Idolator
Time for another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we raid our archives in search of a lost gem.
Artist: Living Colour
Album: Time's Up, 1990
What happened: Long before the New York Times discovered that black people like rock and roll, New York's Living Colour had a left-field hit with 1988's Vivid, a thrash-funk-metal hybrid that yielded three hit singles. Two years later, though, the overstuffed, overly experimental Time's Up failed to reach its predecessor's chart success, despite eventually winning a Grammy. And so, like so many other C-S-W entries, it can now be found for 1/100th of a dollar on Amazon.
Why it should have been a hit: There's no doubting that Time's Up is messy, with far too many cameos (Little Richard, Queen Latifah) and a few tracks that could have been cut down by a minute or three. But its sprawl is part of the appeal: How many other albums include the phrase "abstract expressionism" in its lead single, or close with a Zeppelin-heavy feel-good anthem that's actually kind of a downer?
Living Colour - Type [MP3, link removed]
Living Colour - Solace Of You [MP3, link removed]
Living Colour - This Is The Life [MP3, link removed]
Comments
Shucks, "Solace of You," combined with those yellow Sony Walkmen, is the reason that I have tinnitus today.
this is actually the first album i ever bought on that crazy new format called compact disc. if nothing else it was a fantastic gateway drug. go figure.
Put the whole damn thing online; I have this on a bloody cassette. (I was a late CD adopter, what can I say?)
Ha. This was my second CD, and my first used CD, purchased for $5 at a flea market. I wore it out, especially "This is The Life".
everything that goes around...comes around.
Great record...its too bad they didnt reach the level of success they deserved...STAIN is a great record too...
I'm on this tip, too - just pulled Time's Up off the shelf about a month ago. I know it's a little gimmicky, but I still enjoy "Love Rears Its Ugly Head."
Made the debut seem really thin and gimmicky in comparison. Even though Time's Up wasn't as big of a hit. Great disc...easily Living Colour's crowning moment.
One of my all-time faves. Excellent in every way and, therefore less appealing to the MTV generation. "This is the Life" rawks!
God, did I love this band. For me Vivid was the first time I really connected with an album. I bought Time's Up the first day it was on sale -first time I'd ever done that- and Stain was the last cassette I ever spent money on.
Living Colour was a solid reminder to the rock world that there was a Jimi Hendrix, a Funkadelic, and a Chuck Berry.
I did love the title track as well but thank you for reintroducing me to my high school friend, "Solace of You."
check out the biscuits EP, s'got a "memories can't wait" cover, live, way before liking talking heads again was cool, AND a positively sickenning cover of "burning of the midnight lamp."
Another shout out for 'Solace', what a lovely song. Thank you.
I'm to this column way late, but you guys could've at least mentioned that Living Colour is back together, recording and touring.
Their last release, Collideoscope, was fantastic.
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