When Living Colour first hit the scene in 1988, they were
undoubtedly groundbreakers. A black heavy metal band? Who woulda
thunk it? Better yet, who would have guessed it unless you knew any
of the players prior to this collaboration?
What Living Colour did in their all-too-brief career together
was to knock down the unspoken racial barriers that existed in the
world of hard rock and heavy metal. And
Vivid is a portrait of a band who was hungry enough to claw
their way to stardom.
From the leadoff track (and first single) “Cult Of Personality,”
Corey Glover and crew set out to not only blaze new trails in hard
rock, but to dare to add a touch of melody and funk to the music.
Vernon Reid’s guitar seems to be set on permanent shred (which
proves to be his downfall), while Muzz Skillings and William
Calhoun lay down the foundation on bass and drums,
respectively.
Had
Vivid only contained one good song in “Cult Of Personality,”
it would still be of note to check out. Fortunately, the strong
performances continue throughout most of the album. “Open Letter
(To A Landlord)” is both a political statement that transcends race
and a damned pretty song, while “I Want To Know” is further proof
that Living Colour was not a one-hit wonder.
Other well-known songs like “Glamour Boys” and “Middle Man”
might not have had the polish and glitz of the first single, but
they are worth checking out nonetheless. “Middle Man” is a track
that has grown on me over the years. Still others, like “Which Way
To America?”, make you wonder why they never got a fair shake on
the radio.
There are one or two tracks which are throwaways, such as
“What’s Your Favorite Color? (Theme Song)”. But these are few and
far between. If anything, the only real disappointment on
Vivid is that Reid doesn’t slow down his playing as often as
he should. His guitar style could be very soulful when he wanted it
to be – why he wanted to sound like Joe Satriani on speed I don’t
think I’ll ever fully understand.
Vivid has lost very little of its punch a decade after its
release, and stands as a solid hard rock/heavy metal album, no
matter what the color of the artist creating it. For Reid and crew,
this album proved that Living Colour was no gimmick, but was the
real thing.
