Living Colour's Vernon Reid deconstructs rock's most iconic guitar riffs

[@carlosmatos9848]

Forget the main riff, that solo in Cult of Personality was off the wall!

[@vickiroman921]

Still is - the lyrics are even more relevant today.

[@memyselfandi4581]

Ya would have loved to see his breakdown of how he wrote the solo

[@FirstLast-ur6xt]

@@memyselfandi4581he improvised it every time, I believe

[@ericyates3256]

One of the greatest solos of all time

[@vedder10]

Really enjoy Vernon Reid's playing and musical style. Really underrated guitarist.

[@psykomystro]

Very

[@vedder10]

@Daniel Blauw I like them both but what does one have to do with the other? Because they're both black? Please understand I'm not giving you a hard time I'm just wondering what context your framing this in?

[@s.j.villalobos9220]

Not underrated...every guitar player knows who is Vernon Reid, Tom Morello said Vernon was his inspiration

[@reemclaughlin4260]

Cult of Personality was, is, and will always be excellent and relevant. One of the best rock songs ever. ♥️✌🏼🍀

[@erikmartin4996]

Agreed

[@paullangdon9575]

Yep! You said it! Creativity at its best. And so relevant.

[@jakefoxx7978]

Insightful, humble, talented, and open-minded! This guy, this band is awesome!

[@ustheserfs]

Love Vernon and the way he's contributed to the musical landscape I've seen evolve since I was little kid. One of the very best shows I ever attended was Living Colour in London at Brixton Academy in 1990. The energy they emitted and the way the crowd received them was almost manic.

[@matttice5834]

Vernon I met you on Miami Beach at the Marlin where I was working you noticed my co-worker Ian Innocent from your Brooklyn childhood days. You gave us 6 tickets/backstage to see you at the Cameo Theatre that eve and I really appreciated that. I have pictures to prove it and it awesome.

[@s.j.villalobos9220]

Cool lyrics, voice, riff, solo guitar...Cult of Personality is one of the greatest and unique rock song

[@44x2like]

These brothers should have had much more respect- Ive seen them in concert 3x and they ROCK. Masters of their craft!

[@eriklarson9137]

I'd love a definition of "more respect". Every musician I have come across believes at every position, this band is the best of the best. What more do you want?

[@ronj9448]

That interview should have been 30 or 60. Seemed like he wanted to talk more about this.

[@johnf.rivera8046]

Would have love to have seen Vernon and Prince play together!

[@psykomystro]

They would've been epic!!!

[@paullangdon9575]

Now that would be mind blowing- as gifted & creative a duet as one could find.

[@Jamaicafunk]

I’m pretty sure that happened.

[@Qwalsius]

Love love love Vernon Reid. His sound choices I'd listened to to the point of wearing out my first tape I had of it :)

[@vineflower]

ACDC is just a band that embraced the pitchfork haha

[@competetodefeat4610]

Always felt like the members of this band were underrated individually and the band as a whole was underrated.

[@eriklarson9137]

That's because you care what the wrong people think. Stop that.

[@thecarguy7238]

I love Vernon so much. If he’s not in every guitarists top 5 I’d be surprised

[@resuscitationpicture]

he is in my top 5 indeed

[@David-z9l6b]

U are one of the great guitar players of our time

[@19501960]

Vernon is a philosopher. All the training, all the thought, still couldn't come up with an original riff.....LMAO. Power to the guy who picks up an instrument and just ,plays.

[@eriklarson9137]

I imagine in your head that made sense... To the rest of us, what?

[@johnhorne925]

Great commentary on musician creativity - so very true!

[@saxtant]

Marbles is by John McLaughlin - Carlos played it too sure, but John wrote it.

[@kaneo67]

Carlos doesn't write any songs? I may be wrong but he is certainly over rated and plays boring lead

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

@@kaneo67 - I have to admit that Carlos can get old after listening to him only; this is why there's a shuffle control on music players. However, he's an original rock guitar hero for Hispanic players, so he gets a lot of slack with me. I still listen to his version of "Europa" and a few other standards, plus his early band stuff. Plus, he's an icon of tasty tone on guitar. When you get "bored," don't complain - hit a switch and play something different!

[@phillipsantana2633]

I sort of let this one slip under the cracks due to all the bands out there forgot about the songs relevance how it stood the test of time. The rifts in just the intro itself when the words narrated (in a language we all can understand) from the sounds that follow you're already knowing this is going to be a great song.

[@MsMelyjean]

Seen Living Color in concert a couple of timez. Vernon Rees is a beast!!!

[@markleestampley8784]

Very cool. Luv Veron Reid, When I worked with henry johnson the great jazz player I told him about Living color but he didn't like rock that much. Then at a show, this guy was taking pictures of him came up to him after the show and said. Hi, I'm Vernon Reid and I am your biggest fan to Henry. They became friends, I am your biggest fan. They became friends

[@dylanevans7529]

LMAO the song is so hard to play, even the own guitarist has to practice a minute... No disrespect, Great guitarist, just goes to show the difficulty

[@Postmortumaz]

The guitar solo is what stands out.

[@RexStratton]

Vernon Reid pioneer black rocker. Forget the color? He's superb

[@6banzai5]

magic fingers. thanks for the riffs V.

[@psykomystro]

Perfect description... True artist don't sit around saying "I'm going to come up with something catchy".

[@BlueCollarLogic]

CLICK BAIT! Better title : 'Vernon Reid Refuses to Deconstruct Even One Riff'. Reid: "It's just a cool repetitive thing." For analysis refer to Rick Beato.

[@dariocaroli5179]

what a great guitar!! Vernon!!

[@derekspitz9225]

I love Vernon and Living Color. Not so keen on the WP's click-bait headlines.

[@dacechasinghawk3910]

He played Back in Black. Ahhhhh!!! Awesome.

[@dimebolso938]

He can't even play it.

[@kitoyobeni1]

Living Colour covered it on their Collideoscope album.

[@koopsjunta]

I love Vernon.

[@danielfreitas2.0]

Vernon Rules❤️❤️❤️

[@mismagick]

this visionary is the Jean Michel Basquiat of the electric gutar.

[@michaelj.smithph.d.9114]

I love this guy!!! Brilliant man and brilliant musician!

[@carolinel2530]

This man is a genius.

[@frankzappaandthemothers7739]

Vernon is a master

[@MrChrismlamorte]

Awesome

[@marcoslarini4670]

Maestro vernon

[@Markcello]

MORE!!!

[@andybaldman]

Go read the lyrics of Cult of Personality, and think of our current president saying them.

[@marceloaraujo8728]

COM JACK BRUCE A QUÍMICA FOI PERFEITA.

[@merr___7579]

Reid is the man

[@everycoLor_312]

yes!

[@chase36chase]

if a neuromancer-movie every comes out, he should work on the OST

[@brianconner664]

Cool dude

[@fernandogarajalde4066]

The precision of Steve Howe, the soul of Hendrix and the knowledge base of Robert Fripp. Why isn't Vernon (or the rest of Living Color for that matter) in the Hall of Fame?

[@colinjones4686]

Matter of time.

[@RichardRBarrett]

@@colinjones4686 Time’s up

[@dingleberries131]

Sloppiest player of the year award goes too...

[@renebenton77]

I remember years ago a guy said , Vernon is sloppy. But, he also said No other clean and precise guitarist has yet to come up with that Cult of Personality riff. Touche I said, touche.

[@cbh2976]

Best band ever after the rolling Stones.

[@captainkgarrow]

zappa , G moore Vernon Reid C Schuldiner among others

[@BassToTheFaceMan]

You forgot to mention Jerry Reed as likely the most all around talent person to ever claw a guitar.

[@toolguyslayer1]

0:27 I love that when people hum songs even if they have it wrong you pick up little notes Here in there maybe two or three out of 50 more if they're a really bad Hummer the thing about a musician and they normal individual the musician texting mistake and put it in the right place and the right way and trims It Off that makes it work it's like a handyman or an engineer he has the tools and he knows what he can work with. That's good stuff right there love the video

[@josealbertocarbonell-river5912]

Está ,KBrn,El Jodi...N..Ese!!!

[@ibizabartenders]

living colour is the last rocanrol band

[@dimebolso938]

Money can't buy you tone.

[@aldoblar]

i feel u

[@einarabelc5]

WTH? Why so sloppy?

[@Hellwyck]

What have you come up with?

[@christian-van-e]

I agree... like he is some just beginning guitarist! hahah almost worse than Kirk Hammett live

[@fantomasfanto8469]

Vernon could play circles around you, Chris. Always remember that, got it? Good talk.

[@paologuerrero1388]

He wants trying to impress anybody, he's just chilling out and sharing and shit, you don't have to be a fucking robot

[@Stephenguitar93]

That's just the tone, dudes

[@theburkett67]

Not trying to knock Vernon, but I always thought he was a very sloppy player, and his solo skills were sorely lacking.

[@colins7771]

James B lol, troll

[@renebenton77]

All true but yet, out of all the clean pristine players we know none of them have yet to write something on the level of Cult of Personality

[@throlyhd9448]

sloppy and very bad tone