An amazing performance of their smash hit "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1989. To say Arsenio was a little excited after they rocked the house would be an understatement. Check it out!
RANDOM THOUGHTS - All four band members played great in this appearance. The lead singer is full of energy, the back-up vocals are spot on, and time signature changes are handled with ease. The musicianship is top-notch, tight, tremendous. But we can't go too long without mentioning guitarist Vernon Reid. He put on a shred clinic and we're all lucky enough to be witnesses. One of the most respected guitarists in the business, Reid showcased his incredible sonic talents here for a national TV audience. He does not disappoint!
0:09 - The signature guitar riff. One of the best guitar riffs of all time, I'd say. It's syncopated and kind of herky-jerky, but Reid makes it look easy. The bass player, awesomely-named Muzz Skillings, doubles the riff, which is very cool. Muzz ranks up there with Duff (Guns N Roses) for top bass player name honors.
0:27 - First of all, the distortion Reid uses for his guitar tone is just unbelievable. I'm not sure what pedal(s) he's using, but it sounds fucking awesome. For all you gear-heads out there, it appears to be a Hamer played through Crate amps. Power chords cut through the air like a chainsaw. Killer tone!
0:40 - Super-strong voice from lead singer Corey Glover on this one, proving that he can belt it out live. One of the more impressive live vocal performances I've seen. The fact he's wearing an orange tank top tucked into bicycle shorts is either awesome, or it's really awesome. I can't decide which.
1:31 to 1:41 - Vernon Reid fills ten seconds with about 4000 notes before closing with a spiraling whammy-bar dive-bomb. After it's over, you wonder, "What the hell just happened?" and "Why is my face melted?"
1:50 - Glover decides to escalate this performance from Very Good to Very Memorable by going into the crowd. It instantly takes the song to a different level because crowd behavior is an unknown element and band interaction this intimate is rare. Not only is the music great here, but the stage show is too.
2:12 - What's up with some people in the audience not even cheering or clapping as Glover makes his way through the crowd? This is a rock concert! Put your hands together and make some damn noise! Some folks are just sitting there like they're watching a boring school play or something. Those folks are lame and arguably dead inside. Kudos to the sane people in the crowd who were clapping and rocking out. That's how you should behave when a hard rock band has it cranked to 11 and the lead singer is right in front of you!
2:39 - Corey Glover picks out the only girl on the planet who apparently doesn't want to touch the lead singer of a rock band and sings to her. Usually, chicks will tear at the guy's hair and clothes until security drags them away, but in this case the girl clammed up. I don't get it. Granted, the lyrics are not exactly romantic, but still...
The Guitar Solo (2:55 - 3:45) - After a few seconds of revving up, Vernon Reid puts his foot on the accelerator when the solo kicks in at 2:55 and pretty much doesn't let up for the next 50 seconds, and unless the song is "Freebird", 50-seconds is a damn long time for a guy to solo in a rock song! The band rips through an entire verse-chorus progression, plus a few extra bars for good measure, as Reid melts some more faces over the top.
On a side note, the camera work is great throughout the song and especially during the guitar solo. They get some real nice close-ups of Reid creating musical chaos on his Hamer, and there's some cool shots from behind the drum kit. Good stuff.
3:14 - Reid has a look on his face that seems to say, "I could noodle like this all day. Maybe I'll play some tricky whammy bar pull-off stuff that most guitarists are too scared to try..."
3:26 - Reid grabs the bar and plays some tricky whammy bar pull-off stuff that most guitarists are too scared to try... and sounds good doing it.
3:35 - Things get kicked up a notch with some synchronized jump-stepping from the singer and bass player. This is key to any good live show and I hope all bands realize this. While the lead guitarist is soloing in the spotlight, the guys in the background still have a show to put on! Living Colour covers all the bases on this one. I can't say enough about what a great all-around performance this is.
3:41 - The guitar solo closes with some Van Halen-style two-hand tapping before a whammy-bar divebomb, a big fat G-chord, and then slamming right back into the main riff. Completely nails it. A-plus-plus. Melted faces everywhere. That, my friends, is how it's done!
4:45 - Arsenio Hall expresses enjoyment! By the way, uncontrollable exuberance is the proper reaction to this legendary performance. It was loud, it was spontaneous, it was great. As far as late night musical acts go, it doesn't get any better than this. Awesome clip!
Living Colour - Cult Of Personality - Live on Arsenio Hall
RANDOM THOUGHTS - All four band members played great in this appearance. The lead singer is full of energy, the back-up vocals are spot on, and time signature changes are handled with ease. The musicianship is top-notch, tight, tremendous. But we can't go too long without mentioning guitarist Vernon Reid. He put on a shred clinic and we're all lucky enough to be witnesses. One of the most respected guitarists in the business, Reid showcased his incredible sonic talents here for a national TV audience. He does not disappoint!
0:09 - The signature guitar riff. One of the best guitar riffs of all time, I'd say. It's syncopated and kind of herky-jerky, but Reid makes it look easy. The bass player, awesomely-named Muzz Skillings, doubles the riff, which is very cool. Muzz ranks up there with Duff (Guns N Roses) for top bass player name honors.
0:27 - First of all, the distortion Reid uses for his guitar tone is just unbelievable. I'm not sure what pedal(s) he's using, but it sounds fucking awesome. For all you gear-heads out there, it appears to be a Hamer played through Crate amps. Power chords cut through the air like a chainsaw. Killer tone!
0:40 - Super-strong voice from lead singer Corey Glover on this one, proving that he can belt it out live. One of the more impressive live vocal performances I've seen. The fact he's wearing an orange tank top tucked into bicycle shorts is either awesome, or it's really awesome. I can't decide which.
1:31 to 1:41 - Vernon Reid fills ten seconds with about 4000 notes before closing with a spiraling whammy-bar dive-bomb. After it's over, you wonder, "What the hell just happened?" and "Why is my face melted?"
1:50 - Glover decides to escalate this performance from Very Good to Very Memorable by going into the crowd. It instantly takes the song to a different level because crowd behavior is an unknown element and band interaction this intimate is rare. Not only is the music great here, but the stage show is too.
2:12 - What's up with some people in the audience not even cheering or clapping as Glover makes his way through the crowd? This is a rock concert! Put your hands together and make some damn noise! Some folks are just sitting there like they're watching a boring school play or something. Those folks are lame and arguably dead inside. Kudos to the sane people in the crowd who were clapping and rocking out. That's how you should behave when a hard rock band has it cranked to 11 and the lead singer is right in front of you!
2:39 - Corey Glover picks out the only girl on the planet who apparently doesn't want to touch the lead singer of a rock band and sings to her. Usually, chicks will tear at the guy's hair and clothes until security drags them away, but in this case the girl clammed up. I don't get it. Granted, the lyrics are not exactly romantic, but still...
The Guitar Solo (2:55 - 3:45) - After a few seconds of revving up, Vernon Reid puts his foot on the accelerator when the solo kicks in at 2:55 and pretty much doesn't let up for the next 50 seconds, and unless the song is "Freebird", 50-seconds is a damn long time for a guy to solo in a rock song! The band rips through an entire verse-chorus progression, plus a few extra bars for good measure, as Reid melts some more faces over the top.
On a side note, the camera work is great throughout the song and especially during the guitar solo. They get some real nice close-ups of Reid creating musical chaos on his Hamer, and there's some cool shots from behind the drum kit. Good stuff.
3:14 - Reid has a look on his face that seems to say, "I could noodle like this all day. Maybe I'll play some tricky whammy bar pull-off stuff that most guitarists are too scared to try..."
3:26 - Reid grabs the bar and plays some tricky whammy bar pull-off stuff that most guitarists are too scared to try... and sounds good doing it.
3:35 - Things get kicked up a notch with some synchronized jump-stepping from the singer and bass player. This is key to any good live show and I hope all bands realize this. While the lead guitarist is soloing in the spotlight, the guys in the background still have a show to put on! Living Colour covers all the bases on this one. I can't say enough about what a great all-around performance this is.
3:41 - The guitar solo closes with some Van Halen-style two-hand tapping before a whammy-bar divebomb, a big fat G-chord, and then slamming right back into the main riff. Completely nails it. A-plus-plus. Melted faces everywhere. That, my friends, is how it's done!
4:45 - Arsenio Hall expresses enjoyment! By the way, uncontrollable exuberance is the proper reaction to this legendary performance. It was loud, it was spontaneous, it was great. As far as late night musical acts go, it doesn't get any better than this. Awesome clip!
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