Living Colour is a criminally unmentioned band, and there's a deep rabbit hole to go down there. If you want biting social commentary, try "Open Letter (To A Landlord)." If you want a bit of humor with your social commentary, try "Elvis Is Dead." And if you want off the charts musicality, try "Time's Up."

@DeanMichaud

2 жыл бұрын

this - 100%

@Billkwando

2 жыл бұрын

Time's Up is such a fantastic song. Vernon Reid's solo album is also really really good. He's got crazy stuff, like Lawrence Fishburne reading "Important Safety Instructions" with an Indian accent.

@nonsuchned94

2 жыл бұрын

For an interesting take on Notorious B.I.G. check their Who Shot Ya- which recasts the lead voice interestingly.

@nonsuchned94

2 жыл бұрын

Also, an often forgotten masterpiece is their immigrant anthem Auslander. From the great album Stain that unfortunately got eaten up by Grunge but deserves to have another look.

@caroline-s

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, Yes,Yes!!!

I like this version for the sound, but the official has visual references that make another layer of meaning. It's very underrated. Thank you.

that was a great live performance, but be sure to check the studio version! And yeah, the guitarist (Vernon Reid) is next level :-)

@zanethind

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed

@mitchfleming274

2 жыл бұрын

And the yellow spandex...

@dwvw

2 жыл бұрын

@@mitchfleming274 it was a Body Glove wetsuit.

@hughjarrse

2 жыл бұрын

"Vernon Reid is next level" what do you expect? ....... he's English 😁

@sierraromeoromeo2444

2 жыл бұрын

"Vernon Reid is next level" That's why Public Enemy asked him to play on Sophisticated Bitch.

"When the mirror speaks, the reflection lies." That is the line where I was hooked on the group. And Vernon Reid is a criminally underrated guitarist.

@rotary7372

2 жыл бұрын

Vernon is amazing. I got to hear some of the shit he would do in the studio in between recordings and his talent is thermonuclear. A real ass player.

"When a leader speaks, that leader dies" in the music video this line is accompanied by an image of Martin Luther King Jr.

I've loved this song since I was a little kid, but it's one of those rare instances where I prefer the original recording over any live version that's come along my path.

Damn that was a hell of a good live version you found.

@chaoticoldbore

2 жыл бұрын

agreed, one of the best versions i've seen.

@cousinwil5808

2 жыл бұрын

I was honestly a little worried at the start, great version

The MOST underrated band of the 90s! Vernon Reid is among the best guitar players ever! SRV, Jimi, Eddie Van Halen. Ingwe Malmstein (sp?) but Vernon is iconic and overlooked, generally! The catalog is amazing! Letter to a landlord" is epic but "Love Rears It's Ugly Head" is simply phenomenal! I'm a long time listener and a HUGE fan of your channel, PLEASE do "Love Rears It's Ugly Head" , try the OG video, first, totally worth every heart wrenching second! Call me out if I'm wrong!!

@evacovault2880

2 жыл бұрын

I second this, and if you're going to do the live version of Love Rears It's Ugly Head, do the one from the Apollo!

@jkpdadventures7188

2 жыл бұрын

I respectfully support this! ;)

@harrybalsamic1075

2 жыл бұрын

Vernon Reid is good but he isn't even in the top 50

@snorpenbass4196

2 жыл бұрын

@@harrybalsamic1075 You need better ears then, kid. It takes some damn skill to play like he does, and I'd put him next to Eddie Van Halen any day of the week.

@RonRezendes

2 жыл бұрын

@@harrybalsamic1075 According to professional guitar players, you're way off mark!

I was a metalhead when I first heard them in the 90's and at the time I thought "holy sh#t, those guys are next level". For me it was metal, but they always had solid reggae/jazz/blues influences in their song, to the point that nowadays I worship them even more. Vernon Reid is a guitar god, so are the rest of the band. The drummer/bass are CRAZY GOOD, and the lead vocals is one of my main influences to this day.

@ktp.

Жыл бұрын

I have to agree. Never heard of them but man I'm gonna look for their albums. Any that you'll recommend?

It's amazing to see this great band perform this song so many years later and still rock it big time. And unfortunately, their lyrics are still true and we all need to be reminded to keep our critical hats on all the time

I always considered their genre just good ol' rock-n-roll. When I saw them perform live, they were on tour opening for The Rolling Stones. And it seemed to make sense at the time.

His solo was something else. He definitely goes "outside" with it, both rhythmically and harmonically, which can lead the audience to a bit of disorientation. But he always hits his cues back in, no matter how outside he gets.

@nathanweiss5174

2 жыл бұрын

The solo moving through different sections of the song also adds too the extra-ness of it to the listener.

An all-time banger, CM Punk using this as his wrestling theme gave them a huge boost in "re-popularizing" the band.

@jlyvren89

2 жыл бұрын

CM Punk? Well who doesn't like a good PipeBomb...😂👍

This is definitely one where the official music video should be watched. The visual imagery in the video match up with a lot of the lyrics, showing many figures in history. It's also important to note that, this was an all black hard rock band in the mid-80's, which was unheard of. Vocalist Corey Glover has an incredible voice, and guitar player Vernon Reid is criminally underrated.

@bawls987

2 жыл бұрын

He doesn't use official vids for copyright reasons. He used to a while back but a lot of his videos were getting copyright strikes or demonetized. Blame KZread, not him.

I would say this is rock before Grunge came around. This is in the Faith No More era.

@jlyvren89

2 жыл бұрын

I've read where they're considered Hard Rock, Funk Metal, and Alternative Metal...🤔

The entire Vivid record remains so fiercely relevant to this day. Which Way to America? is another banger - but the whole record slams. Even the small handful of more poppy stuff still grooves - because the musicianship is so on point. Wil Calhoun inspired me to start playing drums. Their two follow-up records (Time's Up, and Stain) are also timeless. TBH, I drifted away from their more recent recordings, but I've seen them play a few times and... words fail. Glad you could share this with us, thank you.

This album, “Vivid”, was in my most played stack during high school and early university. I believe I may have stretched out the cassette tape. The album from cover to cover was so solid. It opened my mind to thinking about others and their issues. I’m so thankful for this album. Highly recommend.

Another one of my major influences musically. Vernon,s mix of metal and jazz made him one of the most unique guitarists out there, and yes he,s great, by no means the most complex and difficult to play, but hard enough. The lead singer Corey Glover is also an actor... his biggest movie claim is Platoon. More from Living Color

What a great band! They were my first concert when I was 14, Primus opened up for them

@ronaldowens5025

2 жыл бұрын

Tad, primus and them hell of a tour in the shit bar/ club circuit of the east coast.

It stuns me how you always manage to find an obscure live version rather than the much-easier-to-find studio recording/music video version for your reactions 😅

@jenwendy7

2 жыл бұрын

I know right 😂

@tammyford2357

2 жыл бұрын

I think it’s because a lot of studio versions/official videos get blocked.

The way Vernon Reid just blazes through that berserker guitar solo gets me every time.

They have been called progressive rock. I love every song off this album. Vernon Reid just shreds on every song! Letter to the Landlord is another great song!

Living Colour is one of those bands that are their own genre, like Ghost, or Amaranthe.

@SteveSteele2

Жыл бұрын

Or Type O Negative? Type O and Living Colour were my two favorite bands growing up. So unique and ingenius at times

MyLBoyd you nailed it.He is a very skilled guitarist.They still sound awesome live.Hugh fan of Vernon Reid /lead guitar.

Living Colour's music combines hard rock, metal, funk, blues, R & B, jazz, and some hip-hop influence, too. I've been a fan since "Vivid," their first album. They were, and still are, a great band, live and in the studio. Vernon Reid's incredible guitar solos are a mixture of heavy metal shredding and free jazz improvisation, as was the case in this live performance. For more LC, check out "Type" and "Information Overload."

These lyrics are deep !!!!! Grown folks only will get this

I had the pleasure of meeting these gentlemen a few years ago. They were so kind and friendly. They posed for pictures and gave me an autographed setlist and Vernon Reid's guitar pick. It was a good day. Their jazz/pop stuff is great as well.

Vernon Reid, the guitarist, has a playing style heavily influenced by the jazz sax player Ornette Coleman. Coleman is best known for breaking the rules of jazz in the early 1960's. Awesome song. That is the gateway song I'd recommend to anyone getting introduced to their music.

I have been waiting for you to hear this song since I first watched you. Song is amazing in every. single. way. And your reaction was suitably satisfying! Thank you!

The studio version is Awesome!! One of my favorite guitar solos ever! Much cleaner and more moving in the studio version.

@robote7679

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, couldn't agree more. The men are still rocking but one has to see that studio vid with all the "commentary" footage and ultra high energy to really get how next level this band was. Criminally under-appreciated and their lyrics have so much to them.

I got to see them live at the opening of the first Lollapalooza and they were incredible.

This was an amazing performance, his voice is freaking awesome!

loved seeing this Live version for the first time -- one of my favorite bands, but i hadn't heard this version of this song before. fantastic. thanks so much!

Just hearing this song always makes me want to chant "CM PUNK".

@masteradvance

2 жыл бұрын

I picture on my head his entrance haha

@nsampone3

2 жыл бұрын

Same. I’m just happy I got to chant it one more time a few months ago at the AEW Queens show

@Vulithes

2 жыл бұрын

same!

@inibrius5380

2 жыл бұрын

IT'S CLOBBERING TIME!

@LEGENDCITYest1963

2 жыл бұрын

We finally got our Ice Cream Bars

The best part of this live performance is the clarity in the vocals. In the studio version had some parts that I didn’t figure out until this live performance. The guitar in the live performance is definitely more in the line of jazz improvisation. The solo sounds more complex than in the studio version.

As elsewhere on this page, 'Open Letter...', also 'Middle Man'. Killer rhythm section too, as well as Cory Glover's vocals and Vernon Reid's guitar-godhood.

Vernon Reid on the guitar is a monster of a player and hugely underrated.

I remember when this came out it was a thing all its own, I was a junior in high school. The hair bands were kinda winding down and grunge really hadn't taken over yet. When these guys hit the scene there hadn't been a standout black guitar player or band like this since Hendrix. This song was so big it won all kinds of MTV awards and was played like every 10th song on rock stations. The guitar hook and vocals are truly sensational.

Amazing that this song is even more relevant today. Great reaction to a fantastic, timeless song.

Wow! This version is even better than their studio version! Nice!!!

Damn Corey sounds so good in this recording. Nice find whoever found it. Such an amazing band.

I loved this song back in the day! never saw this live version. Good stuff!!!

Everyone involved just plays the hell out of this song. It shreds. As for the genre, I'd just say it's rock or hard rock, but they're drawing bits here and there from a whole bunch of styles, everything from funk to metal.

I love these guys. As a guitar player, this guitar solo is nearly impossible to replicate. Such an interesting group. The solo isn't the same as the studio recording which makes me think he shredded on the first take in the studio and couldn't replicate himself afterwards. Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle. Fantastic reaction.

Dam, I forgot how much I love that song. They still did an amazing job for a song that came out when I was in high school.

The visuals in the official video really helps to tell the story. Check it out. You'll love the clothing of the period.

This is just straight up good old fashioned rock and roll.

Lucky enough to see these guys play live at Soundwave Australia. They were phenomenal.

Definitely check out the live performance on the Arsenio Hall Show. They brought the house down.

Awesome to watch and hear a great live version I was unfamiliar with! A nice twist on the usual guitar solo and that scream was new to me as well! Seriously talented band on every instrument.... Even if Corey Glover's vocals and Vernon Reid's guitar seem to get the most notice.

I had the chance to meet these guys and hang out backstage almost 20 years ago. Corey Glover is not only a sick, incendiary vocalist as you can see and hear in this video and he's also a very nice guys. Introduced himself to me...I was like, "Dude! I know who you are!" I uses to watch the video of this song on MTV in Middle School back in the day and it meant a lot for me to see a group of black men playing metal/hard rock or as song call it "Black Noise!" The rest of the band is really cool too. Doug Wimbish is awesome, and Will Calhoun in amazing and down to earth. And what can I say about Vernon Reid? He's other worldly!

Vernon Reid is a master. If you get a chance check out any of the other songs from this album, as he just shreds in a unique way.

Rock? Metal? It really makes no difference-they are a killer band and CoP is a phenomenal song! So glad you enjoyed it!

This is one of my favorite songs. So glad you got to hear it!

Fun fact about the singer of this band .He does a song with Latyrx called Electric Chair which is EPIC in my opinion. Great rap song and Corey’s vocals are next level :) I would PAY to see a reaction video to electric chair as it was never released as a single but is one of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard!!!

You too often miss out on the best versions of the songs review. Love this tune, so spot on and STILL so today. That song is "Hard Rock". The guitar player was inspired by Prince and Van Halen iirc.

One of the best bands I've ever heard in my life. And Vernon Reid is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Both UNDERESTIMATED.

Horribly underrated band. My mom LOVED them, especially the guitarist Vernon, for good reason. This is a GREAT live version, wow. My mom saw them live many times, I never did.

He's trynna summon CM Punk

That live version was banging holy crap.

The first time I heard this song was on a Monday Night Raw, it was CM Punks intro theme, and it rocked so hard. They performed it at a Wrestlemania live for his intro and that was so awesome.

@Ozzy_2014

2 жыл бұрын

Always was his theme. Even before WWE.

@Heklr7

2 жыл бұрын

@@Ozzy_2014 I'm sure, but I didn't know him until he was well into his WWE career.

@aibotrules2722

2 жыл бұрын

@@Ozzy_2014 this fire burns

Saw Living Colour open for The Rolling Stones on The Stones Steel Wheels Tour in 1989. I then met lead singer Corey Glover about six months later. He was a very gentlemanly and self-depreciating. A U-turn from his stage personality. He was also in the Oliver Stone film "Platoon". Vernon Reid is a top-flight guitarist, and this song is proof.

Just saw these guys this past summer, my daughter and I actually got to meet Corey (lead singer). AWESOME show, super nice guy. You get the chance, DO IT! It’s worth it.

I always loved this. Awesome.

One of the best band's of the 80s.

I saw them on the Arsenio Hall Show a very long time ago and loved them since.

@deementia6796

2 жыл бұрын

I was hoping that was the version he was going to watch. The crowd did NOT expect that. SO MUCH ENERGY and the playing was off the hook!

I remember when the song came out in the late 80's, I was blown away by them. Vernon Reid's guitar was masterful then and he only went up from there, and this song in particular is just brilliant.

I love that you're checking out all of the songs that were in Guitar Hero III lately. Good songs.

I saw them live in Bolder in 1990 and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. They rocked a lot, got a little jazzy at times and wailed the blues as well. Such an under appreciated band. Love lies bleeding is a song I would recommend.

So underrated, saw the play in Jacksonville FL a few years ago and there were only like 100 people there it blew my mind. Hit up some more, the live stuff is awesome!

I've never heard them live oh my god this is AMAZING!

I love living Colour, they are one 1st alternative rock bands, to break it in the mainstream. I think I was 6 years old, 1st time seeing them on MTV. I was in awe because they where so different from every other rock and metal bands at the time. Similar style did not become popular until the 90's they where 4 to 5 years ahead of the times.

I usually wish you were doing the studio version but this was a damn fine performance maybe better then the studio version.

Wow. I generally don't like live versions but these guys sound so good!

Glad you finally got this one

I've loved these guys since I got this tape in 6th grade (shut up, it was the 80s) and always thought of them as a rock band with a charming dose of history and politics, but this live version is definitely metal. And the solo in this performance is far longer and more complex than the prerecorded one. Thanks so much for showing me this video, makes me incredibly happy.

1987 MRLBOYD. 87 WAS A AWSOME YEAR FOR MUSIC

i think that is my fauvrite guitar solo ever, but as a bassist i can say that the skill required to play this song from every member of the band is impressive, i was obsessed with learning the bass line and being able to play it feels so good. I think this band doesnt get the fame he deserved (sorry for my bad english im italian)

Lead singer was in the movie Platoon with Charlie Sheen. The last scene was a conversation between the two of them after the climactic battle the night before.

He nails the vocals live damn

This is one of the most underrated songs and groups!! Loved them!!

the guitarist Vernon Reid first made his name playing avant garde jazz rock with Ronald Shannon Jackson Decoding Society so it's no surprise his solos are 'out there'

Such a great band. I remember being a kid back in the late 80's /early 90's and coming across some of their songs and being floored not only by how talented they all are but also by how unique their style was.

Living Colour is an amazing group - very deep & well worth diving into. I highly recommend their song, 'Funny Vibe'.

Mr L Boyd seen these guys when this came out in 88 they opened for the stones on the steel wheels tour awesome show

So glad you enjoyed this song. This is a killer band, with very insightful lyrics. I would recommend their other songs "leave it alone" and "open letter to a landlord"!

I'd call the style prog-metal myself, it has so much in common with 70's stuff like Yes or Rush, but is so much heavier and intentionally atonal at times which fits much more into what Eddie van Halen brought to the scene. It's aggressive prog rock really, with their fantastic hook to pull it all together. This song is an all time classic both for the music and the message.

The whole album is fire. We used to play the whole album at parties, it was so fresh.

I hear a lot of jazz in their music, especially in Vernon Reid solos. Very underrated guitar player!

This video changed how I saw the world. MTV gave us some good ones.

Excellent on every level. You should watch an earlier version of them doing this live. It ROCKED! This is cool to see years later. Excellent love it. Thank you

I have never witnessed this type of solo . It's beautiful

Man I definitely appreciate the lead singer more after this performance. Absolutely amazing vocals. I’ve loved this song for a long time but failed to ever listen to a live version!

Such a great band! This is a classic...

Living Colour is funk metal. They absolutely TORE IT UP in the 80s and 90s.

5:10 I believe the metal in this rock song is reflective of all the "noise" directed at people...shaping how they behave and identify...that's just me:)

The official video shows scenes that help explain the song. Great Band!

He couldn't repeat that solo much less anyone else. Equivalence of rock and roll jazz

BEST IN THE WORLLLLLDDDD

Good job, thanx that was fun.