LIVING COLOUR

Please do not be one of those people that immediately shout "Cult of Personality!" when the subject of LIVING COLOUR is broached. Yes, it's a great song, a classic even, but just like MOTÖRHEAD has done far more in its career than "Ace of Spades", so has LIVING COLOUR crafted more than just the aforementioned enduring track, helped in a big way by Vernon Reid's out-of-this-world guitar playing. 1993's "Stain" alone proved that band was a creative tour de force that could journey through the darkness just as it could write a hook for the ages. So we had to wait until the following decade to get its follow up, "Collideøscope", and another six years for "The Chair in the Doorway", an album with a classic COLOUR vibe, yet one that showcase the band's creative prowess perhaps more than any other.

It is unlikely you'll hear any of these songs in heavy rotation on your local rock radio channel, but that is not to imply that this one is devoid of choice cuts. You will however find that "The Chair in the Doorway" doesn't really take hold until about the third listen; not because the melodies are insufficient, but instead because of the changing musical terrain that becomes far more navigable with additional spins.

The band's unique approach to blending soul, funk, and blues into a rock/metal amalgam that flows smoothly and grooves hard is heard in virtually every nook and cranny. Reid's guitar heroics continue to be nearly without equal; his effects alone on multiple tracks enough to raise the neck hairs. But as important as Reid is to the band's sound, without the fat 'n fluid bass playing of Doug Wimbish", the taut and colorful drumming of Will Calhoun, and the unique mixture of rock aggression and soul of Corey Glover, it just wouldn't be LIVING COLOUR. Just listen to the spacey hypnotic flow of "Method", more of which is heard on "Behind the Sun", which also features a sizeable hook. Most recognizable for long-time fans are several songs (e.g. "Burned Bridges" and "Decadance") that marry the kind-of-experimental/kind-of-funky side of the band with a hard rock delivery that is tough as nails. Additional evidence of the band's knack of shape-shifting with a style that somehow remains its own is heard on the piping hot blues-funk-rock of "Bless Those (Little Annie's Prayer)", complete with mind-bending Reid solos, while the soulful, yet poppy "That's what you Taught Me" comes with the kind of hook that invades the body through the pores. And I won't spoil the surprise of the hidden track, except to state its title, "Asshole".

It should be clear by now that LIVING COLOUR is a one-of-a-kind rock/metal act that is still more than capable of standing apart from the crowd. They're also damn fine songwriters. "The Chair in the Doorway" is further proof of it.