exploremusic

It still surprises me that most of the time when I talk about Living Colour, I get a big blank stare in return. It’s not as if they were an underground sensation. Since forming in New York in 1983 they’ve won two Grammys and their debut album, 1988′s “Vivid,” reached #6 on the Billboard chart. Their unique blend of hard rock, metal, funk, R&B, and hip-hop mixed with poetic socio-political lyrics registered with fans across the spectrum, and landed them on rock radio. But with their following releases, 90’s “Time’s Up” and 93’s “Stain”, the band continued to write songs that were darker and more aggressive, and despite being critically lauded, their numbers began to drop.

I sat down with singer Corey Glover over a cup of hot apple cider, and he didn’t waste any time getting the root of the matter. “I’m sure it has something to do with the angrier we get, the less people are attracted to us. Sometimes people fear angry black people, riots and that sort of thing.”

When I point out that gangsta rap sells millions of albums around the world, Corey does concede that it may be more due to the fact that Living Colour doesn’t fit into the notions most people have about the type of music black people should be making. “There’s too much goin’ on. There’s not one thing you can put your finger on and say ‘that’s what Living Colour is,’ which we kind of enjoy. That there’s sort of some eclecticism to it, that very much appeals to me.” Some of that eclecticism on the albums following their debut might have frightened more casual fans who got caught up in the hysteria over their breakout single “Cult of Personality.” This isn’t something that seems to bother Corey very much.

“Cult of Personality” – 1988

“Most people need a place to put you, and our whole career we’ve been trying not to be put anywhere. We don’t wanna be put in a box, you don’t put baby in a box. Music doesn’t require that you sit in a narrow construct. In order for you to expand, you have to expand your horizons.” After the release of “Stain” each member began to move in different musical directions. By ’95 they had broken up, and they all went off to work on other projects (Corey was in fact sporting his cast shirt from his recent stint as Judas in the touring production of “Jesus Christ Superstar”).

“Auslander” – 1993

It wasn’t until 2000, that they started playing together again. In 2003 they released their comeback album, a dark and experimental affair called “Collideoscope.” Not exactly the safest choice for their first proper release in a decade. “It was a time to be angry” says Corey. “That record was sort of our post-9/11 response. A lot of things are being said and done in the name of this victimhood that we claim to be in, and I don’t know if that was all for the best. It made me angry, it made us all angry.” 

"Collideoscope" is a truly unique album because unlike other 9/11 responses, it condemns acts of terror and also serves as a rallying cry to those who think they’re helpless, rather than simply being blatantly liberal or conservative. Corey is very open about this duality, and isn’t just about sticking it to the man. “The man is an easy target, but there are people behind the man and next to the man, and who are on my particular side that are also equally deserving of some sort of retribution.”

It was perhaps these feelings that helped the band conceive of the concept for their latest record, “A Chair In The Doorway,” which dropped in September. Corey explained that it was a phrase they stumbled upon during the “Collideoscope” sessions. “In nature if there’s an obstruction, nature finds a way to go through it or around it, and the idea that there’s a chair in the doorway, it can’t impede you, it can’t stop you from moving. That’s what we’ve been trying to deal with.” This latest effort (and possibly the inclusion of “The Cult of Personality” in “Guitar Hero III”) saw the band’s return to the Billboard chart and an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. But that’s not to say the album doesn’t go to dark places. “Decadance” features chugging metal guitar and power choruses decrying humankind’s over-consumption, and “Hard Times” mixes a little psychedelic groove with hard rock for a sarcastic attack on apathy. But just because they make political statements, Corey doesn’t seem to have any interest in that arena.

“I am somewhat political. I think everybody is one way or another. Even if you claim to not be, that in fact is a political statement. What I know about politics is that you’re just working to be re-elected, and I don’t wanna work that hard.” That’s completely understandable because politics is very much about image, and from speaking to Corey, it becomes clear that image is something that Living Colour isn’t interested in. “I think what’s most important is just getting past the idea that it’s about what I look like, and more importantly about what I’m saying, and what I’m trying to say.”

Check out Living Colour on MySpace and Facebook.

That’s all for now. If you like heavy music or just want a laugh check out the podcast I produce:
The Governor’s Ball: The “Mighty” Metal and Comedy Show http://www.thegovernorsball.com.

Andrew, the intern