Living Colour: Extended Versions

If you're looking at this, you're probably a pretty big Living Colour fan. They've had their fair share of junky label-created compilations and you might be thinking this is one of them. I'm very happy to report that this is NOT a compilation. It's a single show from The Ritz in New York, April 22, 1989. Some of these songs were released on various singles from the time as b-sides and a few were on the equally fantastic longer version of the Biscuits EP that was released only in Japan, but only here can you get the full set. Unless you're a collector and just need all those singles, this is the best and cheapest way to collect those songs (and you still get more than you could find on the singles.)

These "Extended Versions" cd titles are available for a lot of bands, mostly hard rock/classic rock artists (Yes, 38 Special, Triumph, Billy Squier, etc.) and usually at a discounted price. Unfortunately though they have a bad rap for taking previously released live performances and repackaging them with zero liner notes, packaging, etc. Little info is available to the consumer about where these "extended, live" versions come from, making it risky for fans to buy. Too often (from other reviews I've read), fans pay the price and end up re-purchasing music they actually already owned.Well, I'm pleased to say that's not the case here! I'm a huge Living Colour fan and have all their albums (studio, live, EP's, compilations) along with all the cd-singles, b-sides, etc. Being such a fan, I gambled on this title and was rewarded with several live performances I'd not heard on this 46+ minute disc of quality sounding Living Colour captured on stage at NYC's "The Ritz" on 4-22-89.Here's the track listing:01 - Cult of Personality02 - Open Letter (to a landlord)03 - Middle Man04 - Glamour Boys05 - Which Way To America?06 - Money Talks07 - The Ocean08 - Salin' On09 - What's Your Favorite Color?10 - Talkin' 'Bout A RevolutionWhat struck me first is the sound quality, which is superb! Next, I was very pleasanlty surprised at the track listing. The usual suspects are here including all the "hits" from their 1988 debut (Cult of Personality, Glamour Boys, Open Letter) and Living Colour gives them the usual energy boost they do with all their material on stage.To my knowledge, I know three of these tracks have been previously released on cd singles or other compiliations: The Ocean, Sailin' On and Talkin Bout A Revolution, and all three are covers by Led Zep, Bad Brains and Tracy Chapman respectively. These tracks do a great job of highlighting an under-appreciated facet of this great band, which is their ability to interpret material by other bands/artists (they've also covered the likes of Hendrix, Prince, James Brown and Talking Heads). But these previously released live covers sound better here than on previous releases, so it's worth having them again on this disc.What I hadn't heard performed live before was the 1990 out-take track "Money Talks". The studio version of this was recorded for their 1990 "Time's Up" album but not included when it was released. That studio version later surfaced on the 1991 EP "Biscuits". It's an incendiary tune both lyrically and musically and it's even moreso here in this ripping live version. The other big treat is "Which Way To America?", which is a very under-appreciated track from their debut "Vivid". With everything I have in my Living Colour collection, I did not have a live version of this track, so it's nice to see it on this cd and as with everything else here, it sounds great live (but then Living Colour NEVER disappoints on stage, even to this day!).I would still exercise caution with other "Extended Versions" cd's as they seem to be mostly rehashes that seek to rip off the fans, but thankfully this Living Colour cd isn't one of them. There is next to nothing as far as artwork or liner notes/credits, but the music here is more than worth purchasing. Four stars!What could have made this a 5-star release would be filling the disc out to closer to 80-min. Surely the entire show these performances are pulled from was longer than 47 minutes, but that's all we get. Still, for the money and for what is here, this is a great buy for any Living Colour fan.

I had this show on a cassette tape and I am so glad that I found it out on a cd....Living Colour is an AWESOME live band, and this show was from when they were at their smokin' peak!! This is a definite must for any fan of Corey and the boys.....btw, vernon reid is as good as any of the great guitarists and he is a master on this cd......buy this, you won't be sorry...

Not a fan of the band but I do enjoy their music and the energy of this live set. I highly recommend.

Good album to have even if you aren't a fan. It is good classic 1980's rock! Great one to have in your iPod!

Très bon liveMoi qui ne suis pas fan des lives, celui-là bénéficie d'un très bon son.La basse de Doug Wimbish s'entend vraiment bien. Vernon Reid a un son très percussif et toujours aussi diablement précis. Corey Glover nous fait admirer ses talents de chanteur qui ne se limitent pas aux albums studio. Will Calhoun, toujours aussi bon, bénéficie d'une prise de son remarquable.Concert de 1989 enregistré au Ritz.Liste des titres :Cult of personalityOpen letter (to a landlord)Middle manGlamour boysWhich way to americaMoney talksThe oceanSailin' onWhat's your favorite color ?Talkin'bout a revolution

レコーディングは、1989年4月22日で、デビュー作 Vivid からのシングルカット Cult Of Personality がヒットしているころのライブなので勢いを感じます。メンバーは、ギター Vernon Reid、ボーカル Corey Glover、ベース Muzz Skillings、ドラム Will Calhoun)また、他の Extended Versions と同様音質は非常によいですが、観客の歓声が非常に小さい(少ない)ためライブ感は少なめでが、その分各メンバのテクニックの高さが良く分かります。全10曲中、Vivid からの曲が6曲、アルバムには入っていない曲が1曲とカバー(Led Zeppelin、Bad Brains、Tracy Chapman)が1曲づつ、アルバムには入っていない曲が1曲です。(以下リスト)1. Cult of Personality2. Open Letter (to a Landlord)3. Middle Man4. Glamour Boys5. Which Way To America6. Money Talks7.The Ocean8. Salin' On9. What's Your Favorite Color10.Talkin'Bout a Revolution