Living Colour Albums (7)
'The Chair in the Doorway'
Release Date 9/15/2009
Tracks 13
Label MRI
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live at CBGB's Tuesday 12/19/89'
Release Date 1/11/2005
Tracks 13
Label Sony
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Recorded at New York's hallowed CBGB's club on December 19, 1989, this captures Living Colour between the release of their first and second albums. Surprisingly, perhaps, there are just four songs from the debut, joined by a half-dozen that had yet to be released on their sophomore outing. Most valuably for committed fans, there's also a cover of Bad Brains' "Sailin' On" (which Living Colour did record for an early-'90s various-artists compilation) and two Vernon Reid originals that make their first official appearance here, "Soldiers Blues" and "Little Lies." It falls more in the souvenir-for-completists category than something that casts a new light on the band. But it does ably document their live fusions of hard rock (sometimes verging on heavy metal) with some funk, thrash, occasional Latin rhythms, and the very occasional more straightforward singer/songwriter moves, with decent sound. Of the two songs that make their debut here, "Little Lies" is an uncharacteristic (within the parameters of this specific set, anyway) introspective ballad that begins with a drumless arrangement before boiling over into a tenser section with the full band, while Reid's Jimi Hendrix blues-rock influence comes to the forefront on the anti-war "Soldiers Blues." Although this CD was not released to traditional retail outlets until January 11, 2005, it was available online (from LiveFromTheVaults.com) starting on October 19, 2004. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
'What's Your Favorite Color? (Remixes, B-Sides & Rarities)'
Release Date 1/1/2005
Tracks 10
Label Sony
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Living Colour completists will already have most or all of the material on What's Your Favorite Color? (Remixes, B-Sides & Rarities) -- none of it is previously unreleased or even particularly rare, and it's not comprehensive. The comp however does offer a capable survey of odds 'n' ends material from the era spanning the band's first three studio albums (roughly 1988-1994). A lengthy remix of the Stain highlight "Ausländer" starts things out, followed by two more mixes. A live recording of "Cult of Personality" from 1989 as well as a remix of "What's Your Favorite Color?" were both added to the 2002 reissue of Vivid; and acoustic takes on "Nothingness" and "Leave It Alone" are from a 1993 Holland date that's also previously available. The Al Green cover, "Love and Happiness," was part of Living Colour's 1991 EP Biscuits. A pretty acoustic version of "Solace of You" is What's Your Favorite Color?'s best moment. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Living Colour's appetite was always voracious. It attacked rock, funk, and jazz textures with a tenacious, blind energy, and opened wide to accommodate lyrically outsized social and political issues. But while the band had an incredible capacity for honing its humongous sound and vision into searing (or grooving) anthems, its lyrical kvetching sometimes seemed self-righteous, and the constant, radical aesthetic shifts could be jarring. And yet, Living Colour's stagnation after 1993's Stain was strange. They had always been so hungry, so exploratory -- three albums didn't seem like sufficient nourishment. As it turns out, the quartet wasn't finished. A round of 2000s reunion gigs has led to CollideØscope, a barbed and literate work that tears anew into Living Colour's signature sound, but is also flawed by a few of those old shortcomings. Vivid and Time's Up's flashes of cynical humor ("Glamour Boys," "Elvis Is Dead") were largely gone by Stain, replaced with a claustrophobic weariness typified even in song titles -- "Go Away," "Mind Your Own Business." CollideØscope further emphasizes that shift. Here, Corey Glover's lyrics grapple with media, herd mentality, and the loss of faith. But it's the specter of 9/11 that really casts a pall, since he sees much of the mind control and climate of complacency in the U.S. as ramifications of that tragedy. Vernon Reid accompanies this sociopolitical soul-searching with guitar work that's serrated, dirty, and consistently amazing. "Song Without Sin" and especially "A ? of When" nod again to Bad Brains; the latter's staccato lyrical fatalism unfolds hardcore style over Reid's assaulting riff. As they do throughout, Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish prove to be a formidable rhythm section, expertly exerting varying levels of pressure on the mid-level mess of guitar and sound bed cacophony. In a classic Living Colour move, one of the album's most alluring songs is also its most disturbing. Detailing the World Trade Center's destruction from one wrenching point of view, Glover's voice follows "Flying"'s light, soaring funk with a detachment that's arresting. "I jumped out the window to get to the parking lot," Glover sings. "Never in my life have I felt a heat so hot/I had to get out." When things get this heavy, a little levity would be nice -- not to ignore what happened (or what is happening), but to alleviate the immediacy of CollideØscope's single-mindedness. This dour heart is at once the album's greatest strength and biggest weakness. Living Colour proves it hasn't lost a step by rocking out of the box with such visceral anger and scenery-chewing musical adventurism (check out the drum'n'bass/dub hybrid "In Your Name" or instrumental coda "Nova"; a mid-album run through AC/DC's "Back in Black" also rocks energetically and without agenda). There's no doubt CollideØscope is a welcome return for a group that never should have left. But the quartet's blistered, gray-sky worldview makes listeners forget the flutter of "Solace of You" or the sighing soul update "Broken Hearts," and the permeating darkness obscures the mixture of hope and anger that makes its music so thrilling. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After wrapping up their stint with Lollapalooza '91, Living Colour took some time off to decide what to do next. Shortly after, bassist Muzz Skillings and the rest of the band decided to part company and was replaced by session ace Doug Wimbish (whose credits included work with Jeff Beck, Madonna, Mick Jagger, etc.). Produced by Ron "Bad Brains" St. Germain, Living Colour's Stain showed the band's darker side even more, as samples were now added to the sonic mix. The tracks were more focused and streamlined when compared to the all-encompassing compositions on 1990's Time's Up, but were just as hard-hitting and thought provoking. The pessimistic viewpoint evidenced in such past tracks as "Type" can be found again in such tracks as "Go Away," "Ignorance Is Bliss," and "Never Satisfied," while "Postman" pulls no punches in its depiction of a deranged killer. The explosive "Auslander" was one of the album's best tracks, as was the melodic rocker "Leave It Alone" and the superb ballad "Nothingness," which deserved to be a hit. Although some of the songs miss the mark ("Bi," "This Little Pig," etc.), Stain was another engaging release from Living Colour. Although the album made the Top 40 and just missed going gold, the group would disband a year after the ensuing tour (citing "musical differences"). ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Living Colour's second album, Time's Up, achieved gold certification shortly after its release and eventually won a Grammy award, it performed below expectations when compared to their debut, Vivid. It's not that it wasn't a strong album; in fact, in a lot of ways, it's just as good as its predecessor, but instead of merely copying a winning formula, Time's Up challenged the listener more -- both musically and lyrically. A host of guest artists lent their hands to the proceedings, such as Little Richard, Queen Latifah, Maceo Parker, and Doug E. Fresh, which hints at just how all-encompassing Time's Up is. The few fans that were hoping that the band would streamline their sound and focus on their more pop-oriented material were bludgeoned with the hyperactive thrash title track (comparable to one of LC's biggest influences, Bad Brains). Other tracks, such as the jazz-rocker "Elvis Is Dead," the Zep-stomp of "Pride," and the gloriously pessimistic "Type" showed that success hadn't dulled the group's socially conscious attack. While heavy compositions were plentiful ("New Jack Theme," "Information Overload"), the band's more reflective side was evident by such outstanding tracks as "Fight the Fight," "Solace of You," and "This Is the Life," plus the love-torn ditty "Love Rears Its Ugly Head." Time's Up remains a convincing listen all these years later. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
