New York City-based rock band, Living Colour, recently released a gut-wrenching video to a live recording for their 1990 track “This Is The Life” off their sophomore album, Time’s Up. As previously reported on Brooklyn Vegan, “Living Colour have put out a new video for a live recording of ‘This Is The Life’ off 1990’s Time’s Up (which turns 30 this August), and the new video splices together performance footage of the band with footage of police brutality and footage of recent protests.”
Viewed as trailblazing figures in funk metal, Living Colour was an amalgamation of different styles of rock music, infusing heavy metal, punk, jazz, alternative rock and hip hop. Living Colour, formed in the mid-1980s, rose to prominence with the release of their 1988 debut album, Vivid, which featured their Grammy Winning single, “Cult of Personality.” From their the collective released a total of five more full length studio albums: their 1990 sophomore follow-up Time’s Up, 1993’s Stain, 2003’s Collideøscope, 2009’s The Chair in the Doorway and 2017’s Shade. Living Colour’s current touring line-up consists of Corey Glover (lead vocals and occasional rhythm guitar/tambourine), Vernon Reid (lead guitar, back vocals and programing/guitar synthesizer), Will Calhoun (drums/back vocals) and Doug Wimbish (bass/backing vocals).
The latest live music video for “This Is The Life” aptly coveys the current social climate, being as divisive and contentious as it is. The video inserts protests footage worldwide starting with scenes in New York and Los Angeles of police squad cars proceeding to drive into a crowd of protestors congregating in the middle of the street. Similarly in Houston, Texas authorities on horseback pressing on amidst a crowd of protestors. Pennsylvania, Washington DC and various other parts of the world are depicted showing the ongoing uphill struggle. The video highlights the turbulent and tumultuous public perceptions of law enforcement, but also provides levity with civil discourse and mutual respect between protestors and the police in some instances towards the end of the video. Speaking collectively on their recent release of the music video for the live performance of “This Is The Life”, Living Colour has this to say:
Times Up was released 30 years ago and sadly we’re still fighting the same fight…
If you don’t like the current agenda, it’s your responsibility to go out an VOTE!
(Thanks Mike+Dave)
Living Colour is said to be working on an EP and/or seventh full length follow up album to 2017’s, Shade. To watch Living Colour’s “This Is The Life 2020” stream below, via YouTube.
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