Vivid (album)

Vivid
Studio album by Living Colour
Released	May 3, 1988
Recorded	1987 - 1988 at Skyline, Sound On Sound and Right Track Studios, New York, New York
Genre	Funk metal, heavy metal, hard rock, neo-psychedelia
Length	49:13
Label	Epic
Producer	Ed Stasium Mick Jagger
Living Colour chronology
Vivid (1988) Time's Up (1990)
Singles from Vivid
"Cult of Personality" Released: 1988 "Middle Man" Released: 1988 "Glamour Boys" Released: 1989 "Open Letter (To a Landlord)" Released: 1989 "Funny Vibe" Released: 1989

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Rolling Stone	link
Robert Christgau	(B)
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Vivid is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Living Colour, which was released on May 3, 1988. The band was discovered by Mick Jagger while playing a show at punk club CBGB's in 1987.^{[citation needed]} The fact that Living Colour is an all-black heavy metal band drew much attention to the band and the album^{[citation needed]}, which contained three singles and became one of the most popular albums of 1988, reaching #6 on the Billboard 200 and certified double platinum by the RIAA. The band would later receive a Grammy for their next studio release, Time's Up. The song "Funny Vibe" features a cameo appearance from Public Enemy's Chuck D and Flavor Flav. Vivid is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It also contains a cover version of the Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait."

Track listing

All songs written by Vernon Reid, except where noted.

Original
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Cult of Personality"	Reid, Muzz Skillings, Corey Glover, Will Calhoun	4:54
2.	"I Want to Know"		4:24
3.	"Middle Man"	Glover, Reid	3:47
4.	"Desperate People"	Calhoun, Reid, Glover, Skillings	5:36
5.	"Open Letter (To a Landlord)"	Reid, Tracie Morris	5:32
6.	"Funny Vibe"		4:20
7.	"Memories Can't Wait"	David Byrne, Jerry Harrison (Originally from the 1979 Talking Heads album Fear of Music)	4:30
8.	"Broken Hearts"		4:50
9.	"Glamour Boys"		3:39
10.	"What's Your Favorite Color? (Theme Song)"	Reid, Glover	3:56
11.	"Which Way to America?"		3:41

2002 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Funny Vibe" (Funky Vibe Mix)	3:43
13.	"Should I Stay or Should I Go" (Mick Jones)	2:27
14.	"What's Your Favorite Color? (Theme Song)" (Leblanc Remix)	5:39
15.	"Middle Man" (Recorded live at Cabaret Metro, Chicago; November 9, 1990)	3:49
16.	"Cult of Personality" (Recorded live at the Ritz, New York City; 1988)	4:59

Personnel

Living Colour

• Corey Glover: vocals
• Vernon Reid: guitar
• Muzz Skillings: bass
• Will Calhoun: drums

Additional personnel

• Mick Jagger: harmonica, backing vocals
• Chuck D: rapping
• The Fowler Family: additional backing vocals on tracks 2 and 5
• Dennis Diamond: Carnival Barker on track 8

Production

• Produced by Ed Stasium; Tracks 9 and 11 Produced by Mick Jagger
• Recorded and Engineered by Ed Stasium and Paul Hamingson; Tracks 8 and 10 Recorded and Engineered by Ron St. Germain
• Mixed by Ed Stasium
• Assistant Mix Engineer: Paul Hamingson
• Mastered by Greg Calbi

Charts

Chart	Peak
New Zealand Chart	2
U.S. Billboard 200	6
Norwegian Charts	7

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	"Cult of Personality"	Billboard Hot 100	13
		Mainstream Rock Tracks	9
	"Middle Man"	Denmark Singles Chart	55
1989	"Glamour Boys"	Billboard Hot 100	31
		Mainstream Rock Tracks	26
	"Open Letter (To a Landlord)"	Billboard Hot 100	82
		Mainstream Rock Tracks	11

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Winner	Category
1989	"Cult of Personality"	Best Hard Rock Performance

External links

• "Vivid" at discogs Retrieved 7/09/10