Living Colour-Time's Up

[andruca]

I love Vivid, Time's up and Stain. My fave is Time's up too, but the other 2 are real close. Unfortunately, starting with Stain, the sound of the band (and mostly guitars) took a path I don't enjoy much (Collideoscope sounds like crap, sorry). Corey Glover is one of the most impressing singers I've watched live, a prodigy.

 

[josephbass86]

One thing I've wondered about Time's Up is which songs Muzz used a fretless on, if any? I know he used one on Vivid ("Broken Hearts").
"Under The Cover Of Darkness" sorta sounds fretless with some of the slides but I'm not sure.
Maybe someone here has a better know how on what gear he used for the tracks?

 

[josephbass86]

I love Vivid, Time's up and Stain. My fave is Time's up too, but the other 2 are real close. Unfortunately, starting with Stain, the sound of the band (and mostly guitars) took a path I don't enjoy much (Collideoscope sounds like crap, sorry). Corey Glover is one of the most impressing singers I've watched live, a prodigy.

That's one of my main complaints with Stained and all their work following, they ditched the variety they had done earlier and stuck to a more guitar heavy rock/metal sound which i found unappealing.

Time's Up covers a lot of ground genre wise (thrash, funk, RnB, calaypso, prog, pop-rock, avant-garde, etc.) and Vivid was pretty diverse too. The variety of styles and the authority and attitude they had in doing them was one of the things I enjoyed the most about them and what separated them from a lot of the cookie cutter rock bands out there.

 

[Cuzzie]

So many good comments here and the best thing about LC is no album is wrong, it’s which one is more right for you!

Totally have to saw Muzz is what really made LC, he is a phenomenal musician, and it’s no slant to DW - but it’s like Bob Beaman and Carl Lewis head to head long jumping.

The comment about Afro-American rock Players is very relevant, it’s raw and soulful all at the same time With its own energy, but also I have to say I think it has played a part with bands like them and Kings X, Bad Brains not being as big as they should have been.

Anyway, back to the album - it’s landmark, saw them last year on their tour where they played all of Time’s up - DW was the best I have seen, less flashy than usual and the music benefitted.
Vernon - was vernon!
Corey was phenomenal vocally, he is up there with Chris Cornell, Lane Staley, Glenn Hughes, dUg Pinnick as all time best rock vocalists.

WC on the drums - that man is a beast.

Great thread

 

[dkelley]

One thing I've wondered about Time's Up is which songs Muzz used a fretless on, if any? I know he used one on Vivid ("Broken Hearts").
"Under The Cover Of Darkness" sorta sounds fretless with some of the slides but I'm not sure.
Maybe someone here has a better know how on what gear he used for the tracks?

Good question! I don't recall even in the slightest about that... he was a HELL of a fretless player though, to the point where you couldn't tell often which he was playing.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I dove a little deeper and found some gems. I never realized "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" was on that album. I've actually played it in a band. I might have sang it. I was easily able to sing it word for word yesterday. But that was a long time ago so I don't recall.

But the album as a whole is still a big "meh" for me.

Ha, yes. I’ve vague recollections of playing this tune. “Solace Of You” was the other goody. Such an awesome guitar hook

 

[Bob_Ross]

One thing I've wondered about Time's Up is which songs Muzz used a fretless on, if any?

I vaguely recall a Bass Player Magazine interview/article w/ Muzz Skillings shortly after Time's Up was released where they documented all the basses he used. Don't remember the details, but there are definitely fretless instruments on some of them. All 5-strings iirc.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I vaguely recall a Bass Player Magazine interview/article w/ Muzz Skillings shortly after Time's Up was released where they documented all the basses he used. Don't remember the details, but there are definitely fretless instruments on some of them. All 5-strings iirc.

...etc.
Bass Player Jan/Feb 1991. First issue I ever bought!

 

[garrett77]

I’ve been using some of this COVID work from home time to work on “This Is the Life”.

May/June 1991 Bass Player: Muzz was on the cover.

 

[tubedude]

Always loved Love Rears Its Ugly Head. Vernon's guitar beginning of Fight the Fight is brilliant. And when those drums kick in! Who doesn't want to play with that groove.
In the '90's I passed on a free ticket to see the Stones at Clemson. Not a big fan. After a friend came back to brag about the show I found out Living Color opened for them. I was sick about missing them. Later I saw footage from the show where no one was listening and the band was killing it. Cory was bitchin to the band that it was like a sound check. Wish I'd been there, I'd have cheered from the pit.

 

[josephbass86]

I’ve been using some of this COVID work from home time to work on “This Is the Life”.

May/June 1991 Bass Player: Muzz was on the cover.

View attachment 3961719View attachment 3961718

Ah man, I wish I could read that whole article. I love Muzz's playing style and would love to get any/all info on his gear, technique, influences, etc. It's hard finding any of that stuff on the web.

Has anyone heard Muzz's band after LC called Medicine Stick? I know he played guitar and sang in that group and someone else was playing bass but that's all I know.
Finding any info and/or recordings of them has been hard to come by.

 

[garrett77]

Ah man, I wish I could read that whole article. I love Muzz's playing style and would love to get any/all info on his gear, technique, influences, etc. It's hard finding any of that stuff on the web

Send me a DM and I’ll send you a PDF of the full article.

 

[garrett77]

Here's a link to the cover article and an Eventide article in the same issue. Muzz has comments about the Eventide.

Bass files.

 

[Hummergeist]

Here's a link to the cover article and an Eventide article in the same issue. Muzz has comments about the Eventide.

Bass files.

Hey, thanks for sharing that - I'll have to warm up my H9 now!

 

[josephbass86]

Here's a link to the cover article and an Eventide article in the same issue. Muzz has comments about the Eventide.

Bass files.

Thanks so much! It's so cool to finally get some info on Muzz after all these years.

Coincidentally, it turns out that today is the 30th year anniversary of Time's Up release, it's amazing that 30 years have passed and these songs/lyrics still hold up!

 

[garrett77]

Coincidentally, it turns out that today is the 30th year anniversary of Time's Up release, it's amazing that 30 years have passed and these songs/lyrics still hold up!

Holy moly that's weird. Yes, I agree.

 

[JimK]

I vaguely recall a Bass Player Magazine interview/article w/ Muzz Skillings shortly after Time's Up was released where they documented all the basses he used. Don't remember the details, but there are definitely fretless instruments on some of them. All 5-strings iirc.

Muzz was a very, very early cover on Bass Player mag...

Vivid for me. Time's Up is very close. More of an Avant-Rock album than their debut. Love them both!

 

[Rich Fiscus]

One of my favorite things about Living Colour is that they challenge me, as a listener, on every album. I was 18 when Vivid came out, and it broadened my musical perspective literally the first time I heard it. I bought Time’s Up a couple days after it was released and was hoping for a similar musical epiphany, which didn’t happen. After hearing most of my favorite songs from the album played to death on the radio, I put it away until Biscuits came out.

After listening to Biscuits a few times, I decided to give Time’s Up another listen, and it ended up becoming my favorite Living Colour album, and one of my favorite albums period. The difference was that I really sat down and listened to the last half of it.

Ology was always a favorite, of course, because Muzz is amazing, but Under Cover of Darkness is also amazing, and Solace Of You is just plain beautiful. Following that with This Is The Life to end the album is an interesting decision. It’s not the big show stopper you might expect, but when it fades out at the end it feels just right.

It’s interesting to see how many people prefer Stain. As much as I love the songs, as an album I find it almost oppressive to listen to. You can tell they weren’t in a good place just from song titles like Go Away, Mind Your Own Business, Never Satisfied, and Nothingness. They’re all good songs. After Solace Of You, Nothingness is probably my favorite Living Colour song, but I can’t listen to the album from beginning to end in 1 sitting.

 

[friskinator]

Always loved Love Rears Its Ugly Head. Vernon's guitar beginning of Fight the Fight is brilliant. And when those drums kick in! Who doesn't want to play with that groove.
In the '90's I passed on a free ticket to see the Stones at Clemson. Not a big fan. After a friend came back to brag about the show I found out Living Color opened for them. I was sick about missing them. Later I saw footage from the show where no one was listening and the band was killing it. Cory was bitchin to the band that it was like a sound check. Wish I'd been there, I'd have cheered from the pit.

Weird - I was at that show! I was maybe 15 or 16 and my dad took me. We got last minute tickets and got there late, but I caught maybe the last 20 mins of LC's set. We were in the nosebleeds, but I was ecstatic to finally see them in person. I didn't care about the Stones at the time, but I know Mick was a huge LC fan and a big supporter in their early days.

 

[Michedelic]

How many bands sounded like LC at the time those albums were released? That's how awesome they are. I love both albums. Only ever matched by Kings X.

Is it the afro-american DNA that causes these bands to have such fantastic groove in their music going on? Am also a big fan of Eric Gales right now. Stuff that makes your head nod or feet tap and just make you feel good. Totally love it.

There was another NYC quartet, 24-7 Spyz, that formed a couple of years after LC got together, but it was a while before both bands got to record; the Spyz, taking a lot from Fishbone, finally broke through with a cover of Kool and the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” in early ‘89...

I saw them in a New York ballroom later that summer, and also LC that year, opening for the Stones, and while the Spyz were a solid band, Vernon and company had the edge as they were able to translate their club act to the arena stage. But even before that, I saw Reid in Ronald Shannon Jackson’s intense fusion outfit(with the amazing Melvin Gibbs on bass)...

..and again years later...

Then Jackson, Gibbs, and guitarist Bill Frisell had the Crimson-ish Power Tools...

That all might be more jazzy than what you’re looking for, but if not, there’s always Sonny Sharrock...


But before all of that(with the exception if Sharrock), there was Death...