Some blogs are just for me

Recently I've been listening to a LOT of Living Colour on my iPod... which isn't really that big a deal I guess because they are one of the most important things to ever happen to me in my life. They are the band that made me first go... "Man! This music thing might actually be a good idea."

This thought came to me relatively late in life. I was like 17 at the time. Before that I was purely TV. In my house TV was like the radio. it was always on. I didn't have time or interest in music. Not that there wasn't music in my house or life. Mostly I remember my mom CRANKING up the X-Mas carols and I remember long car rides listening to AM radio... Stevie Wonder and Jim Croce are the two that immediately come to mind for some reason. I also remember late nights where my mom would make me listen to classical music radio in order to fall asleep, because Boston's Kiss FM (Does every city have a Kiss FM at some point?) was only keeping me awake.

Anyway, recently it's been LOTS 'O Living Colour. I think it has something to do with my show. Living Colour seems to summon up the appropriate level of black rage mixed with intellect and scathing criticism that I need to pull off ending racism in about an hour.

So in honor of the valuable inspiration that Living Colour is giving me, I am supplying my ultimate Living Colour concert set list. (Special Note: I've probably seen Living Colour in concert 10 times... Which is alot for most casual music listeners, but only about a week of shows if you spent the 90's following the Grateful Dead on tour.)

The following list is IN ORDER

1.Cult of Personality (The radio hit... Now featured in Guitar Hero III)
2. Time's Up
3. Pride (This is the song that changed the course of my life.)
4. Never Satisfied
5. Desperate People
6. Type
7. Funny Vibe
8. Information Overload (Rarely played live... Clearly one of their BEST SONGS!)
9. Money Talks (I've only heard this live on a bootleg. If I heard it live I'd better have a change of pants.)
10. Sailin' On (Bad Brains Cover)
11. Go Away
12. Should I Stay or Should I Go? (Clash Cover)

Encore

13. Love & Happiness (Al Green Cover)
14. Tomorrow Never Knows (Beatles Cover)
15. Solace of You
16. Fight The Fight
17. Which Way To America

So there you go. I'm embarrassed to tell you how long that took me. This set is long on the first two albums and short on the last two, probably because those two were soooooo much more important to me. All the covers are songs that Living Colour actually has covered. The only song I chose from their new album is The Beatles cover. That list may not mean much to you, but it makes me happy. Use your own band. Make your own list. Post it here if you want.

Now, I'm off to watch The Live Living Colour DVD that I got from Netflix AGAIN.

This is the song that changed my life. This is a fan made video that is cheesy and excellent at the same time. Bonus points if you find the image of my OTHER favorite band.



P.S. All praises due to Rob Nasatir who introduced me to Living Colour one night via a cassette tape in his parents' car in the parking lot of a record store. I jusrt remember being like, "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

P.P.S. Vernon Reid is the guitarist from Living Colour. He hugged me after a show one time when I told him that he helped me understand what it is to be black.

P.P.P.S When I was 20 (20!) I went to a Living Colour Concert by myself (Thanks, Jason). It was around the time that Eric Clapton's song Tears in Heaven was all over the radio. I made an EXTREMELY crappy T-shirt with fabric paint that said, "Clapton is Pop. Vernon is GOD!" Vernon signed it after the show even though I didn't ask him to. Sweeeeeeeeeet. I don't knwo where that shirt is. Mom, do you know?

P.P.P.P.S. I FULLY believe that one day I will be the producer of a Living Colour Album.

P.P.P.P.P.S. This is live performance from The Arsenio Hall Show. THAT'S RIGHT I SAID THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW!!! Awesome.