over the place.
Gostei de apenas uma música, que por sinal é a mais ouvida: Cult of Personality. Tem algumas músicas ok mas no geral é um álbum esquecível, sem personalidade, existe muitos outros de hard rock que fazem o mesmo mas fazem melhor.
This was a solid, fun to listen to album. Like probably a lot of people, I'd heard 'Cult of Personality' before but nothing else by these guys. A pleasant surprise to discover that the rest of the album holds up to that standard!
what a band and songs with a message or commentary about the times. Great to hear a full album of theirs, it’s been ages
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.
Me ha gustado la take alternativa del sonido del rock duro, no sabía que esperar porque no conocía a esta banda. Está curioso el contenido de la letra, asociado a este sonido, es curioso. El opener (que está en la cultura popular por alguna razón (la razón debe ser simplemente que es una canción famosa)) es totalmente estelar y probablemente el punto más alto del álbum. Otros highlights son Funny Vibe y el remix con Prince Paul. Not mad at all pero no es exactamente para mi, aunque tiene mucha personalidad. Un 2,5. PD: Fun fact que acabo de leer en wikipedieishon después de escuchar: coproducido por Mick Jagger
Terrible album art but this was alright.
Love this album. A cool mix of rock, blues, fun good shit.
Very innovative and influential for rock. Was surprised to hear what sounded like metal chords and riffs at points.
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.
Stacked back-half, but still not really for me. I’m glad Living Colour exists, though; they were vertainly better than the Chili Peppers.
Having been aware of Cult of Personality for half of my life this far, I went into this album with high expectations and they were exceeded. Elements of this album remain relevant and impactful thirty plus years on and is thus essential listening. Favorites: Cult of Personality, I Want to Know, Desperate People, Broken Hearts and Glamour Boys.
What a blast from the past. I had this cassette and listened to it quite a bit. Gotta remember late-80s mainstream music wasn’t that great, and this was an excellent alternative to hair metal (pre-grunge). Couple of great covers (Memories Can’t Wait!!). Still has bones!
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.
It was great when It came out. I don't feel the same love I had for it back then, now. It is still good though. 3/5.
Yuck!
Awesome album portrayal of their name but listened to 3 Hard Rock songs and it’s a Hard No for me
Look in my eyeeeeeeees what do you see? This was actually an awesome album. They are more than a one hit wonder and his voice grew on me with every song. Great stuff to start the year.
Nice, the Cult of Personality band! Love that song on Guitar Hero 3, love it here as well. Didn't know these guys were a black rock band, that's pretty sick. They've got a great sound, especially the vocalist who is both clear and powerful. Great guitar work too, as if that's a surprise. Can't say I loved too many individual tracks on here, but it was an enjoyable ride with enough hits to carry. Favorite tracks: Cult of Personality, Desperate People, Broken Hearts. Album art: Lives up to the name, very colorful. No idea what I'm looking at it, but I like it. All the negative color stuff going on is fun here. 3.5/5
Kom stórkostlega á óvart. Las mér síðan til um bandið. Frábær skilaboð. Ekki verið að syngja bara um sólarlagið heldur texta og lagasmíðar með bit!
I started this album after reading the Wikipedia page on "Living Colour", so I was with very high expectations. After listening to it, I'm a little bit disappointed, because the mixture of all these music styles could be a great album, but it's just "casual and chills". Maybe I'm biased because I'm sure that this album influenced a lot of bands that I like and so I see just the same song style every day, but how knows. It's a nice album and just it.
Opens with Cult of Personality which took me right back to the late 80's. I don't know when I last heard this song but all the grooves are still worn into my brain. The opening riff is worth a star all on its own. I'm not sure how much more I've heard before; I'm perfectly happy to explore further. The lyrics are somewhat hit or miss, though I definitely like the singer. The music has tons of hooks and I find enjoyable to listen to. The song Open Letter is familiar, though honestly a little hokey, but the music carries it. Funny Vibe and Which Way to America are somewhat better. Very fun Clash cover. I like Faith No More and Primus and etc and feel like this is right up my alley. I've told Spotify that I wouldn't mind hearing it again from time to time.
I really loved this, it was a few songs shy of being a ten out of ten for me
Hard Rock, quindi mi piace. Bella 'Cult of Personality'. Anche 'i Want to Know' continua sullo stesso, piacevole stile. Arrivato a 'Open Letter (to a landlord)' posso dire che l'album mi piace molto, ma gli manca qualcosa per fare lo scatto definitivo a masterpiece. Bello però, un 4 pieno.
Cool riffs, and I like the funk mixed in to the rock. It's good music and it's enjoyable to listen to. I think the album starts off really good and then dips a bit until the last three tracks which are bangers.
Ohne
Glamour Boys oft gehört, wohl gute Festivalband
Reid was an amazing guitar player. There's a weird combination of great songs and questionable songs on this album. Really feel like they should have stuck to 8 or 9 songs and would have made it a fantastic album. They kinda dribbled out the shot clock and then passed the ball.
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
It was OK - of its time I guess
Solid
Better than I expected!
Cult of Personality and jaunty late 80s rock. If you get a chance, check out the music video.
Enjoyed Middle Man
Thought this was terrible
This band. What a sound. Corey Glover. What a voice. Fuck yeah. This album gets double horns. \m/ \m/
Rock animado.
bella scoperta molto glam
Top picks: Cult of Personality and Desperate People. Didn't listen to the whole thing, but I liked the first half well enough.
Fun harder rock album. Cult of Personality slaps of course. Really enjoyed this
Good background music
I've heard a couple of songs on this album before but had no idea what band sung them. The albums great - I listened to a couple of the songs multiple times!
This album is a revelation for me. Through METAL - funk opened up to me in a new way. It's such a groove and drive! The brightest interweaving in the album of electronic and instrumental heavy music, with hop and funk. Bests - "Whats your favorite color?" and "Middle Man"
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
Enjoyable listen! Wouldn't mind hearing this again every once in a while.
I really like the funk rock sound of this album, a really good listen, some of the guitar riffs (while strong) were a bit redundant for me personally, but a really solid album from the late 80s.
Some songs better than others, but a great example of 80s rock
Genre defying: metal/funk/hip-hop/rap. An eye-opener!
Although it varied throughout, was just too 80s rock for me, i didnt enjoy the lead guitars or the vocals
I listened to it, it wasn't quite my cup of tea, not bad though
I really like the "groovy funk" feel of songs like Middle Man. Then the heavy drums of songs like Desperate People. Seems weird to me that as much as I loved Cult of Personality in my youth and the rest of my life, I don't think I ever heard this whole album before. And lots of powerful lyrics like in Which Way to America.
281121 14:48 4
Bog standard rock, lyrics were interesting but cant get excited.
Yasss. I owned and played this tape until it died. Loved it and never understood why they never achieved this high again.
Good album - thoughtful lyrics
So, I loved this band when they first came out. I generally preferred Time's Up, which I thought had stronger songs across the board. But listening again, it does have Cult of Personality, Glamour Boys, and Middle Man, all of which are very strong. Some dated production choices aside, it still sounds great. Everyone's playing at their peak. Contemporaneous live recordings by the band tend to cut loose a bit more, which is wild. It has the advantage of a metal album that incorporates other influences (most notably funk, which was pretty fresh at the time, if later to become cliched) and not-dumb lyrics (occasionally a little heavy handed, but forgivably so). Politically aware, energetic, heavy. Still a great listen
This album is weird. It's like new age and rock, very strange. It makes me uncomfortable. Not very good, pretty average, and uninteresting.
Back to being young again!
Second great album in a row from 1988 (got Tracy Chapman's ST yesterday) and man Vernon Reid is a monster! I still dig a lot of this, obviously Cult of Personality is great song with a classic riff. I had forgotten about Chuck D and Flava Flav popping up in Funny Vibe. Open Letter To A Landlord and (Talking Heads cover) Memories Can't Wait are also highlights.
Interesting, nice mix of genres and good production but boring
3.5 | En realidad no conocía mas que Cult of Personality y no tenía bien idea de qué esperar. En mi opinión el disco llega a su pico de manera inmediata con esa canción y nunca llega al mismo nivel, sí es un caso en que la canción y el sencillo es lo mejor que tiene que ofrecer, sin embargo no es para decir que el resto sea malo, quizá solo que es demasiado estandar. Por letras en realidad nada que poner atención, todo lo esperado y sin cosas notables. La música bien hecha, hard rock/pop noventero que suena muy correcto, a veces un poco más pesado, a veces más baladesco, un poco de funk, metal... suena bastante a RHCP pero sin sentirse forzado ni copia... simplemente es la manera en que hacen canciones. Buen disco , muy sólido pero lo realmente brillante es esa primera canción.
Después de reconocer Cult of Personality no tenía grandes expectativas pero fue una grata grata sorpresa. Los solos bastante atascados y los poderosos riffs hacen de este disco una chulada. Mi único pero son las dos últimas canciones que siento son los tracks más flojos del disco pero en general, gran sorpresa. Songs: I want to know, Middle Man, Memories Can't Wait, Cult of Personality
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.
Qué buen y entretenido disco. Conocía la de Cult Of Personality que salía en el Guitar Hero (y que Casper dominaba) pero nunca le había dado play al disco completo. Hasta la versión extendida me gustó. Creo que mi parte favorita es la mezcla de guitarras pesadas con ondas funk y las voces que no son exactamente metaleras y entonces le dan una textura extra.
Dope album with some really inspired tracks. Totally worth the time.
Dull, didn't find much to excite or challenge me.
Meh. Really not my cup of tea. I checked out their more recent albums, and they were better.
Cult of Personality. What an opener! I wasn't too familiar with the rest of the album. Enjoyed it, but nothing else really stood out.
This was a decent album. Good riffs and some fun songs, however it gets tiresome by the end.
Pretty decent rock album. Felt like this band combined a few elements of hard rock, hair metal, and pop alternative. The album had a lot of diversity it in which was good and bad. Overall it was decent. 6.4/10
Oh, those late 80's vibes, the 90's were just around the corner and things were taking a good shape. Love how these guys would mix several influences into their brand of groovy hard rock.
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.
Rocking, social commentary, catchy. I had heard Cult of Personality a million times on GTA but really enjoyed this listen. Blunt. Aware. Cool. 4/5.
I have listened to all of this album before. I liked it enough back then, that I listened to the next album too. I like "Cult of Personality" and "Glamour Boys" enough that they are on my 'I will listen to this again' list (5 stars). As a whole, my opinion of the album is still the same as it was when the album first came out. I like some tracks very much, but most of the album is okay (3 stars). With rounding, I guess the album gets 4.
Nice. Pretty good rock album.
the opening track is awesome, really sets you up for the whole album! love it’!
There's a lot that I should say about this album
Did like this one - a couple poor songs but overall it was good.
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.
Unexpectedly enjoyed this!
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.
fun and a little sassy
Fantastic album. Brings all the songs of yesteryear back to me.
I expected not to want to revisit this.. i don't have great recollections about Living Colour, but Cult of Personality was way better to listen to again than thinking about it. It holds up. Unfortunately, there's a lot of okay content and then the weird funny vibe. Open Letter is also strong and i give them props for what they were doing at the time.
it was decent. Hasn't aged super well and it wasn't my bag when it came out. the racial profiling song is still relevant today. They added some decent swag to the Clash cover.
Tellement bon , un classique vraiment 5*
not my thang but it was kind of good.
Not for me. Guitar wankery in EVERY song.. 2 🌟
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas let’s goooo!!!!!! Really enjoyed this one - full on late eighties nostalgia - the sound is so crisp and clear! - and the playing is incredible, especially Vernon Reid’s funky guitar solos and Muzz Skilling’s amazing melodic bass. A funk rock fusion to savour- just blast the album and enjoy musicians doing their thing.
Above average 80s hard(ish) rock
No Again, Public Enemy influence. Enjoyable metal
eh
An excellent album that I haven't listened to in far too long.
Very solid debut from this quarter of NYC music students. Some classic songs here, with just a little bit of filler(“What’s Your Favorite Color” in particular never landed for me). But it has aged well, and the performances and production are both fantastic. The band’s next album, Time’s Up, is their masterpiece imo.
Cult of Personality on Guitar Hero was my first and only foray into Living Colour. For a US based band there is a noticable British rock/punk sound in the beginning of the album. When you find out the bassist was British born, this connects the dots. It then moves to more of a funk vibe, and finishes off the album with turn to some metal. Best: Cult of Personality Worst: Open Letter (To a Landlord)
2.5
Cool riffs and Cult of Personality is a classic, but aside from that it was a bit boring.
Reminds me a lot of mother love bone. Had a few listens of this just on in the background. Think it needs a proper listen. I'll revisit it but going high and giving it a 4.
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.
Cult of Personality will always be a banger. Then the rest of the album is kinda meh.
One great song. I used to listen to this quite a bit when it came out. I don't remember most of the songs now.
Two bands helped save the boredom of rock at the end of the 80’s: Jane’s Addiction and Living Colour. Vivid was killer through out and still got something to it.
Sequência de riffs que verdadeiramente arrebata.
Open Letter (to a Landlord) is a tune and still applicable mostly Which Way to America? is very topical and current still. Memories can't wait cover is excellent, catches the song very well but still made it their own and arguably better. Tasty, tight and short 11 track album. Bonus track: Should I Stay or Should I Go cover was unexpected but very good with double time, small lyric tweaks and no spanish backing vocals which are odd choices.
Was hoping for an aural detox after yesterday’s fiasco. Dare not say the name. And BANG! Hit with a hard rock banger that brings back the excitement of playing GTA San Andreas. Opening track, Cult of Personality. I would have struggled to stay alert for another 1 star album and I’m conscious not to let that skew my review of this album. Style is in line bands of the time. Faith no More, Janes Addiction, RHCP and even Mr. Big. However as the album progresses, there are harder rock and cheesier riffs that drag us back to the 80’s and give off Van Halen feels. Have to remember this album is ‘88. Some very catchy, punchy bass riffs that are keeping me interested and even reminding of Big Country in part. Nice to hear songs I’ve definitely heard before but maybe wasn’t sure who the song was by. “Funny Vibe” could be straight out of RHCP’s Mother’s Milk. It’s interesting to see this band is a group of black New Yorkers and have produced very similar sounds of mostly white LA 80’s funk rockers. Verses of “Which Way to America” is borrowed straight from Talking Heads which is good to see. Very Tina Weymouth with heavier tone. Decimalised ratings would have helped me rate this more effectively. It’s better than a 3 but not quite a 4. I’m not counting any of the bonus tracks included on the Spotify bonus version.
What an amazing album. I came in pretty cold - had only heard "cult of personality" before. But wow, they sound like a few other bands from the time but have their own distinct twist. And what a varied album, hard rock, pop rock, funk, soul, rap, little bit of country. Memories can't wait is a great cover. Every song is fantastic. Coming out of the gate with a debut album like this, I dunno how I've never listened to them before but I'm blown away. I'm keep 5-star ratings for what I consider to be perfect albums. I would give this a 4.5 but have to round down.
Solid jams, songs are a little repetitive but the sound is good so it's the worst thing.
3.5
It is ironic (not the right word… cosmically aesthetic?) that I got Living Color the day after Rage Against the Machine, since RAtM basically took “Cult of Personality” and “Funny Vibe” and ran with it. But here we are decades later, and these songs are still sadly relevant. Bit more funkay than RAtM, bit less serious. I can dig it. Now I’ll stop before I embarrass myself further.
Creo que está un poco pasado de moda pero se deja escuchar.
Cool.
Pretty good I think
Beetje funk, beetje rock. Best grappig!
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
Not my thing
It’s like the 80’s and 90’s started a fight but ended up just rolling around on the floor with one another.
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.
Classic rockish.. I didn't really like the vocals.
Not that notable but I didn't dislike it
Unfortunately, the quality of songs varies massively after the opener, which deservedly became a hit.
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.
Over produced fashion rock, I can appreciate they’re good musicians but the showboating is not for me.
It's like they've taken all the bits of hair metal that I like and dropped the bits I don't like.
I imagine this is what it would sound like if Huey Lewis tried to do a metal album. 6.1/10
A steaming turd of an album. Who knew lasts 80s hard rock/fusion could be so bland.
Production is good. Unlikely to revisit.
I liked that
Funk-tastic! This is the shit.
Amazing. From start to finish, this album is funky, rockin' and gets you moving.
I really enjoyed Cult of Personality, mostly since I already know the song, and that’s about it.
Nope
It's alright, the first track was easily the best, no questions what so ever.
Finde es tatsächlich n gutes Album. Vereinzelt echt gute Lieder!
Ungute Mischung aus Pop und Heavy Elementen
Pretty much what I expected. Just ok.
Nah. Funk metal is not my bag
got me rocking :) added the broken hearts track to my allsorts playlist
Some good bops, better than metallica
I think I saw this band live as a warm up to a dinosaur band. It might have been the Stones? I'm falling behind on my 1001 homework so had a chance to play this but didn't really have a chance to listen.
Really bad shit.
Tge music part was enjoyable and for a style of singin I generally dislike and cringe at, this was not offensive at all. Concept was kinda weak - seemed like it was just.... we're black! But given the time, I won't fully blame them. Anyway, it was entertaining at the least, but a 3 (really more of a 2.7) at the most.
Really enjoyed this album...except for the last song. It sounds ahead of its time by about 10 years. It's made me want to check out their other albums.
Best tof om weer eens te horen, maar niet helemaal af kunnen luisteren
Yeah decent. Very 80s and political messages. I liked track one, but I can’t remember what it was called. I watched the video on YouTube. You should check it out.
Ja ik mag dit wel. Fantastische stem, en lekker energiek. Duidelijk de sound van eind jaren 80, maar nog steeds goed te pruimen. Beetje oude Chili Peppers maar dan met een echte zanger 😁
Fijne stem. Ik kende al een paar nummers maar vond niet alles op deze plaat je-het.
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.
i dunno. it was music. has the cult of personality song. then a bunch of their songs all started sounding the same.
Awesome album! Not quite a 5/5 but close!
In 1988, few heavy metal bands were comprised of all black members, and fewer had the talent or know-how to inject different musical forms into their hard rock sound (funk, punk, alternative, jazz, soul, rap) -- but N.Y.C.'s Living Colour proved to be an exception. Unlike nearly all of the era's metal bands, the group's music has held up over time, thanks to its originality and execution. Living Colour leader/guitarist Vernon Reid spent years honing his six-string chops, and was one of the most respected guitarists in New York's underground scene. He couldn't have done a better job selecting members for his new rock band -- singer Corey Glover, bassist Muzz Skillings, and drummer Will Calhoun -- as their now-classic debut, Vivid, proves. Though the album was released in mid-1988, it picked up steam slowly, exploding at the year's end with the hit single/MTV anthem "Cult of Personality," which merged an instantly recognizable Reid guitar riff and lyrics that explored the dark side of world leaders past and present (and remains LC's best-known song). The album was also incredibly consistent, as proven by the rocker "Middle Man" (which contains lyrics from a note penned by Glover, in which he pondered suicide), the funky, anti-racist "Funny Vibe," the touching "Open Letter (To a Landlord)," plus the Caribbean rock of "Glamour Boys." Add to it an inspired reading of Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait," the Zeppelin-esque "Desperate People," and two complex love songs ("I Want to Know" and "Broken Hearts"), and you have one of the finest hard rock albums of the '80s -- and for that matter, all time.
Really good album beginning to end
I do not like this music. The first track was a song I remember from GTA San Andreas. I found it annoying then, and I find it annoying now.
Today I worked on pulling louver and flush window details from Train A and adding them to the Train B set. Also began working on the demo plan and the slab plan for the addendum due on Jan 20th. This album was super easy to work to and kept me motivated through the day.
Liked it more than expected/feared
2/5
En general un grato descubrimiento. Escuchar una banda negra con un sonido tan pesado (o sea pesado en el sentido hard rock/metal) es muy refrescante. A reserva de sonar patronising, creo que de las cosas que más lamento de la escena del metal en la actualidad es en realidad la falta de negros. Me la pasé re bien la verdad. Uno que otro momento de vocales muy de la época que no me gustaron pero en realidad, bastante chido casi todo, El final de Which Way to America está loco, solo por eso fue mi fav. Mood: headbanging to funky tunes
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.
6
Not really for me.
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.
I grew up hating the cult of personality. I can't tell you why other than people having different taste but I loved rock and alternative so it's the kind of song I should've liked but I didn't. Skip to today. This album is on my list and I listen to all of them even if I suspect I will dislike it. Wow. Was I missing out. The album starts with cult of personality but this time I'm thinking, "maybe I wasn't very fair with this song. It's not as bad as you thought." I actually kind of liked it. After hearing it a million times maybe it's acquired taste! The rest of the album though I really did like. I was missing out on a great album that was always there and available for me at any time. Can't go back now but I'm glad I listened and changed my mind.
I listened to the heck out of this album in the 90s. It still rocks, if it's just a bit dated. Great guitar and bass playing. Very high energy, hard rock with some other stylistic elements. All very good!
instruments are neat, vox are quite corny. 3/10, not feeling this one
Buen rock, creo que no ubicaba a una banda de rock cuyos integrantes fueran todos negros. Lo disfruté y además lo que tiene de denuncia social fluye junto con lo demás. "Cult of Personality" y "Funny Vibe" fueron mis favoritas. 8.5/10
4 exactly. hard to put cult of personality as the first track and be able to follow that up
It was nice to revisit this one. It was such a big deal when it came out. There were some songs I didn't really remember, and then some I was excited to revisit. It's not terribly inventive, but there are some solid songs.
A lot of good variety in sounds and some killer guitar work/vocals
Not at all what I was expecting when it said metal album. confusion out of 5
It was ok... definitely a big drop off after “Cult of Personality” Favorite Track(s): “Cult of Personality”
This sucked
Funky metal
This album was so groovy! Not sure if everyone had the live versions or if mine was extended somehow but I didn’t love the live versions. Loved the rest of it though!
i really dig the lead vocals. electric bass slaps pretty hard. all in all, id say this is a pretty solid rock album. some socially progressive lyrics to boot
Not a huge fan of this one. A bit too loud for me in places but there are aspects of it I liked.
apparently cult of personality comes off a woke bop of an album