So Calif dates
Sun 11/09/03 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House

Wed 11/12/03 West Hollywood, CA House Of Blues
^^^^ DATE CHANGE ANNOUNCED!!!!^^^^

Tues 11/25/03 West Hollywood, CA House Of Blues


New disc Preview
LIVING COLOUR
CollideØscope

Corey Glover - vocals
Vernon Reid - guitar
Doug Wimbish - bass
Will Calhoun - drums

When the four members of Living Colour went separate ways in 1995, drummer Will Calhoun grabbed his passport and went globetrotting. Over the course of the five years that followed, Calhoun's journeys took him everywhere from Russia (as a member of jazz great Wayne Shorter's touring band) to Australia (where he studied tribal music while living with an Aborigine family in the Outback) to Morocco, where he went to explore the trancelike sounds of Gnawan music.

Though his destinations were diverse, the question was always the same: When is Living Colour getting back together? "It seemed like I was being asked almost everywhere I went," says Calhoun. "It was amazing to learn that the music we created had traveled so far around the world. I had everyone from [Montreux Jazz Festival founder] Claude Nobs to Mick Jagger pull me aside and tell me we needed to regroup. It really made me think about the art and energy of Living Colour and the impact that we made. As an artist, you have to respect that."

That Living Colour's legacy has broken through obstacles of language, distance and culture comes as little surprise. Formed by guitarist/Black Rock Coalition founder Vernon Reid in 1984, the quartet revised a Black music tradition that extends from Chuck Berry and Little Richard to Jimi Hendrix and Parliament-Funkadelic. Over the course of their career, they released three critically acclaimed albums (Vivid, Time's Up and Stain), which sold over 4 million copies combined, earned a pair of Grammy Awards, two MTV Music Video Awards and tore up stages around the world. They were perhaps the only band that could have opened for the Rolling Stones and played the first, groundbreaking Lollapalooza Tour.

Deciding that he didn't want to be "sitting around with regret at age 60," Calhoun phoned Reid in December of 2000 and invited him to sit in with Headfake, a drum & bass side project featuring former Living Colour bassist Doug Wimbish and on occasion, vocalist Corey Glover. The guitarist agreed, and a gig was booked at the band's old stomping ground of CBGB's under the winking banner of "Headfake and Surprise Musical Guest."

The faithful turned out by the hundreds and the band didn't disappoint. On the same small stage where they had been discovered more than a dozen years earlier, a revitalized Living Colour blazed through searing renditions of "Cult of Personality" (from 1998's Grammy-winning, multi-platinum album Vivid), "Love Rears Its Ugly Head," "Time's Up" and "Type." In a review of the show, MTV reported that "the foursome tore into [their set] with the fervor of newcomers."

"It was such an incredible feeling to look across the stage and see Corey standing next to Vernon and Will playing behind them," recalls Wimbish. "You could see that they were having a great time. After all those years, it was good to be able to share a moment like that once again."

In fact, it felt so good they decided to do it again and played a string of sold-out nationwide club dates, while also hitting South America and the European festival circuit.

"It felt a little weird at first," says Reid. "But we started becoming a band again. And based on the reaction we were getting at the shows, it was clear that our audience still cares. Hell, people were coming up to me after gigs and saying we've reaffirmed their faith in music. That's pretty powerful."

Inspired by fan reaction and eager to redefine its focus, the quartet began to write. Fully aware that their long absence required one helluva re-entry vehicle, they took time to craft the material carefully. "We spent a year and a half writing and recording four albums worth of material," laughs Calhoun. "It was a long, drawn-out process, but I think we needed to go through it to make the right record."

The much-anticipated result is CollideØscope (Sanctuary Records), an electrifying testament to the range and depth of Living Colour's artistry. The band's first studio album in ten years sees them staying true to their roots, while keeping their grooves current and hearts open. The songs are edgy, inventive and uncompromising and rank among the influential band's best ever.

"We felt the record really had to say something," says Glover. "Over the years, we've seen a lot of things go down that aren't being addressed and someone needs to talk about that. We had an obligation then and we have an obligation now to speak the truth, and we're never going to be afraid of that."

Looking at the world outside his window, Glover sees an America filled with disillusion, injustice and fear. It's a vista of ruin, its streets littered with broken and abandoned promises and he channels the collective hurt into songs of monolithic power. Like many of us, the seismic repercussions of the September 11th terrorist attacks have forced him to reevaluate his perceptions of good and evil ("Song Without Sin") while avoiding a life of fear ("A ? of When" and "Operation Mind Control"). As Glover tells it, the latter two are flip sides of the same paranoia.

"'A ? of When' refers to 'the high alerts,' he says. "We have been told us time and again, 'it may not happen today, tomorrow, or the day after that, but it'll happen soon and it'll be very severe.' We're being kept in this state of suspended fear. It's been said that you can run a lot of things by people in a state of confusion. That leads to 'Operation Mind Control,' which is about those that go along with it all. It's a gleeful sing-along of paranoia, saying, 'hey, this is fun-let's dance for the surveillance cameras'."

The album's emotional linchpin is the achingly beautiful "Flying," a heart-wrenching tale about a young couple whose tragic end comes sudden and without warning. In a single moment, their dreams are both realized and erased, and no one takes notice of their passing.

"It's a story about a guy who goes to work at the Trade Center on September 11 and decides that today is the day that he's finally going to ask out Carmen, a co-worker," says Glover. "Ironically, they do wind up together, but it's certainly not the way he imagined it. It's the idea of taking this huge, tragic event and boiling it down to its smallest essence, which is that it was about people. There were so many people there that day, going to work, punching time clocks. Who knows how many of them got to realize their dreams on that final day?" As the album spins on, Glover talks pointedly and poignantly about consumerism ("Choices Mash Up; A) Happy Shopper"), anxiety ("Holy Roller") and global environment ("Sacred Ground")against a stunning backdrop of hypnotic grooves, honeyed melodies and speaker-shattering guitars.

Living Colour does a lot of things brilliantly-and they do most of them on CollideØscope, offering an adventurous earful of soulful, raucous rock ("Lost Halo"), reggae/dub ("Nightmare City") and electro-dynamics ("In Your Name"). Among the album's many highlights is the band's blistering version of the AC/DC classic "Back in Black."

"It's a song we've wanted to do for a long time, but it takes an interesting twist with us," laughs Glover. "There are references to having nine lives and lynching with lines like, 'they've got to catch me if they want me to hang.' That definitely takes on new meaning when I sing them."

"On one hand, the idea of Living Colour doing 'Back in Black' is a no-brainer," adds Reid. "But there's an unintended irony that comes into play because of the lyrics. I've heard the song millions of times over the years and the only thing I remember hearing clearly is the chorus. But it turns out there are certain lines in the verses that give our rendition real resonance."

Produced by the band and mixed by Andy Stackpole, CollideØscope also features a devastating cover of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." "We originally planned to do it for a project that never materialized, but it fit perfectly on this record" says Reid. "This song and 'A ? of When' are flipsides of the same coin. On the former, you have fear and loathing, while the latter speaks about the endless coming and going of life and that everything happens for a reason. It's a classic song."

CollideØscope may have taken a year and a half to make, but it arrives just in time and was definitely worth the wait. In an era when there's a cookie-cutter sameness to so many of today's acts, the return of Living Colour recalls a time when bands were praised for their uniqueness and willingness to take music to the edge.

"As an artist, you want to make the right moves and step up the ladder," says Calhoun. "But what does that mean for your integrity and artistry? If going up the ladder means becoming more conservative and corporate, then you can have the ladder. We don't want it. We'll just keep doing our own thing."



link to label: www.sanctuaryrecords.com


cover pic:


[This message was edited Tue Sep 23 12:10:42 PDT 2003 by PFunkjazz]

THIS IS GREAT NEWS! I've always loved this band and their live shows were equally as impressive.

Thanks for the post

Finally !

As time goes on I find myself less impressed with their debut, Vivid. That's not to say there aren't any songs on it I don't like, it's just that overall it doesn't stick to my ribs like it did in the late '80s. Time's Up was much more impressive to me. I go back to that one a lot more. But since that album I never bought another Living Colour album. I re-purchased the Vivid reissue recently, and as far as I know Time's Up has yet to be remastered. And having said that, I'll always look forward to LV's next work.

Btw, nice to see you Pfunk.

ps, whatever happened to Muzz Skillings?

excellent

Supernova said:

I'm the reverse. I'm more impressd with STAIN overall (probably cuz the curent band features Doug Wimbish instead of Muzz). VIVID just popped thru even mo' betta with the reissue; seems they punched the volume leveles up more. TIME'S UP is the one that sounds dated to me (too much hip-hop leanings, I guess, but I'm waiting the reissue).

AS per Muzz, I can't find him nowheres. He had a band called MEDICINE STICk, but I've never seen it booked.

Next on the reunion front is 24-7 Spyz and I haxe a really great bit of PFUNK news to put up later tonight.

SN: I'm always around. Just very uninterested in anything Prince is doing. So I've lurked in the dark hallways. You heard about MeShell doing the tour with SOULIVE in LA and Anaheim? That's next month. Plus there's a PRIMUS. You dig Les Claypool?

Their STAIN CD is a great favorite of mine......I am so glad they're back, I'm so ready for this...


Thanks PFunkjazz...(Hi. )

PFunkjazz said:

Ahh, you can't get with Queen Latifah's cameo, eh? What about "Funny Vibe" on Vivid? It's got Chuck D. and Flava Flav, though I admit, their roles aren't as big as Latifah's on the second album.


More PFunk remasters??? Speaking of time going by: as time goes my appreciation for Bernie Worrell grows. He's just so all-around damn good. I'm rediscovering him, and discovering some of his playing that I missed out on before. Piano was the very first instrument I took up, but for some reason I started paying attention to Bootsy's playing more than anyone else's...things are shifting for me a bit.


Uninterested in his Herbie-esque "East" and "West"?


I knew she was coming to SoCal soon, but I didn't know it was with another group. Yep, I dig some of Claypool's stuff. Is Primus touring too, or do they have a new release on schedule, both?

ps, I couldn't get with Gov't Mule. But their version of "What Is Hip" was tolerable.

Supernova said:[quote]

PFunkjazz said:

No, you misunderstand me. I thought TU was perfectly fine in its day. I still like it, but I sense a more obvious attempt to make something "new" than with the debut. I may retract this when the remaster comes out...whenever that is.





Some corporate scum is actually set to reissue their stuff again, but
that ain't the news. I think it's WARNERS!






I actually haven't heard it. Your description makes it sound like 3rd generation fusion-drivel. Largely, the luster fell off TRC and ONA was pretty much disposable until the 3rd disc. I go thru these periods with Prince where it's just too much work being one of his fans, so I jusit back off for a while.





It's actually a joint-tour. MeShell's the opener on all the stops. PRIMUS is rolling to WILTERN 10/17 and 10/18 Fri seems sold out but Sat has a few tix available. www.primussucks.com





Really? I found "WIH?" to be one of his least convincing covers. I'm really big on Warren Haynes. Plenty of parallels between him and Prince with his prolific composing, but you've got to be into Southern rock and blues to dig him. He's also leading the Allman Brothers Band. Their release Hittin' The Note is total killer and they sound great! Just saw 'em down in San Diego last weekend! Great set!

I dug Living Color's Sound More after there 2nd Album."Times Up" was My Album by them.Corey Glover should have Been Bigger IMHO. thanks for the 411.what's up P-Funk? Peace

PFunkjazz said:

Believe me, I understand. His methods of distribution are wack, you have to hunt for his latest release if you really want it. It can be a hassle. Fortunately I'm not one of those fans who has to have his latest recording the millisecond it's available, so I've never depended on his club for anything. Nobody but us freaks even knows Prince still releases music.

There are parts of his latest album that reminds me of early '70s Herbie. But yeah, Prince is still one of those artists who can go from an insomnia-curing track ("North") to some of the most compelling music he's done in a while ("East" and "West").




Oh, it's not that I like the cover so much that I kept the cd

I don't know, I'm not that familiar with GM's output as a whole. I do like some of the original Allman Bros. work though.

Finally! Some exciting news to read about! Thanks pfunkjazz. I'm glad I logged on today, I've almost given up on this site, it was getting quite boring. Thanks again pfunkjazz.

If you do not like LC then you are an idiot.

King Crimson/LivingColour in NY
Tue Sep 23 2003 2:56:08 pm
161.149.63.107


BUD LIGHT CONCERT SERIES
KING CRIMSON
LIVING COLOUR
BEACON THTR/BDWY @ 74TH
NO AUDIO/VIDEO/CAMERAS

Internet Onsale Info
Onsale to General Public:
Fri, 09/26/03, 10:00am
Doors open 7:00PM

On sale September 26, 2003 - 10:00AM
Reserved : $ 38.50
Reserved : $ 53.50
Reserved : $ 78.50

SAT NOV 15, 2003 8:00PM
King Crimson
Beacon Theatre, New York, NY

S'Funny. SoCal gets a show of just LC, the Sunday prior.
Be nice to check out KING CRIIMSON and all, but I'm happy.
ALso these tix are $25 GA and they'll play SoCAl again later in Nov.

US Tour:


Date City/State Venue
11/09/03 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House www.thecoachhouse.com
11/25/03 Sunset Strip, CA House Of Blues www.hob.com/sunsetstrip

UPDATED LIVIING COLOUR FALL TOUR SCHED!!!



LIVING COLOUR live Performance in City Hall Park at 5:00 pm. Followed
by In-Store Signing at J&R Pop Store, 23 Park Row.

(City Hall Park is located between Park Row & Broadway, south of
Chambers Street)

Living Colour Fall 2003 US Tour Dates

Wed 11/05/03 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium (with King Crimson)

Sat 11/08/03 - Chicago, IL @ Park West (with King Crimson)

Sun 11/09/03 - Chicago, IL @ Park West (with King Crimson)

Sat 11/15/03 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre (with King Crimson)

Sun 11/23/03 - San Juan Capistrano, CA @ Coach House

Tue 11/25/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Demo Facility

Tue 11/25/03 - Sunset Strip, CA @ House Of Blues

Wed 11/26/03 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

Notes: As I can surmise the "(with King Crimson)" tag means LC open and will do up to a 1 hr set. The remaining LA and Portland dates and theirs as headliners.

Info on the in-store freebie:
ADDRESS
Park Row, New York, NY 10038 (across from City Hall Park)
Phone: (212) 238-9000

I loved the first CD, but after listening to it nonstop for a year, I was bored. The second one was a fantastic progression and the songs are all solid. Stain sounded like they were pushing the envelope too hard - writing off kilter shit just to be off kilter.

So, looking back I'd have to say the best one was PRIDE!! Altho Bisquits had that bitchin "Money Talks"! HO LAWD!

I went to their site and watched the live video and, I HATE to say this, but it sounded weak and tired... I'm guessing they'd been touring awhile and it was just NOT the best performance, but when Corey's leaning on the mic stand and just kind of wiggling around to the heavier shit, I wonder if they're a band that should have stayed in the 90s?

Don't get me wrong - MAD love to the band. But - it's some tired metal shit now, not much different than any other big-hair-rehash tour right now.

I absolutely love this band, particularly when they first came out... it was such a different sound to everything else going on around that era. I was a moth to the flame.

Here's hoping you're wrong Otan. I would hate them to become just another band that should've quit while they were ahead (and still had the mystique of being thought of as a great band that potentilly had never really hit it's high... rather than a bunch of tired old has beens).

I doubt it'll ever get that dire though. There's far too much talent in Living Colour for them to embarass themselves and skulk off into oblivion.

otan said:

Glad to give you a chance to voice your opinion, despite it being "off kilter shit just to be off kilter". I've seen them 5 times post break-up and they're really sounding better than ever before.

I'm not really into viewing online concerts, so I don't know which set you saw, but these guys are working at it the old-fashioned way. Play live and get the fans to come to you. Hopefully, you'll get their new stuff and check 'em out.

Oh I'll DEFINITELY be checking them out! They had a major impact on my songwriting and playing!

8 days, you new jacks. Get your shit together, school's back in.

they blew the roof off The Garage in London last week. they were so hot, that Doug Wimbush was sweating from his dayum wrist! i ain't ever seen anyone sweat from the wrist. the shit was pouring offa him.