Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Nov. 1, 1990, edition 1 / Page 13
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.ONSWGE DTH ' Omnibus Page 3 Thursday November 1, 1990 Vernon's "Reid"ins colorful words of wisdom all like. 'Man, what n n n hen asked why his rock Wii I! band went aainst ttie musical norm of blacks J l playing jazz and soul, l Vernon Reid of Living Colour will almost always scream back "You crazy? Blacks created rock music!" - Reid, the lead guitarist and founder of Living Colour, is now gaining huge critically-acclaimed and commercial success from the group's second album, Time's Up. Blacks playing rock'n'roll are indeed rare, but sentences about today's music that contain both "critically-acclaimed" and "commer cial" in the same breath are almost obsolete. The group, which consists of Reid, lead singer Corey Glover, bassist Muzz Skillings and Will Calhoun on drums, is supposedly the symbol of a new age in music. Along with black groups such as Public Enemy and De La Soul, LivingColour is supposedly the arrival of prophets of pride, rage and talent. How did they get into this situa tion? ... "Man, I don't know," Reid saidjn a recent teleconference interview. "It was like that old saying we were in the right place at the right time, you i ? Tbi Little mm antiUE that were doing the same things we were. A lot of them didn't get a break, although they were very good ... or at least I think so," he said. Reid doesn't refrain from being vocal about the music business. Al though it has been his life, he has also seen the music destroy a lot of talented people across the country. "I really don't like the way the industry grinds people up and uses them," he said. "Look at Curtis Mayfield and James Brown. These guys are important cultural figures. I mean they are important everywhere. "Trust me when I say something like Kick from INXS would not sound the same without these guys. And these are the big guys. Little-known acts get crunched up, and it is really devastating to them." Reid also said he gets unfair criti cism when people talk about his role involving other black rock groups. A lot of people have said his success has made him forget and dismiss other black groups. It s wild because wnen uvmg ri.,- drct ctortpA nnr we were the opening act for Fishbone. Hell, we looked up to those guys. There's no way we could think about not regard ing them as a good rock group. "Lately, I've been trying on the Black Rock Coalition, which is try ing to pull the few black rock groups out there together. It's something that will try to build these guys up before the industry tries to kill 'em." He explained that the Coalition will try to put together a concept album combining works by several black rock bands (Much like the frequeNCy album put together by North Carolina bands.). The album will try to include some educational themes as well as just plain old rock'n'roll. Reid added that when Living Colour rolls through the States on its world tour, the group will try to get local black groups as opening acts to help the local bands garner more publicity. He acknowledged North Carolina's The Veldt as one of the best bands he's heard. "Oh yeah, The Veldt is a hyped band. We heard them a few times and I'm trying to get them in on the Coalition. They're another example A that a lot of the rock UI a gn-ai " nation hasn't heard yet. North Laro- l;n;onc clinnlfl fppl nrivileeed." lllliaiM - f When speaking about North Carolina, one might expect Reid to be reluctant to play in a state fre quently stereotyped as uncultured and redneck. But he completely disagreed with this attitude. "I'm pretty sure we're coming through North Carolina on the tour. We loved North Carolina the few times we've played there. I was sur prised that we had so many fans down there." Playing throughout the world can bestressful,though.WhentheRolling Stones tapped Reid and the band to open for them on their Steel Wheels tour, Reid almost said no. "We were concerned that on such a huge tour we wouldn't be able to devote enough time to the new album. We were also concerned that we'd get burned out somewhere along the way. But when the opportunity comes to play on one of the largest concert tours ever, I guess you don't say no." The group's travels apparently didn't hamper the quality of the new album, as critics have raved about the record all across the country. Fortu nately, the results for Living Colour weren't all that bad. "After the tour, we went to a con cert at the Omni in Atlanta. After we went in, we were all like, 'Man, what a small room.' It was wild because we had played in all these huge stadiums across the world, and even a 20,000 seat center seemed small. It was a weird adjustment, but luckily not a hard one." The group also had to adjust to dealing with the success of the album. "One thing I've most appreciated while I've been with Living Colour is getting that first gold record. Going platinum was shocking, getting a Grammy was great, but gold really meant a lot. Back in the day, the gold record was it! I couldn't believe it when we got it." After achieving so much, what could be next for the group? A new record deal might be in the works, along with collaborations with other big artists, but what about the next album? "The next album is going to be a bit of an experiment," Reid said. "The type of jazz style we had in songs like "Ology" and "Undercover Of Dark ness" might be the main theme. But hardcore stuff like in the beginning of "Time's Up" might be in there, too. Then again Will was talking about involving more rap in the music. And ... well, I guess the truth is I don't know." "We came up with a lot of bands "It s wua oecau wua ,& -- Hit) popsters return as older kids on the block IT T i " ... tunilPhrhev Recently, the Popes have thrust and a stunning literal wit. Thouj 1 manvofitslvncs seem as though they - rvecenuy, v rtucno it'prnmeasortofce The Popes Saturday, November 3, 10 p.m. Charles Marshall Cat's Cradle tickets: $4 "1 ri eY Big Saturday is only a l week away!" Jll Actually, Big Saturday is (j only three days away for the Jk LI Soon-to-be-world-famous Popes. Saturday, Nov. 3, the Popes play the Cat's Cradle, and local parti san crowds, no doubt, will be ready to welcome them back. Many of the Popes' fans have been wondering where these hip popsters have been lately. I found thembanging away Monday afternoon in residential Chapel Hill, in a house aptly called "the Vatican" on their answering machine. "We've really been in a terrible state of disorganization," said John Elderkin, one of the group's pioneers. "We didn't have much of a plan after we put out that first record." After losing bassist Henry Pharr to law school this fall, the newer mem bers, Jim Rumley and Mark Whelan, along with original member Steve Ruppenthal, are supplying newfuel to keep the wheels churning. They have an album in the works, produced by John Plymale of the Sex Police, that they hope to release this winter. In 1988, The Popes graced the North Carolina music scene as one of the most promising young bands to emerge since the Connells. Their 6 song EP, Hi , We're the Popes! , not only landed them steady gigs along the 1 85 corridor, but brought fantastic re views floating in from all across the country Billboard and CMJ are just a couple of the bigger publications that lent an appreciative ear. Looking back, Elderkin said he wished they could have put out a follow-up last year. But the Popes were hoping their glowing reviews and regional successes would help them land a contract. Unfortunately, the band soon learned about the frustrations and politics inherent in the record industry, and most of their high hopes gradually fell through. "We've got a Wall of Shame over there," the members of the band said, pointing to a display of coming-up-short and apologetic rejections from hosts of record companies. Ironically, the Wall of Shame represents the band's most postive musical elements their off-beat honesty and their ability to poke fun at themselves. Critcs have raved about the band s catchy, hook-laden, pop-tinged style but have sought to distinguish it from traditional college pop. Some refer to o m,crhe-r alnnp the edees. with a 11 (U O " " bit more grinding guitar." Others cite the band's knack for lyrical wit and its hip-happening everydayness. In fact, many of its lyrics seem as though they come from late-night duu seiw that relive male glories and frustra tions with unbelievable vividness portraying everything from hopeless crushes to family life to '70s stoners all with honest-to-God logic and storytelling genius. And finally, some like it just for being the purest, truest form of col lege pop. Though at times the Popes' sound teases audiences with flashes of influences (Let's Active, dB's and even They Might Be Giants), it isn't enough to pinhole it into a specific pop genre. But what separates the Popes from mainstream cliche pop is undoubtedly the personal humor and candor in the songs. Not only are the songs more -.orcnnl t hev are more real, and they come from the heart, no matter how masked, warped or comically they are delivered. The New Kids can sing "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever" with as much sappy mechanical harmony and melody as they can fit into it, but it 11 never come close to reaching the more mature personal pop that the Popes play. And that's why the record in dustry sucks. Though Elderkin said they have become more serious and direction oriented about their songwriting, it probably won't lose that personal touch that he described as the "bare bones" type. And even when the band breaks into a brasher element, both the musical and lyrical deliveries are still so playfully joyous and expressed in such a feel-good fashion that you can't help but laugh along with them. ivci,t.i.iiir -"- - r -1 colvac cnr-'sfiillv back into the UlClllomW"'" local limelight, now packed full ot promising bands. "She's You" appears on WXYC's DemoListen and "Cornerhouse" appears on Mammoth Records' frequeNCy sampler. On "Cornerhouse", the band creatively ,J;.,ac f-Vi vnnnopr memories of the hippie-ridden 70s with satirical savvy orl o criirmincr literal wit. Though an anu old song, it's become a sort of center piece for the public since tne ci . At any rate, The Popes are back with their guitars, sunny harmonies and popsmarts. Don't miss this band, and astutely encourage the record companies not to miss it either. TheY need to be awakened to the real world every once in a while. Alaskan snow L.rao Legs Pirct Pmind 9.95 Parh Additional Pound $3.95 Served Sunday through Thursday evenings with salad, hush puppies and baked potato. No take-out or sharing of reorders, please SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Chapel HillDurham - HWY 54 at 1-40 - 4934096 -87 T . . i n A.. Cnrinn Pnroct Rrl 790-lUU Lunch 1 1 :30-2:00 Sun.-Fri. Dinner 5:00-9:00 S"" .-Thus. 5:00-10-00 Fn.-Sat.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Nov. 1, 1990, edition 1
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