Cult of Personality by Living Colour is a Song for Our Times
Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality” went to #13 in 1988, inspired in part by the media-savvy actor-turned president, Ronald Reagan. The band drew notoriety for their melding of heavy metal and funk with a timely reference to heavy-handed leadership and their Day-Glo look– plus the fact that they were a boundary-busting Black metal band. The song, about a leader’s manipulation of facts and media for their own glorification while building an unquestioning cult-like following, seems particularly relevant today given today’s political climate.
Here’s the official video:
The SNL clip is hard to find, here they are on Arsenio:
Living Colour opened for The Rolling Stones’ 1989 Steel Wheels tour!
Lead singer Corey Glover was noted for wearing Body Glove wetsuits on stage, elevating the small surf brand. Body Glove’s neon neoprene designs enjoyed a cult following in the late 80s as evidenced in this LA Times article. Milli Vanilli were also fans of the spandex & suit jacket look ( spandex had a big ol’ moment in the ’80s.)
The band Living Colour weren’t thrilled when Fox’s sketch comedy show In Living Color launched with a similar name and logo.
Corrections Corner:
There actually are a lot of great bands and artists from Cleveland (and the rest of Ohio), despite our recent brain lapse. For starters how about gigantic star, Trent Reznor. The NIN frontman grew up in Western PA and moved to Cleveland (the big city!) after high school to start his music career.
Marilyn Manson (Brian Warner) is from Canton:
The indomitable Tracy Chapman is a Clevelander, too!
Cleveland native Eric Carmen wrote this masterpiece (with Rachmaninoff’s help) and we thank him daily for it, especially in these quarantimes.
If you learn nothing else from this episode, it’s this:
Always listen to Lester Bangs.
Recommendations!
Watch: Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band
Listen: Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston
Watch: OG Rock Nerd Lester Bangs dishes his rock opinions
Read: About how Parisians fared without their cafes
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