Living Colour

Recorded at New York's hallowed CBGB's club on December 19, 1989, this captures Living Colour between the release of their first and second albums. Surprisingly, perhaps, there are just four songs from the debut, joined by a half-dozen that had yet to be released on their sophomore outing. Most valuably for committed fans, there's also a cover of Bad Brains' "Sailin' On" (which Living Colour did record for an early-'90s various-artists compilation) and two Vernon Reid originals that make their first official appearance here, "Soldiers Blues" and "Little Lies." It falls more in the souvenir-for-completists category than something that casts a new light on the band. But it does ably document their live fusions of hard rock (sometimes verging on heavy metal) with some funk, thrash, occasional Latin rhythms, and the very occasional more straightforward singer/songwriter moves, with decent sound. Of the two songs that make their debut here, "Little Lies" is an uncharacteristic (within the parameters of this specific set, anyway) introspective ballad that begins with a drumless arrangement before boiling over into a tenser section with the full band, while Reid's Jimi Hendrix blues-rock influence comes to the forefront on the anti-war "Soldiers Blues." Although this CD was not released to traditional retail outlets until January 11, 2005, it was available online (from LiveFromTheVaults.com) starting on October 19, 2004. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide